I have decided to publish about my Challenge Based Research project to the Journal of Computing in Higher Education. This publication really spoke to me in the questions that it asks when describing the types of things it explores. I was also drawn to the fact that it is geared towards higher education because the learners I work with are college level students. And, finally, this statement, I feel, is speaking directly to me: "Priority is given to the publication of rigorous, original manuscripts concerning research and integration of instructional technology in higher education."
You picked up on something that also jumped out to me while reading these last chapters of the book. The idea of carrying around the spark and always having it at the ready, really speaks to me. I know I don't always think that way, but it's important to keep that in mind, and be prepared to create or inspire at any given moment.
Original Post: The possibilities abound...to carry a burning cinder in a metal box with you to assure you have a spark whenever you need one...oh the possibilities! And to think we have this spark with us at all times now and most of the times we don't even realize it. Such a waste. As an educator, this book has truly resonated with me. I feel and hope that this is how I look at my students (and at the world), that I am there offering an "invitation for enrollment, ready to participate, willing to be moved and inspired, offer that which lights [me] up, and...eager to catch the spark." And direct our lives in a positive direction that is best for WE. Positivitity leads to the possibilities.
That's great to hear that you are putting some of the messages from the book into practice in your everyday life. I always find it funny when people say they don't mean to be or act someway, but then do exactly that. Hopefully your positive attitude and different way of looking at things, and subsequent results that is having on your students will rub off on her. For the people who just like to complain about things rather than do something about their situation, the best option can often be simply showing them other options through your own actions.
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Over the past few weeks, I have noticed myself taking others' negative situations and turning them into positive outcomes. Who knew a book could inspire me to do that? I have this one teacher in particular that I work with that starts off every sentence with, "I don't mean to be negative, but...". Even though she doesn't mean to be negative, she is. I have started creating frameworks of possibility, as suggested in The Art of Possibility. I simply take all of her negative comments, and turn them in a complete opposite direction, and focus them into a more positive situation. It's all about how one perceives things. Positive perceptions often equals positive outcomes. I wish that everybody was able to grasp this concept, instead of wasting energy on complaining about things that can't be changed. A teachers attitude can definitely play a role in the attitudes of their students. Let's just say my students are little more open minded and positive thinkers in and out of the classroom.
Upon further review, I believe I have come to the conclusion to publish my paper. The other decision I have come to is that I will be publishing it to the Journal of Computing in Higher Education. This was not an easy decision, but I think this covers what I'm looking to do and discuss. The fact that the journal is geared towards higher education is to my benefit as that is who my learners were, and who I was focusing my research on. Another aspect that has my interest is that the publisher also offers an option called "Springer Open Choice" which provides all the benefits of a regular article, but makes it available publicly online, instead of restricting it to the subscribers of the journal. So now to the next step...writing the paper.
I think you touch on a great topic of everyone needing to believe in themselves. Such a thing can be difficult to do, especially if things don't seem to be going your way at the moment. You also picked up on my favorite part of the reading, Rule Number 6. Not taking things too seriously, and always making sure to laugh is pretty much a way of life for me. I definitely make sure to take things seriously when appropriate, but I don't understand why it's so difficult for people to lighten up some times.
P.S. I can't believe the school you teach at split the classrooms by genders, that just seems like they're asking for trouble.
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Leading from Any Chair: I was really struck by this, because I feel as teachers we are supposed to do this every day. There's that old saying, to not be the sage on the stage, but the guide on the side? That's exactly what I thought of when I read this chapter. It's giving students more "power" in the classroom to learn. Once we do that, students will be more confident and might take more risks! I have a few tattoos that my students love to ask about, and one of them says "Believe" on my arm, so they always ask me what that means. I always tell them that everyone needs to believe in something, and even if you don't believe in anything, you need to especially believe in yourself. I think leading from any chair means that students need to believe in themselves to take charge in the classroom and in their lives!
I also love Rule Number 6! Speaking of my tattoos, I have another one on my ankle that says Live Laugh Love, and it's another one that my students ask about. This one is kind of self explanatory, and we see it all the time as it's a common expression, but do we really take that advice? Each day, do you make an effort to live, laugh AND love? Live and Love are the easier ones- everyone is already living (although I challenge you to take it to the next level and LIVE every day), and everyone loves something (their self, a family member, something else, hopefully!), but do we take a moment to LAUGH every day? Just remembering to never take life seriously (because we won't get out alive!) has saved me MANY a day when teaching in my school seemed impossible. Even this year, my classes are a little crazy (they gender-ized the freshman class, and I teach the majority of the GIRLS, so there's a-WHOLE-lot of attitude in my classroom on a daily basis), so just remembering Rule Number 6 makes me feel much better each day!
I'm glad to hear you're trying not to take yourself so seriously, I think that's something all of us need to make sure we work on. You also point out that we all need to work accepting things the way they are, and I couldn't agree more; we just have to make sure we don't settle, and continue to work towards our goals while accepting the situation we're in. I also really liked your summary of chapter 8, your sentence is quite succinct and clear.
Original Post:
This week’s reading continues with chapters 5-8 of “The Art of Possibility” by Zander, R. and Zander, B. Chapter five is entitled “Leading from Any Chair”, it pretty much gave me the idea that position of any level do not matter and that anyone can be a leader that can inspire. Chapter six is entitled “Rule Number 6”, gave me the reminder of how I should not take myself too serious. I’ve been working on this side of myself for quite some time before actually reading this book. Next is chapter seven, it is entitled “ The Way Things Are”. Chapter seven also gave me a reminder of something I often forget. Well not just myself, but many of us must be reminded that we simply need to learn to accpect things as they are. Its hard but the chapter can help you relax more. Lastly, chapter eight, it gave me the idea of how we can be contributors without feeling the sting of judgement or feeling like were doing it because we did something wrong.
As I think about whether I want to present my CBR project, or publish it, I can't help but be drawn to the allure and excitement of presenting it. I'm not one to shy away from speaking in front of crowds, in fact I find it kind of fun. And as a creative and a designer, I interested by the idea of coming up with a creative and unique way to present my information. Ideas already flow through my head of ways to create an informative yet appealing presentation (infographic anyone?) However, my preliminary search has not yielded great results. I'm not particularly eager to travel far for this presentation, and would like to find something in Florida. I'm also limited because my work and research was geared towards and used college level students, not K-12, and is very technology oriented. My early research has pointed me to two main options, the Florida Educational Technology Conference and the Florida Council of Instructional Technology Leaders, both at the Orange County Convention Center. FETC is very large and well-known, and some of the information I have found about it states that it is for all levels of education, including college. On their website, however, it clearly states it is K-12, so I don't know if it's going to work out. There is less information about FCITL and it's scheduled meeting, so I'm not even sure as of yet if it even qualifies. Suffice to say, I need to do more looking into my presentation options.
As far publishing, that does interest me as well, because that has more of a feeling of being permanent, and being able to get out to a wider and more varied audience. The trick is finding the right journal that both makes sense for the topic of my project, but also still remains open enough so that as many people as possible could come across it. Early research has yielded three primary options: the Journal of Educational Technology & Society, theJournal of Computing in Higher Education, and the Journal of Technology and Teacher Education. The common thing between these that most has my attention is that they are all technology geared. This obviously plays into the subject of my research, so my next step will be to see which plays into my topic the best. JETS may actually be a little too technology heavy, while JCHE and JTATE both open up more in the educational area. I will most certainly be looking further into these options (and possibly others.)
So do I present or publish? That is still undetermined, but as of now publish is looking like the more viable option.
Catherine,
I would have to agree with you that the book is not your typical personal development book. It's definitely not something I would normally find myself reading, but I'm making sure to keep an open mind throughout, and take away what I can from it.
Something that really got my attention was the idea that you bring up of reality being based on our perception of it, and how we jump to conclusions about things. That's something I want to try be more aware of moving forward, both in the classroom and in general.
P.S. Bonus points for finding a way to reference Kenny Loggins.
If you plan on reading, “The Art of Possibility,” by Ros and Ben Zander be prepared for a life-altering paradigm shift. At least I’m hoping I can apply this new point of view to affect a positive change in my life! The authors believe that every single person has the ability or mission to tap into their creativity and expose or project the profound gift of their greatness unto the world. Based on a combination of sound theory and and experiential mentoring this book seems to be much more than a typical personal development book.
Chapter 1 is about how we experience our world through our senses. They go into detail explaining how our brain interprets the barrage of sensory input. Like an efficient machine our brain synthesizes all this information, jumps to conclusions and reapplies the stimulus into thoughts and actions. The tricky part is that in order to save energy, our brain has the tendency to skip steps and jump to conclusions. It’s not necessarily a bad thing because the conclusions are based on past perceptions of reality; we just need to be aware of what’s happening so we can stop and re-think through a situation instead of just reacting all the time. Because of this natural tendency, we begin to “view” our situations from “inside the box” that we really create ourselves. Therefore we need to take a moment to pause, notice the assumptions we’re making, and make a conscious effort to view the situation through an unfiltered lens. It’s where the saying, “to think outside the box” comes from. As we can do this, our creative brain will show us new opportunities and options for response.
Once we realize that we invent our own realities, in Chapter 2 we’re prompted to address the practice of constantly measuring our existence to some level of achievement. In doing this we are forcing ourselves into a state of striving which prevents us from resting in peace where our creativity flows. The authors advise us to keep asking ourselves how we are “playing into” or reflecting the “measurement world.” They suggest we eliminate that thinking until we come to peace with where we stand.
I got so fired up reading Chapter 3! They are completely validating the Path to Potential (P2P) program that I’ve been working on with a friend for the past ten years! The authors stress the importance of seeing each student (person) we encounter as an “unlimited package of potential.” This thought runs contrary to our antiquated system of grading; measuring and comparing ourselves with each other. The authors ask us to re-think about our system of measuring and grading our children. I play this idea out in my Art classroom from the first day of school when I ask the students what letter ArtEd begins with and they answer. “A.” Then I tell them everyone in this room begins with an “A” in my class; then along the way I’m going to show them how they’re all growing into “A”rtists! Throughout our time together I’m constantly looking for ways they’re thinking creatively and performing like an Artist then calling them on it while still holding them to a very high standard. Just like it says in the book I become their partner in discovering the necessary skills and self-expression those students require in order to reach their potential. Setting the right environment with my positive attitude and high expectations for them empowers them with the responsibility to also see and find ways to reach their potential!
Once we begin to look at the world through a different lens, we need to actively declare ourselves a contributor. Chapter 4 prompts us to take action to manifest our potential. It’s not as important to know how that will come about as it is to have a conviction of the heart to be open to the possibility.
=D As I’m reading this back to myself I can “hear” Kenny Logins singing “Conviction of the Heart.” Truth is, for as much as I’ve been using these ideas in dealing with others, I really need to remember to apply all this to myself. I’m grateful to have been introduced to this book and am looking forward to further reading and applying these ideas presented in this book.
Fari,
You are so right in pointing out how some teachers get comfortable in their routine and/or are afraid to try new things. I would say that is human nature in general, but educators especially seem guilty of being reluctant to grow and expand their repertoire. I think a lot of it has to due with (especially nowadays) that they are constantly being watched and scrutinized, and a student's failure is automatically their fault. So if something's working, why rock the boat and put things at risk to try something new, even if in the long run it improves things. I would love to hear your experiences with the system of giving all the students an A from the get go. I kept thinking about how this would work in a more traditional school setting, because the example that was given in the book was a music class at a private music school, which means they were probably already capable students with a desire to be in that class. So I'm interested in seeing how that works with students who aren't necessarily excited to be there, and don't already have prior knowledge of the subject. If you do see this through, please keep me informed of how it goes.
Original Post:
Reading the first four chapters of "The Art of Possibility" made me reflect a lot and relate to my personal and professional experience. These are some of my thoughts: 1. It's all invented: This chapter talks about people's perceptions of things and frames or structures most of us use to face situations in life. The authors advice is essentially: "to think outside the box" or "to reinvent the wheel". As teachers sometimes is hard to accept there are other ways to do things. I've seen some colleagues relunctant to make changes in their teaching style just because they feel the way the have been delivering their content is the only one possible. In other words they are afraid of new changes, and they get just comfortable with their old repertoire...
2. Stepping into a universe of possibility: We live in a world ruled my measures. In order to get to know others or understand things and situations better we are led to comparing or contrasting everything. We believe that all in this world is arranged in hierachies, and unfortunately the roles of success or failure also fall into this categories. Fortunately, we are the one in control, the ones that can set up our minds for high achievements. There is a better world, one that stretches beyond the world of measurement: the world of possibilities where we can create a new life, one where we are open to changes and willing to take risks in order to reach our own joy and excitement. A world that provides an array of possibilities that will provide the tools to find the joyous life you deserve and not one where you simply learn to survive.
3. Giving an A: This was my favorite chapter. Grading has always been an issue for me. I hate having to use a number or letter to measure my students' performance, especially becasue I teach another language, and it is so easy to discourage students interested in other cultures by having to give them a grade. If I want to leave the world of measurement, and join the world of possibilities, I need to find other ways or "possibilities" to assess my students' performance througout the school year. The authors suggestions regarding this matter and giving an A sounded very interesting. Now I need to fit them into my content...
4. Being a contribution: Thinking that we are a contribution to this world is a very smart way to help our students with their self-esteem. I have taught kids that seem to be so discouraged or neglected at home that their progress in school is greatly affected. Each individual in this world was provided with a treasure to enlighten their own life as well as someone's else's. We need to trust in our gifts, we need to learn to know when to take out that treasure and share it when it's needed...
The following is a series of questions I came up with for the above video. These questions could be provided to students to answer while watching the video to encourage them to stay more engaged in the content.
Q: What is the guest's name?
A: Ron Smith
Q: Where does he work and what is his position?
A: Lead teacher at New Media Academy in Hollywood High School in Hollywood, CA.
Q: What is the goal of the academy he works at?
A: To get students media related jobs in the entertainment industry.
Q: Currently, what type of media are students gravitating to?
A: Animation (Flash)
Q: Name three different methods Mr. Smith uses to reach his students.
A: Video, audio, websites, dance, podcast, text messaging, Flash, graphic design.
Q: Is Powerpoint a good option for creating a good presentation?
A: No.
Q: What is a primary hurdle when teaching digital media?
A: Lessons and assets require time be created, require a lot of pre-production work
Q: Name three of the hot technologies students are interested in that teachers aren't using yet.
A: Scratch, Sketchup, Blender.
Q: What other Google applications does Sketchup work with?
A: Google Maps and Earth.
Q: What are the future challenges in education that are just beginning to take place?
A: Creating online teaching experiences for non traditional courses.
Allen,
You have some great insight to offer on the subject of stock media. You're right, if there's a type of media, there's stock available out there. We have discussion with our students about whether it's better to create their content themselves, or if it's ok to use stock media. Some see the reality of the situation, but often we get students who hate stock media and vow to never use it. We tell them that's nice and all, but in the real world sometimes there are just certain limitations (time, budget, talent, etc.) that get in the way, and it's the only way you can get the project done.
One site I use a lot and point my students to is sxc.hu. It's a solid free stock images site (even if it was bought out by Getty Images) that has a lot of photos to choose from. It makes it easy for the artist to attach rights to the work, and it's also easy for the viewer to find those rights. Creative Commons is just all around awesome.
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With all this talk about copyrights and creativity where do we find media? There are a number of places to find good media. First you have to decide what you need it for. Then have some idea of you want. If you have a budget you can try stock agencies. If not then you can check for free use or open source media. Let me give you a couple examples of what you can find.
pond5.com
Stock agencies are simple to use sites that offer some limited free media. Remember they are there to support artists so most media will require payment. You need to purchase the correct license when buying from a stock site. Don’t think these site are only for pictures because most sell different types of media. This can be images, illustrations, flash, video clips, music, sound effects and recently After Effects project files. The use of this media can be anything from a low end web license to a full print publication license. You need only credit the stock agency for supplying the content in most cases. The fee is one time thus these agencis are royalty free.
Free, shared or limited release media is all over the web. Use caution and download any license information if it is available. My personal preference is to use creative commons. I’ve used it for several video projects adding music and sound effects. These files are normally very high quality and the license information is displayed by easy to follow graphics. Again understand how you can use these. In most cases (if not all) you will need to include credits for the artist. Licenses will allow personal use only, reuse non-commercial, reuse commercial, remix and combination of uses. YouTube has even started using creative commons licenses. If you are on a low budget or just want to have some fun this is a great way/place to find media!
Resources you may want to check out… Creative Commons ShutterStock DreamsTime Pond5 <—Video, Audio, Sound Effects and After Effects!!!
Thanks for reading!!
Lania,
I too was interested in the prospect of covering copyright law. In college I took a three month class dedicated to the topic that was taught by a lawyer. Unfortunately, he wasn't the best at teaching the subject (I think he forgot we were computer animation students, and not law students) so I remember little to nothing of that class. Not that it much matters, as it seems copyright is constantly changing anyway. On the subject of remixing, I always wonder, if someone changes something so much that it doesn't even really sound like the original, does that not take as much work and creativity as making something form scratch? And is it really having any kind of negative effect on the original?
P.S. I got jimmies.
