...I quote Stanley Tigerman's paper we are reading for our ethics class he gives once a week. This week's paper is titled "Creativity, Melancholy, and the Divine" I have huge issues with assigning an ownership to the idea of creativity as has been presented to us. Especially being a divine or religious ownership. I heard a quote the other day, and I wish I could just say it, and have everyone understand my stance:
"We need other human beings to be humans - I am because other people are"

I have no right to claim mass or space based on my religion, I have no right to claim predestined creativity because of the culture I was born into. Just the same, I expect no one else to claim that ownership...but I need to re-read Stanley's paper before I can make my point clearly...

We were debating last week's paper that stated: "PRESENCE
vis-a-vis MASS is HEBRAIC : ABSENCE vis-a-vis SPACE is HELLENIC/CHRISTIAN"; my group didn't win...we also didn't stay within the one page double spaced 25 lines guidlines...I was a one page single spaced violator...

Other news...we had a small focus group discussion with some Chicago Public School teachers...one elementary level, one upper school level.... I can honestly say I was never one of those little girls who always wanted to grow up and be a teacher...never. Of course, I always enjoyed telling people what to do, even when I was only 3 ft tall...

We met with some Belgians who weren't really the Belgians they were presented as...and a small group of 4 or so turned into a class of 14 who were visiting Chicago for a week. I don't have the name of the school in front of me, I'll post it after tomorrow's class. They were really tripped up by Chicago's grid though. I was surprised it threw them for such a loop, when I moved here from Houston is was like a breath of fresh air. Anywhere I end up in the city, I know where I am, even with no map. That's great for a lost person like myself. Turn me around in circles a couple times and it takes me a little bit to orientate myself again...

So as far as our designg issue, "Tools for Schools" each team member is to bring in an initial design idea resulting from our focus group feedback... I am looking at something along the lines of an "I want to go to time out" space. We'll see.

Friday me and team memeber Selena went to the Teacher Resource Center here in Chicago. We did a little "idea shopping" Some of the miscellaneous items available for free for teachers to use in classroom:
-Notice of Termination of Tenancy (Chicago) slips
-Family and Medical Leave Act Compliance Kit
-Olivetti typewriter correction tape
-Loose leaf rings...with no way to open them
-Rotary Card refills
-alot of stencils; many being of angels
-Binders, a whole trashcan full of #2 pencils (limit 25), stamps
-and buckets and buckets full or earplugs (we got one of each style)

Sorry for the lengthy post. I know it's time to be more regular about this. And to add some pictures...

We debate Tuesday so there will results from that to post.

Coming to the Border's at 830 N Michigan near you...
-Gloria Estfan
-Spike Lee
-Margaret Cho
-Jimmy Carter
-Martha Stewart
-Al Franken
...who did you already miss at Borders? Kanyne West, Dan Savage...

-pamela

ps: how many copies of Craine's did you buy last week?