Virginia Holm writes:
Week 3 Reading Blog Post
Chapter 5: Being a leader doesn’t mean being a dictator. I enjoyed this chapter because the authors learned that from experience. When you are good at something and want to teach others you don’t have to boast or make them feel inferior because they aren’t up to your expected skill level. I admire leaders who treat people as equals and mentor with honesty and integrity. I also like people who really know what they are doing. I try to put myself in my student’s seat when I teach. I don’t want to talk down to them or make them feel stupid for not learning or being as excited about learning as I expect them to be. You should know your audience and try to find a common ground. As for listening to people who can help you succeed, the key word is “listen”. Few people do that anymore. They think of a response as you are still speaking to them. Listening is a huge factor in success.
Chapter 6: I totally wrote down Rule number 6 – don’t take yourself so seriously. My husband used to tell me when we worked in sales together and I got so upset when a delivery went wrong, or someone cancelled an order “don’t sweat the small stuff, and it’s all small stuff.” A calm voice from a friend, coworker or a gentle inner reminder can often help a situation go from drama to calm and professional. Avoiding conflict and strife, whether it’s caused directly or indirectly allows you to pursue goals more clearly and successfully.
Chapter 7: Most of us want to succeed and advance yet only some of us will actually get there. Getting there is part luck, part knowledge, timing, and patience. While you shouldn’t accept your fate like the cow, having a good attitude like her is key. Panic and frustration reflect in your work and personality. Taking the time to learn how things flow, who everyone is and what role they play before pursuing your road to the top can make it a much smoother ride. It also would be wise to seek out a mentor from the “barn” that your are joining. You may be overlooked, but with the right attitude, good work ethic, and a few barn fans you’ll get there eventually.
Chapter 8: Sometimes it’s easier to shut out how your feel so you don’t get hurt. Even in the classroom you can come in on some days and are just off. Your defenses are up and it projects in your presentation. I’ve done that for whatever reason. A day gone bad, the cafeteria menu was not what I expected, my students didn’t do their homework… and every time my students pick up on it and ask “Mrs. Holm, are you in a bad mood today?” That totally snaps me out of it. There is no reason to bring your negative attitude to work or to the classroom. Your performance will always suffer and so will the respect of your peers and students. That being said, sometimes my students just don’t care. It would be easy to not care back, but I tend to do the opposite and work harder to find an element in the lesson that will spark their attention. The enthusiasm and energy I feel toward the topic will usually win them over. I try really hard to not let anyone leave my classroom with a negative experience.
David Hotler says:
Great farm reference about Chapter 7! I am currently working to do exactly what you mentioned. I listen, think before I act and make strong relationships with all friends. I want to be sure that when the time is right I will have the support I need to climb higher. With that said I have to remember to focus on my students and judge success by the many factors of their success. In reference to chapter 8 I try to do the same. Sometimes I come to work and I have a bad attitude or am having a bad day. I agree that it is best to leave that at home and if you find it at work to get over it. But I also think that sometimes it is good for your students to see a grumpy side of you. They can connect with the fact that you are human and we all have bad days. I like that when they approach you, you make an effort to fix your attitude and make the day better. If a teacher allows themselves to keep the grump then they can never expect students to shrug it off when they are in a crummy mood too. Thank you for leading by example.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Monday, May 16, 2011
Week 3: Free Choice: Abstract Writing
This week the project is to write an abstract for our Action Research project. I am writing this blog to help others and myself remember/learn what an abstract is and how is should be written. Just about all the dictionary and answer sites I looked at say it is a summary of a book, article, or formal speech. Our course instructor this month stresses the importance that our abstract be 120 words or less. I think is is due in part to search queries and interest levels. We want people to be able to see the entire abstract while shuffling through search results and we also want to hold their attention just long enough to get out point across. Here is what Joe said he is looking for when he reads out abstract.
120 words. No more and not much less.
1st sentence: The research question. Make sure this is simple and can be related too by others not just yourself the expert.
2nd sentence: Note your literature review and the 3 subtopics you covered that support your project.
3rd sentence: Cover your methodology (this might be two sentences). How do you accomplish what you are teaching or doing? This one is tough.
4th sentence: What are the results of your research? What the heck happened?
5th sentence: What is the conclusion of the study?
Photo taken as a screen shot by David Hotler on a google search result.
Week 3: The Art of Possibility 5-8
First and foremost Rule Number six should be rule number one for all teachers. I try to be sure not to take myself or my course too seriously. In the grand scheme of the world learning photography and photoshop is not that important. However, for some students my class is a doorway to a passion they never knew they had and leads to wonderful things. Taking things too seriously can make things no fun and who wants to spend the rest of there lives having no fun at what they do?
Next, I want to make the students the leaders. I admit from day one that I am still a student of photography and photoshop and will always remain that way. I am simply a student who has been doing it longer and with great intensity than the students just taking my course. I tell them that if they know something they should shout it out. If I am wrong they should shout it out. I want the students to realize that we are all in this together and they are just as powerful in the classroom as I am. This coming year I hope to take this one step further and have the students make their very own tutorial in photoshop. That means they need to create something and then walk the class through how they made in a way that everyone can understand. This makes them the leader and the expert and enables them to be that leader outside of their seat in my classroom.
Our work is never done. I tell me students all the time that the work they do in my class is never finished, it is always a work in progress. This leaves some students in distress so I do let them know that somethings just come to a nice stopping point but are never finished. As they work on Photoshop projects I want them not to think the assignment is to make theirs look like mine but to realize that the journey is the destination and creativity is not about conformity but about making something unique. As long as the student can show me they understand the given tool or technique we are learning I have no problem with them turning in something that looks different than my teacher example.
The last great thing that I have realized from this weeks reading and from my time at Full Sail is that passion is the most powerful motivator of students. If you allow students to work on something they are passionate about you will have to force them to stop (if you so choose). All of the projects that I assign are built in a way that allows students to incorporate a part of their personal life that they are passionate about. This might be a pet, a birthday invitation, or a photo retouch job for their grandma. No matter what when I allow student to work on something they care about they always work harder and to a greater degree of complexity. As this is true with my students it is also true with me. When I start to plan projects I pick something that interests me as well. Now this means creating something new each year and in turn more work but I find that I am more passionate when teaching if I am teaching something I really care about.
This image is protected under the creative commons license at http://creativecommons.org/
This image was found on Google Images.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Week 2: Free Choice: WIMBA
The WIMBA this week was admittedly a bit redundant. I spend a significant amount of time in Week One watching videos that introduced copyright, videos about copyright, and videos that reviewed everything we just heard about copyright. I wrote a blog about copyright, did some additional research, and then responded to other blogs about copyright. When WIMBA week two came around I was disappointed that what was covered was pretty much a review of week one and not deep thought into what was learned. I understand that we are trying to stay black and white about copyright because of the subjects depth but I felt like I was watching a live version of the same videos I had just watched. I would have enjoyed a deeper look into specific cases o
With that said however, I think the lesson on copyright was great! I feel as though I have a much better understanding of what I am permitted to do and use. I also feel better equipped to support my students as they navigate this increasingly stringent world in their pursuit to make money in a legal way.
With that said however, I think the lesson on copyright was great! I feel as though I have a much better understanding of what I am permitted to do and use. I also feel better equipped to support my students as they navigate this increasingly stringent world in their pursuit to make money in a legal way.
Week 2: Art of Possibility Response 2
Brett Wilson writes:
Wk 2 Reading: The Art of Possibility
Zander’s book was quite enlightening and motivating about the possibilities that lie ahead. He began by challenging the reader to break out of the confinement that our mind has put us in—the position of “it’s not possible.” Rather, once we enlarge the box from which we think, the possibilities become much greater, as well.
Zander provided two great concepts that I will walk away from with great hopes of application. The first is giving an A. He is quite right when he states that grades are really the comparing of one student to another and often show little of the transformation that has taken place within the student. Instead, he gives every student an A if they simply write a letter of the person they wish to be a year from now. He states his hope is that each student would fall in love with that person of which they write so that transformation becomes a passion of their own. One of the most amazing quotes from the book is this, “This A is not an expectation to live up to, but a possibility to live into.” Expectations are normally piled high with thoughts of failure and unbelievable amounts of stress. Possibilities, however, provide positive, “take-charge” success.
The second is the thought of being a contribution. Life is simply about contribution. And it’s not about how much or if it’s enough, it’s simply, “Will you contribute today?” For students to believe that they are a gift to others would be more than life changing for most. I work in a school district where students’ spirits seem beaten and opportunity and possibility insurmountable. How much would this change if they believed this simple sentence, “You are a gift to others.” Zander challenges the students at the Conservatory to write about this specifically. I too plan to challenge my students to write in hopes that they believe it and that possibilities appear reachable.
Image taken from www.flickr.com with Attribution in Creative Commons.
Some rights reserved by p_c_w
Posted by Brett Wilson at 5:46 AM
1 comments:
David Hotler said...
Brett,
Great deduction of the reading. I am encouraged by your insight on how you plan to use your favorite parts of the book in your own classroom. I too was moved by the Giving of an A section and really see a new path of encouragement for students in his approach to passion creation. I challenge you to have your students do the same and hold them to it. I also challenge you to show each student that they are a contribution of the world around them and have amazing potential in this world. Even achievement on a small scale is a contribution that can have a profound impact on the world. Great work!
-David
Wk 2 Reading: The Art of Possibility
Zander’s book was quite enlightening and motivating about the possibilities that lie ahead. He began by challenging the reader to break out of the confinement that our mind has put us in—the position of “it’s not possible.” Rather, once we enlarge the box from which we think, the possibilities become much greater, as well.
Zander provided two great concepts that I will walk away from with great hopes of application. The first is giving an A. He is quite right when he states that grades are really the comparing of one student to another and often show little of the transformation that has taken place within the student. Instead, he gives every student an A if they simply write a letter of the person they wish to be a year from now. He states his hope is that each student would fall in love with that person of which they write so that transformation becomes a passion of their own. One of the most amazing quotes from the book is this, “This A is not an expectation to live up to, but a possibility to live into.” Expectations are normally piled high with thoughts of failure and unbelievable amounts of stress. Possibilities, however, provide positive, “take-charge” success.
The second is the thought of being a contribution. Life is simply about contribution. And it’s not about how much or if it’s enough, it’s simply, “Will you contribute today?” For students to believe that they are a gift to others would be more than life changing for most. I work in a school district where students’ spirits seem beaten and opportunity and possibility insurmountable. How much would this change if they believed this simple sentence, “You are a gift to others.” Zander challenges the students at the Conservatory to write about this specifically. I too plan to challenge my students to write in hopes that they believe it and that possibilities appear reachable.
Image taken from www.flickr.com with Attribution in Creative Commons.
Some rights reserved by p_c_w
Posted by Brett Wilson at 5:46 AM
1 comments:
David Hotler said...
Brett,
Great deduction of the reading. I am encouraged by your insight on how you plan to use your favorite parts of the book in your own classroom. I too was moved by the Giving of an A section and really see a new path of encouragement for students in his approach to passion creation. I challenge you to have your students do the same and hold them to it. I also challenge you to show each student that they are a contribution of the world around them and have amazing potential in this world. Even achievement on a small scale is a contribution that can have a profound impact on the world. Great work!
-David
Week 2: Art of Possibility Response 1
Sue Parker writes:
It didn’t take long for me to get hooked on the required reading, “The Art of Possibility” for my Month 11 class, Media Asset Creation. When I got to page 4 and read…
Standard social and business practices are built on certain assumptions - shared understandings that have evolved from older beliefs and conditions. And while circumstances have changed since the start of these practices, their continued use tends to reconfirm the old beliefs. For this reason our daily practices feel right and true to us regardless if they have evolved to keep up with the pace of change.
…I mentally exclaimed “Bingo!”, logged on to Amazon and bought eight additional copies – one for each administrator and academic dean at my high school. Then I bought the audiobook for me.
That one passage sums up what I have been saying for the past six years. My line has always been, “Geometry concepts may not have changed since the days of Euclid, but the students sitting in front of you have. Therefore, the content delivery must change to keep up with those students.” Sure, you’ve always done it that way – and yes, it may still work, but perhaps – just perhaps – there is another way that may really excite your students and, at the same time, get you re-stoked as well. Win-win.
The next bookmark came on page 46 (which is not to say that from 5-45 there were no aha! moments, just no bookmarks)…
How often do we stand convinced of the truth of our early memories, forgetting that they are assessments made by a child?
…Broccoli.
Yes, broccoli. I don’t know if I ever really had tried broccoli. But somewhere, I made the judgment that I didn’t like it. I consciously, yet graciously, declined all offers of the little green florets for all of my adult life…until two years ago. I went on some boxed diet plan and broccoli (although not listed among the ingredients, or surely I would have avoided that purchase) was sprinkled throughout the meal. Unavoidable. I scraped and pushed as much as I could, but some of that green stuff leapt upon the fork anyway – I had to eat it. Clearly, there’s no climax to the story here – I found it quite tasty and now actually rejoice to find broccoli as the vegetable of the day anytime I dine out.
So what have I learned? Clearly, I've learned to re-examine my judgments. To ask, "Why do I think that?". And to ask - was the reasoning ever valid? If so, is it still valid? And to make a choice - a conscious choice - from there.
Another point well made by the Zanders was that of “survival thinking”. I get caught up in this all the time. Someone asks a simple question and my first thought is “What’s the real question?” Someone pays I compliment, and I think “What does he really want?”. I’m sure I was not born paranoid, but I have evolved into being so. And yes – a valuable, but limited resource – energy – is dramatically taxed in an effort to remain so paranoid. It would behoove me, and make others around me happier, if I re-directed that energy in a more positive fashion. I’ll try. But just as it states on page 4 – those daily practices feel right and true. I’ve become accustomed to the paranoia and don’t even recognize it as such.
The competency ladder (and numerous other labels for the theory) is attributed to many possible authors. I prescribe to the theory. Prior to reading, I could easily describe myself as unconsciously incompetent – paranoid, and not really knowing it. I need to put what I’m thinking and feeling and making appropriate changes on my learning spectrum. In doing so I’ll climb to the second rung of the ladder: being consciously incompetent – paranoid and knowing it. The next step will require that I make a conscious effort to relax – consciously competent. Sooner or later, the hope is to reach the top rung of the ladder: unconsciously competent – relaxed, open and not having to think about being so. It’s a long journey. And I shall slip back often. But, eventually, I’ll get there.
Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ykjc9/2579890315 Creative Commons License
1 comments:
David Hotler said...
Sue,
You have truly unfolded the mystery behind the first few chapters of the book. I love you went ahead and bought books for your administrators and the audiobook for yourself. This shows you really do see something in the reading. It is almost as if it is the way they say it and not what is said. For example your geometry analogy is nothing profound. We all know math is pretty concrete and we all know that students are changing. But they way the Zander’s put it in your quote adds a certain validity to the notion that we need to adapt and change.
I love your thoughts on the broccoli. I once dated a girl who hated fruit. It was beyond me that she could hate natures candy. Over the course of a few conversations I came to realize she had a bad memory associated with strawberries at an early age and from then on fruit was to suffer in her diet. I found it mind boggling that when she tasted fruit she liked the taste but HATED the act of eating, preparing, or selecting fruit to eat. The bad memory was so connected to fruit that her taste buds had no control over her reaction. It was only after investigating the memory and deducing that it was a silly childhood prank of a memory and she could let it go that she was able to fight past her hatred for fruit.
Thanks for your insight!
-David
It didn’t take long for me to get hooked on the required reading, “The Art of Possibility” for my Month 11 class, Media Asset Creation. When I got to page 4 and read…
Standard social and business practices are built on certain assumptions - shared understandings that have evolved from older beliefs and conditions. And while circumstances have changed since the start of these practices, their continued use tends to reconfirm the old beliefs. For this reason our daily practices feel right and true to us regardless if they have evolved to keep up with the pace of change.
…I mentally exclaimed “Bingo!”, logged on to Amazon and bought eight additional copies – one for each administrator and academic dean at my high school. Then I bought the audiobook for me.
That one passage sums up what I have been saying for the past six years. My line has always been, “Geometry concepts may not have changed since the days of Euclid, but the students sitting in front of you have. Therefore, the content delivery must change to keep up with those students.” Sure, you’ve always done it that way – and yes, it may still work, but perhaps – just perhaps – there is another way that may really excite your students and, at the same time, get you re-stoked as well. Win-win.
The next bookmark came on page 46 (which is not to say that from 5-45 there were no aha! moments, just no bookmarks)…
How often do we stand convinced of the truth of our early memories, forgetting that they are assessments made by a child?
…Broccoli.
Yes, broccoli. I don’t know if I ever really had tried broccoli. But somewhere, I made the judgment that I didn’t like it. I consciously, yet graciously, declined all offers of the little green florets for all of my adult life…until two years ago. I went on some boxed diet plan and broccoli (although not listed among the ingredients, or surely I would have avoided that purchase) was sprinkled throughout the meal. Unavoidable. I scraped and pushed as much as I could, but some of that green stuff leapt upon the fork anyway – I had to eat it. Clearly, there’s no climax to the story here – I found it quite tasty and now actually rejoice to find broccoli as the vegetable of the day anytime I dine out.
So what have I learned? Clearly, I've learned to re-examine my judgments. To ask, "Why do I think that?". And to ask - was the reasoning ever valid? If so, is it still valid? And to make a choice - a conscious choice - from there.
Another point well made by the Zanders was that of “survival thinking”. I get caught up in this all the time. Someone asks a simple question and my first thought is “What’s the real question?” Someone pays I compliment, and I think “What does he really want?”. I’m sure I was not born paranoid, but I have evolved into being so. And yes – a valuable, but limited resource – energy – is dramatically taxed in an effort to remain so paranoid. It would behoove me, and make others around me happier, if I re-directed that energy in a more positive fashion. I’ll try. But just as it states on page 4 – those daily practices feel right and true. I’ve become accustomed to the paranoia and don’t even recognize it as such.
The competency ladder (and numerous other labels for the theory) is attributed to many possible authors. I prescribe to the theory. Prior to reading, I could easily describe myself as unconsciously incompetent – paranoid, and not really knowing it. I need to put what I’m thinking and feeling and making appropriate changes on my learning spectrum. In doing so I’ll climb to the second rung of the ladder: being consciously incompetent – paranoid and knowing it. The next step will require that I make a conscious effort to relax – consciously competent. Sooner or later, the hope is to reach the top rung of the ladder: unconsciously competent – relaxed, open and not having to think about being so. It’s a long journey. And I shall slip back often. But, eventually, I’ll get there.
Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ykjc9/2579890315 Creative Commons License
1 comments:
David Hotler said...
Sue,
You have truly unfolded the mystery behind the first few chapters of the book. I love you went ahead and bought books for your administrators and the audiobook for yourself. This shows you really do see something in the reading. It is almost as if it is the way they say it and not what is said. For example your geometry analogy is nothing profound. We all know math is pretty concrete and we all know that students are changing. But they way the Zander’s put it in your quote adds a certain validity to the notion that we need to adapt and change.
I love your thoughts on the broccoli. I once dated a girl who hated fruit. It was beyond me that she could hate natures candy. Over the course of a few conversations I came to realize she had a bad memory associated with strawberries at an early age and from then on fruit was to suffer in her diet. I found it mind boggling that when she tasted fruit she liked the taste but HATED the act of eating, preparing, or selecting fruit to eat. The bad memory was so connected to fruit that her taste buds had no control over her reaction. It was only after investigating the memory and deducing that it was a silly childhood prank of a memory and she could let it go that she was able to fight past her hatred for fruit.
Thanks for your insight!
-David
Friday, May 13, 2011
wk2 reading – The Art of Possibility: 1-4
In The Art of Possibility by Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander the reader is confronted with an interesting spin on self help for life adjustment. The main story line of the book is actually broken into stories that help support the through line and theme. After reading the introduction and first four practices I have been impressed with the authors’ abilities in sharing moving, eye witness stories about life and the obstacles of human nature. The book is meant to be a guide for practice and each story supports the need for or outcomes of each practice.
I like that the purpose is to identify in my life the examples shared and then practice ways to see the world differently. I have always been a believer in the notion that the world around me is created by my thoughts and desires. The reality I live in is simply my perception of the world and I have built into me a set of filters that allow me to see things based on my tendencies. I think the first part of the book is hinting at the idea that these filters are many times uncontrollable and learned from family, friends, and the many communities in which we belong.
The ideas presented by the authors about giving an A are most interesting to me. I work in an environment where students are unmotivated by the success of good grades in school. Parents are less interested in celebrating academic achievements and students in turn take things less serious. This environment presents many challenges that I think this book can help to address. To this point I have been using grades as the only factor of success in my courses. In the reading the authors share ideas about grades by telling a story of a pedagogical technique for motivating students to work hard to earn a grade. The idea is that students write a letter to the instructor as if they had just received an A at the completion of the course. The students are to outline everything they did during the time of the course to earn that A. The instructor then uses that criteria to challenge the students by saying they will earn that grade if they complete their own list. I am moved by this because the student takes control of their education and is motivated by the ability to learn what they want.
I am very excited to continue reading and finding ways to use these practices in my everyday life. Check out the book here!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)