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Context
Its funny to worry about motivation and student learning in school. After all,
going to school is something, in North America, that we all have to do; go to school, do
our homework, learn, get an education, perhaps extend that learning to post secondary
education, and then apply what we have learned to a future career and become active and
socially responsible citizens in our community. Ideally that is the plan, and it seems like
a simple linear process, but how effective is it? How much learning is done in the
classroom and how much are students actually engaged and motivated in their learning?
What motivates students in the classroom? These are all questions that fuel my inquiry.
The origin of these questions derives from my experience teaching post secondary
in an applied design program. In post secondary education one could assume that the
students in any given program are highly motivated. Factors for this assumption include,
but are not limited to: choosing a program in a desired interest of study, undertaking the
tedious application processes which often involves a portfolio, statement of intent and a
non refundable fee and, paying large sums of money for tuition and supplies. Given these
factors, one could assume you would have the most studious and enthusiastic students in
every class. The reality was a distant fairytale land of those assumptions. I found that my
students were often late or absent from class, didnt do their homework, or completed it
but to a low standard and demanded answers to their questions. The latter was the most
shocking scenario to witness. It was extremely difficult to ask my students to
problematize their work. They were reluctant to search for an answer beyond been given
it by the teacher; they almost always refused to try out different solutions to a problem for
fear of ruining their work, not to mention the cost to their time. When I would ask my
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students why they wouldnt just try an idea out instead of always asking for help right
away, the answer was usually that they were afraid to be wrong, or they didnt want to
wreck their work, or they didnt want to spend time with figuring something out if they
knew they could just ask me and I could just tell them instant gratification.
The unwillingness of my students to engage in any type of problem solving or
active learning was really concerning. I began to question the public school system, and
wondered how are these students being educated. What type of teaching and learning
could lead students to not know how to investigate, problem-solve, inquire and learn? Is
their reaction to work a signifier of their generation? What does motivate students if it is
not attaining new knowledge?
Generation Y or the Millenials are often portrayed as rude, selfish, entitled, and
demanding in school. (Woolfolk & Perry, 2012) This suggests that they expect
information to be handed to them without putting in any work to obtain it. However this
generation are also known as digital natives, they have grown up with technologies such
as computers, internet, personal devices and are comfortable operating them with little to
no instruction (Taylor & Carpenter, 2007). As a result, digital natives are accustomed to
receive information instantaneously and often in a format that is different from traditional
lectures and textbooks offered in school (Taylor & Carpenter, 2007). In a sense,
technology has educated students into a different ways of learning and thinking. How
does this shift of learning translate to education in schools? Osborne argues that most of
our valuable education takes place outside of school, valuable, in the sense that we
actually use and apply that education. With this, a bleak picture is painted of education
and schooling that suggests such sentiments as a monotonous reality, a waste of time,
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factories for failure and miseducation. He suggests that we dont often make use of
most of what we learn in school and forget most of it after we leave. (Osborne, 2008) In
agreement, I admit that I often memorized information for my classes to successfully
regurgitate it back onto an exam or into a paper, only to forget it once the task was
complete. I even remember recycling my notes and work sheets the moment the term was
over and been very conscious of the idea that I most likely would never need to use the
information again.
That being said, I do remember being an extremely motivated student excelling in
all of my classes, usually obtaining awards and scholarships. To translate, I was often
motivated by assessment. I wanted the A. To reflect back to my concern over my
students motivation I started to understand the driving force behind their behavior. They
too were motivated by their grades, and they didnt want to be punished, receive a low or
failing mark, for having the wrong answer. Reinforcers such as punishment for wrong
answers and rewards for correct answers lead to extrinsic motivation, and they make
schoolwork and learning feel like a chore. In comparison, students who are intrinsically
motivated excel in school, often seek out activities and inquire about their environments
(McDevitt & Ormrod, 2013).
If the purpose of school is learning, and the pathway to learning is to develop
students intrinsic motivation, and the desired outcome is a relevant and applicable
education, then the question becomes; how can I get my students to be interested enough
to inquire, imagine, create, and learn in school?


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Statement of Research and Question of I nquiry
My statement of research pertains to educating students to learn, and learning to
learn. I believe that students should learn in a way that allows them to transfer an idea or
concept across disciplines. Learning should be active and engaging, involve projects and
learning that takes place both in and outside of the classroom, where knowledge is
retained past the end of term or exam. My question of inquiry really solidified after
reading Project-based Learning: Building Communities of Reflective Practitioners by
Karen Ayas and Nick Zeniuk (2001), where efforts were focused on the challenges of
thinking, reasoning and acting past the short term. Borrowing from this idea, my inquiry
transformed from having students learning to learn to: In What ways can learning in the
art room meet the challenges of thinking, reasoning, and acting beyond the short term?

To choose a path, one must start with the self.
The question for my inquiry seems as though it could have a great many answers,
initially I had chosen a few areas that I thought would be worthy of exploration based on
theories that I had come across and seemed relevant. I started to wonder why I had
chosen these theories and not others, what made these theories and pedagogical practices
stand apart from the others for me? The answer to this question was discovered when I
read Autobiography: Researching our lives and living our research by Karl Leggo. As
the title suggests, we enter into areas of research that reflect on our personal beliefs and
values. Leggo expands on the philosophies of Robert V. Bullough, Jr. and Stefinee
Pinnegar who wrote self-study points to a simple truth, that to study a practice is
simultaneously to study self: a study of self-in-relation to other (2001), and further
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indicates that writing for professional development, researching theories and writing for
the self, are intertwined (2008). Just as one influences the other, I can hardly hold my
beliefs and values separate from research as I pursue this inquiry, it seems almost naive to
not recognize the influence of the self in choosing a path.

Choosing a path: the cyclical nature of journey.
As indicated previously I have chosen a few theories to investigate further, which
are in line with my beliefs and values. These pedagogies include cultivating classroom
culture, developing a disposition of inquiry, and project based learning. I would like to
note that in focusing my research on these avenues, does not mean that I start my journey
to finding the answer to my inquiry. The process that lead to the development of the
question of inquiry as described in the context, has been building over the years as I
worked in education, but the values and beliefs I have in making choices have been a part
of me in my becoming; a student, an adult, an educator. In order to bring context to the
research I am choosing to investigate I will integrate the research with my beliefs and
include a series of personal experiences in the form of musings, recipes, aesthetic
experiences, and storytelling that I hope will compliment and reinforce my choices. The
journey I share does not have a beginning, middle and end, but rather is cyclical and
ongoing, but nevertheless important to the decisions I make.

Becoming - part 1: Recipe of a Roadie
Oh thats so great! Youre going to be one of us this year. Thats what they say
when I tell them I want to race too. I was bored living up north, I needed a hobby,
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something healthy, something that will pass the time and let me explore my surroundings.
I decide to become a roadie. What does that really mean? To be a roadie. Im joining a
culture, how do I join? How do I belong to something that I am currently an outsider?
What separates a roadie from any other cyclist? There are criteria, of that I am sure!
1. Road bike - $2000.00 to upwards of $5000.00 scratch that, I go in to get
measured for a new bike, Jonah tells me that I need to be measured as even the slightest
degree in body measurements affects performance, and I must be very careful in the bike
I choose. I dont have that luxury; I buy second hand $350.00 I hope no one will notice.
Everyone notices.
That is the first thing I learn, to be a roadie, you talk about your bike, specs, cost, where
it was purchased, a whole new vocabulary I must learn to be part of this culture.
2. The Gear primarily I am referring to bike maintenance and safety gear. I
have never had a problem with bikes before - just bring it in once a year for a tune up,
and if I did, living in Vancouver, I just walked my bike to the nearest bike shop. I am not
in Vancouver now, I am living in the Yukon. I am more likely to come across a grizzly
bear than a bike shop when on a ride. With that in mind I purchase new tires, better
handlebars, some spare tubes, a pump, some tire levers and a multi-tool. The cost of
being bored just went up.
3. The apparel one glance at a roadie, and you know that they dress differently.
While it is part of the culture, it also serves a very important function padding. The seat
on a road bike is small and hard, padded (spandex) shorts are a must. Add on padded
gloves, and a spandex biking tunic that has three pouches in the back, and zips down the
front, elastic hugs the sleeves and hem uncomfortably close to my body, its as if they
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think my arms will slide away if the shirt does not secure them to my torso, what am I
getting myself into? All dressed up I feel like a sausage squeezed into my casing, wearing
a diaper. Now Im a roadie.
Cultivating a Classroom Culture
To become part of a culture, or environment you need to follow the rules or
criteria that are already in place. Traditionally in a classroom the teacher sets the rules
and expects that the students will do as told. Research by Freiberg (2001) indicates that in
the early elementary years students are encouraged to help out with classroom tasks such
as attendance taking and managing the day-to-day chores of the room. They are active
participants in the classroom. However, once students continue on their education, as
they mature and reach the higher grades, the less choice they have in classroom politics,
and it becomes much more common place for the teacher to control the entirety of the
classroom dynamic, even though students seek autonomy as they age
Had I listened to authority when deciding to become a roadie, I would have failed
immediately. I could not afford to do as the bike shop expert advised, and purchase a
brand new bike that fit my proportions exactly. I made a choice to buy second hand. This
meant that I had to do research on bikes, to see what I needed and what I could do
without. I learned more as a result of making my own choice rather than just following
what the expert said. I needed to do what made sense for myself rather than follow what
the experts said in order to be successful at the task. This action is in line with
constructivist theory that suggests learning = individual sense making rather than
learning = being taught (Watkins, 2005, p. 48) It is still important to set criteria in the
classroom, but having your class involved in setting that criteria helps them develop
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deeper thinking and reasoning skills including, teaching them to become critical thinkers
(Watkins, 2005). Freiberg suggests creating a Magna Carta, or social contract with the
class that includes criteria for learning that supports both the students and the teachers
needs. Having the students be active citizens rather than passive tourists will increase
student motivation (2001).
Becoming part 2: Destination, Determination, Deliberation.
Im a virgin, a road virgin
A poser
My heart thrums with anticipation
My fingers shake
Too nervous to make the maiden trip myself I tag along with anothers team, I
dont know what to expect, Ive never done this before, will they be able to tell
how green I am? Will I even be able to keep up, a thousand thoughts rush through
my mind, a thundering waterfall, Niagara Falls to what should be, a babbling
brook of bliss, serenity.
I follow the pack, my legs burn with un-use, and now that I know better, mis-use.
Im saddle sore in minutes with 90 left to go
Daylight plays tricks with my mind, my shadow doesnt change.
Out and back, Carcross Cutoff, Its your turn to lead
My anxiety is paramount, they pass me in seconds
Its my turn to lead though, shoulders set, I push on.
Passing once, passing twice
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I let it go, full gear, head down into the wind, not thinking, straight ahead into the
never setting sun, wind burning, flies splattering, grip tightening, no worries, no
stress, no care for what ails in life, just my body pushing the bike pushing
forwards, faster and faster without a thought to the end.
It is the end, so soon
Fingers shaking, new sensation, self-discovery - adrenaline junkie, poser no
more, I cant wait to go again.
Now Im a roadie.

Developing a Disposition
To get a good workout on a road bike, you have to be willing to invest some time,
a quick twenty minute trek may count as exercise, but to really get a good sweat session
in, something that will actually make a difference to your performance and health you
need to go the distance. Road biking is about endurance, there are sections of your ride
where you may need to give a quick burst of speed, but you really need to be capable of
going for a long workout. When we ask our students to go to school for the day and learn,
we are asking them to endure, day after day, hour after hour of learning, lecturing and
lessons. We want them to sit still, learn something, develop their skills and do it all with
enthusiasm and good attitudes. I imagine what it would be like if I could only ride a
stationary bike in a gym. After about twenty minutes on the stationary, Im over it. Im
bored and my mind has checked out. I am reminded of the peanuts cartoons where
Charlie Brown and Peppermint Patti are trying to pay attention to the unintelligible drone
of the teachers lecture. Wolf refers to this as the Read it and repeat it level of teaching
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in the classroom (Wolf, 1987, p. 1). If a teacher prepares lessons where only display
questions are asked, then students really dont need to put effort into their learning, they
can check out after twenty minutes. In his article The Art of Questioning Wolfe addresses
the failing quality in education when teachers are excited to get the Uh-huh response to
their questions, and he further comments on the resistance to change in they types of
questions teachers ask their students, even in light of new research that focuses on more
effective classroom inquiry. He gives one example of why a teacher might make this
choice: "There are 34 students in the room. Some have read the story, others haven't;
some understand, others are lost. It takes skill-lots of skill-to put together a discussion for
those 34 people. Frankly, it is often easier for me to take charge" (Wolf, 1987, p. 8). I
would argue that easier does not equal better, and the focus should not be on what is
easier for the teacher, but what will make learning easier for the student. Research from
McDevitt and Ormod suggest that effective learning is based in intrinsic motivation,
students who are interested in what they are learning about will be more apt to enquire
and pursue further discovery (2013). Intrinsic motivation is not an innate quality, but can
be developed and cultivated in the classroom. Among others, McDevitt and Ormod note
getting children physically involved with a topic and relating important skills and
subject matter to childrens interests and goals as effective ways to foster intrinsic
motivation (2013, p. 515).
McDevitt and Ormod make it sound easy. Its not. It would be much easier for me
to get in a work out by going to the gym for thirty minutes, than to invest two hours of
my day on the road bike. The gym is predictable, I already know what it will be like,
moving my body without really going anywhere. Sitting in a classroom without really
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learning anything. If I take my road bike out, I can choose my path, any road I want, race
off into the unknown and in that discover my surroundings, the environment and myself.
The road itself is a challenge, dodging debris, calculating when I need to change gears,
adjusting my rpm. My mind is constantly engaged, at any moment something could
happen, I could get a flat tire, there is risk in traveling the unknown and I am challenged.
At they gym my focus is limited to developing my muscles, there is nothing else to worry
about, its safe. If I only ask my students to read about road biking they will learn only
what already exists, what someone else thinks is the right way. If I get my students on the
bike, each of them will discover something new and meaningful for themselves in the
process of being on the bike. They can apply what they have learned in theory to the act
of doing.
I repeat here the importance of the constructivist idea of learning = individual
sense making (Watkins, 2005, p. 48). Castro gives an exemplary model of inquiry in his
article Constraints that Enable: Creating Spaces for Artistic Inquiry (2007). Here, he
demonstrates that giving his students questions of inquiry instead of statements for
assignments, allows his students to find multiple answers to a problem rather than just the
answer in the textbook. New knowledge is created because the answer comes from the
students thoughts and minds as opposed to a fact from a text the teacher already knows
the answer to.




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Learning Communities and Project-based Learning
If teaching and learning were just a two-way street, then the spread of knowledge
would be very limited. In todays global world the transfer of knowledge is rapid and
expansive with the Internet. Learning happens at the touch of the fingertips, rather than
through lecture at individual desks. Watkins champions the idea of learning communities
where learning is constructing knowledge with others and social relations and
knowledge-creation meet (2005, p. 48) There are many benefits to learning
communities, beyond creating a caring environment that fosters social emotional learning
the research shows classrooms that act as a learning community have the following
benefits:
Increased motivation
Valuing of schoolwork, and increased sense of school belonging
Self reported effort
An Increase in grades
Lower student drug use and delinquency
Enhanced student resiliency, relatedness and participation
(Watkins, 2005)
I find that the most significant factor in learning communities is reflected upon by
Lamon, a Senior Research Scientist with the Institute of Knowledge and Innovation and
Technology, that it is not what you learn but how you learn. She notes that:

Even if you learn something perfectly, or are a pioneer in your area, all your
work is useless if nobody else can understand you. You might as well have done
no work at all. The point of learning is to share it with others. Lone learning is not
enough (Lamon et al., 2001)

Furthermore cooperative learning activities support relationship building among students
and increase behavior. Students indicated a greater ability to build relationships and
worry less about being put down (Watkins, 2005, p. 52). I havent come across too
many students, or teacher candidates for that matter who enjoy group work. There always
seems to be an issue with unfair amount of work, where someone does much more than
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the other. Traditionally group work usually involves making a project based off of the
material learned in class, where the teacher predetermines the topic, and the project is
made at the end of the unit of study. Student anxiety or annoyance with the project
increases because they now must figure out logistics to get together with their peers to
complete a project on top of the assigned paper or reviewing for the unit test. Students
rarely value this type of group work or project work, and it feels like busy work, another
hoop to jump through.
Tedious and frustrating as it may be, I think project learning provides a more
authentic learning environment for students. Students need to develop skills for when the
leave high school, in the workforce, rarely will they find themselves in a situation where
they are the sole employee responsible for satisfying the demands of a single authority.
They more than likely will find themselves at some point having co-workers and
colleagues with whom they will have to know how to communicate and collaborate with.
Project-Based learning provides that opportunity. The project is the format or method for
learning, not just the product at the end of learning. A project should give students
opportunities to build such 21
st
century skills as collaboration, communication, critical
thinking, and the use of technology, which will serve them well in the workplace and
life. (Larmer et al., 2010, p. 54) Additional criteria to those just mentioned, Larmer also
notes two more key components; Student Voice and Choice and Inquiry and
Innovation (Larmer et al., 2010, p. 54). The first component student voice and choice
is consistent with Freibergs findings on giving students agency to increase motivation.
Giving the students a choice in what they learn and how they demonstrate that learning
makes the project have more personal meaning (Larmer et al., 2010). Secondly inquiry
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and innovation are reflected in Castros photography assignments (2007). He asks his
students questions with open-ended answers so students generate new ideas and draw on
their own conclusions because
with real inquiry comes innovation- a new answer to a Driving Question, a new
product, a new solution to a problem. The teacher does not ask students to simply
reproduce teacher- or textbook- provided information in a pretty format (Larmer
et al., 2010, p. 54)

Becoming part 3: Project Fondo
Boom, boom, boom, my heart pounds, Im deaf to my surroundings with its intensity.
Over here! I get in queue. Hes so tall, what an advantage. Thats not fair. Tough.
Look this way ladies
I look.
Flash! Flash! Flash! Goes the camera. I blink, Im blinded. Did I smile?
Should I get closer? Theres no point. My competition is an angry ocean that surrounds
me and promises to swallow me whole.
My arms shake, my fingers are frigid, not with the cold, but from nerves. I climb on, one
foot still on the ground for support, my legs are heavy and stiff like tree trunks, thats
counter productive.
Well stay together right?
Yes, we will,
Of course we will.
We should stay together.
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I have only ever done this alone. Theres so many now.
I look up, its grey, not what I expected. Better. Rain, I hope not, that would be worse.
It builds, from my toes, up my calves, taught, electric, upwards, my thighs, power,
stomach, flutters, squeezes, clenched. My arms, rigid, relax your grip! My knuckles
slacken as I consciously pry my hands off the bar.
Breath, have I been doing that?
Yes, steady now, ready, GO!
Anti-climatic.
Theres too many, I tread carefully. Push now, pass now, pass, pass, pass, easy does it.
Up, push, my abs pull, power. Youve got it. Down and around now.
Only three hours to go.
Ill lead first I say.
This is peaceful, beautiful, this is living. I feel alive from my toes, to the roots of my hair,
working together with a common purpose. Push, pull, push, pull, dont forget to pull.
If you keep this pace, I wont be able to ride with you She shouts.
I slow, against my desire, I want to push on, faster, speed now, adrenaline, I feel that too.
My stomach turns, oh god, what is that, its gruesome, so much blood, thats too much
blood. How?
Danger, weaving, Im doing it too, thats the only way to fuel my desire, pass, pass, pass.
So lovely again.
King of the hill, yeah right! I push on. Slowed. So, so frustrating. I wasnt prepared for
this. I could have, had I known.
I guess I did know. Too late, now I need to be pulled. How is she so fast?
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Just keep going, head down now, it will make the hard parts go by faster if you dont
look. It burns. My legs are strong though. They do not look like little bricks, yes I can still
wear skirts, shes just jealous. Thats not nice, back in the game. Almost there.
Will she wait for me?
Yes, she did, we stay together. I breathe deep, smile, I feel relieved, I am not alone. Now I
know I wont leave her either. Would I have left her before, if I didnt know what I know
now? I like to think I would have waited. Were a team. We said we would stay together.
But there is this drive, this longing, to just let it go with no regard for others. Desire. I
wont give in, I will wait, but in my head I will imagine that I dont, I dont wait, longing,
guilt. Ill wait, I know I will.
We stop, is all this free? Cram it in. My legs buzz, my arms are cold, not what I was
expecting, but my face is hot. Drink. Breath. Lets go again. I take some for the road. I
should drink more. Theres still two and a half hours left.
Push, push, push, dont forget to pull, push, pull, push, pull. Im bored. Oh thats pretty, I
used to live here, why did I leave? So green, so grey. It rains, Im cold. Drink. Breath.
Push, pull, pass.
I like to pass.
Slow down
Dont worry, weve got this, you can do it! I try only the pull, too slow.
Desire, speed, I move, power, push, pull, power, push, pull.
Keep your heals level to the ground she says.
Dont hunch your shoulders she says.
Im faster, who is she to tell me what to do. Conceit.
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My friend. Shes done this before, experience, it counts.
I listen thats better.
In a pack now, its easier, I dont pull, I float. Theyre so slow, we can catch the next
group. Ready, go, go, go!
Ha, knew it. Im still floating. This is way less work. I cant believe this. Lets catch the
next one. Ha, ha, exulted. I could do this all day.
Another stop, I should drink more.
We drink.
Pose, this time Im ready, smile. Flash!
Too much time, lets go.
Push, pull, only an hour left.
Nice to meet you, nice to pass you.
They burn, it really burns, thats unfortunate. It rains again, but thats no help, this is not
fun anymore. Now I want it over.
Another hill, no one to follow. I lead, she doesnt lead, Im stronger, I want it over. I wish
I didnt have to lead, but Im too stubborn to slow down.
We can do this, just stay behind me, its easier when you follow. I wish I had someone
to follow, but I keep passing them.
I dont see the end but I know its there. I know its there. I want it.
Push, pull, push, pull, push, pull.
Faster now, picking up speed, its so fast, the wind cools my face, my arms are so cold,
goose bumps, my legs burn. I feel alive.
We are flying now.
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Whoa, where did they come from?
Look at them go!
Maybe they are the advanced group?
So fast, theres no waiting now. She says she can take the front, I dont need her to, Ive
got this. Heart, legs, power, boom, boom, boom.
Im flying, so wet, rain, remember the blood, so much blood, so dangerous.
I dont care, were so fast, much faster than them. We pass them all, what a feeling.
Its not a race, its about a personal finish yeah right, I want this, weve got this. She
stays on my tail, good, I dont even consider waiting. Adrenaline, we both have it. We
both want it, we crave it together. A unit. We are one.
Final stretch now, she pulls up beside me. We ride in together. We should finish together,
I know we should. Together, a team.
I ask my body for more though, it wants me to go harder, I know I can, Im faster. She
waited for me, yes, but you could have lost her long ago I tell my self, I reason with my
self. Its the end, she wont mind. Guilt.
When. Will. This. End? We race in, faster than we should be, pedestrians, cars, the
excitement blocks out the noise as does an angry ocean crashing against the shore.
Together, apart, I push on. Power, push, pull, power, push, pull.
Seconds.
Just two.
Seconds count.
I passed in the end, I won. Not really, but it feels that way to me.
Slow down now, easy does it.
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I did it! We did it!
Im shaking head to foot, excited, exhilarated. Adrenaline, I love it. Its a part of me now.
How did you do that? She asks, I sense her frustration.
My legs I say, theyre like bricks! I laugh to myself. I am strong.
I am thankful for my friend; the journey could not have been done without her. We didnt
need each other, but together, we were better.
We are roadies.

Conclusion
Including the aesthetic writing becoming a roadie has informed this inquiry in
that allowed me to reflect on that experience and what I valued about it. Looking back at
the past, I can see behaviours in myself, which perhaps I had not been fully aware of. I
have a tendency to choose a path and jump in with both feet. This practice of aesthetic
writing has allowed me the space to reflect on my experience becoming a road biker and
make connections between it and my values and beliefs in learning practices. When I was
learning to road bike, I took it on as a project to counter my boredom. I learned through
experimentation, and became part of a larger biking community, looking to peers for
guidance for my improvement. I also set the criteria for how I would train for the race
and learned about biking, my bike maintenance and care, and was further motivated by
the positive effects biking had on my health and vice versa. Considering the connections
in reflecting on my experience of how I learned to road bike it becomes clear that I relate
to learning as doing, an idea noted by High Tech High CEO and founder Larry
Rosenstock, who emphasizes integration as the key to success and champions John
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Deweys approach of student understanding as a derivative of activity (Rosenstock,
2010). The integration of writing in this paper became learning as doing, as it reaffirmed
what it is that I value in education and learning, and that is process. My initial frustration
with my students, who wanted me to give them the answer instead of experimenting and
testing their ideas, did not value learning and process. This writing allowed me to
integrate experimentation in aesthetic writing, with educational theory, which bolstered
my existing values and beliefs to inform the beginnings of my teaching philosophy.
Above all I discovered that in order for learning to be relevant it needs to be valued. I
found value in experimenting in the writing process, and I must remember to be mindful
of giving my students the same opportunity to develop their process and engage in
learning that they value.

References:
Ayas, K., & Zeniuk, N. (2001). Project-based learning: building communities of
reflective practitioners. Management Learning, 32(1), 61-76.

Castro, J.C. (2007). Constraints that Enable: Creating Spaces for Artist ic
Inquiry. Proceedings of the 2007 Complexity Science and Educational
Research Conference Feb 1820 Vancouver, British Columbia pp. 7586.

Freiberg, J. H. (2001). From tourists to citizens in the classroom. Educational Leadership,
54, 32-36.

Lamon, M., Reeve, R. & Scardamalia, M. (2001, April). Mapping the growth of deeply
principled understandings in a knowledge building community. Annual Meeting of the
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