Put Down the Paint-by-Numbers

As the school year comes to a close, testing and assessment is what is on every teachers mind. But what are we testing for? That a student can answer a question correctly and fill in a bubble…

In an article I was reading on Coexist, teachers comment on how the curriculum is paint-by-numbers class work, the notion that we are “robbing” students of their ability to problem-solve and think critically. What would happen if we asked more thought-provoking and open-ended questions? 

I know that assessment is important, and tests are fine. But the way we test doesn’t allow for accurate results. Not entirely. What kind of multiple-choice test can measure inquiry and reflection?

This has everything to do with how important art education is in schools. Teaching students how to become aware of their surroundings and how to critically approach a dialogue about it; how to work collaboratively and develop classroom relationships. These kinds of skills can identify both strengths and weaknesses while measuring classroom growth. 

Happy Cinco de Mayo

Who has the power today? Jose. 


It might be a little rainy out today, but who wouldn't want to be where these two happy ones are?

Up In Arms

I couldn't believe all the negative comments left on this video. Virtually berating Equinox like they were showcasing porn. Instead of feeling inspired, critics complained that the gym club was using sex to sell memberships. Eh em,  go take a look at Times Square, welcome to the 21st century. Selling sex (legally, of course) is one of the most common advertising tactics used in every kind of media. At least Equinox is doing it in a way that is supposed to inspire and encourage women; one might even say that it is showing that a woman can be in charge of her own life and sexuality while managing her lifestyle (whatever that may be). 

All I can say is good job! 

Happy Birthday Keith

Dear Mr. Haring, 


Happy Birthday. My birthday wish may not be as cool as your very own Google doodle but a little extra recognition never hurts. Thanks for all the great art and always showcasing New York City culture in the most interesting light. 


Crack is Wack 

Houston, We Have A Problem.

I feel like this year in particular the amount of celebrity deaths has hit an all time high. Or maybe they are just all catching up to me. Whatever it is, our culture sure seems interested in anyone who dies and all that surrounds it. 


Look at the late Whitney Houston, the media was thrown in to an all out frenzy with drug speculations and who is to be held responsible. They even have taken it upon themselves (the media) to keep up with her so-called drug-addicted daughter. Whatever happened to keeping the family off limits? 

A Little To The Left

Pisa to me is like how some Americans feel about Disney World … you have to go there someday. There is an idea or maybe an attraction about Pisa that makes you want to find that perfect spot, where you place your hands in the air like you are pushing the Leaning Tower of Pisa in to its rightful place. For a moment, you and only you are keeping one of history’s miracles upright.

But that romantic view changes when you look over and see a couple thousand other people doing the same thing. This has been happening to me a lot. Where the value of the sight is lessened by the amount of tourists and tourist shops that surround something like this tower. Does the aesthetic of something so beautiful depreciate with all this static going on in the world?

A little more over to the left.

Pisa is located in the Italian region of Tuscany, a few hours from Florence. As a 1-day excursion departing from Florence, Pisa is a fun field trip to take, even if it is only for the really great pictures.  I’m not trying to act like Pisa is just some ride at an amusement park, but when people think of Pisa some travelers may get discouraged by the large amount of tourists that ensue in a huge line. What some may not know is that Pisa is not just the site of the Torre di Pisa, but also a large architectural goldmine that is home to a handful of Romanesque buildings.

When you enter onto the Campo dei Miracoli or the Field of Miracles you get an amazing panoramic view of some of Western Europe’s greatest cluster of Romanesque architectural masterpieces.  When you walk on to the field, you see the Baptistery of the Cathedral.  An amazing round building constructed out of white-marble. The buildings portal or doorway has numerous carvings and sculptures that depict the life of Christ. Since the structure took 200 something years to complete, the architectural style started in the Romanesque and transitioned into the Gothic.

The Field of Miracles looking at the Baptistery.

Next is the Duomo di Pisa or the Cathedral of Pisa.  This amazing structure has a façade (outside face of the building) that has four tiers of freestanding columns and bronze paneling. The inside of the Cathedral is awe-inspiring; the ceiling is created out of 16th century wood.

The exterior of the cathedral

And finally, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, one of Europe’s most famous towers. It is the freestanding bell tower of the cathedral.  Standing at 183-ish feet, it leans at about 4 degrees.  It is said that it wasn’t until 5 years after they built the tower in 1173 that it began to tilt.  Hundreds of years and millions of dollars have been spent trying to reverse the downward fate of the tower. Techniques that include counterweights, soil buildup, slings and concrete have helped maintain the very famous tilt. This architectural faux pas brings in over 1 million tourists each year … not all mistakes are bad.

The Leaning Tower of Pisa

A Wordy Purgatory

The old saying goes “If these walls could talk” but when it comes to some university academics I am sure many professors have thought, “If these pages could talk”. Possibly tell them who really wrote this “legal brief, military-strategy assessment, poem, or lab report”? Ed Dante, the pseudo-cover for the author of The Shadow Scholar is the voice of many of the papers submitted by today’s ‘scholars’.

The come-clean article is a public confession of a man who writes custom papers for students, who for instance can’t speak proper English; this amazes me everyday as a graduate student. I have been a part of group projects where reading a classmates writing is almost as easy as reading hieroglyphics.  Another customer of Dante’s is the rich and/or Ivy League student (I am grouping these together) who is just lazy and has enough inflatable income to ask a ‘professional’ to do it for them.  This doesn’t seem to make Dante too angry, why would it? He is getting paid fairly well and increasing his own knowledge bank of random information; but for some reason it bothers me. No I wasn’t able to get into an Ivy League school, I am not bitter (not really) but what about the kids who can get into Harvard or Yale and can write their own work?

I do find it absolutely amazing at the wealth of knowledge and degree of writing this guy must have. He can write a full thesis in the time it would take me to come up with an outline.

I would like to know if Dante is just an unheard, spiteful college student who didn’t get the attention he needed from his teachers. Is he supplying millions of unauthentic words to cheating student as a way to anonymously get revenge on his own academic experience? This was a way for instant gratification as a writer, people wanted to hire him to write.

I can understand why he wants to retire though, years of typing with no author appreciation.  I am sure Dante will continue to write and hopefully get published legitimately, but what will he show on his personal resume?