Canvas-Again!

“On the road again, can’t wait to get on the road again with my friends…” Willie Nelson, this refrain just keeps circling in my brain as we venture once more into the realm of Canvas. This journey is like the roller coaster, up-up-and down-down we go. Just when I think, “ah-ha, I have them, they are engaged” they slip away. Then I see engagement and I think, pump fist, “yes!” and then down they go. This is a slippery slope every week as I try hard to engage and keep them learning at the same time. Moving forward, I would like to take you through some assignments and share my student’s work with you.

Instructions

You have started to see yourself as a particular person/BRAND. Every day you represent yourself. Every day you are “telling people” what you want them to know about you just by how you walk, talk, dress, attitude, communicate, etc. Therefore, what factors should be considered when thinking about you/BRAND?

There are 3 types of Brands: corporate, product, and PERSONAL. We are working on the last one! The brand is created so that people instantly recognize the value, quality, and product from a particular company. Even within the corporate brand, like Nike, you have a product brand, which in this case would be “Air Jordans” and take Pepsi, it has Life Water.  Now we come to the one that concerns us: PERSONAL branding.

According to the Bedford Group: “Developing a personal brand can be as important for an individual as it is for a company or product line. It is vital…for anyone who enters the business world. IT’S YOUR REPUTATION! YOUR IDENTITY! All of the brandings need to be created.” We have the definition of a BRAND as “an identifying mark of a specific product” (dictionary).

What you post on social media lives on to infamy. BE careful. Branding is happening even when you do not think it is! You need to protect yourself, your brand, and be consistent with your message that you send out. Be aware. Be in control.

Give a shortlist of factors YOU think will tell people about YOUR BRAND!

Describe your brand by answering THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS: 

• What do you value about you and your BRAND?
• Describe what kind of price you put on yourself?
• How do you qualify that?
• What is your value as a student performer?

THINK ON THIS CAREFULLY! BE SPECIFIC. It is really about you and what BRAND you are portraying just by being you!

Student submissions

Students will surprise you when you least expect it. The student submissions were varied. Reading them made me proud to be in their lives, and for each student that did submit I replied and gave them a photo that represented what they were telling me. I wanted to give nothing but positive feedback, bolster their self-esteem, and provide a base of confidence they could lean on. I have included many for the variety they embrace showing a good cross-section of what I have in my Canvas room. Misspellings, grammatical errors, and their verbiage have been kept intact to preserve the integrity of the assignment.

Tamija: What I value about my brand is integrity, dependability, genuineness. The kind of price that I put on myself is the determination of getting things done. I qualify these things as meaningful. My value as a student performer is average. I aim for good grades, I try my hardest at anything I do. (my response: Tamija, I like your brand, because I value integrity as a top attribute. I think if everyone were to have this lot’s of problems would vanish between people. You picked some great attributes and I see them in you. Your value, average? No, your value is the sky is the limit. Do not underestimate yourself because you can do hard things. Look at you now. You learn new skills, you have a smile on your face, and you have done so much that I ask whether you like to do it or not. I value you highly! Definitely a lot MORE than average! Gold stars here for you all day long!)

Nya: I think people will say my brand is unique, reliable and dependable. What I value most about myself and my brand is my determination. I would put a decent price on myself. And as a student I value my drive to want to succeed in all my studies. (my response: Nya you are great. Yes, you are unique. I like that you are also reliable as well. All the attributes you give yourself are truths. Determination- solid. I like that you would put a decent price on yourself. I think you get more than that. I see you reaching for the stars and value is subjective. Think higher, you deserve it!)

Jakayah. I value that I am not just a mean person I could be nice once you get to know me.  I would put a high price on myself not only because I know my worth but I know what I will and won’t put up with.  I qualify this because I just have this feeling inside of my head. I have a high value as a student performer. I complete my work and ask questions. (my response: Jakayah, you are not mean per se, you are strong. Think about who you are. You do not back down and are not afraid to speak your mind. The only thing I would say about that is to pick your battles wisely. Know why you have picked what you picked and then stand strong.  I love that you value yourself and all that you are. That is awesome. No shame when you know you are strong and have value. Yes to you!)

Italia: My shortlist factors are reliable, modernize, comfortable, and valuable. I value the creativity I have for myself and my brand. I don’t know an exact price I would put on myself, but I want to be worth it yet not expensive. My value as a student performer is to observe and re-evaluate my progress and errors. (my response: Your shortlist Italia, is most people’s long list! Way to attack the question. I appreciate that you give of your time. Your creativity is priceless so your price is priceless. Everything you do, you do with grace and style. I appreciate your honest assessments and how you handle this remote learning. Your growth as a person has leaped to the top of the mountain. You should be valuable. Place the highest value you can on yourself. Stand strong for who you are because you are amazing. Thank you.)

Lakayla

• 1. My clothes
• 2. My personality 
• 3. My knowledge 
• 4. My hair
• my brand is special it tells people that this is me and only me. It’s something that will probably never change. I’m priceless no amount of money can really put on me and my brand. But if there was it would have to be a couple thousand. As a student performer the value is also the same as my brand because I’m in an establishment where people have to watch how I work and maybe tell other people about me so I would want people to know my good things. 

• Nicholas:
• Accomplished 
• Motivated
• Driven
• High Class
• I value that my brand be high class.I do not put a price on myself or my brand because I do not think a human life is worth any amount of money. I believe everyone has the same value as everyone else as a student. It is what you do with that value that differenciates you from everyone else.

Caleb: What I value about me and my brand is my exciting outgoing personality. I make people laugh and have a good time. I wouldn’t put a very expensive price in my brand because I want everyone to be able to afford it. My value as a student performer is to spread positivity. I want to make people feel great and forget about a personal problem they might be going through. (my response is below:

Caleb, I think there is something so great about this. You know yourself and you know that by making others feel good, you actually put yourself into a better frame of purpose. Lovely. 

Roslyn: I would say my brand is unique, creative, reliable, dull at times but colorful at times, and maybe a little crazy. I’ve never really thought of what my brand is worth. I’ve never really thought of labeling my worth. On a really good day I guess I would say I’m priceless but since over never really thought of it I just can’t give an answer without more thinking. THAT will take MONTHS even YEARS before I’m even able to conceive an idea of what I price my brand or myself. I guess I qualify that by not overthinking it at the moment. For example, when I read question #2 I overthought the CRAP out of it which is what I usually do. Although, I qualify that by, what I said, I’m sometimes dull but sometimes colorful and it depends which ever one I’m feeling at the moment. I would say my value as a student performer is high. Even though it doesn’t always come off as that, I KNOW how hard I work on my education and how much I’ve let myself get in my own way but always bounced back. Overall, discussing myself is out of my comfort zone but figuring out who I am and what I stand for is something I need to start thinking about. I don’t know who said it but I stand by it, “Life starts at the end of your comfort zone.”(my response below:

Roselyn: So so so you! This is exactly what I want you to do. Begin now so you can work on it. This is something that you do your whole life. You are crazy good at thinking and evaluating, so don’t drop that and remember, you are priceless, even on the bad days. I am so impressed with you and how far you have grown. Keep doing that and there will be no limits for your future. Always believe you can and then you will.

This is for you.

“You don’t let life happen to you, you happen to life.”

Student submissions

• Ramiyah: “you can close gaps…you’re the only one who can do that no one else. (Following: this was the conversation that happened from this line of thought):
• Nyviar responded to Ramiya: “When he brought that it’s up to “us”, I had a different point of view where he meant the society as awhole, not just an individual.
• Mrs. Anderson responded: Nyviair, that is a good point, not “us” as a person but “us” as a community. do you think there is a better chance with a group trying to change up things or just a single person? Can one person make a difference?
• Nyviair responds: I believe that there are strengths in numbers but it starts inside oneself. I also think one person can make a difference if they share their ideas and eventually gain a following.
• Stephon: “learn about different generations.”
• Tamiya: “Your life is based around what you think your purpose in life is.”
• Jamyracle: “Learn about different generations and how we all connect but change start with you.”

There were more, but they were in the same vein. I wanted a deeper conversation to happen, some did engage with others to have one, but most just reiterated what their fellow classmates had said. This made me rethink the engagement and go back to something that was more pertinent to them. Which is the assignment below. One of the biggest issues I see with most of my students, even though they are engaged, the grammar, punctuation, and style are far from college level that I keep asking for. However, I will not let that get in the way if I can keep them engaged, this will get fixed over time. I hope.

Instructions and submissions

This day, I asked them to find a quote that defined them, helped them get through a difficult day, and one they would live by. I wanted to see if they could take this video information and apply it in a good way into their personal life.

This was a highly engaging activity from all of the students, but I am highlighting just some of them by showing what they think. This makes me aware of what they need to get them up and running. Sharing quotes helps me to look beyond what I see in the classroom and into who they are. This allows there to be open dialogue and communication as I perceive needs that might otherwise not have been apparent. I responded to all of them and input an image that went along with their idea, another quote that would fit what they were saying. I mentioned to many how when you use someone’s quote you have to give credit where it is due. As you will read, I really do think they have some amazing insights that I really enjoyed reading. I hope you do too!

Joshua: “When you have a dream, you have to grab it and never let it go.” This quote works for me because it let’s me know that any dream can come true you just have to believe it and never let it go. (My contribution: Josh this is great. You are right. You have to hold tight. Those dreams, if you don’t turn them into goals, will become dust. I love Carol Burnette, I did not know she said this. Remember, if you quote someone, give them the credit. Please and thank you. Check her out, she was a very funny, funny lady.)

Nyviair: “Be strategic and resilient in the pursuit of your dreams. That sounds like a cheesy quote, right? But nah, I’m serious. Resilience is one hell of a quality to master and not many have the skin for it.” – Tiffany D. Jackson -I liked the quote because no matter what you take interest in you will have people with their opinions and times when your ideas or what you can bring to the table get rejected. Even with all your losses, you have to persevere because the challenges will strengthen you in the long run. Failure is inevitable on the path to success. (My response: Nyviair, hello there. I love this quote. Wow. The idea that not “many have the skin for it” was chilling in some regards. That means those that persevere will be made stronger than iron. Keep on that path young man. You have what it takes. Maya Angelou is a hero of mine. This is a good one.)

Jamyracle: This quote by Martin Luther King Jr. inspires me “Intelligence plus character-that is the goal of true education.”  This quote works for me because it reminds that you can’t just be smart but you have to have other characteristics also. Some quote just make other feel as if they can do anything.

Shaquerria: The quote from the movie Creed “ The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows” He said “ it’s a very mean and nasty place and I don’t care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me or anybody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain’t about how hard you hit it’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done. This quote really motivates me I don’t know how other people look at it but I look at it as life not easy but you still gotta keep going even if you on your knees you still keep moving forward no matter the cause even though this movie based on fighting I still like that quote and it’s inspirational to me.

Glenn: “Always stay positive and care for others treat people how you wanna be treated”

Bringing this to a close for now…but the journey is far from over!

This Canvas classroom is a hard endeavor. I am searching for a way to teach them new skills, enlarge their scope of understanding, and engage them in meaningful ways. There was more engagement with assignments on which I expected less participation and less on the ones I thought they would jump on. Motivating the high schooler into wanting to learn more than they “have to” is harder than anticipated. Teenagers, by and far, just want to “get by, get it done, or get it over with” more often than not. These last two weeks I have spent a lot of time researching to find “the one” that will be an activity they want to do over and over again. I will continue to explore and push them and expect pushback, but in the end, we will both be winners.

All submissions from students were shared with their full consent. The quote about life happens, came from a movie called, A Little Game.