Week 4 – The Art of Possibility
•June 27, 2010 • 2 Comments
This week’s reading was the last three chapters of The Art of Possibility.
Chapter 10 – Being the Board
I gotta say, when Ben started out by saying that the driver of the stopped car must assume some of the blame in the collision he outlined at the beginning of the chapter, he nearly lost me. But I soon came around to the idea that blame does not really do anything for anyone. Once you have established who is responsible for the bad thing that they are responsible for and they have received their lumps then all must move on. That can be a hard pill to swallow. Allow me to jump to a personal story that is a little off the path of the book. When I was about 8 years old I watched a talk show about people who had tragically, although accidentally, affected someones life. The person who had done the wrong would come on and explain the situation and how that situation had affected the other person, then the host would welcome the other person. First, this show is the reason I never got into a fight. I could accidentally impact someones life in a horrible way and I couldn’t bear the thought of that. Second, I was struck with how gracious the other side had been. One story sticks with me still. This woman and her sister were 10 and 8 and arguing over a Popsicle and the 8 year old pushed the 10 year old and she fell down a couple of stairs breaking her leg. Because of this break the 10 year old’s right leg never grew after that day causing some pretty crazy circumstances. Immediately obvious was the way she walked and because of that she had some difficulty getting a job and talked about difficulty dating but she held no ill will towards her sister. She had come to grips with her circumstances and had grown to see things from the perspective of being the board. I need to do far more reframing in this way, especially when my teaching isn’t seeming to go my way.
Chapter 11 – Creating Frameworks for Possibility
This is, in my opinion, the hardest practice to put into place. You must be fully aware to put this into place. What often gets me in trouble are my emotions. I can get so emotional when things aren’t going as they should and because of this I tighten up and only see what is wrong. To put this practice into practice one must always be in control, be able to step out of the situation to find those frameworks for possiblity.
Chapter 12 – Telling the We story
This is the practice I should most use in my classroom. When my students come into my classroom they may hear me talk about my plans for them. They may even have some plans of their own. But I need to do more fostering of the ‘We’ story. This opens up the opportunity for true creation, which is what theatre is all about.
Posted in MAC, The Art of Possiblity, Week 4
My response is that first of all, Brandon, I have cousins in the business in Austin, and ex-law cousins who run Banner Sign Media in Austin, and do a lot of work for Movie productions in Austin. But I don't know your last name, so I can't tell them to look you up. Please get your last name on your blog, in your link, or somewhere for those of us who aren't in the thesis track, because you never know who might be able to help. I may see one of my cousins this week and will tell her to look for you at Wallace Jr High, which I'm sure she will know, since she works for Pearson publishing, and used to teach Math in Austin ISD.
Now to the response to your post about the art of possibility. We who are passionate and artistic, tend to be emotional. This is not a bad thing, but my nephew has some words of wisdom for us when we feel the emotions rise. "Lower and slower" which means, speak softly, which automatically calms my own emotions when I do it, and speak more slowly, which has a similar effect. Give it a try, because I agree with you that emotions can get in the way of good sense and especially of good teaching. The less I can say, the more my artists can be free to create. Their responses to my stepping back and trusting their abilities and their "sparks" has led to some delightful new depth in relationships which have made continuing to mentor them after they leave my school, and now I do also, a possibility.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Wk 4 Response
Google docs is down tonight for the MAC blog addresses, to see others, so I did one in response to a critical friend from last month and will try to get another one to do for tomorrow.
Wk 4 Publishing Leadership Porject 3 of 3
After much consideration, I have narrowed my Publishing Leadership Project submission choices to the eTech Ohio conference which begins accepting entries August 1st, so I will have to wait for that, but will also submit to the National Art Education Association Studies in Art Education.
Wk 4_Response to Donita Massing
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
FSO_MAC_W4_AR publishing 2 of 3
In 2006, I worked with a group of educators at Ohio State University to author a learning unit on Challenge Based Learning for the Ohio Department of Education's CTE website.
I was asked to branch off on my own and I came up with a learning module for the arts and communications career cluster with the guidance of OSU faculty leaders. Learning to apply my thinking to challenge based learning was the most difficult part.
As a result of this venture, my unit, Design & Attract, was published on the CTE website for other educators.
A staff member from the Buck Institute for Education saw my CBL project and wrote to OSU and myself to ask for permission to publish it in their book "PBL Starter Kit."
John Larmer was the staff member that I worked with on the publishing of my project. He sent me a copy of the book after its printing.
After watching a classmate's presentation on his action research on challenge based learning, I remembered my contact at BIE.
I will contact Mr. Larmer with my article and see if he is interested in publishing how I used Ning in my career-tech program.
Posted by Dee M at 5:56 PM
1 comments:
Lynne Koles said...
Donita, you are my hero. You have the drive and the contacts to be a superstar teacher and I am so excited to be getting mentored by someone so wise in the things I am new, but willing to learn. Keep working with these wonderful ideas and the contacts will continue to benefit your students in ways that those wonderful ripples may never stop. By the way, I just got a week of instruction for my new PBL New Tech High from a former BIE staffer, now with NEw TEch network.org who was fantastic. Blessings my Friend. Keep in touch and email me the ning site again, Loosing stuff is legend these days. Congrats on being done, too!
June 27, 2010 7:05 PM
FSO_MAC_W4_AR publishing 2 of 3
In 2006, I worked with a group of educators at Ohio State University to author a learning unit on Challenge Based Learning for the Ohio Department of Education's CTE website.
I was asked to branch off on my own and I came up with a learning module for the arts and communications career cluster with the guidance of OSU faculty leaders. Learning to apply my thinking to challenge based learning was the most difficult part.
As a result of this venture, my unit, Design & Attract, was published on the CTE website for other educators.
A staff member from the Buck Institute for Education saw my CBL project and wrote to OSU and myself to ask for permission to publish it in their book "PBL Starter Kit."
John Larmer was the staff member that I worked with on the publishing of my project. He sent me a copy of the book after its printing.
After watching a classmate's presentation on his action research on challenge based learning, I remembered my contact at BIE.
I will contact Mr. Larmer with my article and see if he is interested in publishing how I used Ning in my career-tech program.
Posted by Dee M at 5:56 PM
1 comments:
Lynne Koles said...
Donita, you are my hero. You have the drive and the contacts to be a superstar teacher and I am so excited to be getting mentored by someone so wise in the things I am new, but willing to learn. Keep working with these wonderful ideas and the contacts will continue to benefit your students in ways that those wonderful ripples may never stop. By the way, I just got a week of instruction for my new PBL New Tech High from a former BIE staffer, now with NEw TEch network.org who was fantastic. Blessings my Friend. Keep in touch and email me the ning site again, Loosing stuff is legend these days. Congrats on being done, too!
June 27, 2010 7:05 PM
Koles_Lynne_Week 4 Reading_TheTimingofReadingThisBook
Zander discusses the need for possibility thinking throughout this book, and these concluding chapters have pounded home a very significant change in thinking to make this happen. Imagining the world as a collective of equals in order to consider all of us as the WE, gives new meaning to possibilities. From the training I received in sales, "make them want what you have," is the antithesis of being about what is best for the collective "We." Yet in education, autonomous authoritarian models of teaching have given way to empowering, guiding, facilitators. This paradigm shift fits perfectly with Zander's point that we must consider the others within our realm as equal and even greater than ourselves. this book should be required reading for all who strive to teach our next generation, because it is what dries them to excellence, to be valued and encouraged to participate in directing and creating their learning.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
wk 3_Response_to_Aimee_Holcombe
Topic #1: Briefly share any experiences you’ve had when you’ve had a part in introducing a new program or a new way to do things at your job site. Please share any triumphs or frustrations you’ve had trying to improve the system or when you’ve pioneered or piloted some outside the norm.
There are several new programs that I have wanted to implement, such as Quest Atlantis and student film production, but have not yet been given the opportunity in my school system. However, I am hopeful for the future and will not give up on the tools I know are useful. I have been a bit of an outsider though in my use of ‘new’ technologies on my job site.
With working in a school system where technology is not the priority yet, I have had a few instances worth discussing here. The first would be that my website is used for everything I do in the classroom for as much as I can do with it. Most teachers where I am only use their site for posting their syllabus and random homework, or they don’t utilize it at all. Another thing that I do is email parents... a lot. I send out classroom newsletters, as well as email individuals the moment a kid is out of hand (usually I have the kid read it first and be the one to press send). My colleges have not appreciated both of these all that much. Sometimes they are seen as over-communication and team members are upset that parents are asking why they do not keep up their website or email them as much (or at all); while other times my methods return negatively (mostly in behavior situations) because parents don’t understand the tone or the care I have for their child as a person instead of just a student. I have learned that you always should be personable, which doesn’t always come through well in text.
Another large technology element that I have tried and tried to implement is Twitter in the classroom. Last year, with it set as my original ARP/ Thesis topic, I created a page and started from day 1 of the school year trying to get parent and students to “follow” me. After explaining it at open house, sending home a letter and an email, discussing it in class, and showing the students what Twitter was- I only got 1 student and 1 parent our of over 100 to join me! It was very disappointing to know that 1) every student in there had a cell phone that they were texting in class already with, 2) that the Twitter tool was so powerful to classroom instruction, and 3) that parents were unable to relate what they were using their phones for to what students could use theirs for. They could not see beyond their child’s “toy” being a tool for educational use. I guess it is a venture for another year in the future, but for this year I had to pack up my ideas for instantaneous assessment and brief communication reminders and move on tweetless.
(See my AR Blog’s initial entries from the fall of 2009 for more information on this topic.)
Wk 3 Discussion Board: My New Program Experience
Friday, June 18, 2010
1 Comment Manage Comments for this Entry
Monday, June 21, 2010 - 01:58 AM
Lynne Koles
Aimee, I really admire your determination to communicate with parents and especially like the concept of having the student read the tweet sent to the parent, then sending it him or her self. I think we have to keep trying to communicate with parents, w=even when met with little or no positive feedback, both because you never know when the parent will wake up to the importance of teachers' concern for their child's future, and because it is the thing that will ultimately make a difference to the student. How many teachers in your school care enough to even try to engage parents in dialogue about their children? In so many cases, parents have thanked me for calling about their children the moment a "good" child gives me the first problem. I also make sure to send positive information home about the specific children when I can. It is a part of our job that is sorely lacking on the part of teachers who have become complacent. Keep it up! You make a difference, one child at a time, and one parent at a time.
There are several new programs that I have wanted to implement, such as Quest Atlantis and student film production, but have not yet been given the opportunity in my school system. However, I am hopeful for the future and will not give up on the tools I know are useful. I have been a bit of an outsider though in my use of ‘new’ technologies on my job site.
With working in a school system where technology is not the priority yet, I have had a few instances worth discussing here. The first would be that my website is used for everything I do in the classroom for as much as I can do with it. Most teachers where I am only use their site for posting their syllabus and random homework, or they don’t utilize it at all. Another thing that I do is email parents... a lot. I send out classroom newsletters, as well as email individuals the moment a kid is out of hand (usually I have the kid read it first and be the one to press send). My colleges have not appreciated both of these all that much. Sometimes they are seen as over-communication and team members are upset that parents are asking why they do not keep up their website or email them as much (or at all); while other times my methods return negatively (mostly in behavior situations) because parents don’t understand the tone or the care I have for their child as a person instead of just a student. I have learned that you always should be personable, which doesn’t always come through well in text.
Another large technology element that I have tried and tried to implement is Twitter in the classroom. Last year, with it set as my original ARP/ Thesis topic, I created a page and started from day 1 of the school year trying to get parent and students to “follow” me. After explaining it at open house, sending home a letter and an email, discussing it in class, and showing the students what Twitter was- I only got 1 student and 1 parent our of over 100 to join me! It was very disappointing to know that 1) every student in there had a cell phone that they were texting in class already with, 2) that the Twitter tool was so powerful to classroom instruction, and 3) that parents were unable to relate what they were using their phones for to what students could use theirs for. They could not see beyond their child’s “toy” being a tool for educational use. I guess it is a venture for another year in the future, but for this year I had to pack up my ideas for instantaneous assessment and brief communication reminders and move on tweetless.
(See my AR Blog’s initial entries from the fall of 2009 for more information on this topic.)
Wk 3 Discussion Board: My New Program Experience
Friday, June 18, 2010
1 Comment Manage Comments for this Entry
Monday, June 21, 2010 - 01:58 AM
Lynne Koles
Aimee, I really admire your determination to communicate with parents and especially like the concept of having the student read the tweet sent to the parent, then sending it him or her self. I think we have to keep trying to communicate with parents, w=even when met with little or no positive feedback, both because you never know when the parent will wake up to the importance of teachers' concern for their child's future, and because it is the thing that will ultimately make a difference to the student. How many teachers in your school care enough to even try to engage parents in dialogue about their children? In so many cases, parents have thanked me for calling about their children the moment a "good" child gives me the first problem. I also make sure to send positive information home about the specific children when I can. It is a part of our job that is sorely lacking on the part of teachers who have become complacent. Keep it up! You make a difference, one child at a time, and one parent at a time.
Wk3_ Response to Marianne Lingman
Textbooks anyone? - week 3
I have long marveled at how heavy the student's bookbags have become, especially if the book bags contain every book that the student will need during the course of a day. I cannot seem to understand why this has not prompted our school district to strive further to acquire e-books for use in the classroom instead. What the students could do is the classroom can keep a classroom set of books in the school and the students would only have to sign out a copy of the textbook on cd. It is quite evident that when the weight of a book bag exceeds the weight of the student, someone is going to get hurt, if not now, then down the road several years. It is hard to understand why the school board has not moved towards some form of relief for the students in the high school where I work... It is not for lack of our input.
Posted by MarianneLingmanMaria at 7:46 PM
1 comments:
Lynne Koles said...
Marianne, I have also been excited at the possibilities for student use of digital textbooks. Wouldn't it be great if our students could have iPads instead of textbooks? From what my colleagues here at the New Tech conference are saying, the iPad would be ideal for student use because it is touch screen, graphics are excellent and hundreds of apps are already out for use on it. We could be engaging our students with an inexpensive tool that would meet most of their school work needs! I'm thinking grant writing time is here! What do you think?
I have long marveled at how heavy the student's bookbags have become, especially if the book bags contain every book that the student will need during the course of a day. I cannot seem to understand why this has not prompted our school district to strive further to acquire e-books for use in the classroom instead. What the students could do is the classroom can keep a classroom set of books in the school and the students would only have to sign out a copy of the textbook on cd. It is quite evident that when the weight of a book bag exceeds the weight of the student, someone is going to get hurt, if not now, then down the road several years. It is hard to understand why the school board has not moved towards some form of relief for the students in the high school where I work... It is not for lack of our input.
Posted by MarianneLingmanMaria at 7:46 PM
1 comments:
Lynne Koles said...
Marianne, I have also been excited at the possibilities for student use of digital textbooks. Wouldn't it be great if our students could have iPads instead of textbooks? From what my colleagues here at the New Tech conference are saying, the iPad would be ideal for student use because it is touch screen, graphics are excellent and hundreds of apps are already out for use on it. We could be engaging our students with an inexpensive tool that would meet most of their school work needs! I'm thinking grant writing time is here! What do you think?
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