I am very intrigued with Cabo’s many interests and intelligence. I look forward to working with him.
I would like to offer my impressions and recommendations after 2 sessions with Cabo. When I entered the room both times Cabo was on the beanbag under the desk, playing video games. He was polite, yet distracted. He was emphatically resistant to the suggestion that he stop playing video games, sit in the chair and focus on class. His immediate response is "NO" exaggerated by an extreme facial expression that seemed like an involuntary tick.
I would like to make a few learning environment suggestions. First, I would suggest removing the beanbag chair from his room so that he is required to sit up in a chair. I would also suggest removing the food in his room until it is time to eat, creating a sense of schedule to the activity. Eliminating as many distractions from class time would help Cabo to concentrate and focus on the subject at hand. I suggest that removing many of the distractions and distancing habits that Cabo is using to avoid becoming active in a process that he might be more inclined to alter his immediate resistance reaction to a learning environment. Clearly there might be a root cause of many of his self-imposed limitations, but a more structured learning space could help to encourage his abilities to focus and to create constructive new habits.
Ultimately, I shifted the visual art focus or filmmaking subject to the video game he was playing which had an ancient or prehistoric context. He mentioned Alien, and I pointed out that the synopsis is online ~ he read it and commented that it interested him so we took a look at the movie trailers of Alien 1979-2017 which use the idea of a prehistoric lizard-like creatures from outer space. He glanced at the trailers while continuing to play his game. At the suggestion of learning to create worlds for an activated user in the manner of active user gaming, Cabo rejected all suggestions of creating a project of his own. I suggested he watch one of the Alien movies and give his critique of the film for our next session. Since, technology and digital forms of expression is my area of expertise, video gaming and player-user-activated storytelling is a way to embrace any of Cabo's interests. The video-gaming element could become a constructive form for his learning a new subject.
Kellan has yet to take his dedicated iPad home to work with on his comix series. He seemed unaware that he has permission to take it home to work on projects after school. I suggested that he treat the iPad like a book he has checked out of the library, taking it home on loan and bringing it back with him to school. I've given him homework to focus on testing the Whiteboard animation software. His imagination and speed at developing comix is very impressive. Recording his drawing process creates a movie version of his comix that he can narrate for an audience.
Sebastian is working with other actors developing stunts for his movie. Using scenes that he has written in his TCUS3 script he began collaborating with other students on ways to interpret his ideas through physicalizing moves. He enjoys the active visualization of his script and records and reviews each take critically. He is enthusiastic in the collaboration process of filmmaking and very capable in all the roles.
