Finding a Passion

Here are my thoughts....

1.  Art-  I have always been driven by anything that allows me to be creative.  My personal choices in this are would be drawing, painting, pottery, and doodling.  I have had formal training in drawing, painting, and pottery.  With the exception of doodling, without a time being set in my schedule to do these thing, I rarely get a chance to do them.  I doodle on everything, especially in my notebooks.  Hopefully, I will make some time to get back into these things as they were once something that took priority in my life.

2.  Science-  I am currently pursuing my single subject credential in science.  Science is something that I have always enjoyed.  In the MEd Curriculum and Instruction program, I am to write a curriculum, and as of right now it will be science driven.  I would like to incorporate what I am learning from this class to make it technologically involved.

3.  My Thesis-  I am currently in the process of working on my thesis.  It deals with the growth and development of adolescent girls through experiential learning.  I have had the privilege of going to summer camp since I was 11.  I was a camper for 6 summers and a staff member for 7.  It's because of this experience, I truly believe in the value of experiential learning (or perhaps now I can include situated learning?)  Summer camp has been a huge part of my life and I attribute a lot of what I learned in the "informal" setting to those experiences.  Therefore, I decided to do my thesis dealing with something I hold near and dear to my heart.

4.  Literacy-  I recently took a course in regards to Children and Adolescent Literature.  It spawned my love for reading back up again.  I love finding ways to integrate picture books into learning.  It's entertaining to see how people of all ages can appreciate a good picture book.  I've also come to enjoy books geared towards the teenage years.  They are usually quick reads and not at the level I should be reading, but (1) it gets me to read, and (2) its for the audience I want to be working with.

5.  Traveling-  I have been fortunate to have grown up traveling.  My parents have instilled a desire see and experience as much as possible in me.  I just love everything about traveling with the exception of being stuck on a plane breathing in recycled air with the crying baby and the child kicking the back of your seat. 

6.  Water- This may sound like a weird one, but I need water in my life.  Growing up in Hawaii, I have constantly been around water--may it be the beach, at the stream, pond, taro fields, or playing in the rain.  One of the requirements of where I settle, is having a nearby water source.  In addition, I do not think I could live in a landlocked state.  In college I was on the crew team, and one reason for joining and continuing to row was because it allowed me to spend consistent time out on the water.  Water brings peace and a sense of familiarity.


So I don't know if I'm heading in the right direction.  I know that these are big and broad ideas, but these are some driving factors in my life.