Week 4- Leadership Project

In considering options for expounding the accumulation of the past years work, I thoroughly thought about both publication and presentation.  I felt that in terms of the content as well as in terms of my professional experience a presentation at a conference would best meet the needs of my colleagues and myself. 

Some of my initial thoughts and considerations are posted in earlier blog post. 

Week3: http://isntitallspecialeducation-dmiles.blogspot.com/2011/03/week-3-leadership-project.html

Week 3: http://isntitallspecialeducation-dmiles.blogspot.com/2011/03/week-3-free-choice-leadership-project.html

Week 2: http://isntitallspecialeducation-dmiles.blogspot.com/2011/03/week-2-free-choice.html

Week 1: http://isntitallspecialeducation-dmiles.blogspot.com/2011/03/week-1-project-choice.html

Current research shows that there is a disparaging discrepancy between the skills necessary to be successful in the current workplace and those possessed by an increasing number of today’s students.  This is ever apparent in the inability of many students to successfully display the necessary skills to independently complete and hand in at-home assignments and independent study skills. 

A literature review was written by the presenter to examine the current technologies used by professionals to organize time, space and materials, task prioritization, motivation and communication as well current educational technologies.  A research project was planned and carried out to examine the effects of introducing, providing instruction, and using web-based tools to develop and promote the skills necessary to be successful with independent at-home and study skills.  After two semester long cycles, evidence showed a clear connection and benefit.  During the presentation, the participants will be led through all stages of the project as well as the particular benefits of the tools used.  The participants will have an opportunity to analyze and categorize the tools as well as to accumulate an understanding of what features to look for and assess other tools by. 

There are two targeted conferences to present the project at. 

http://www.iet-c.net/

The 18th Annual Illinois Education & Technology Conference (IETC), which will be held at the Crowne Plaza Springfield Hotel, is a statewide conference that offers those interested in accelerating student achievement an opportunity to gain information and exchange ideas on the applications of educational technologies in our classrooms.

http://www.tsetc.org/home

Tri-State Education Technology Conference (TSETC) is dedicated to educators in the Tri-State area and will provide a day to explore the latest developments and best practices to prepare students for a technology-driven future.  TSETC is intended to highlight advancements in education technology and to help illustrate how instructors can best adopt and utilize these technologies.

My presentation as it stands now can be viewed at the following link:

https://docs.google.com/present/view?id=dcm26k3r_76cgjd5php

Week 4- Comments to My Classmates #2

Image retrieved and modified from FB profile pics.

Tracy's Comment re: The Art of Possibility-

Okay, I have agreed with most of the sections of this book up until now. I have to put my foot down on the Being the Board chapter. To a certain extent, yes, we need to take responsibility for the known risks we have put ourselves victim of. Take for example you decide to build a house on a flood plain as in the example in the book, you should not be devastated and blame others for the declaring yourself an unwilling victim of a known risk. However, we cannot always foresee the future, and sometimes, bad things happen to good people. I will not twist the situation so that I will somehow blame myself for every situation. It just might be someone else’s fault.

When you are in a position of leadership and you assume responsibility for failure at some level; I get that. I am the Yearbook Advisor for the district and try to allow the students as much freedom of responsibility and creativity as possible. However, when push comes to shove, the District will not blame or fire students; it will be the teacher that will feel the conviction. I am upfront and honest with my students while they choose every opportunity to put off their chores to make sure the Yearbook is completed in a timely manner. I call myself the Queen of the classroom and it has sent the appropriate message.  Time will tell.

My comments to Tracy-

Tracy, I see where you are coming from with regards to the ownership issue, however I think I may have another angle to approach the situation from.  The way I read the chapter, we are to not "blame" anybody, not others OR ourselves.  It is to take ownership for the possibilities that our behaviors afford us.  When we take a risk, such as buying that house, we must own every possibility that that experience opens for ourselves.  Yes it may be in a flood plain, but we may learn something and meet someone, and feel something that we could never experience from any other action than from buying that house.  The way a see it I want to own all the good things that come into my life, but in order to do that, I have to own the bad things as well.  But the bad things are more than just "bad things" they are opportunities to learn, opportunities to change, opportunities to walk away different from when and where you began and those things are valuable.  I think what the text is asking us to do is to change the way we look at things.  Yes, our administrators have the ultimate power to sign our pink slips, but is it not us who took the chance to apply, it is us who took the risk to think or act in a way that brings attention to ourselves, and it is us who then owns the opportunities that result.  So if our administrator does in fact let us go, the opportunities that open due to us being let go are also ours to own.  If we are not "let go" then perhaps we would never be afforded to opportunity to find our dream job or to meet that connection who changes our lives.

I think it all just comes down to changing our perspective.

Week 4- Comments to My Classmates #1

Retrieved and modified from FSO profile pics.

Dena's Comments Re: The Art of Possibility:
 I enjoyed Zander’s remarks about lighting a fire in others.  I feel like I was born with the ability to do this and see it as a big responsibility to my students as well as my family and friends. The way he described enrollment as the ability to give yourself as a possibility to others and to be ready to catch their spark really hit home with me. He has so many inspiring lines in this book that I want to remember. I felt a strong reaction to his discussion of taking “no” less personally and myself less seriously and in doing that being able to see the opportunity for enrollment.

I also really felt a connection with Zander’s idea of being the board in your life, not reacting to the other players, but taking control in your life and transforming your entire circumstance. Making room for all the moves, as Zander puts it. What a revelation for most of us to stop seeing life as a blame game. When you look back, it’s so interesting to see how measurement in it’s many forms completely rules our existence. We have been trained to think that way.

Reading the steps in chapter 11 about vision and being a leader of possibility inspired me to write them down and carry them with me. Lately I feel as though I am always trying to overcome the downward spiral so it’s going to be a key part of my outlook to get into the practice of focusing on what is possible. Whether it’s because of a certain student or faculty member that I’m having an issue with or if I’m just plain tired that particular day, the goal is to stay focused on realigning myself. If I keep the concept of the framework in my mind, hopefully it will more easily allow me to bounce back when I get pulled down.

As I begin to head back to school this coming week after spring break, I feel that I have a renewed sense of purpose in what I do. Part of it, yes, is simply taking some time off, but the other part is finishing the last few chapters of this book.  For me, the WE story truly communicates why I work at a community college and sets the framework for me as a teacher and as the interim coordinator for the center for teaching and learning. I have learned many valuable lessons and want to plaster some of Zander’s quotes on the walls of the school. It also makes me think about my role as a mom and wife and how I can set the framework for all the relationships in my life.

My comments to Dena:

I could not relate more to your sense of renewed inspiration through the experience of this book.  I think that we are taught to some degree by society this negative outlook on our positions or to blame or to measure and compare.  I find it so inspiring and such a positively challenging task to take a different outlook.  It is even ironic for me, as I have continually made it my mission to help my students look at their lives or their place in the world with a different critical lens, a more positive one.  Yet I have not completely practiced what I have preached, but perhaps also because I have not looked at my philosophy through such a structured and organized means as the Zanders have presented here.  

I am early in my career, but have been given such a challenging situation.  Increasingly over the past year I have taken a more and more negative view of what I am going through, and this book has given me a new sense of vision.  I particularly relate to the statement you made in this regard that we need to "take “no” less personally and myself less seriously and in doing that being able to see the opportunity for enrollment".  I have not necessarily taken a "poor me" stance but I have definitely taken some of the situations that I viewed as less optimal as personal dejections or failures, rather than doing what is suggested through the text; consider and make the most "possibilities" out of the situation.  I will be taking a similar stance as you and making the attempt to " overcome the downward spiral" by keeping the lessons and suggestions in this book close to my heart.  

Week 4- Reading- The Art of Possibility (cont...)

The first two thirds of the book, The Art of Possibility by Rosamund and Benjamin Zander, presented more than food for thought, in my opinion.  If the average thought provoking piece of literature is "food for thought" this book was enough sustenance to provide for a small starving third-world nation.  

The eight chapters prior have given a structure for acknowledging the less effective "thinking" or practices that we participate in and allow to effect our lives.  They also begin to layout the groundwork for what and how to change in order to live more efficacious and powerful life.

In chapter nine we examine the idea of owning responsibility for everything that happens in your life.  It is important to acknowledge the risks that we take and their importance, but also that without taking those risks, we would live without the rewards which comes with the outcome of those risks.  This chapter also speaks to the idea that we need to allow the things that happen in the pass to be processed and then left in the past rather than owning space in our present lives. 

Chapter 10.  In effort to pull all of these considerable ideas into one coherent plan of action we take in our role in laying out and carrying out a framework for which to follow. 

To sum up the book, I want to just comment on the final chapters.  The authors point out the importance of disassociating ourselves with the “us vs. them” mentality and putting focus on our ability to give concession to our connections and then go beyond and look at the places where we can foster those connections.

Life is defined by the experiences we accumulate.  I have a new appreciation for the title of this book.  There is an "art" to creating possibilities is our lives.  If we limit those possibilities than we are limiting the depth and breadth of our lives.  If we are not living life to it's fullest than what purpose are we serving.

Week 3- Leadership Project

Retrieved from Flickr Creative commons Circusfrom craiglea123

Ladies and Gentleman, Boys and Girls.... Welcome to the greatest show on earth, the three ring circus I call my life.  Watch as I tame wild animals, juggle, manage a bunch of clowns and put out fires all at the same time!  Really... I am not kidding!

In the past year I feel as if my small side show of a life has literally turned into a three ring circus. I have a 4.5 and a 6 year old boy, both who seem to have an endless array of ailments lately.  When they are not sick or bruised they are very normal high-energy rambunctious little boys who rightfully demand a large amount of attention.  My husband works night so we literally pass each other at the door each way.  I am 6 months pregnant which brings along it's own set of demands and pleasures.  Need I say any more on that subject?   I teach all four core courses at the Regents level to a group of 9th graders who are not only classified with many different disabilities but also identified as the highest risk students of their 675+ class.  One of my students has TBI, who is aggressive to the point of being violent, and whose case his heading before a superintendents hearing, with lawyers involved on both sides.  4 of my students have involved behavior plans, 3 of my students have been placed on PINS (a form of juvenile probation), and all of this is happening in a district that is not structured or organized well enough to handle any of it.

As my classmates may know, the accelerated master's program has been intense, requiring a tremendous amount of organization and commitment.  Put on top of that, the thought of presenting my findings at a conference and I almost want to scream.   But everything that I looked at a year ago, and had similar feelings about, has gone phenomenally and has ended with results that I am now proud of.  My initial thoughts were that writing a paper would be the easier, less stressful choice.  But having read The Art of Possibilities, and knowing that this is a situation in which I can think outside of my "box" and in which I can structure opportunities and possibly spark others, I figured that I need to push myself a bit here.

I do truly feel passionate about the possibilities that this idea has for students, particularly those who need alternatives to the traditional methods.  If I simply wrote a paper, I am not sure if that passion and support would be heard or deeply comprehended.  I find that when I share even just one single tool with a colleague and see their excitement, I am driven to keep sharing.  I think that if given the opportunity, a conference may provide a similar experience.

Retrieved from Flickr Creative commons Untitled from tati w.

I think that my next step is to use my contacts through Schoology, to see if there is some suggestions or some ideas to where to contact first, or who I may use as connections in order to find the best place to showcase my findings.  I figure that since they play such a large part in my ARP, perhaps they would not only be willing to help, but could perhaps point me in the best direction.

Week 3- Free Choice- Leadership Project

In my searches for clearer direction, I returned to  a familiar tool... Facebook!  As I am a huge fan,  I thought of Schoology since I had attended their free conference in October I began by visiting their FB page. I decided to begin a new search using the FB platform and was both surprised and a bit frustrated.  I found a plethora of information regarding past conferences, but took the information as a springboard, looked at the "likes" of each site and did find a bit of valuable information.

 I am curious to see how successful we as a group are in terms of acceptance to our targeted conferences, and how important it is to find the right fit to match our proposal topic.  I think that we as a group have touched upon a wide range of connected topics.  I suppose I never thought about how the presenters came together into one cohesive experience before. 

It is too bad that we as a University could not put on our own conference.  Full Sail should have a bi-annual or tri-annual presentation to showcase where the teaching minds of the next generation are looking.  

I am sure there is one out there, and as most of these tools have been for me this year, I am sure I will find it as soon as a hand in the assignment, or teach the lesson, or in this case as soon as I apply for the conference.  However, each time this happens my immediate reaction is to stomp my foot or roll my eyes at the irony, but in each case it is a tool that is added to my file or PLE in order to make the next experience that much easier or smoother!

I am sure that the perfect situation will come along or present itself.  I will be applying locally if possible as I would truly like the opportunity to actually present if accepted.  I would rather not just go through the motions for practice or experiential purposes.  I would like to find a conference in the New England area as my family is in the midst of preparing for another addition and this will make traveling difficult on several levels.  Leaving the family for any substantial amount of time is out of the question and the expense of airfare is not really an option either.

I would also like a more educational based conference as opposed to a technological focused conference.  I know this may be a focus on such a minute detail that it may not be a decision to be made, but my thinking here is that my ARP did not have the luxury of utilizing a large amount of technology within the classroom.  I was able to introduce the tools and to some degree practice the use of them, but due to technological limitations we did not get to utilize the number of tools or to the degree that I would have liked.  So I believe I would like to focus more on the depth of the educational experience.  

Week 3- Comments to My Classmates- #2

http://heatherindelicato.blogspot.com/

Retrieved and Modified from FB pics.

Heather’s comments re: The Art of Possibilities-

There seems to be a fear among leaders that their leadership will fade, if they allow those they lead to become great. I love the idea of gathering perspectives and approaches from those being led by asking them to lead so you can “see how it sounds” or give their ideas and suggestions, as in the “white sheet.” Figuring out how to make this work in each class is exciting, even more so when you catch the passion of the learners through it.

The confidence and excellence I find in my students when I manage to foster this is wonderful. I begin each quarter, and remind them throughout, by telling my students that I have a class of teachers and each of them knows something even though they don’t yet have all the skills. Especially when working with my lower language skill classes, I find it would be impossible to successfully assist each student if they didn’t work together to answer questions when I’m working with another student.

In “Rule Number 6,” I’m reminded of the many times we insist children “be serious.” I think the calculating self is more than just our personality developed throughout childhood to establish a niche of acknowledgement and acceptance. I think it may be the restricted and “self-controlled” habit we’ve learned over time as we’re instructed to “behave” and “be serious.” 

It’s when we remember that childish excitement and intrigue that we can really enjoy life in its fullness. It’s the children who are constantly imagining other realities and creating different stories and games to explain the world around them. When we are able to approach life with that same freedom, interest, and excitement there’s no telling what will happen.

My Comments to Heather-

I agree with you whole-heartedly regarding Rule #6.  I think that we develop a way of thinking that allows us to just get by, almost as a survival mechanism.  If we stand out from our “herds” we will get spotted and eaten.  However, in our world, if you don’t stand out, if you don’t separate yourself from the crowd, nothing new or exceptional will ever happen.  We teach our children to follow rules, don’t ask questions, uniformly fall in line, but what about promoting uniqueness, seeing their potential in order for them to believe in their potential?  It is our job to teach them HOW to think not WHAT to think.  I don’t even like to use the words “restriction” and controls when speaking about students’ learning.  We want it to be exciting, uncontrolled, unexpected, and lacking seriousness.  

Week 3- Comments to My Classmates- #1

http://elijahduncan.blogspot.com/2011/03/wk3-reading-what-starts-as-trickle.html?showComment=1300644474209#c549488463370666899 

Retrieved and modified from FB 

Elijah's comments re: The Art of Possibility-

Chapter 5. Leading from Any Chair: We’re all leaders. How can we make a difference in the people will influence each day? How do we listen to those who help us make our dreams become reality?

Listening to those who act in contrast to our dreams, our visions, our passions is one of the most difficult tasks of our human existence. This chapter really helped me to focus on how those voices also contribute to the possibility of seeing our dreams, our visions, our passions become a reality. If we are truly and deeply listening to what could be perceived as attacking, counteractive, negative we can begin to make what we have envisioned the mere starting point of a more evolved possibility.

Chapter 6. Rule Number 6: Don’t take yourself so seriously. Life is a journey–enjoy and learn along the way. Live, laugh, and love!!

Teaching kids is serious business. So often I get lost in that seriousness, forgetting to relish in the passion of teaching. I suspect that my students can sense this to at times. On the one hand I yearn for them to tap into some intrinsic love of life-long learning, and on the other demand seriousness. I guess the key here is not to a take yourself SO seriously. Seriousness is necessary, but shouldn't be the primary driving factor.

Chapter 7. The Way Things Are: Sometimes settling for the way things are is a lowering of expectations, sometimes it’s finding a starting point so that one can make things better. Where are you in this continuum?

I am so about settling for the way things are these days. Working here in the middle east has begged me to keep my head low, not stir the waters, be complacent. There are people at the top here wanting to make radical changes to education, but on the day to day level you have teachers and administrators who want nothing more than a paycheck. Most of them responding only to the most dire of crises. I came here because I wanted to innovate take my knowledge, learn from the knowledge and experience from the culture around me and blend that into something new and evolved, a new way forward for teaching and learning. The complacency of those around me and the fact that I get shunned every time I try to initiate some of what I was hired to do has resulted in a lowering of my expectations. Finding a starting point as the chapter suggests seems nearly impossible to do alone. Maintaining communication with those who seek to maintain their own high expectations and desire for change seems critical for me now.

Chapter 8. Giving Way to Passion: Control says that the only way to avoid disappointment and frustration is to not care at all. No hits, no runs, but most importantly, no errors. What are you doing in your daily life that expresses your passion or the things you are passionate about?

My Facebook wall has been a place for expressing this passion as of late, through posting links to music, art, news, images, etc. I have also been really focused on communicating my passions with my friends and family, since I don't always have a forum for this at work.

My Comments to Elijah-

I agree that there are times when things seem difficult.  As you stated in your comments regarding chapter 7, I wonder if listening to and truly internalizing the message of chapter 9 might not be helpful.  We need to really look at every situation as though it is an opportunity.  What effect can we have on those around us, what way can we better the place and the people involved.  It sounds like you had a mission in mind, that you had a vision and an inspiration.  Don’t lose that, those are the types of situations this book speaks of.  You can spark inspiration in others, and if you have the confidence and the motivation to move to the other side of the planet, don’t forget how strong you are, use it!  I think that the overall message is that we as people but particularly as teachers use our brain in a particular way but that perhaps “that way” is limiting and holds us back.  Our brains look to categorize and justify, to connect and simplify.  But true inspiration and deep clarity comes from intrapersonal and interpersonal connection while letting go of the limiting connections of thinking.  By that I guess I mean that ingenuity comes from thinking outside of that defining and restrictive box. 

You have already given up that “control” by taking a chance, now look to see where you can structure some new possibilities!  Go get ‘em!

Week 3- Reading- The Art of Possibility (cont...)

Reading on…               

In the chapters leading up to chapter 5 of Rosamund and Benjamin’s 2000 novel, The Art of Possibility, we are led through the journey of acknowledging and recognizing the need and the ability to see the world and it’s opportunities differently, the manner in which to do so, and the path to commitment to change.  In chapter five entitled Leading from Any Chair, speaks about how to turn the new plan of invention, and contribution, and action into one that can lead others in a positive and meaningful manner.  The underlying message rings loud and clear, “true power derives from (the) ability to make other people powerful”.  As I made the connection prior to James Redfield’s Celestine Prophecies and this piece, I found the idea intriguing and monumental that who we are, and the energy that we put out effects those around us, for the better and the worse. 

Following this belief and understanding, the next chapter is a rule that I need to spend some extra time working on.  It simply states that life is full of impediments or tribulations, but it is important to approach each as a learning opportunity and therefore one that needs not be fear or stressed about but rather approach with gusto and with the knowledge that not only can you make it through but that you will and you will be better for it. 

Chapter seven looks at the idea that the situations and areas in your life where you hold back are areas where you miss out and lose.  It pushes us to not only recognize those areas but to change, to throw ourselves into them fully, completely and without reservation. 

The following chapter discusses our power of passion and the ability and necessity to spread that passion through “sparking” that excitement in others.  We have a responsibility to inspire others, and inspiration comes from direct connection to others.  I truly like the idea that what ever passion you have should and is obliged to be shared with others because you never know what little spark might ignite a blaze. 

Week 2- Free Choice- Leadership Project Continued

Retrieved from Flickr Creative Commons me? stressed out?from joshfassbind.com 

As I try to wrap my head further around the idea of presenting at a conference, I have been doing a bit of surfing and searching of the web.  My goal was to get a feel for what types of conferences are available, what sort of timeline I am working with in terms of applying and scheduling of details, and to see who these types of conferences are geared toward.  I came across some pretty valuable information and thought that I might share. 

I found a site http://www.theconferencecalendar.com/  that offered the following information:

Media Literacy, Greening the Classroom & Designing the 21^st C. Classroom

San Antonio Texas

June 20^th-24^th

http://www.21stcenturyschools.com/Workshop_Schedule_Location.htm

The San Antonio Summer Institute is a five day event that combines our Media Literacy, Greening the Classroom and Designing the 21st Century Classroom workshops into a seamless, relevant and comprehensive learning experience.

Summer 2011 Teaching with Technology Workshops

Cambridge Massachusetts

June 23^rd-August 5

http://www.edtechteacher.org/workshops

Inspiring Technology Integration Ideas with Acclaimed Education Technology Leaders

Breakthrough Strategies to Teach and Counsel Troubled Youth

Lake Oswego, Oregon

October 13^th-14^th

http://www.youthchg.com

Learn how to involve troubled and challenged youth in learning. This class explains the challenges

that children can face, and how to effectively teach and assist those youngsters. Participants will discover how to best integrate challenged youth.

33^rd National Media Market

Las Vegas, Nevada

October 16^th- 20^th

http://www.nmm.net

The National Media Market (NMM) is a non-profit organization that brings together 
content providers and professionals involved in the use of media in teaching and 
learning. From K12, to public libraries, to colleges and universities, NMM and the 
participating companies support the development of all types of libraries as 
learning communities of the 21st Century.

retrieved from flickr creative commons from zeng.tw

So all in all I am off to a good start.  I am still a bit nervous about the process particularly with the actual proposal.  But as always, when I let go and let our very capable and informed professors guide us through the process, I do just fine.

Week 2- Reading- The Art of Possibility

An analysis of the first four chapters.

The book by Rosamund Stone and Benjamin Zander, The Art of Possibility is one that requires you be ready to open your mind to change.  The premise here is that each of us individually contains the ability to affect major change.  This book is a combination of therapeutic and experiential advice on how we can begin to take on the act of changing.  

In the first chapters we are asked to look at how we experience the world.  The idea is that we experience the world through our senses, which then our brain has its way with.  The difficulty with this is that our brains have a way of wiring themselves in an attempt to save energy and therefore skip as many steps as possible.  This is not necessarily a bad thing; we just need to be aware that we are doing this to ourselves.  We are "seeing" things through the limitations that we put upon ourselves, from inside a box that we create.  We, or should I say our brains, are trained to make assumptions, and so first we must acknowledge those assumptions and then ask ourselves, what inventions can we create in order to see the experience differently.  Then, when we see the experience differently, new opportunities become available. 

In the following chapter, we are introduced to the idea that once we realize that we invent our opportunities; we need to address our present practice of measuring our presence to some level of achievement.  Therefore, we are constantly in a state of striving and never at peace.  This constant competitive state is not a place of creativity.  Therefore the advice is to continually ask yourself how you are playing into or reflecting the “measurement world”, until you eventually come to peace with where you are.

Chapter three asks us to address our practice of grading and realize it is a manifestation of our old way of thinking; measuring and comparing ourselves, situations and others.  By viewing each child we as teachers come across, as an unlimited package of potential, and immediately granting them an A, we become their partner in discovering the necessary skills and self-expression that child requires in order to reach that potential. 

The subsequent chapter begins to have us take action.  Once you begin to look at the world through different lenses, we need to actively declare ourselves a contributor.  Whether we now how or in what way, the more important factor is that we vow to be a positive force of contribution.

I look forward to reading further.  It has been a while since I have read a book that has felt like it is not just simply adding information to my collection, but instead reorganizing and reforming the information that I already possess. 

Week 2 - Comments to My Classmates #2

Mike's comments regarding The Art of Possibility

http://mikeandhisthoughts.blogspot.com/2011/03/macweek2reading-art-of-possibility.html?showComment=1299974823945#c2319115168732652747

Image retrieved and modified from FB profile pics.

What an interesting book! I really wasn't sure what this book was about until I got the chance to jump into it this week and I must say, the content is really eye-opening and rather inspirational. I enjoyed each chapter and how they focused on different aspects of our lives and how we view things. In the first chapter, Invented, I thought the comment about the Me'en people of Ethiopia and their reaction to photographs of people and animals was amazing (pg 11). I never would have imagined such a reaction to viewing photos for the first time. My initial thought would be to view the actual pictures, and not to hold and smell the type of paper! I liked the concept in that everything is already perceived in a certain way so we should look to change our perceptions to improve our lives. 

In the second chapter, Universe of Possibility, I enjoyed reading about the 9 dot problem. I remember doing that in elementary school, and it stuck with me through all these years, so it was great reading about how the book viewed that and how we should look to move beyond the imaginary borders in our everyday lives. Again, this chapter focused on how our lives are shaped by assumptions, which was a bit of an eye opener, because I never thought about things like that.

The third chapter, Giving an A, is another remarkable way at looking at things. I liked the quote, "The A is not an expectation to live up to, but a possibility to live into" (pg 26). I also thought it was great how the book referenced Da Vinci's view on a block of marble and how inside of it is an amazing sculpture. Basically saying that we all are amazing inside, just waiting to be built up! The assignment in which one of the authors had their students write letters from their future selves in order to receive an A in class had me wondering how well something like that would work in my class. While I think it's quite a novel idea... I'm not yet sold on doing it for my students... yet. 

The final chapter, Being a Contribution, focuses on how we should all strive to make a difference in the world, even if we don't know how or why. 

Overall, I enjoyed reading the first four chapters of this book. It reminds me of one of my favorite books of all time, The Alchemist by Paul Coelho. One quote from The Alchemist is, "...when we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too" (pg 150). 

My Comments to Mike-

Mike- 
You did an great job of summarizing the direction of each chapter.  I too found the writing inspirational.  It is interesting that you related or found connection to prior reading.  As I read these chapters I could not stop thinking about how this book was giving me a similar feeling as a book that I read in HS.  It was more of a fictional piece but had similar underlying message, the book was called the Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield in which the lead character is on a quest to find "insights" and develops an understanding of how we interact with each other and how we ourselves become our optimal self.  


I think that we as teachers need to continually be willing to look at the world and the experiences around us from different points of view or else we will cease to grow.
I shared your "eye opening" in chapter two as I thought about how limiting we can be to ourselves.  When we live by our assumptions, you not only fall into that saying... "when you assume you make an *** out of you & me" but you really are preventing yourself from a larger or deeper or just a different experience than the one you gain otherwise.  Since life is defined by our experiences we should make all attempts to make those experience meaningful and full of growth.


I thought about the marble metaphor as well, and the amazing thing about sculpture is that it can always be adjusted.  But the most effective way to create a piece of art through such methods is by creating a clear image in your mind of what you would like to make, but to always be willing to compromise and work with the feel of the medium, to allow the marble to have a say in what it becomes.  When we consider what and how we are "grading" our students we really should be looking at it with both our vision and theirs in mind as well as with the idea that certain materials get sculpted or molded using different methods.  To stick with the metaphor, if you try to sculpt an iron statue using the same methods as marble you will be greatly disappointed.
Mike- Thanks for your insight.

Week 2- Comments to My Classmates #1

Noelia post regarding The Art of Possibility

http://noeliabadilloemdt.blogspot.com/2011/03/week-2-reading-1.html

Image retrieved and modified from FB profile pics.

The book The Art of Possibility is a book that makes you think deeply about how we see ourselves and how we can see things from the point of view we desire. In the first four chapters, the author opens up a world of possibilities to challenge our initiative towards a greater concept of our being, the confidence we have in everything we do and how we should stop for a moment and review the events to be responsive to these in a positive, powerful and efficient way. It discusses how we can have the success that we want and what we can achieve if we actually see and accept who we are and what we can be. The text directs us toward an objective and authentic attitude to open up new paths and new challenges. It also reflects the power that we have as educators if we learn to see and appreciate the styles and actions of our students and how we can encourage and motivate students to wake up their hidden or repressed skills. A perspective in which we can learn new things from students and the importance and meaning of things for them. In the fourth chapter the author describes the importance that produces contributing to the lives of others, to move away from ego-centrism, to relate with others and make a difference. It's amazing the simplicity with which the author makes us rethink the way you view life and its circumstances. Personally I identified myself with several of the stories in the book and learned a few strategies on how to deal with the situation by simply asking myself important, thoughtful questions and answer them from another perspective, a perspective that is what I desire, what I want. The effect of the practices that the author explains can greatly benefit our environment, our success, our relationships with others, in fact our course in life and most importantly our happiness. I enjoyed reading this book and like me, I know that it will help others have a better vision of our circumstances and because of all this I give the authors an A.

Comments to Noelia-

I was especially drawn in to your reflection on the "power that we have as educators if we learn to see and appreciate the styles and actions of our students and how we can encourage and motivate students to wake up their hidden or repressed skills. A perspective in which we can learn new things from students and the importance and meaning of things for them."

I find that too often the idea is overlooked that each one of our students brings a unique experience to the learning table and that if we as educators do not acknowledge, appreciate and foster the sharing of that experience we all lose out.

I agree with you that the author has an ease with which the message is delivered.  The reader is guided through a pretty deep and philosophical journey by relatable and applicable stories and practices.

Thanks Noelia- you summed it up in a clear and stimulating piece!

Week 1- Free Choice- Leadership Project

Retrieved and Adapted from Flickr Creative Commons Speaking To an Empty Room by By herzogbr

As I consider the possibilities that lay ahead and for which the plans will be built in the month ahead, I am stuck in a mud puddle of trepidation to say the least.  As I try to dismantle the feelings that have me stuck, I believe there are many issues to mentally and emotionally approach.  We are being asked to formally write up a proposal based on our Action Research Projects (ARPs) and submit them to conventions or conferences with the “hopes” (and I use that term lightly) that we will be accepted to present our findings to our colleagues.

My initial concern is that although I consider myself a qualified and strong instructor in the classroom, I am completely intimidated by speaking in front of my colleagues.  I am not sure where this feeling comes from, in situations where there is less pressure I am quite able to speak to adults.  I do well once I get into the midst of the higher pressure situations, for example in job interviews I am fairly successful.  But this does not take away from the nervousness I feel before. 

My secondary concern is that although I fully comprehend the idea that every situation offers insight to learn from, my ARP yielded results that I feel fall well below it’s potential.  This concerns me as it adds another layer of complication when considering how to propose any presentation that I may have to offer.  I feel that there are definitely clear and expressible explanations to account for why the ARP’s goals were not met.  What I suppose that I need to put some effort into is what I would want my colleagues to walk away with from my presentation.  What did I learn, and how could I share that with other in a comprehensible manner.

Retrieved from Flickr creative Commons Leap of Faith  By ClickFlashPhotos / Nicki Varkevisser

And as if that did not pile up enough, my tertiary concern is that as I approach the end of this wonderful journey at FSO in EMDT, I am excited by the idea that there are countless opportunities out there to share and expand upon the experiences I will walk away with.  Although there is a level of excitement, it feels similar to standing at the edge of a cliff looking down at the lake below.  You know so many have taken the leap before you and you know that once you take the first step, the rest will be indescribably exhilarating.  With all that said and done, it does not take away from that gut feeling of stifling fear, which keeps you frozen in place until either you find the courage or your friend jovially gives you the necessary shove. 

So I suppose with the aforementioned analogy, I am on my climb up the cliff abutting the beautiful lake, and at this phase I should be mentally mapping out my moves and psyching myself up to take the plunge!

Week 1- Reading- Copyright and Creative Commons

Retrieved from Flickr Creative Commons Franz Patzig-from A. Diez Herrero

As I watched the documentary Good Copy Bad Copy, one particular comment in the film struck my as pertinent, as we are all so bombarded with media we’ve been almost forced to use it as a form of art and that if someone stood on the side of the street handing out paint we would have a lot more paintings out there.  I find it so difficult and ambiguous to clearly define what is considered being inspired by versus what is stealing or plagiarizing.

Retrieved from Fickr Creative Commons Creative Commonsfrom karindalziel

When I consider these issues of copyright, creative commons, and how they effect my instruction in the classroom, it is so scary and complicated.  I want to provide my students with as much knowledge and as many opportunities to truly comprehend the world around them.  On the other hand, I know for a fact that I take many chances and many liberties within the four walls of my classroom to do that.  It is scary to think that much of what I do is not necessarily legal but in the long run those that would be on the other end of any lawsuit are the same that I would be provide a spotlight for or enlightening my students about.  Creative commons is interesting to me in that the artist in fact have the control, not some legislator or some lawyer.  The artist is given the right to pick and choose what uses their work can have by others.  I can’t help but wonder and worry about where the future of copyright will lead this next generation of artist coming up.  I hope for this sake we do find a happy and manageable medium ground in which we continue to foster creativity.

I can’t help but consider that this idea of ownership is a much deeper and much more complicated issues than most have ever considered.  Who truly owns anything?  I suppose this is more philosophical than anything else.  But is there such a need to profit financially off of every person or situation that directly links to us in any way.  I find this idea fascinating and it affects us each more than we realize.  I began in a new district last year and I teach four separate courses at a high school level.  When I asked where in the building or within the district I could find shared materials, such as handouts, lesson plans, assessment materials regarding subjects or units that we must all be teaching as it is part of the state and district approved and agreed upon curriculum, I was shocked to find out that one does not exist.  More over I was laughed at.  

Retrieved from Flickr Creative Commons CC swag Ifrom BotheredByBees 

What a silly thing.  Teachers are unwilling to share their ideas for some strange need to claim it and own it.  Why would we not want to share our ideas, allow others to expand upon and better those ideas, in turn inspiring the original creator but most importantly for the benefit of our learners.  In my opinion we are allowing our greed to strip our learners of the most developed the most creative and the most beneficial learning experiences that we collectively have to offer!