MAC Week 3: Blog Post 4: Free Reflection

From Week 3 Wimba I have some clarification on the Publication/Leadership Project which is a rough draft.

Now I know where the presenter’s notes for the keynote presentation that is under the prompt, view.  The presentation is about our Action Research (AR) site and you have at least 5 slides with 300 words per slide that are your presenter’s notes.  Bullet points can be written on your keynote or power point slides.

  

If you do the 2000 word paper, that can be published and it is more centered around your Literature Review along with your Action Research Project (ARP).

MAC Week 3: Blog Post 3: Peer Reading

Terrance McNeil's Post:

I have done my best. I have steadily added to the whole of my being through positive and consistent works. Zander spoke of the ongoing pursuit of what is always out of reach in chapter 4. I did not make mention of this last week but I thought it really showed me one of the demons that I have fought. I have always looked for the next best thing or thought towards the future attainment. The grass always seems greener on the other side. Learning to live in the now or free oneself from the world of measurement can be a tremendous help. Contribution. I am a contribution and I am now set on a relentless journey to be a contribution on the regular.

A great point made in chapter five dealt with recognizing that we are all just pieces of the puzzle and together we achieve greatness. When in a leadership or facilitator role such as that the of the conductor or the teacher, the real challenge is in getting the most out of your students or whomever you are leading. It is easy to say, “look at me and all that I have done.” I would rather look at how much I have enabled others to do. Eventually credit goes where it is due so it make no sense to focus on how many accolades one will receive. In doing so you display a selflessness that others can see. You also are giving them an “A” because you place more emphasis on the value you see in them. As a result everyone takes ownership, which usually leads to positive outcomes. I think it is big to realize that everyone can make a contribution from whatever seat they may be in.

The limitations of the calculating self are amazing. This process of measurement and its significance can’t be understated to the adult seeking to move into the world of possibility. Rule Number 6 was good but “Have the best ___ever” was in my opinion a great way to visualize successful achievement of a goal. Naturally you are forced to eliminate barriers and forge a way to your goal. I think it is also about being fulfilled, content in a very healthy kind of way.

Dealing with the central self can be brutal. It is unforgiving but really cuts to the heart of a matter. I have said before that I want to see a world that is honest with itself. I think Many of the issues we face as a human race are dealing more with the calculating self and not with the central self. If someway we were able to deal with that I believe the world would be a much better place.

I like the phrase “presence without resistance” (page 101). It helps a person to live in the now, perhaps in a circumstance that is not so positive and accept it. It’s important to do that so one can move forward. Doing this can allow a person to make the most out of some very dismal circumstances.

I also thought the story of the young man whose parents were convince he had a communication problem describes situations that happen far too often for us all. I have seen many parents talk about what their child does or cannot do. I think this provides a huge limitation and in many cases causes a child to act in a particular way. I have also seen this many times in relationships. The “Alchemy of Language” of language as it is referred to in the book is real and something that we must be constantly aware of if we want to change our situations and to empower others to change.

JoAnne's Comments on Terrance's Post: 

I also feel the leadership role and “giving an A” go hand in hand.  I try to instill in my students to be a leader and not a follower and try to work for everything and not expect to be given grades.  Working to you potential does make you an A student anyway and also above and beyond.  That positive reinforcement and keeping our students encourage can lead our youth to leadership roles as well as to become” A” students.

MAC Week 3: Blog Post 2: Peer Reading

Wk3 Reading The Art of Possibilities 5-8

Judy De Los Santos Post:

Chapter 5 had me thinking about how much we can learn about ourselves and our teaching by having those you teach observe you. I am now trying to see myself through their eyes and asking them about their input into the class.
Rule number 6 is a good one to live by in everyday life. Observations about situations in my school have in a way forced me to retreat into my classroom, staying away from other teachers. There are many good reasons for this. I try not to things too seriously around me, although it can be difficult to do on occasion.
I’ve never been the negative type and always try to see things in a better light than they appear. Being negative can be draining to the body and soul and also to those around us. Having a good sense of humor helps. Seeing things the way they are with a hint of humor and a good nature is always beneficial. Reminding ourselves to see things that way is at times a challenge.
As a fine arts teacher, passion for the subject comes naturally and projecting that passion to students is a must. There are days (many lately) when I am just so exhausted that the passion is elusive, and it makes a difference. My students are more alert and attentive when I teach with passion than when not. I would like to make it an everyday thing.

JoAnne's Comment to Judy's Post:

I agree with you on Rule #6.   I stress to my students, and there is a sign on my wall that says, “You can’t be positive if you are negative.”  When they start their negative comments and start to  get depressed, I would always point to that sign and read it aloud to them.   Then one of my students would ask if you are negative you can’t be positive, and I would tell them that you are exactly right.  I always felt that negative energy brings negative results.  I like to associate myself around positive influences as much as I can and as often as I can, relay this message to my students.

MAC Week 3: Blog Post 1: Leading from Any Chair

Images by: Google

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?

As an instructor at my school where I teach mathematics, I try to instill in my students to be a leader not a follower.  Many of our adolescents love to fit in with their acquaintances that they really think are their friends.  Once they are capable of realizing that their associates are not really their “real friends”, then they can understand that they have no one to impress and they can be leaders and not followers.  

MAC Week 2: Blog Post 4 Free Reflection

Spencer Lunsford Week 2: Free Reflection



Being the father of new born quadruplets has been such an amazing blessing. Seeing how I can make it on just a few (2-5) hours of sleep for days at a time just blows my mind. I think that is the way I have been able to keep up with the course work here at Full Sail. For those of you out there who think that you are having a difficult time, please hear my encouragement when I say to you "It can be done!" No matter what that "it" is, it can be done. So long as you have your mind set on completing the goal. Just as the authors of The Art of Possibility explain, we just need to see all the universe of possibilities and not the world of measurement. Yes, there are 24 hours in every day, but it is what you can do with those 24 hours that should be your focus. 
Think of a jar, some sand, large rocks, medium rocks, small rocks and water. The large rocks stand for our highest priorities, so we put as many of those in the jar first. Then the medium rocks, representing the high priorities, the small rock for the priorities, the sand for the low priorities, and the water for everything else. If we concentrate on putting our life into this perspective, we are more able to see what we can do, and do not lose time wasting it on the things that do not matter.




My comments to Spencer's Post

Spencer you are so right.  I preach to my students that having a positive attitude you will have positive results.  You can't be positive if you are negative. We have to all hang in there and when you tackle something challenging it is al worth while.

MAC Week 2: Blog Post 3 Peer Reading

Holly Loganbill's Week 2 Reading Blog Post


“This A is not an expectation to live up to, but a possibility to live into.”

When I walk into school tomorrow, I have no idea how I will be able to look at my students the same way. Can I give them all an “A”? Can I think of myself as a contribution? In no way was I prepared for this book. Somehow it is easier to consider after all the willing failure, anxiety, stress, and achievement of the past year.

“Yet it is only when we make mistakes in performance that we can really begin to notice what needs attention. “

This program has been such a humbling experience. Accepting help from others, admitting what I don’t know, opening myself to activities I’ve intentionally avoided my entire life, being willing to appear foolish (going underwater in Second Life and feeling like I’m really going to drown), all has contributed to such incredible growth and accomplishment that I almost don’t recognize myself.

“You can’t play great music unless your heart’s been broken.” Gaspar Cassado

Growing up wasn’t easy, particularly in my family. I always used music, whether playing it , singing it, or listening to it, as a way to express or work through my emotions and disappointments and to feel some joy.

“Since the teacher’s job is to help her students chip away at the barriers that block their abilities and expression, she aligns herself with the students to whom she has given an A, and lets the standards maintain themselves.”

This certainly changes the way one perceives students. As I’ve heard so often in church, we’re all special children of God with unique abilities and strengths. This feels like the same philosophy; it’s about finding that specialness and giving students the opportunity to feel confident and valuable enough to be willing to fail and learn.

“The lesson I learned is that the player who looks least engaged may be the most committed member of the group. A cynic, after all, is a passionate person who does not want to be disappointed again.”

It may be a matter of watching for that disruptive behavior or detachment and to engage it for the benefit of the student and oneself as the teacher.

“…remember that you are an A student. An A student is a leading player in any class, an integral voice, and the class cannot make its music without that voice.”

The possibility of making students aware of that and helping them experience the sense of being necessary and contributing is exciting and challenging. Those are not skills that I’ve really consciously considered.

“Giving yourself an A is not about boasting or raising your self-esteem. It has nothing to do with reciting your accomplishments. The freely granted ‘A’ lifts you off the success/failure ladder and spirits you away from the world of measurement into the universe of possibility.”

Those possibilities are limitless and liberating. They open the door for any student to truly engage their own abilities and potential areas of growth.

“We keep looking so hard in life for the “specific message,” and yet we are blinded to the fact that the message is all around us, and within us all the time. We just have to stop demanding that it be on OUR terms or conditions, and instead open ourselves to the possibility that what we seek may be in front of us all the time.” John Imhof

As someone who has a decided “my way” manner, I’ve missed many golden opportunities by not just letting things unfold and trusting that everything is happening for the best. It’s so hard to let go of control from fear of failure or a lack of self esteem.

“How often do we stand convinced of the truth of our early memories, forgetting that they are but assessments made by a child?”

There is so much more that came up during the reading, but that statement stopped me in my tracks. I’ve really hung onto all of my perceptions of people and events from childhood and pointed to them as the reasons for many poor choices or damaged relationships.

This book is so unexpected and so very important. I just thought I had already done all the growing I was going to do this year. It’s so easy to forget that this isn’t the end but just the beginning.

Sources:

Zander, R. S. & Zander, B. (2000). The art of possibility: Transforming professional and personal life. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press.

Image from personal collection


My comments to Holly's Post

Holly you are so right when sometimes people think that they have learned it all and you never really do.  Once you accomplish your task it is just like now what?  I can continue to better myself.  I have always been an advocate that you can never stop learning and that was why I am in the Education Media Design and Technology Program and like you said the analogy applies here as well, once we graduate it is only the beginning.

MAC Week 2: Blog Post 2 Peer Reading

Week 2 Peer Reading:

Spencer Lunsford's Post

Hearing the TED talk and reading these first four chapters was quite eye opening. The hardest idea for me to hear was that of the "universe of possibility". Being a mathematics teacher makes measuring the world around me the natural thing to do. I am constantly concerned with understanding the world around me, so measuring things, people and resources is my daily habit. The challenging thing for me in this aspect is to realize that infinity can be more than a concept and can speak to the revolving nature that giving produces. I give to you and you give to me, and on and on and on. We are both taken care of and do not need to fight against each other for survival.

Another difficulty in changing my mindset to one of infinite possibilities is that my students are usually in survival mode. The thought I had while reading this chapter was that it must be easier for those who do not have to worry about their basic needs to move into such a thought process. But once again I fall into the world that has limitations.

My Comment to Spencer Lunsford:

Spencer I do agree with you.  I am a math teacher as well and I deal with limits and boundaries on a regular basis as well.  Adapting to this creativity is not only challenging, but with effort and practice, this can be accomplished.  Many of our math students that struggle in math are our most creative students.  Especially our math students that are fantastic artists, their thought process have no limits and they are our thinkers that think outside of the box unlike traditional thinkers.