Looking Glass

My respect for Marissa Madrid continues to grow as I read her work. The piece titled 360 is composed of words which smoothly flow like music; attributing her as a true romantic and supporter of healthy relationships. Her flair to imbue dreams and compassion amid others is clearly witnessed in her circumspection of the world; felt deeply through the words she formulates. —Mickey Schomas Educators, trainers, and coaches are invited to discover another means to instruct classes through the use of literature written by 18 year educator and Community Liaison/Advocate, Marissa Madrid. The author provides a compilation of internet blogs which were specifically created for and used in three college courses during the 2008 fall semester. This dynamic writer includes an overview of what led to the blogging success as a supplemental academic material. Not only is Looking Glass a valuable point of reference, but also a work to influence and impact an alternative educational foundation based on inspiration and higher levels of thinking. The materials to be read in Looking Glass, provided students and educators in both the traditional and virtual class rooms with a glimpse of how best to utilize appropriate technology and attain a higher retention rate-while enhancing learning styles and quality teaching practices. The implementation and encoding of blogs into the curriculum and/or syllabi enabled students to develop and nurture higher order thinking skills. This process incited the students’ ability to interpret and reason with both quantitative and qualitative information and /or data; which is a crucial aspect of being literate and educated in the 21st century. To have mastered and possess strong critical and logical thinking competence, endows students to make personal decisions and choices, as they navigate written and electronic media. Hence, providing society with a more educated and informed citizen. In my teaching experience with the blog contents of Looking Glass, I observed attending students’ heightened proficiency and desire to obtain core knowledge and a concrete comprehension of traditional academic materials; as a reflection of the author’s writings that contain provocative contemplations to inspire readers to achieve personal growth in all areas of life. I highly recommend reading the content of Looking Glass. -S.E. Crawford, Ph.D