wk 4 response to Melissa M

original post:

The idea of “enrollment” and the steps:
1. Imagine that people are an invitation for enrollment.
2. Stand ready to participate, ready to be moved and inspired.
3. Offer that which lights you up.
4. Have no doubt that others are eager to catch the spark.
Zander, B, & Zander, R.S. (2000).
Are really are just saying be an active participant in your ideas. When you decide to be a part of something whether it’s a job, school, or a relationship you have to be “enrolled” or in other words “be in it to win it!” You have to be ready to participate in what ever it takes to make it a success. You have to be ready to go to work and do your best. You have to do the homework or reading assignments to get the grade. You have to cook dinner, cut the grass, or whatever it is that will support your spouse. You have to give your light or translated your best. Be willing to share your gifts and talents, do a little extra to be supportive or take over in the area your spouse is lacking. Do something romantic or loving to make their spouse’s bad day better. You have to be faithful in your talent, goals, and commitments. When you decide to be a part of something, you go all out. You use what skills you have to work hard. You have to believe in yourself and ready to respond to any task or obstacle in front of you. Give your best efforts and talent to be successful. Finally, believe in yourself and the light you shine will engage others around you.

The framework of possibility is the vision to see what could be. You have to have a vision in your life of what is possible. I never envisioned going back to school again, but now the possibility of graduating is so close. Visualizing a better life because of this degree affects all aspects of my life. I expect the best of myself as I do my students. I put in the work to get the desired grades and outcome. Now that graduation is at hand, just visualizing teaching has changed. I now think about the possibility of even changing jobs to utilize this new degree. Even when you visualize something, in the middle of the process the vision can change due to circumstances that affect other things. It’s the spiral effect, as one thing can be depended upon another.

A year ago I couldn’t visualize the relationship I am in. Now I can’t imagine any other life without my other half. People are in relationships for different reasons. We all have expectations from our boyfriends or girlfriends. I never visualized the things I would do for my boyfriend along the way. Being supportive of his job and the travel he has to participate in. Planning and adjusting schedules because we are both in graduate school and need time to accomplish our tasks. When I first visualize the relationship, I thought about the dates, holding hands, kisses, and phone calls. I didn’t anticipate the 4:00AM drives down the highway, helping to complete paperwork, or the amount of love and support I was willing to give freely of myself. The vision is not always your reality but in order to have the opportunity you have to see yourself in it….visualize the possibility of sharing your life with someone, giving and receiving love.

my response:

 

Kelly Baker said...

Your post reminds me of a quote i heard before. I don't remember who said it but it goes something like this: "If you think you can or can't, you are right." visualizing the possibility eventually leads you to believe it and then to achieve it.

Wk 4 response to Michael C.

original post:

Student opinions and ideas can sometime get overlooked by the teacher. because as educators at times do not value the thoughts of some of our students. In the reading I find myself picturing my classroom and how I do things, I do have a high stool and desk in the front and the rear of my room and that can be seen as the conductors podium as referred in the reading. Many times it can be seen as uninviting to the students if there is not a free line of communication. At times I do find it hard to admit some mistake to the students and then I have to go back and let them know they were right, but that can bring a common ground between the student and teacher. The idea of the white sheet can be used in the classroom to see if the students can present to you a way of doing things that can benefit both but the teacher has to be open for those results to take place.

I can say that I see and experience the downward spiral talk very much as being a teacher. It can sometimes become discouraging because some teachers will not look at the positive aspects of their classrooms and schools. When upset and under appreciated teachers are together in one environment it creates the momentum of the downward spiral talk. As in the reading the more attention we bring to the negative thing not going the way we want the bigger the situation can become.

 

my response:

Kelly Baker said...

When ever a group consists of 2 or more teachers all the conversations end up being about school. You are so right with the direction of the talk. far too often the "shop talk" is about the negative. No one ever says "well how do we fix it?"

wk 4 reading

Everything in education starts with the teacher. Too often you hear people say “it’s the kids” or “kids today” . You cant change to kids or the parents or the administration. The only thing you have control over is you. Lighting the spark and being the board deal, in  my opinion, speak to how I as the educator have to find ways to engange the students with the material. When I am no longer able to find an external source to motivate them, then I have to look inside to see what I need to change in order to achieve the goals.

In order to achieve said goals in education you have to be able to persevere in the face of criticism. Once you have set the board you need to move the pieces as they are supposed to move and not take the shortcuts. That could only lead to needing to change the board again.

While the teacher is the start of it the students are the life of it. What ever we decide as educators we need to listen to the needs of the students and ask ourselves what will work best for all of us. The classroom is a group dynamic and while each student has their own individual needs and wants and the teacher has her own, the only way to achieve success is to look at the best possible things for the whole not the parts.

W4 Publishing/leadership project intro

Started by looking at how I taught. Noticed that I taught for the middle with not much differentiation for the upper and lower levels. Lower learning kids I provided more assistance and scaffolding and for identified special ed kids I followed their plans. For the higher kids I just had higher expectations of performance. So I started researching how to improve how I differentiated instruction, and I came across literature that said that students would be able to help provide the best feedback on how they learn in order to improve instruction. In essence giving students a voice in how the learning is achieved.

I used both hands on learning styles for both cycles because the class is a laboratory science. The first cycle was mainly passive learning with more lecture and notes as well as the hands on labs. The second cycle built on data form the first cycle and was more student centered research and critical thinking. In the first cycle I was surprised that the students liked video notes but it showed that they did not learn enough as almost all failed the assessment. The second cycle showed more retention of material. I think this is due to the students having more of a say in how they learned the material. I used simulations and labs and debates and student centered discussions. Students were given the choice on how they turned in assignments. I paired lower level students with higher-level students to add responsibility to the higher kids and add comfort to lower kids since some are afraid of asking for help. One main surprise for the second cycle was how many more students turned in assignments. And how many more were working on things at home.

I have listed 2 places to publish but I am now not sure of AACE. I would like to publish in Edutopia because it is a sharing place by other educators, and am not sure where else.

Link to actual paper: files.me.com/wiyonmuks/05ove5

publishing/leadership project 2/2

I have decided to get rid of AECT Publication. My AR is not entirely focused on technology, and this journal is more focused on the implementation of technology in education rather than what helps the learner best. I have also eliminated the other ones previously listed. Instead I will use AACE Journal at: http://www.aace.org/pubs/aacej/

After looking through their digital library I feel that this is a better place for publication the original three mentioned.

I would also use Edutopia, because it allows the free exchange of ideas amongst educators. http://www.edutopia.org/magazine

Week 3 Wimba

got  a lot of information. The information about the abstract was helpful, but Dr. Bedard's site also has a description of how a abstract should be. The most informative was where to sign up for the week 4 wimba and the process of it all. can't believe it is almost over:)

W3 response 2

original post of Manny

As I read chapters 5-8 of Art of Possibility, I opened my mind to its message and intention. There where many points in these four chapters that hit close to home and made me realize that I must be open and willing to receive the message. While I have heard or read many of these points before, some written differently, they are he same points.

Chapter 5, Leading from any Chair, is something I learned a long time ago while in the military. Having a Master Chief who would place many of the young sailors in situations or positions to lead or influence the unit or group. It made everyone be aware of the enormous charge bestowed on them, due to their rank, but allowed personnel to learn for when they achieved a leadership position.

Chapter 6, Rule Number 6, is about something I do regularly. I do not take myself seriously. I have learned over the years that sometimes one cannot control everything and that we should never sweat the small stuff. There has been many a times that I have looked back at a situation or event in which I was frustrated or mad, only to realize it really was nothing to worry about.

In Chapter 7, The Way Things Are, I like the authors message on clearing judgment. Sometimes we do not see the the purpose of a situation or event in our lives which can lead to something wonderful or beautiful. Society is so mechanized in planning and organizing that when change occurs or chaos ruins our plans, we tend to focus on the immediate effect and how it “ruined” our plans. Everything has a purpose, we just need to be opened to that possibility.

Chapter 8 I believe has the strongest message. The two steps of of giving way to passion are easy to understand but hard to implement. Notice where you are holding back and let go is the first step while participate wholly is the second. It is hard for oneself to look at what we are holding back without guidance. This is where a good parent, a teacher or colleague can help. They can help us define and aid in our development if they do it without judgment. Once this is accomplished, it is so easy to participate.

Kelly Baker said...

On your comment on The Way Things Are: I feel it is like spring cleaning. You start by taking everything out of its place clean it off move it around and if you stop in the middle you end up with a bigger mess than when you started. You have to see changes through to the end in order to see the better side of it.

W3 response 1

original from Jacsyn:

Being a coach of 40 girls and two guys for cheerleading, I understand the importance of the Rule Number 6 and the white paper. The conductor of an orchestra is similar to my role as coach. Even though I’m not a conductor or have anything to do with orchestra, I understand the importance the author is conveying of being genuinely interested in the players, in my case, cheerleaders. If I don’t take interest in these girls and their lives, they are more likely not to take my advice when given in practice. The way I run practices is pretty set in structure depending on what type of event were planning for. I also use Facebook like the conductor would use his white paper. In Facebook, we have a private cheerleading page where we can discuss things that wouldn’t need to take up our practice time. For example, the past two weeks, we have been preparing a routine for regional competition that was on Saturday (yesterday). Every night during the week, we have practices for 3 hours each night. Each night we accomplish something different, if it be learning the dance section of the routine, practicing the stunt sequence were using during a certain set of 8-counts during the music and also practicing our 3-minute routine through and through to get timing and spacing all perfect for the big performance at regional’s. Things get pretty intense with stunts and tumbling not going the way that the girls want them to but practice does make perfect. Sometimes if we don’t add in that Rule No. 6, we don’t perform as well. With 20 girls on Varsity, there are tons of attitudes and some negativity that humor is the only way to kick it. Most of the time it’s the things I catch on video that the girls are doing that they don’t know I’m recording. Like one of the musicians performing after a long tiring day of testing and lessons, they were exhausted. Unfortunately, the same goes for the girls while training for tumbling and stunting. The only unfortunate difference is this training while completely exhausted, under pressure and stressed only leads to injury. I have to make sure that my girls do not get to that breaking point. Rule No. 6 and positive reinforcement are my two best friends! 

From Me: Totally agree with Rule Number 6 being the best one to live by when dealing with kids. If you are too serious then they don't take you serious or begin to rebel. The more strict i get in the classroom the more disruptions occur.

Week 3 reading

Reading these chapters touches on the very core of real teaching.

 Step 1: you are in a position to build up or put down and have influence over young/old minds. It is up to you how you want to go. I have found that if you play to the strength of students, then they will be more willing to follow. One former student was always disrupting all of his classes. I watched how the other teachers handled him by forcing him to submit of get out. This never worked. He always chose to get out. One day he was being so disruptive that I gave him a stern “teacher look” and told him to meet me in the hall. There he started to rant about how unfair I was being and he wasn’t the only one. I looked at him and said calmly to him “You are acting like and ASS.” That got him to stop ranting. Next I talked with him about how the other kids react to what he does in class. He realized that they were following him. So I then gave him the option of coming back in and acting the good leader or going to the office. He chose to stay. Addressing him on his level made me less threatening and more human to him and made him realize how much he mattered to the class. I gained his respect and to this day am one of the few teachers he behaves for.

Step 2: don’t take yourself so seriously! Too often new teachers take everything to heart and end up crying at some point with in the first month. If you take everything the students do and your job and the administration so seriously then you will be the most stressed person. Kids are afraid and insecure, you were trained to do you job well, and administration is being serious enough for everyone. Relax!

Step 3: entertain to educate. My mom is now a 30yr veteran teacher and just retired. The best advice she gave me was that teaching is 80% show biz. To grab them you have to entertain and inspire. If you are passionate about something it will transfer to the students, and in turn if they are passionate about something try and find a way to incorporate it into your class.

Comment 2 to Alicia

From Alicia:

"Hey Y’all,

This is my opinion while Nathan Boehme does a great job at explaining what a copyright is a legal term that refers to the author of an original piece of work being the sole owner of that work, which gives that person the right to re-publish or alter that work however they like.  While I do agree that copyright helps to protect the rights of the creator, I do find that there are times that this infringes on Freedom of speech.  It is a very thin line.

The use of todays technology makes it difficult to identify who was the original author of work with minor changes one can make it their own.  I find it interesting that copyright is not looked at like flattery, if the correct attribute is provided"


The profit of copyright is the killer. I am completely convinced that Xtranormal.com started charging when Geico used it in an add. If there was no profit gained by geico then it may well still be free.

Comment 1 to Leon

From Leon:

"It is not yet clear what the Remix generation will give us, but these young people are definitely worth nurturing.  It is a good idea to teach and explain about the copyright issues covered in this series.  But at the same time, embrace this culture and see what they will bring to us in the future.  We might be presently surprised.  Peter Jaszi, Law Professor, American University stated that cultural progress depends on artists ability to use preexisting materials, copyrighted as well as other materials.  I think that the creative commons practice might give these young people a chance to find their voice without becoming pirates or criminals."

 

I completely agree with you. the Remix Generation needs to continue what they are doing in order to become more skilled. only then will they be able to be original. Painters studied the works of the greats making copy after copy in order to get the right stroke. The same will be true for the remixers

Week 1 initial post

I would like to start out by saying I have seen all the Disney movies from the second video in part 2.☺. And from that video, I was impressed in how little of each movie was used to get the point across. I have to say I actually understood copyright better from watching that video and the Eyes on the Fair Use Prize one. I did not realize that the permission expires. I figured once you had permission to use it for a purpose, you did not need it again for that specific purpose. It also did not surprise me that Disney Co. is one of the biggest opponents to fair use.

Wk-2 Reading- The Art of Possibility 1-4

the original idea... its out there i just have a hard i=time finding it. well according to chapert 1 of The Art of Possibility by the Zanders' tells me to not think like that any more.  the human brain is designed to solves problems so use it that way. you must first decide where there is a need. Then you must decide what the need is. finally you must come up whit a way to provide for that need. This would then give you the original idea to help the problem. It doesn't matter if you have original thought behind the process. So long ads you have a need that needs to be filled. Everything may have already been invented but the applications are endless and the way people invent to use the ideas is always original.

Publishing/Leadership Project Post 1 of 2

I am thinking of publishing my article in a journal. I have done some research and have narrowed it down to 3 sites:

Journal of Interactive Learning Research

Learning & Leading with Technology

TechTrends – Linking Research and Practice to Improve Learning -

                Journal of Science Education and Technology ( this is a journal in this site )

I will keep researching others as well as dig deeper into these top 3 to come up with my specific one.

new month

As a sort of break in the line i am posting this to show my followers and myself where the new month begins and the old one ends :)