Thursday, July 9, 2015

Youth and Digital Media

This cartoon cracked me up when I first saw this on Huffpost. Today I finished all my reading for my "YOUTH AND DIGITAL MEDIA" class and then this was on my twitter feed. This is supposed to describe today's youth but I'm really not ashamed to see this is ME too. 

How funny is that rabbit! ROFL....LMAO!!!! 

I'll be posting more as I got a few really good ones about today's kids and their digital lives. 

Strength Comes From Inside

I just finished the hardest class that I ever had in my life (RESEARCH & METHODOLOGY), (Thinks back to undergrad: the anatomy class my senior year or stats class was a walk in the park). I am just grateful I made through, although there were some days I wanted to throw in the towel and just not do anything. I was able to muster up some courage and actually get it done.

Sometimes I really do surprise myself. I get really down and negative about myself, although I should always realize I am a super strong chick. Just thinking about all the crap I've been through, yet I still continue to live. I am amazed and proud. Although there are days but mostly nights where the depression takes over and the dark blanket wraps around my body. Life looks gloomy and dark. I went back to school so I wouldn't be in my thoughts of depression and so far it's worked. Now I'm just extremely stressed out! Ha! Go figure. What will happen after I graduate? I don't know but I am looking forward to actually doing NOTHING for at least 4 weeks come June 2016.

I may be alone.... but I am my own cheerleader. In and out....I must prevail! I really don't know how but it happens. One more summer class...fall and spring...and voila....Cap, gown, and hood!

Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Educational Research



Educational Research and it's importance in my field is key in developing strategies and new ideas. We've come a long way from the first compulsory education systems and we will continue to evolve. Being a teacher is not stagnant. We have to constantly evolve and reflect on our practices. Each student is like a flower in a garden and some need different things to thrive and grow. Students have issues in school and home and that will also change due to the dynamic of personalities and moods. I believe education research is beneficial to my practice. Both descriptive and experimental research will help in my field and department. The ideal relationship between research and educational practice is yet to fully be determined. I know they go hand in hand but for me specifically I am at the beginning of this action research journey. 

Monday, April 20, 2015

25 Hour Learning Challenge with Multimedia

Time to Shoulder hoop and have some fun!!!! This is week 6 of my Participatory Learning class and am finalizing my 25 hour learning challenge!

I created a prezi so please check out the link below that has captured my learning progress and final reflection:



Monday, April 13, 2015

Participatory Learning in our Digital World

Participatory learning is helpful because you are able to work with others to achieve a desired result. In my case I was trying to complete snake with an advanced hoop. I was told to use the beginner hoop then move to a smaller one as I got more rotations. With hooping the larger and heavier it is, the easier it is to stay up with little “pump” or “chest circles.” 

Once I got to the smaller and lighter hoop I became disheartened at the fact that my rotations decreased. It can be very frustrating and I tend to move on to something else when I am jamming as to keep my momentum of dance going. I had to make it a point to stop and say to myself out loud, “Go back to snake. Don’t give up.” When I was hooping with a friend yesterday, that started after me, and see her doing snake so easily I feel a bit annoyed. She was there to support me as I was there to support her when she started hooping. I’m really good at off body moves and she’s good at snake. 

But I keep persevering!!!!


My digital identity has not had any effect on my learning snake and snake has not affected my digital identity. I’m really proud and okay with who I am and who I am branding myself as online. My digital footprint now has new prints because I am writing this blog and it is attached with my real first and last name along with Google plus. I am posting and using videos of myself that are tagged and hashtagged. My journey can be read by other hoopers on their journey to snake and can see that it will not happen overnight and there may be frustration that comes along with it. 

Monday, April 6, 2015

Sensual Snake

In my journey to conquer the hooping move "snake" I was able to use various tools to help with my practice this week. I already belong on Hooping.org and subscribe to hoopers on YouTube to look at different explanations of "snake" also known as shoulder or upper body hooping. I wanted to take a class this week however I was on spring break and took my advanced students to Los Angeles to dance for the week. I wasn't able to take my hoop but when I got to L.A. I took a pole dancing class while waiting for the kids to get out of the dance studio down the street. I also took hip hop and jazz funk while there however I chose to take this class because snake is a very sensual move. 


I wasn't able to try it out yet because I won't be home until Monday night and this is due. I will try it and remember the lessons taught by the teacher at the pole dance studio. Getting different ways to approach this move is and has been very helpful. If it is different from another I try it and see what works. That is the only way to improve. Continue to collaborate and physically try it. 

Sunday, March 29, 2015

Learning Challenge


The challenge I decided to entertain was learning how to do "SNAKE," also known as shoulder hooping. I wanted to be able to keep the hoop up for longer than 3 rotations without falling with an advanced hoop.

This week I practiced with my beginner hoop and next week I will use the advanced hoop. Before I was able to get about 2-3 rotations. This week I got 5 rotations so I was excited about that.

There is so much freedom and creativity in hoopdancing with the freestyle that occurs. That is how you learn anything...right? Trial and error. You get some guidance and tips and then you practice to perfect what you are doing. When you take a class with #hoopgirl it always ends in what's called a "jam session."

Of course practice is frustrating because I want what I want at that moment usually and I want to be the best at whatever I do. Getting just two more rotations was very satisfying. I'm surprised that that move is still hard for me after all this time. I think making me practice just that will help but its so hard not to go to my "go to" moves.

I haven't had the time to take a class or go to Delores Park last week and next week I will drop in to a class or do a community jam in San Francisco. Right now YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQw1Dbv-hq)and Hooping.org have been the resources that I have been using. Mainly its just practice that I need to get my rotations on.

This was 3/27/2015 (5 rotations) 
FYI it was 80's day so I dressed in my 1980's New York B--Girl attire. 

Friday, March 20, 2015

Continuous Learner


The life I live comes with a lot of trials and tribulations. How do I get through my existence? Learning and experiencing new ideas, thoughts, philosophies, activities, and places. With participatory learning in mind I want to learn a new skill and be able to document my progress and reflect on my process of learning. There are so many different things I've been wanting to learn or explore further but was able to narrow it down.



  1. Skateboard- I've always wanted to learn how to skateboard. But I'm too old and scared I would fall and really hurt myself at this point. That ship has sailed. 
  2. Knit-My grandmother tried to teach me how to knit when I was younger but I never got to make that scarf that I wanted. It was very frustrating and I don't have the time to sit and knit these days. 
  3. Cook Soup-I love soup but I only enjoy the expensive gourmet soups from restaurants. I want to make my own but I think that would be too easy.
  4. Hoopdance-I've taken hoopdance classes and became a license certified level 1 hoopdance instructor but have maintained at the same level. I still have not mastered the "snake" which has been the bane of my hoopdance life. I would like to eventually work my way to a move called "zest" where you take each arm out one at a time during the rotation of the hoop but you must first master SNAKE.
So there it is.... HOOPDANCE!!!

I will try to master the move Cristabel Zamor has coined "snake." Snake is an on the body move that the hoop circles your upper body. I've successfully completed two or three rotations with a large beginner hoop but haven't continued as I began to train more with off body moves because they were easier and more entertaining. 

Goal: Snake with a medium sized hoop for 30 seconds

Resources: YouTube, Hooping.org, Delores Park Weekdays, Hoopdance drop ins


With the amount of time I have in my life and the nature of the activity I find this will be beneficial because it will also make me a better teacher and force me to not just move on the the next thing because I have more success. 

I will try to practice snake with my medium sized hoop for 20-30 minutes 3 or 4 times a week. This I can do at home or at school.

Sunday, March 15, 2015

TWO Learning Experiences

 I wanted to reflect on two learning experiences that has and continues to shape me as a human being and educator. When I was a child I had a lot of anger and frustration inside my little crazy body. My family used to call me “Animal” because I was like the Muppet character all wild and unpredictable. I was known to be extremely hyper and would have grand mal seizures when I couldn't regulate my emotions. If I was angry I would lash out by hitting, biting, or throwing whatever was nearest me to whomever was closest. When that wouldn't regulate my mood I would start to convulse which was probably my body’s way of shutting down and cooling off. I was a terror and had to have my own handler in preschool that was dedicated to only me.

I engaged in many activities that were to focus my energy and when I was able to write my mother introduced a technique that has saved me many times. I was given a little red book with blue leather caps on the four corners. The spine had black chines characters written on it and inside the pages were a soft pink with red lines. This was my new escape and therapy so to speak. My mother told me when I was angry, frustrated, or sad to write out my emotions and feelings. She told me to go back to read what I wrote after a few days and reflect on what I was feeling and evaluate it. That was probably the best thing that I could learn because it taught me to think before I acted.

I kept a journal throughout elementary and middle school. In high school I started to taper off on my writing because I got heavily into dance and that helped me tremendously as well. When I was attending community college after high school and doing professional musical productions I kept a little green notebook that I would write my thoughts while watching t.v. or whatever that would pop in my head. I always felt like I had so much zipping and zooming through my mind it, was hard for me to focus. That was my twitter but without the technology.  Now, I have Twitter and I love to micro blog.

I learned to manage my emotions, anger, and think before I act out and do something I would regret. One example that I remember was when my first boyfriend broke up with me in 6th grade. He started seeing our mutual friend and came to school with a hickey on his neck. I wrote a letter cussing them both out and saying horribly mean and nasty things because I was hurt. My mother told me to write the letter but do not give it until reading it the next day. If after two days I still felt that way give it but if not just keep it and tuck it away. This has been my mode of dealing with situations and giving me time to reflect. I am a constant thinker and analyzer so not only has it saved me from acting out but it quiets my mind from the constant thoughts and pressure flowing through it.

The difference now in what I do to express my thoughts in micro blogging is that I can’t put out my 1st initial feelings like I could in journaling. People tell me to make my Twitter private, but then I truly can’t be a part of the World Wide Web as it was intended to be. If there is something that I want to get out and can’t really put it out there I will code it so only I can understand and that’s good enough for me. I use Twitter every day and has been such a joy to share in this world with people that share in the same likes and interests. I’m not confined to my four walls of San Francisco but as a stage person would say I’m breaking the “fourth wall.”


The experience of writing and expressing myself has helped me immensely. Growing up I had a lot of strife. I also used play and my imagination to escape my reality and the lonely life I lived as a child. I played with my Barbie’s until high school, and that was my way of not living in my “world” but creating the world I wanted through my dolls. Like Thomas and Seely-Brown suggest in "A New Culture of Learning" play and imagination are important. I still feel emotional pain and although I am not able to tolerate much, I can usually manage until it passes. This is why I like to work with adolescents, because I've been there and have taken the time to remember and reflect on the things that I was going through. I am able to talk to my students about the pain they may be feeling and how to move through it. Using writing and movement has been the ultimate release for me throughout my life and still continues to support me through to this day. I am so very grateful that I get to help others in the same way that I have discovered savior. 

#danceforever #dancelife #living #surviving