Group Discussions

At the William E. Norris Elementary School in Southampton, Massachusetts, our sixth graders took some time on the first day of school to ask some questions about the Gulf Oil Spill. These questions will guide our inquiry over the year ahead.

I see a BP ad in my local newspaper EVERY DAY! I think that they are just taking up space. We know what they are doing. They update us on the Oil Spill on the news pretty much every day. In one ad they say that their job is to listen to people's frustrations and needs, then put those thoughts into action. If they did listen to us, then this problem would most likely already be almost fixed because we would be able to help. Instead of taking up space for something we already know, let a new electronic devise or TV show take up the space.

Alexis 6th Grade

Despite all of the latest technological advances, people are beginning to think about the negative effects of relying on the internet. Sites like Google can sometimes impair a person’s need to think or remember a certain fact because they can simply search it, attaining results in a very short amount of time. Does this cause us to not utilize our brains to greatest extent? Perhaps, but when the world of information is on our finger tips it seems much more convenient to search the information rather than dispute it in one’s head. The article similarly says that Twitter is also taking over, limiting users to 140 words per posts that discuss ordinary aspects of everyday life. When a user has a very exciting life, then maybe it is worth reading, but to what extent is knowing where a person is every second of the day advantageous for yourself? If people spent the same time that they do reading Tweets, reading books or going to museums, or having conversations with people rather than the computer screen then perhaps it would be better off for them overall. Mainly, I think it is interesting that for a society that is fully engulfed in this technological era, we have a good grasp on pointing out the flaws in our activities, yet we rarely see major changes that would help them.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/21/technology/21ping.html?_r=1&scp=14&sq=IT&st=Search

I think that this is one of my best and favorite pictures I have taken this year, because it had just snowed and there was little bit of snow on the ground and trees, and it was sunny out with some clouds in the sky, which I think that made this picture look good, and I also used photoshop to edit the photo which gave it kind of a cool effect.

I think this is one of my best photos from this year because it is reall intriguing and I htink that is shows off the skills I learned in Photoshop. This was photo was taken outside school and it is my friend's eye.

I feel that my work has progressed over the year and has become more interesting and thought provoking. In the beginning of the year I had little knowledge about lighting and object placement in a picture, but now I know the fundamentals of these concepts and I know how to incorporate them into my work. I like to take photographs of cityscapes with different sorts of lighting provided by the sky and reflections in the water. The reason I take photographs like this is because I like to see the way the different natural environments react to and contrast the urban environments. In the future, I wish to further my knowledge of lighting and weather because I feel like these elements of lighting and different weather will contribute to my urban photographs and give them a natural element to balance the not-so-natural urban environments.

I have to decide at what time it would be best to take photographs with the most primal lighting or sky. It is difficult to pinpoint the time of day with the best looking sky or the best lighting for photographs, and that is where Photoshop lends a huge helping hand. I will at times take a photograph of an area and then be in a completely different area where I like the look of the sky better. I'll take a picture of that sky and use Photoshop to incorporate that sky into my original picture to make that photo more dynamic. This is also where a knowledge of lighting comes into play. If you put a different sky from a different photograph onto another one, there might be differences in shadows and light sources. Different Photoshop techniques help in this respect because I am able to change the lighting of the photograph to better suite the changed light source. All of these things cross my mind when creating a new piece, because all of these things help to create a better piece.

Before this year, I would take photographs with little thought about the real position of the camera, or of the lighting and of the weather. This is mostly because I would take pictures whenever I saw something that I thought was interesting, not when I would set out to find photos. Though I do still mostly take pictures when I see something that I think is interesting rather than setting out to take photos, I now pay more attention to the placement of the camera according to the subject I am picturing, and also I pay attention to the lighting and most other things. Though things like these aren't easy to control, I'm always able to use Photoshop to edit these things to make them more appealing to viewers. I hope to explore in the future some more extreme weather conditions, which will make the settings I take pictures of pop out more and be even more interesting. I'm still growing as a photographer and I'm looking forward to taking more photographs.

Over the year I have taken hundreds of photos.  I think that my photos have greatly improved over the year, but I think my best one came off luck.  I was riding in the car and was taking pictures of things that looked interesting.  It turned out that as I took a photo of two trees, I didn't realize how good the picture would come out.  The tree on the right is very unique as it splits and makes the shape of a Y.  I think that the sunset makes the lighting perfect for that photo.  I also like how in black there are the buildings and the other road, even though it looks like a bridge.  When all those characteristics are put together, I think it makes a really good photo. 

On this episode of  Teachers Teaching Teachers,we talk to teachers from the Gulf Coast again. School has started in many places along the Gulf, and there are many different and mixed reactions as the emergency has turned into a long-term clean up effort and part of a chronic crisis in the region.

On this podcast you’ll learn what teachers and students on the Gulf were thinking about the BP oil spill in at the beginning of August, about 3 weeks after the cap was put on the Deepwater rig. You’ll also learn why they believe that the “Voices on the Gulf” project is more important than ever. If you haven’t signed up yet. We’d love for anybody who listens to Teachers Teaching Teachers to join the site!

We expect that students’ voices will dominate on the site once more schools start up, but we’d love to hear your plans, your thoughts, your voices on the site right now! Thanks!

On this podcast, Matt Montagne and Paul Allison are joined by:

• David Pulling, National Writing Project of Acadiana, Louisiana
• Stacey Ferguson, Live Oak Writing Project, Mississippi
• Catherine Tibbs, Live Oak Writing Project, Mississippi
• Lynette Herring-Harris, Program Associate, National Writing Project, based in Mississippi

Go to EdTechTalk to see a copy of the chat that was happening during the webcast.

Photo: Creative Commons - Formation of the Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone, By eutrophication&hypoxiaNo real name given This image was created on August 20, 2010.

The BP oil spill didn't affect my family and me(that I am aware of) as far as having a family member injured, or not being able to eat seafood because of a shortage. I have a cousin who is helping with the cleanup now. He hasn't been back home since he left in May. As for the families who have lost their loved ones, their livelihood, or have been affected in any kind of other way that I have failed to mention, my heart goes out to all of you. It also pains me to see commercials of our wildlife that was and/or wasn't saved due to the tremendous amount of oil that spilled onto their homes and habitats. Once this matter is completely resolved, God bless that it never happens again.

My coworker's son lost wages within days of the oil spill.  Due to the uncertainty in the first few days after the explosion, the platform that he worked on was shut down and there were no shift changes.  Therefore, he and others spent 2 weeks at home without pay.  All wages were lost.

Photo: Creative Commons, Offshore platform located in the Gulf of Mexico, port location Cd. Del Carmen. Chad Teer on Flickr.

BP oil spill has affected my friends, family & love ones. My friends & family have lost their jobs. Their not making the same salary like they were before the BP oil spill. My uncle was working for an offshore company making $1800 a week, now my uncle is laid off and can't provide for his family. They are having financial and marriage problems. They were suppose to call him to help with oil spill but they haven't call yet. I believe its important for other countries to understand a disaster affected us. Other countries are going through disasters also that affect their lifestyles & salaries. Its informing information because you never know what a person going through when they experience a disaster. A national disaster should always being our people of america together. America is one nation under god and countries should help each other in grieve and salary cuts. I believe people have done a great job helping each other with disasters like katrina, haiti, and also BP oil spill.

I have such mixed feelings about the oil spill, it tears my heart to see our beautiful coastland corrupted by oil. The delicate beauty of nature tarnished. However oil is so vital to us, our livelihood, it is how my father provided for five. My brother, and many  cousins are in the oild field. My sister is a geologist who maps out oilwells. Life would certainly be different for us if this was no longer an option. Then there is the moratoreum, the spill is tragic but is this going too far? A larger percentage of our state makes it's living in the oil industry. Choosing between feeding your family and losing precious wildlife is not a position we should be in.

Photo: Creative Commons - BP Dead Pelicans Oil Spill Dead Fish Cupcakes, By InfrogmationInfrogmation of New Orleans on June 5, 2010

Animals panicking,
Sticky feathers,
Trying to wiggle free,
Sticky and icky,
A black sea,
A horrible oil spill.

Very lonesome,
Oil carrying me away,
Shifting me gently,
Making me sick,
I don't know what to think of.

Trying to flee away,
Too fierce to fly,
Securing me to the black oil,
A long tour across the ocean,
Separated from the others,
Sad and lonely,
Stuck in the ocean.

I don't have anything to eat,
I'm going to die,
No one here to protect me,
Afraid and scared,
Nothing to do, bored.

by Esther,
2010 LA Writes 3rd-4th grade poetry
Third place

Photo: Creative Commons - Oiled Pelicans - This photo was taken on May 8, 2007 By lagohsepLouisiana GOHSEP

louis_armstrong_-_do_you_know_what_it_means_to_miss_new_orleans_www.keepvid.com_.mp4

Imagine a world without New Orleans.  Would we "know what it means / to miss New Orleans?"

Take it away, Louis!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXFFI9budNI

August 29 five years ago is Southeast Louisiana's Day of Infamy.  The national media has given that event a lot of coverage in the past few days.  True, horribly true: watching those incredulous images from five years ago and acknowledging that the human tragedy resulting from that national disaster took place in the United States of America is unbelievable. And as a Louisianian with strong ancestral ties to the Greater New Orleans area submerged in Katrina's after-waters, the emotions are personal.

Aren't we as a nation better than we seemed to be in those intense days of horror?

And now, on the fifth anniversary, the oil spill has added a chapter to the region's hard-luck saga.  Katrina was a natural disaster, the oil spill man-made: But how and where do the two events intersect in the Gulf Coast's past as well as future?

I suspect there numerous points of discussion, but one that I believe we must pursue is BP's repeated promise in its multi-million dollar media blitz to "make it right" for the Gulf Coast.  To me, "making it right" includes addressing the environmental damage done to the barrier islands and wetlands along the Gulf Coast where hundreds of acres of marsh are claimed by the sea every month, indirectly at least because of the environmental impact of oil exploration.  If BP is going to "make it right," they (along with Chevron and Exxon and all the others, for that matter) should contribute massively to restorative efforts and projects that will protect the historical and cultural treasure of the New Orleans area from future hurricanes by rebuilding the natural barriers and protections destroyed or weakened not by Katrina (or Rita or any other storm), but by the industry's rapacious intrusion.

Big oil can afford the cost.  Until the industry repents for the vanishing wetlands tragedy and addresses the environmental issue head on, BP (and the rest) will fall short of "making it right." 

The oil spill did not affect me in any spacific way. It has, though, affected many people all over the state. People who worked in the oil field, restruant owners, fishermen, and so on. I think it is important for Louisiana as a whole to be supportive of everyone and come together as a big family. Our state, depends on the oil field for alot of incomes throught out the state.

I also feel that not only Louisiana should come together, but people all over the world! Because, its not only in Louisiana that had or has seafood on the menu, or sold gas, or plastic objects, drive cars, ride the bus, and so on. All over the world people use something at some point in the day use something that was made with oil. Not only the people that live on the gulf should have to worry about the clean-up or wonder what is going to happen. Everyone is affected by this everyday, whether they realized it or not.

The state bird of Louisiana only came off the endangered species list last year, and their reproductive rates are low. Breeding season just started, and the oil could pose a threat. How beautiful are the Brown Pelicans? I am no member of PETA but, we must do what we can to help the Louisiana Brown Pelicans. CNN news article said long before the brown pelican came to symbolize the tragedy of the Gulf oil spill, the giant bird stood for something much greater: survival against all odds. The state bird of Louisiana was nearly wiped out by pesticides in the 1950s and 1960s. With the risk of sounding cheesy we are all survivors, just a few months short of the 5 year mark of Katrina, the oil spill happened! Louisianian's we are survivors!!! So may I ask the question, who dat? WE DAT!!!

Hi, I am a Louisiana resident that have been affected by the gulf in many ways. I enjoy eating seafood. However the availability of my favorite seafood, oysters, has been scare and many restaurants are not serving them. On the other hand, I have friends that lost their jobs in the oilfield. I can only listen and sympathize what their are going through physically and emotionally. I consider the oil spill to be an devasting disaster amongs oilfield workers, but mostly the wildlife habitats and the species within them. Without them there would be no evolution!!!

Some people may think that the recent oil spill in the Gulf is no big deal, but if they would take the time to just listen they would see just how traumatic this situation really is. My prayers go out for all of the oil field workers and fisherman who are currently unemployed. I know its not easy to get up and not know how you are going to make ends meet financially, not knowing if you will be able to feed your families. I really think that the President needs to re-think his decision about drilling in the Gulf, because not being able to drill for oil is literally taking food out of all the tax payers' mouths.  

Photo: Creative Commons - Transocean's Development Driller III - By uscgd8
U.S. Coast Guard Eighth District External Affairs

ocean_dreams.mp3

Note: As someone who dabbles in songwriting, I have been trying to articulate some of my own perceptions and reflections about the Gulf Oil Spill. A news story this morning about the ineptitude of BP officials continued to frustrate and aggravate me, as it is clear they have never learned about past mistakes and only see drilling in terms of money. I suppose when writing this song, then, I was thinking how the ocean is this powerful entity that we don't quite understand, and yet still, we use it and the resources within it for our means.

Consider this more of a demo song than a finished product ...

Mr. Hodgson

Ocean Dreams

In the light where the moon cuts in-between
in the shadows of firelight, that’s where it seems,
we hold on to hope .... as the ocean dream

Down in the bottom, like a knife in our skin,
like a tattoo that’s broken - let the bleeding begin
We hold on to hope ... let the ocean breathe

We take what we want
We take what we need
we take it and try to believe
that there’s no harm in what we do

I think of the ghosts that swim in the graves
I pray for the people who live near the waves
I pray ... let the ocean dream

We take what we want
We take what we need
we take it and try to believe
that there’s no harm in what we do
that there’s no harm in what we do

(image source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/gsfc/4563297509/)