Wk3 Comment One

REGINA HENRY COMMENTED:
How will I be a contribution today?
I try to enter the doors of our school with a smile and a good morning as I stroll through the halls passing students thinking to myself “It’s going to be a great day!” I try to assist the parents and students as much as possible. I always keep in mind that we have them for the majority of the day and for some this is a safe haven, some are caring the weight of the world on them at such a young age, and as Tricia mention “We need to give them the benefit of a doubt.” It is such a great feeling when you reach at least one and he or she comes back to visit and say, “Thank you for always being there and believing in me.” He then goes to our conference room to speak to a small group of students about his college life. This is my daily contribution.


MY RESPONSE:
Wow! It's good to hear another educator get the same warm fuzzies that I enjoy receiving as well. There is nothing like hearing from a parent that my son hated language arts before but now all he does is talk about how he loves your class. It is those moments and the ones where I learn from the student that you made my day and that it was your talk or smile that made their experience all the better.

Wk3 Reading Reflection: The Art of Possibility chapters 5 - 8

Photo from: http://media.photobucket.com/image/magic/twpit/MAGIC.png?o=3
Leading from any chair sounded like a wonderful concept. I instantly beginning thinking about ways to create the magic in my own classroom with elbow or shoulder partners. By allowing someone the opportunity to show his or her abilities creates a sense of importance that isn’t easily given in a classroom environment. I also liked that it gave me ideas on being fresh and light to my students everyday and that the dullness I see in them could be a reflection of myself. The true key that I thought would help me in that area was the white sheet. Using a tool that allows the students to provide feedback is great. It gives them a voice in the classroom. Using the white sheet method as a way to improve and learn about your teaching methods and those you teach is a great practice that I want to use.

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I love Rule Number 6: “Don’t take yourself so goddamn seriously.” I have always thought that about myself. I take things in life seriously but not really myself in it. There are plenty of people in my life that do a fabulous job of making it up for me that I don’t need the pleasure of doing it for myself. The Calculating Self seems to be a poignant part of being yourself that you have to look at deeply and say, “It’s not that serious.” Trying to remember Rule Number 6 in times when I want nothing but to be perfect for everyone is a hard bit to chew. But reading on I realized that I live more in the Central Self and that my desire is pleasing and making the world better for others. “When you look to people’s central selves and conduct an honest conversation, a culture form’s that is hard to resist. For the calculating self to emerge in this culture is as difficult as trying to hum a tune in B minor while the chorus around you is singing in C major.”

Photo from Photobucket By WanderingWulf
I always thought that settling isn’t apart of my thinking. I can’t even stay in a place for longer than seven years. I have too much drive. But in the scheme of things most people are complacent and are all too happy to complain about where they are and what they are doing and still live it day in and day out. Being as though I was never that person, it was good to read about where and why this phenomenon takes place. My place on the continuum of complacency or improving is definitely seeing the brighter side or the bigger picture. However, when it comes to people, I live in the “the way things were’ and lower my expectations hoping for a better feeling for the relationship.

Photo from Photobucket By irinaloveangel
Control for me has been to show people exactly what they want without being fully connected to the idea. It is showing that I have more control over my emotional well-being then themselves and that I can ultimately control my emotions no matter the situation. But I do care and that is the one emotion I give freely because most people don’t show that they care enough so there is no fear. I haven’t had my love rejected so I don’t worry about disappointment. I became a teacher because of all of the above. I care about other and want nothing but the best for them. I want people to take what I know and make it better than what I could accomplish. My passion is making a better world for those who live in it in the best way I know how. I show them that love is a muscle and that it grows stronger and stronger when you use it. And that the exercises that get from me will not only make it stronger but teach them about themselves in the process.

Zander, R. S., & Zander, B. (2000). Giving. The art of possibility (p. 26). Boston, Mass.: Harvard Business School Press.

Wk2 Capstone Website Project Reflection

Photo is a screen shot of CBR template

The CBR website has been a trial and error for me since day one. I try to stay on top of it but for some reason there is always something that has changed or is missing. The striking aspect of this project is that when I look at the example I always feel like I just wanted the template of it and to go from there. I lack the will to be creative. But overall, I enjoy knowing that maybe someone will see what I was able to accomplish and inspire them in some way. It is a work in progress and I see how each page is progressing every month but I wonder at how well it will look and be used in the end. In truth, the website is a vague concept to me that I hope will be clearer soon. My perfectionist syndrome is beginning to wear its ugly hat and I am weary about the time I have left to prepare. In the end, i have learned a lot about creating a web page/site for my students that I would like to implement in the near future because I see the value in creating a project that shows what you learned throughout the course. It is reflective and thorough and a wonderful benefit to use with students.

Wk2 Comment Two

Maya's Comment to the Readings of Chapter 1-4 in The Art of Possibility:

To be honest I am still unpacking this week's reading in my head, trying to assimilate it with my own philosophical view of life, the universe, and everything. (Which is not copyrighted because it is a title.) The underlying gist of the Art of Possibility, is that we are the creators of our own lives and as creators we need to make sure that we are constantly thinking outside the box of our own assumptions and that we are not "painting ourselves into a corner."

Photo from: LinkIn

In this week's readingt the author's discuss three concepts, that will assist the reader in finding their own way out of the corner/box. They are: It's All Invented, Stepping Into a Universe of Possibility, and Everyone Gets an A. Of these three concepts I had the most difficulty with the last one, as I read it, because I believe in holding people accountable for their actions, and if you are giving people an A it seems like you are giving them carte blanche. However as I read the chapter I came to understand that giving someone an A does not mean you are giving them carte blanche, it means that no matter what difficulties you might have with them that you always do your best to work with them and understand their point of view.

In general I agree with a lot of what Benjamin Zander, and Rosamund Stone Zander discuss in The Art of Possibility. I am a firm believer in the benefits of meta-cognition, or thinking about thinking for those of you who don't dig five dollar words. I am specifically talking about thinking about the way that you think about things, which can be quite difficult. I would like to think that I am more often successful than not, but it is hard to rate ones own ability at being objective.

My Response:
I like the idea or notion that is proposed through the readings in the book that you termed 'thinking about thinking.' Life should be self reflective but we don't always take the time to live in the moment and do it. There is never a time that I feel like I couldn't improve on something and in the idea that everyone gets an A then you realize that even with that grade it isn't you nor does it speak the truth. I given many A graded assignments knowing when I looked at them again that I could have changed that, or should have done this, or felt that it wasn't my best.

But yet, in the end I still received the A. Most of the time I think it is mind over matter. I feel like I'm an A student so I make As. I don't think I know how to be average, yet there are students that have received Cs most of their lives and don't do anything to get above it. My goal is to make them believe that you are what you think you are. Believe in yourself and you can make a difference in anything you put your mind into because all it takes is one.

Wk2 Comment One

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Ishia Comments to the Reading of Chapters 1-4 of the book The Art of Possibility:

The compelling idea that stood out in reading The Art of Possibility by Rosamund and Benjamin Zander was the assignment of having students write letters into the future as a requirement for earning an A. This activity takes me to one that I do with my freshman students:

During the final week of school, I ask students to write a letter into the future that they will read as a graduating senior. I suggest that they speak about goals, reflect on the past year, reminisce or a combination of those. I promise not to read them. The Zander activity is similar. Students write to themselves in past tense about their future. But this is where a major break happens.

Whereas, my intentions are for students to set goals to measure themselves and to reflect on past experiences for self-improvement, the Zander method challenges students to see the selves they want to become in the present. Whereas, my students assess themselves for growth and change by reading their letters from three years ago, the Zander method works as a teacher/student assessment to determine which path will exact the growth needed to change now.

This gave me pause to consider that I am expecting my students to singlehandedly invent themselves based on a set of standards, when I should align with them on knocking down the barriers that block the infinite possibilities that are before them. My assignment, then, should occur 10 months earlier with a new intent on students “inventing” themselves based on their future self – validations.

In a few weeks I will be teaching an experimental writing course for incoming freshmen. One of the things that I will try is giving them an “A” and making their initial writing assignments the “A” letter and observations on “Being A Contribution.” One of the things that I most enjoyed about Film Making Principles and Gaming class was the release of pressure I felt. Kathy would assign AAA (Absolute “A” Assignments) and Dr. Dan would just have us play games. Even without the pressure, I ironically dug deeper and challenged myself creatively. I think that this can work for my future students.


My Response:

I agree with finding a method that allows the students the opportunity to be creative without the pressure of a grade. I, too, felt less strain in our film making principles class. It didn't stop the amount of effort I put into the project, but it did stop the second guessing I place in working on assignments. It provided more time based on the freedom of making an "A." I wish you success in you endeavor to find an assignment that will benefit the students as well as it seemed in the book.

Wk2 Reading Reflection: The Art of Possibility 1-4

My first impression of the reading assignment for the book "The Art of Possibility" was "really?" I mean I am very happy that we are given the opportunity to read a book that is not at all like the traditional textbooks or assignment readings that I have experienced in the past for my collegiate experiences. But I am shocked that I get the opportunity to learn about myself in relation to my experiences in college - a self help book sort of genre. Nevertheless, the first three chapters were very enlightening.

Photo excerpt by Mike Grenville

After getting over my initial shock, I valued the use of storytelling to help me become aware of the themes or ideas the authors were presenting. Hearing the story about the water rapids and reading (but feeling like your listening) to the story she shared about hearing the mantra about "nose to toes..." and then finally being placed into a position where it all clicked was refreshing to hear from an adult stand point. I liked learning that even small instruction can be vital and helpful for adults. And that essentially my students might not have to live a full life to find value in what I teach them and those lessons can be used literally of figuratively in life.

Photo by ~jacky~
Find the boat. My take from this statement is that in situations where you feel that you can't find your way out of the bubbling, drowning feeling that trying to be an instrumental part of life can sometimes make you feel; there is a way out ...find the boat. I only wish I knew how to tell when I am drowning or just floating beneath the surface. And when I find the boat, will I be to shallow and want to hold out for the yacht to save me?

Another chapter introduced a term or practice that was quite interesting as well by discussing all the different possibilities that we have in the world as "Its all invented." I came away with the sense that if I believe it it will come true. Even as hooky as that sounds there has been instance after instance that proves that mind usually triumphs over matter. So far this practice, even though very daunting, is the most beneficial one that I need to try to implement in my life immediately.

Photo by Susan Byars

Giving an A was mind boggling concept for me in that we see ourselves in the reflection of others. I always thought that it was a choice. Maybe some people can see beyond those labels while most cannot. One of the better quotes from Rosamund and Benjamin Zander in the giving chapter is, When you give an A, you find yourself speaking to people not from a place of measuring how they stack up against your standards, but form a place of respect that give them room to realize themselves. Your eye is on the statue within the roughness of the uncut stone. This A is not an expectation to live up to, but a possibility to live into.
And the letters that was written in response to why the student received an A for the course was amazing. I would love to be able to try this concept in my school, but unfortunately I don't think it would go over well. But maybe for a unit or assignment ...baby steps would work. The true goal of learning is ascertaining the skill. Your optimal grade doesn't truly show how smart you are but how well you knew what the teacher wanted. I like to reach my students and make them see infinite possibilities in themselves and this would definitely help bridge that gap. We invent who we are and I want to give them the idea that we are who we make ourselves to be ...it's all invented.

"A cynic, after all, is a passionate person who does not want to be disappointed again." Realizing that there are few meaningful roles for adolescents to fill and that their yearning to have a meaningful place in this world could be fulfilled by allowing them to make a difference and by honoring the potential possibilities in them all. And I'm also glad that the author spoke to what students may do with being giving an A, which is say to themselves that they can slack off because it's already in the bag. Thus leaving us to remind them that they do make a difference because every role plays an important part ...reminding them what an A student is.

Photo by AKFudge
Writing this through tears still fresh on my face explains how real and touching a deeper part of me felt Roz's story about her father was ...so difficult. My father was everything that her's was and more. I looked at him as not loving me, and caring for my younger sister more. I blamed him for not loving me enough to want to see me during my childhood. And when he died of cancer three years ago, I felt so much pain from feeling deserted again. He wasn't there for me again and that left me with guilt. But reading the methods she took with the A practice, I became more hopeful for myself and the relationships I have and will encounter. I will reinvent.

In the chapter about being a contributor, there were many quotes that I copied and will try to use in life. One in particular is what Ben's father said, "I discovered that a person cannot live a full life under the shadow of bitterness." I think of family, friends, and colleagues that would fit into this category and ask how could giving an A help me with these relationships. The book is so far a great revelation about self and relationships. I am glad I'm reading this book during the end of the current school year so that I can have the whole summer to practice the infinite possibilities in myself.


Zander, R. S., & Zander, B. (2000). Giving. The art of possibility (p. 26). Boston, Mass.: Harvard Business School Press.

Wk1 Wimba Reflection

One great thing I learned through my session and through looking through MAC EDM613 course is that it is important and beneficial for having the time to complete assignments on time that we should look at the activities than using the dashboard. I wished that a professor earlier in the courses would have told me that information. Being the next to the last course that I take is not the best time for learning the information. But luckily it wasn't too much of a problem. It was good to hear a thorough overview of the course. It is fundamental to get an idea of the expectations and large assignments reviewed before going head long into the course. "Good about it instead of pass out and die" is the best quote I could take from the Wimba session on how I am hoping I will feel as the course moves along into the future ...closer to the end.