Week 2

Hi I'm Wayne Jepsen. I'm finishing my BIS degree this semester with concentrations in Art History and Religious Studies. The art history is quite interesting, but religion consumes much more of my focus. I find myself to be a very spitirual person, though I would never say religious. The art history aids in my comprehension of cultures, symbols, and myths.

My applied studies site is at Corona del Sol High School. I am working with the Humanities teacher there whose cirriculum in mainly art history and religion/philosophy. I hope to learn what it is like to actually be a teacher, not a student who is intaking some presentation, but as an on-looker who interacts with the teacher between classes and learns how she presents herself to her audience.

So far I have looked through her schedule for the rest of the semester and have chosen a topic to teach to her class in the future. It will most likely be a comprehensive overview of Reality as described by the numerous religions and philosophies, and will be supplemented with art from cultures past and present. Such a topic related directly to my degree and concentration areas.

After graduation I plan to apply to the PeaceCorps and be a member for at least two years. I believe it will be an enriching experience that I may not find from other sources. I will most likely be doing some form of education with the PeaceCorps, and this will help me to decide if education will be the career for me. The current internship will also help me to decide if education is right for me because my mentor will allow me to sit in on classes in which the teacher has no control over his/her students, and one who has complete control. It will be a very dynamic experience (as highschool always is) and I look forward to continuing my work there.

Week 1

It's been a great week so far. I'm doing my internship with the Senior Humanities teacher at Corona del Sol High School. I used this week to get acquainted with my situation and to figure out what I will be doing for the duration of the semester.

The classroom discussion focused on Renaissance art and literature. It is amazing to me how these high school students are so captivated by the subject material. The teacher definitely plays a large role in this, but the discussions involve the entire classroom, not just a few kids who love to talk. The environment also seems to be very respectful. Students are encouraged to share their ideas, and others are allowed to disagree, but there is very little hostility. It is truly a very mature classroom that the teacher has established.

I am going to begin lesson planning for a future date when I will teach a lesson that involves both my Art History and my Religious Studies concentrations. I am thinking of doing something involving controversial religious depictions in art, but I am not entirely sure. It can be difficult to discuss religion in a high school setting, but the fact that we will be talking about WHY something is controversial rather than expressing our own ideas about the works of art, I think the discussion will be very positive.

I am looking forward to next week and am excited to be at Corona.

-Wayne