Title: Blog 11: Lesson 1 Reflection

1. What are you most proud of in your lesson, and why?
I feel that after my presentation a good number of people got the sense that I really knew what I was talking about and that i had a lot of in  depth research under my belt. I probably could do a 30 minute presentation right now if I had to. This is also something I need to work on. I need to work on being more concise with my information and managing the time span in which I need to present.

2. What assessment would you give yourself on your lesson? Explain why you earned that grade using evidence from the component contract.
I think I should get a P on this presentation. Even though I was cut off by time I still managed to mention my EQ, mentorship, independent component and site one of my written sources. 


3. If you could go back, what would you change about your lesson?  How can you use that knowledge to give a better Lesson 2?
I would definitely be more brief and concise with my information. I Probably would change my Hook because it was too long for this presentation. I might still use my same hook for the next presentation because I will have more time to work with.  

Blog 10 - Interview 2 Reflection

1. Please explain how you are spending your mentorship time (Is it at a workplace or somewhere else?  Are you shadowing?  Are you able to do tasks that are meaningfully related to the topic?  If so, what?  Are there other people who are experts in the location?  Etc...)

As of right now I have a mentor but I have been unable to regularly meet with him due to my Monday/ Wednesday college class. We have however discussed when I can come and what I will be able to do with him. In the coming months I will sit in his lectures and observe classroom activities and perhaps participate at certain times. Soon he will be directing Urinetown The Musical and I will be able to shadow rehearsals. This will be helpful for me considering my Independent Component is directing a musical for Fullerton. While in the theater department I will be around many professors of the arts. My mentor Giovanni has already introduced  me to a man who specializes in Shakespearian theater performed in non-english speaking countries and I look forward to interviewing him.    

2.  How did you find your mentor?  How did you convince this person to help you?  

I knew Pomona College had a great Theater program and I emailed the head of the department and asked if he knew anyone who's skill set met my needs. He directed me towards Giovanni and after one email explaining to him my project he was happy to help me. I met up with him during the summer and discussed mentorship options and he seemed very happy and excited to help me. During our first meeting he lent me a book on my topic. 

3. How would you rate your comfort level with your mentor at this point in your relationship?  How does this relate to the time you've spent so far at mentorship/with this person?

I am an award person when it comes to people I don't know and I try really hard not to be. My mentor is very kind and supportive and gives me no reason to feel uncomfortable. I know once I spend more time on campus with him I was lose some of my anxiety but for right now our schedules do not match up. 

4. What went well in this interview?  Why do you think so?  What do you still need to improve?  How do you know?  How will you go about it?

I was honestly terrified about my interview 2 because even though I left IPoly an hour and a half before my interview I ended up being an hour late. I had to take the bus and the bus never came. I had no other means of transportation but I was able to alert him that I was going to be extremely late. When I got to the interview I was flustered and embarrassed on how unprofessional I had been. My mentor was very understanding and forgiving and even apologized that i had to take the bus everywhere. He offered me water and told me to take a seat and relax and catch my breath. Even after a few minutes I was still stressed and I went through the interview way faster then I had planned. I am overall happy with the information he gave me but am disappointed in my lack of focus. I stuttered and it was quite a mess. Nonetheless my mentor gave me great information and was extremely understanding and did not seem disappointed at all in having to wait for me.

Blog 9: Advisory Prep 3

1. State whether or not you currently have a mentor, and what the status of your interview is with that person (I have completed the interview, I have scheduled the interview, I have not scheduled the interview, etc).
Yes I have a mentor and I have already completed my interview with him. I am in the process of transcribing said interview.

2. At this point, your research is probably guiding your studies toward more specific areas within your topic.  Name the area or two you find most promising and explain your reasons. 
I want to study how culture effect performing arts and so far the biggest aspects that have had the biggest impact are religion and history. With religion come a lot of the core beliefs and morals of a culture and with this the morals of the stories their performances have. Most genres of performance are based off of their folklore which is where the history part comes in. The industrial revolution effected many things and performance art is among them. I want to learn more about how different societies levels of "modernization" has shaped their art forms.

3. What kinds of sources do you think will help you in the next month to gain more research depth?  Where will you go to get them?
The books I got from the library have definitely helped me in narrowing my subject matter and I plan on finishing them. I have  barley scratched the surface of what I want to study and there are a number of books on my list that I haven't checked out yet that i know will help me.
 
4. Write down a possible EQ.  Please don't worry about wording other than ensuring that it provides the option for multiple correct answers.  At this point, the senior team is most interested in understanding your thought process.
What aspects of a cultures views and beliefs shape their performance art? How is each cultures performance art different and similar so others? 

Blog 8: Independent Component 1 Proposal

1.  Describe in detail what you plan to do for your 30 hours.

My IC 1 will be directing the Musical Theater submission for Fullerton Festival this year. I will pick the Musical we are doing, including the songs we will be preforming. I will hold auditions and cast the play. Once everything is set I plan on holding rehearsals twice a week for 1 hr to 1hr 30 min each. The final product will preforming at fullerton college. We hope to place with year. If we don't it will still be ok, we go to Fullerton to showcase our talents and if we are recognized by judges that would be amazing.  

2.  Discuss how or what you will do to meet the expectation of showing 30 hours of evidence.

I can make a video log of auditions and rehearsals and of course the final show. We will be performing the show at Ipoly during our Fullerton Pre-show that we do every year.  

3.  Explain how what you will be doing will help you explore your topic in more depth.

I have always been in shows but I have never directed the WHOLE show. What I hope to gain from this component is a larger understanding of the art of theater. My project as a whole is on all performing arts but in my research I am looking into depth on each type and this would be broadening my knowledge on the subject of theater and MORE specifically musical theater so i will also be musically directing this show combining the two arts.  

4.  Update your Senior Project Hours log.

Blog 7 - Second Interview Preparation

1.  Who is your mentor and where do they work?  If their workplace does not reflect their expertise, what makes them an expert?

My mentor's name is Giovanni Ortega and he is a professor of Theater at Pomona College in Claremont. Pomona College is a very prestigious school and was ranked number one in the country by Forbes Magazine so teaching there, I believe, makes him an expert in his field. He is relevant to my topic because not only is he an expert in theater but also knows a lot about other forms of performing arts. In the conversations we've had it is to my understanding that he has been many places around the world and my project focuses on performing arts on a global scale. 

2.  What five questions will you ask them about their background?

• What types of performance art have you been apart of? Have you taught all of these or just participated?
• How long have you been teaching theater?
• What specifically do you teach? Acting? Directing? etc. 
• Have you traveled to many places? If so have you seen any type of performance native to that culture or country?
• Is there any specific characteristic you feel qualifies you to be an expert in this field? 

I'm sure these questions will have many follow up questions during the interview. 

Blog 6: Advisory Prep

1. What has worked well for you concerning senior project this year?  What has made it a positive experience for you?  

I am not going to lie I have been struggling. I haven't found my mojo yet when it comes to getting all my work done. Switching my topics was unexpected for me but there is no point in switching back now. I have to reevaluate what I'm really trying to accomplish here. I feel I am catching up though and its going to be ok. The bright side is I am still focusing on a topic that I find interesting. My potential essential question is more clear and I feel like I am going to be able to research a lot more now. 

2. What are you finding difficult concerning senior project?  How can you adapt to make that portion work better for you?  How might the senior team help?

Everything I'm struggling with is my own fault. I have been the one procrastinating and/or not doing my work. I jam packed my schedule this semester which I probably shouldn't have done considering I have now stressed myself out more. I'm still learning how to make time for everything and being strict with myself to keep a tight schedule and I know I can get it all done. 

Blog 5: Interview 1 Reflection

1. What is the most important thing I learned from the interview?  Is there anything I would do differently for other interviews?

I asked my mentor if I could interview him and he agreed only I procrastinated setting a date to meet with him. If I contacted him the weekend before it was due and I found out he was out of the country for the rest of the month. I gave him my interview questions and he is going to answer them for me this coming week. If I had tried to set a date earlier I would have know he wasn't going to be available and I could have found another person in time but because I was only concerned with my schedule that and not his I didn't give myself enough time to find a fallback. I should also have had a fallback in the beginning. I will still have an Interview 1 but it will be one week late and I wont have a recording because my mentor will be sending me his responses via email from Canada. This whole thing was a huge stressful wake up call and I wont let it happen again.

2. Did I get additional resources and contacts?  What is the most useful?  Why?

3. What makes my interviewee qualified to help me? 

My mentor works in the theater department at Pomona College so he knows a lot about all aspects of theater. He has been to many countries traveling with  theater/ imporv so he has had first hand experience with many cultures and that is what I want to pick his brain for. I want to know how other countries view performing arts and what options their country has. He has had experience with dance and music as well so if is very familiar with many genres of performing arts.

Blog 4 - House Advisory Prep 1

My senior topic is officially Performance Art. I have decided to expand from theater to all mediums of performance for the main reason of being able to look at my topic from an international standpoint. Every country/region/ culture has its own form of performance art and I am wondering how each cultures performance art influences their cultures' values and beliefs. How is a society shaped by its performance art?
What I really hope to get from this project is a wide range of genres I can learn about. I would love to, at some point or another, be able to watch each medium I discover and learn about. I hope to talk to many different people and from all over the world and get insight on what it would be like to see a performance in their country.

Blog 3 - First Interview Preparation

I plan on interviewing my mentor Giovanni Ortega. He is a theater professor at Pomona College. Alongside the required questions some examples of questions I plan on asking are as followed:

1) Can something like "improvisation skills" be taught? Are people just naturally gifted with the skill?

2) How important is theater in our society? Do you think is should be more important than it is right now?

3) What benefits does theater have? Does Improv have even more or the same benefits?

4) What is your advice to someone like me who is interested in the field? Where do you feel I should focus my research towards?

Blog 2- Summer Mentorship

Mentorship Log

1. List the contact name, phone number, and organization of the person with whom you volunteered.

         Delacy Ganley, PhD                     Director, Teacher Education Department   

         (909) 621-8076

         Claremont Graduate University: Teacher Education 

         Danielle Centeno                          District Coordinator 

         (909) 607-0861

         Lupe Terriquez

         (909) 607-8076

2. What qualified this person as an expert in your topic choice?     

    Delcay is the head Director of the Teacher Education department. I worked very closely with Delacy as she prepared for incoming International Student/Teachers. Because my original topic was International Education I was helping prepare for the, what the Claremont staff calls "fellows." Delacy is the creator of the TEA program that brings Teachers from foreign countries to Claremont to learn different methods of teachers and technology and other important aspects. While being an intern in the office I also worked very closely with Daniel who is one of the district coordinators at CGU. She works with student teachers in the Induction Program. Working with her showed me a lot of what goes on when someone wants to become a teacher. Matching a student teacher with a Master teacher is a very important process. She was going to help me pick a classroom that I would later Volunteer/ Mentor in once the school year started. Since then my plans for the year have changes. Lastly I worked with Lupe. Lupe is the very sweet receptionist in the Teacher ed. department. Because I was working in the office along side all the busy people I also helped Lupe and the rest of the staff by making copies, printing papers and other office-y stuff.  

3. List three questions for further exploration now that you've completed your summer hours.  
   ( if i were still doing this topic)\
   How do we make International Students feel the most comfortable while staying in the us.
   What can we learn for the international students as well as what they can learn form us?
   How can students benefit from video chatting with students around the world?

4. What is the most important thing you gained from this experience? Why?
   Working in Teacher Education taught me that you really have to love what you do in order to be working nine to five everyday (or spend a year researching) a certain job. The people in this department really do love what they do and enjoy their jobs. Although they are faced with many challenges (outdated computers/ systems, low enrollment, low budgeting, etc.) they all push through everyday to ensure the students in schools today and tomorrow have the best teachers and get the best possible education. I learned that if I want to achieve a certain goal or work on a certain project I need to do it with the attitude and persistence that the staff at the Claremont Graduate University Teacher Education Department have.     

5. What is your senior project topic going to be?  How did mentorship help you make your decision?  Please explain.

   Taking a TOTALLY different direction my senior topic is going to be Improvisational theater. I have contacted a theater professor at Pomona College [ Giovanni Ortega ] who will be my mentor for the school year. While working with these amazing people was a fun, educational and valuable experience, it also made me realize that I am not passionate enough about teaching to go into the field or spend my year researching. I decided to follow my passion for Imporv and I may even narrow (or broaden, I'm not sure which word fits better) my topic to "teaching" improvisational theater. This will allow me to use some of the skills I have learned working with teachers while still focusing on a topic I very much enjoy.   

Blog 1 – Senior Final Lesson/Interview Reflection

1.  What three lessons were most helpful for you to see, and why?
I found that Ian Kam's presentation on physical therapy was very helpful to me because, although I was not particularly interested in his topic he still made his presentation very engaging and informational. He captured my attention and kept it throughout the presentation and in the end i enjoyed watching him and even learned some things.
I also really enjoyed Desiree's because she was so passionate about what she was doing. She showed me, and later told me, that in order to do well on your project you have to love what you are doing "Its kinda like life you know, why put so much work and effort into something that you are going to end up hating. Pick something you love and it is no longer a project, its the senior team giving you credit for having fun and doing what you love."
Lastly I loved Ilse's whole lesson. Her presentation, activity, not to mention she has snacks, was just fun and entertaining. She also touched on the education side of things so i was interested in how i could do something similar for my project. Ilse's knew what she was talking about and spoke very confidently. She gain the respect of her viewers and then later gave us all the reason why she choose special education as her topic. That part inspired me to really think deeply about what I want to do and even more importantly why I want to do it. 

2. List one thing that you learned about the senior project in interviews that will help you get off to a good start?

Desiree, like a said above, wanted to make sure I knew that it is okay to pick a fun topic and that my topic doesn't have to be a desired career path. What helped me that most is she told me "take your time. You don't have to pick a topic tomorrow. This summer you can get your ten hours easy if you just try a bunch of things that interest you. No one said they all had to come from the same place. By trying a bunch you can later pick the one you feel is the best and then just go with it. DONT be afraid to change your topic. There is time and you are smart. Don't stress yourself out just take a deep breath and have fun. Trust me, I'm Desiree, you got this."

3. What topic(s) are you considering, and why?

Elementary Education

   -I have always been told I'd make a great teacher. Teaching also runs in my family. I wouldn't mentor with my family but it would make something easier. I like children at the kindergarten to third grade level and can see myself working with them. 

Improvisational Theater

  - Theater is something I have loved for as long as I can remember so when I came to ipoly and discovered the Imporv team i couldn't help myself. Next year will be my third and last year and first year as captain of the Flying Pigs Imporv team. It make me so proud to know that we go and compete. Improv is something I love and it would be amazing if i make a project out of it. 

4. What EQ do you think might be interesting to consider in guiding a project like this? (Please don't worry about any sort of formula...we want this question to come from your genuine interest).

What is the best way to engage a 6-9 year old in a classroom?

How can a teacher ensure the material being taught will be understood and obtained by his/her audience?

What is the most effective way an improvisational theater team can get though a scene?

How can an imporv team best appeal to their audience?  
5. What are some ideas you have about finding summer mentorship?

My father works for Claremont Graduate University in the Teacher Education department and he has many co-workers that normally teach in a primary classroom that come and lecture and teach classes on how to become an elementary school teacher. Many of them wouldn't mind is i sat in on these classes and then later worked with them in a class room.