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.
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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
Sunday, May 15, 2011
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!
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Week 1: Free Choice: WIMBA & Lit Review
So this week in WIMBA we did a course overview and really talked about everything that needs to be turned it. Most of what we talked about was covered in the intro videos but this time around we were able to ask questions and get clarification. To get ready for this class I had to do my usual; make a list. I wrote out all of the nitty gritty things we need to do each week and action items for each assignment. Then I wrote when I want to have them completed. I really love making lists and crossing things off of them. I also still enjoy keeping my lists on real paper with a pen. I think this is the only part of my life that is old school.
Also, this week we need to turn in our Literature Review. I have to admit before I did my Action Research and even before this program, I had never written a literature review or even read one. I wasn’t even sure what it was when it was assigned to me. Now that I have written one I think they are great. It is a perfect way to sot of justify doing your research without having to prove that you are right or wrong. You are just vindicating your actions. All in all I actually liked writing this literature review and wouldn't be too upset in the future if I had to write another. I might not do it for fun but I did enjoy myself. Thanks!
Also, this week we need to turn in our Literature Review. I have to admit before I did my Action Research and even before this program, I had never written a literature review or even read one. I wasn’t even sure what it was when it was assigned to me. Now that I have written one I think they are great. It is a perfect way to sot of justify doing your research without having to prove that you are right or wrong. You are just vindicating your actions. All in all I actually liked writing this literature review and wouldn't be too upset in the future if I had to write another. I might not do it for fun but I did enjoy myself. Thanks!
Week 1: Copyright Issues Response 2
Week #1 Reading Copyright Issues by: Sandy Lopez
Wow! What a thorough discussion about copyright issues. I’ve never heard it explained so succinctly. There is certainly much that needs to be considered and I can see the “gray” areas, of copyright issues when it comes to creative license. I found the 10 Big Myths about Copyright Explained, (materials from Brad Templeton) which Joe explained so well. The reference sites, certainly give us a wealth of information to answer any questions we may have about getting our own creative work copyrighted, if we want to protect work. The subject is a complicated and the use of expanding technologies has confused the question about what is a violation of fair-use, copyright infringements and such. I found these videos to give us wonderful clarification about how and when we can use materials. The concepts that Larry Lessig shared In the TED Talk, gave us great food for thought, because our kids are creating and using these technologies to create and expand culture on a hugely global level. I’ve not thought much before about the concepts he shared as “reviving the read-write” philosophies. I’ve just recently learned about the “remix” culture through my 26-year-old son, and while the videos my sons shares with me (which are remixes of Disney materials, as well as others) are funny and entertaining, copyright permissions, were one of the first things I wondered about. Larry’s discussion gave us a great history lesson in the shift of culture and how our kids are using it. I am of the generation that was the passive group, observing history and our kids of today are the creators, using these new technologies to express themselves in wonderfully creative ways, which should not be hampered. His comment about “kids live life knowing they are living illegal”, struck me because if copyright issues change, they do not need to create in the shadows. The Creative Commons infrastructure is one way this can change, and was an interesting piece to learn about the different and many ways artists can create and still be protected. His solutions to allow artists to choose how their work should be used and business to embrace a philosophy of “freer content” make sense.
David Hotler said...
I like that you highlighted comments from Larry about children creating in the shadows and hiding these amazing works to avoid a lawsuit over a silly video that helped them sharpen their skills. How can these production companies expect to get great high level producers of digital media if kids never have the opportunity to practice and play growing up? Not every kid can afford a camera and a laptop, on top of that expense we drop the threat of copyright, and now we have squashed all creativity.
Also I am glad you at least mentioned Disney who is one of the largest thieves of all time. Stealing stories from the public domain and making billions of dollars on them while giving nothing back to the cultures and people who have kept them alive. Image them making a fairytale about your life and then saying they didn't owe you anything for it and oh, yeah, they own the rights to it so you have to buy a copy and can't do anything with it. Our country needs to take a serious look at our copyright laws and assess whether or not we are helping or hurting by only allowing the rich to create and protect.
Wow! What a thorough discussion about copyright issues. I’ve never heard it explained so succinctly. There is certainly much that needs to be considered and I can see the “gray” areas, of copyright issues when it comes to creative license. I found the 10 Big Myths about Copyright Explained, (materials from Brad Templeton) which Joe explained so well. The reference sites, certainly give us a wealth of information to answer any questions we may have about getting our own creative work copyrighted, if we want to protect work. The subject is a complicated and the use of expanding technologies has confused the question about what is a violation of fair-use, copyright infringements and such. I found these videos to give us wonderful clarification about how and when we can use materials. The concepts that Larry Lessig shared In the TED Talk, gave us great food for thought, because our kids are creating and using these technologies to create and expand culture on a hugely global level. I’ve not thought much before about the concepts he shared as “reviving the read-write” philosophies. I’ve just recently learned about the “remix” culture through my 26-year-old son, and while the videos my sons shares with me (which are remixes of Disney materials, as well as others) are funny and entertaining, copyright permissions, were one of the first things I wondered about. Larry’s discussion gave us a great history lesson in the shift of culture and how our kids are using it. I am of the generation that was the passive group, observing history and our kids of today are the creators, using these new technologies to express themselves in wonderfully creative ways, which should not be hampered. His comment about “kids live life knowing they are living illegal”, struck me because if copyright issues change, they do not need to create in the shadows. The Creative Commons infrastructure is one way this can change, and was an interesting piece to learn about the different and many ways artists can create and still be protected. His solutions to allow artists to choose how their work should be used and business to embrace a philosophy of “freer content” make sense.
David Hotler said...
I like that you highlighted comments from Larry about children creating in the shadows and hiding these amazing works to avoid a lawsuit over a silly video that helped them sharpen their skills. How can these production companies expect to get great high level producers of digital media if kids never have the opportunity to practice and play growing up? Not every kid can afford a camera and a laptop, on top of that expense we drop the threat of copyright, and now we have squashed all creativity.
Also I am glad you at least mentioned Disney who is one of the largest thieves of all time. Stealing stories from the public domain and making billions of dollars on them while giving nothing back to the cultures and people who have kept them alive. Image them making a fairytale about your life and then saying they didn't owe you anything for it and oh, yeah, they own the rights to it so you have to buy a copy and can't do anything with it. Our country needs to take a serious look at our copyright laws and assess whether or not we are helping or hurting by only allowing the rich to create and protect.
Week 1: Copyright Issues Response 1
Wk1 Reading Copyright by Jana Claybrook
The copyright videos were interesting and a little overwhelming. I was totally oblivious to the depth of the piracy on media. The film “Good Copy/Bad Copy” opened my eyes to the extent of the piracy not only on music but on the motion picture industry as well. I have always wondered about those advertisements at the beginning of DVD’s about piracy being against the law. I guess I thought it was geared more towards big time offenders than just everyday people.
This program at Full Sail has certainly heightened my awareness of copyright issues. I have on numerous occasions searched for copyright free images and have been disappointed when I open the image. Most images appear with the statement “This image may be subject to copyright”.
What does that really mean? Where can I find material?
As I am immersed into the legal and illegal aspects of copyrighting this month, I hope to gain the necessary information to better educate my students.
We must prepare our students for success in the future by urging them to create original work and educating them on the laws of copyrighting.
David Hotler said...
I found the amount of videos to also be overwhelming. I broke up my time watching them over two nights and even re-watched a few sections of the Creative Commons videos. It seems like finding something online that you are ok to use is such a daunting task. It is SOO easy to find something and use it yet the consequence can be outrageous. I hope you found the videos in Part 3 about Creative Commons as helpful as I did. I am now making it mandatory for my students that for all assignments that use outside images they must be taken from creative commons and must not have the non-dirivitive icon. This lesson has also sparked the idea in me that we need to cover copyright right from the start instead of waiting until the second term. Great post!
The copyright videos were interesting and a little overwhelming. I was totally oblivious to the depth of the piracy on media. The film “Good Copy/Bad Copy” opened my eyes to the extent of the piracy not only on music but on the motion picture industry as well. I have always wondered about those advertisements at the beginning of DVD’s about piracy being against the law. I guess I thought it was geared more towards big time offenders than just everyday people.
This program at Full Sail has certainly heightened my awareness of copyright issues. I have on numerous occasions searched for copyright free images and have been disappointed when I open the image. Most images appear with the statement “This image may be subject to copyright”.
What does that really mean? Where can I find material?
As I am immersed into the legal and illegal aspects of copyrighting this month, I hope to gain the necessary information to better educate my students.
We must prepare our students for success in the future by urging them to create original work and educating them on the laws of copyrighting.
David Hotler said...
I found the amount of videos to also be overwhelming. I broke up my time watching them over two nights and even re-watched a few sections of the Creative Commons videos. It seems like finding something online that you are ok to use is such a daunting task. It is SOO easy to find something and use it yet the consequence can be outrageous. I hope you found the videos in Part 3 about Creative Commons as helpful as I did. I am now making it mandatory for my students that for all assignments that use outside images they must be taken from creative commons and must not have the non-dirivitive icon. This lesson has also sparked the idea in me that we need to cover copyright right from the start instead of waiting until the second term. Great post!
Friday, May 6, 2011
Week 1: Copyright Issues parts 1-3
The issue of copyright is very complex and deeply rooted in politics and money. Most are either with it or against it. With this type of system the only way that anyone can make money is if everyone agrees. Either we all accept copyright and feed the system or we throw it out the window and let things run wild. Both produce profits but in different ways. Good Copy, Bad Copy and the Expert Village videos both support the idea that getting rid of copyright will foster creativity (outlined mostly was the music industry) because everyone will be able to use everything and only pay when they themselves make money. I interviewed a 7th grader last weekend that is earning almost $4,000 a month from YouTube by attracting 25,000 subscribers and regularly posting content. To make this kind of money he first had to give the content away in a public forum and let the masses vote by simply watching. Once he was earning enough views, YouTube started sharing profits. As a viewer of this content the only price I pay is the invasion of an ad into my life. A corporation simply piggy backs on the media movement. This type of content distribution and consumption is healthy for business and provides a flooding of content that companies don’t have to create but can leverage all while benefiting the author. If you ask me that is a win win. I predict that if you give the same student access to any and all content created, like music and video, he will use it to support his own creations and encourage others to do the same. I think the effect with multiply almost exponentially and be widely accepted. As basic as it may be, I can already edit video on my iPhone.
So copyright is a big evil monster that hovers over us but I see people using other’s work all the time, what is that about? That is called fair use and is perfectly normal. Fair use is not a law but a defendable position. This basically means that if someone comes after you and you have your stuff together, chances are you are protected under fair use. The most exciting part of fair use is that organizations have released guides about fair use and what that organizations stance is on fair use policy. Sort of a how to guide. As soon as I heard this I was immediately intrigued and knew I needed these guides for my classroom. A large part of what I teach in my courses is the ethic use and protect of content. Children today have no concept of copyright or fair use. They think that if it is on the internet that means someone gave it away and never want compensation. Many of them have gotten notices in the mail about illegal downloading from their ISP and have had a rude awakening.
I think the biggest divide that students struggle with is the idea that Fair Use is deeply rooted in the word Fair. They want to get rich quick and get everyone to notice them at any cost. They do not have a respect for the hard work it takes to create content that someone wants to purchase. I want to teach them about Fair Use and Creative Commons so they understand how the system works and gain and ethical understanding of the situation.
I think the most productive parts of these videos however, are the Creative Commons clips and the coverage of what we can do and take action with in the US to promote free content sharing. Creative Commons is an adaptation of the current system that has the potential to set new standards for content sharing and licensing. Again the same issue arises and the question becomes, can everyone taking hold of a new standard. I predict that this new level of thinking will also come with a new wave of much needed ethics. But first the system needs to be made into law and people need to be educated about Creative Commons. Take action today! Use creative commons in the classroom and have your students do the same! The only way we the people can take control of our content is demand that right.
Image from Creative Commons
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