MAC Week 4 Comments for Scott Legere

"I now ride the bus. Every day, I walk 7 blocks to the Downtown Minneapolis 5th Street Station. From there, I catch the 94Express and ride into downtown St. Paul. If I'm a little early (a rare feat), I'm able to grab a seat by the window and sit relatively distraction free from the chaos that can be indicative of public transportation in a major metropolitan area."

Scott, I love that you have embraced the opportunity your commute has given you. Instead of fidgeting and complaining about the necessity of the commute, you have transformed your ride into a time for introspection and a spot of reading. I almost envy you the bus ride. How wonderful to be able to enter the classroom energized and enthusiastic, ready to share something you have just read. Once we begin to see the possibilities for ourselves as contributors, our whole focus turns toward looking for possibilities for our students.

MAC Week 4 Reading: Chapters 10-12

I have loved every part of this book, such a simple, joyful, uplifting message delivered in such an engaging fashion. The ultimate tale of The Art of Possibility occurs when we stop the downward spiral that inevitably occurs when we focus upon ourselves. The Zanders bring their message home with the "WE story." As I was reading, I kept thinking the sports mantra "there is no I in team." At first I was a bit distracted by the capitalization of WE throughout the final chapter. In the world of online etiquette, capitals generally mean shouting, but then I realized that maybe WE should be shouting for joy at the possibilities that WE collectively can enjoy. The capitalized "WE" is all inclusive. This proved to be the case as the authors discussed "we," meaning you and I, and referred to the sense of compromise that viewpoint implies.

MAC Week 4 Publishing_Leadership post # 2

The first two options I have been considering for publication of my project are Catholic Library World (Click on the picture above for more information), and N.A.I.S., the National Association of Independent Schools. Working in a parochial environment, I have chosen to focus on publications that are most likely to meet similar demographics.

I contacted Catholic Library World first, enclosing my abstract. I heard back immediately from Sigrid E. Kelsey that CLW would be interested in reading my manuscript and considering it for publication.

A copy of the manuscript can be downloaded from:

https://public.me.com/sharonbjones

MAC Week 4 Publish/Leadership post # 1

I admit, I am in a quandary trying to decide which route to take for the Publish/Leadership portion of this program. I have two very different paths I wish to take. Our school participates in the Georgia Independent School Association (GISA) conference every year. I would love to present there. This year GISA is on October 1st. Obviously, this years presenters have already been selected. The submission form for 2011 will not be available until August 2011. Obviously this wont "make the cut" for having a venue accepted by the end of month 12. On the other hand, I would very much like to complete my article for publication, but trying to complete both a publication and presentation at the same time is quite daunting, even if it does include the same research information. My current thinking is to complete and publish the article this year, then prepare a presentation next year for GISA.

MAC Week 3 Open topic -- Ouch!

I've been so careful. I have an external portable drive just for backups. I am sure I have everything covered.

I had just finished restructuring my iWeb pages to include the prompts. Everything was saved, I just had to press publish.

"Unknown error. Your site did not publish."

Try again. Same response. Try a third time (yes, I do know that one definition of insanity is doing the same thing again and again expecting a different outcome, but desperate times require desperate measures) all to no avail.

Ok. It's time to pick up the phone and call tech support. They give me the Apple care number to try. Apple is very nice and very helpful. We go through a number of steps, but ultimately the decision is made that we will have to go backward through Time Machine to get rid of the glitch. No problem. Everything is backed up.

So we go back to the last backup. Nope. Still wont publish, even though it had worked the day I did the backup. Let's go back one more. Nope. Still nothing. One week before that. Ahh. Here we go. Now iWeb will behave and I can publish my changes -- except this takes me back prior to last Sunday's AR Status post -- and I typed and stored those pages at school, where they are happily and comfortably resting on the server. We are unable to access the server off site. I am unable to enter the school after hours. As I rebuild my pages, I can't help having a sneaking suspicion that my original posts were better. Sigh.

MAC Week 3 Comment for Scott LeGere

In many ways, I found the Zanders's observations to be in line with those of Sir Ken Robinson and other contemporary thinkers. In his now famous TED Talk entitled, "Do Schools Kill Creativity", Robinson reminds us that if anyone is ever afraid of being wrong, it is quite likely that they will never try anything original out of fear of failure or rejection.

Scott,

I, too, thought of Sir Ken Richardson as we were reading this week's assignment. I even went back and re-watched the video after watching the film of Ben Zander.

You are so right about the media setting up unrealistic expectations for performance. That is one of the things music educators must overcome on a daily basis. So many students are afraid to try, for fear they wont be perfect.

MAC Week 3 Comments for Dana Kohls

"It was difficult for me to choose between chapter 7 and chapter 9 of this weeks readings. Ultimately, I chose chapter 9 to write about: Lighting a Spark. The quote in the opening story struck a cord with me; "Certain things are better done in person." When conveying passion for a subject it is always better to do it in person, that way the audience has a feel for your expression, tone, excitement, interest and these elements draw them in. This is especially true of technology leaders. Often times we feel that we are not heard and that we are swimming upstream, so the subject and the change we are trying to implement deserves our attention. When we display our knowledge and passion in person we have a greater chance of being heard and understood. This is why I don't have serious conversations via text or email. The tone is so difficult to tell and the affect is non-existant, so it has such great potential to be misunderstood, not taken seriously or even ignored."

Dana, I was also torn between chapters 7 and 9, however I chose to write about chapter 7. I am glad I did. You have expressed beautifully the "spark" that is best conveyed in person.

Just this week we have had an incident in our school, where a staff member sent out an email with suggestions for improvements to the school website. I'm sure her intent was to be helpful, but unfortunately the tone was misconstrued. Ruffled feathers all around! You are definitely correct that tone and intent can easily be misinterpreted when relegated strictly to print.

MAC Week 3 Reading: Chapters 7-9 The Art of Possibility

What an interesting and enigmatic reading this week! Would that I had read this prior to posting to the discussion prompts! The first chapter assigned this week dealt with “the way things are.” The discussion prompts dealt with our experiences with introducing new ways to do things into the school (or business) setting. The second topic dealt with the reason educators seem to be so resistant to change. Both of these topics spoke to me immediately, and I jumped right in and began cataloging all the difficulties I have had and PLACING THE BLAME for the resistance I had met. Reading chapter 7, though, reminded me that there are two things I must consider. One is “the way things are” and the other is “the way I perceive things to be.” As Ben Zander has said, “How fascinating!”

Obviously “the way things are,” the resistance expressed by our administration to the use of technology with our students, exists. I even understand many of the reasons our particular district has set the standards that are currently in place, and I can continue to disagree with them, and work toward the development of a more enlightened policy. I may or may not be successful, but the primary reason for engaging in this program has been to arm myself with the skill set needed to help move education into the 21^st century. After reading chapter seven, I asked myself what benefit my students or I gained from me blaming the administration for the current status quo. The answer, of course, was “none.”

What “is” is. What needs to be changed, needs to be changed. Instead of placing blame, I need to be looking at a much bigger picture. It is not enough to know why something is the way it is. I must also look at what small steps can be taken to facilitate change. In much the same way as the example story of the father who felt his son was uncommunicative and walled off, even though this same son had requested and gained counseling for his family, I must look at the walls and barriers I am creating through my interpretation of the situation in which I find myself.

MAC Week 2 Free subject

Note to self:

If you ever enroll in another education course requiring action research, check the scheduled due dates for the project to make sure it actually coincides to times you have students!

I have loved every part of this program, but am really feeling the pressure now to complete the action research project. Cycle one fell during the last month of classes at our school. The only thing the teachers were doing at that point was review. While I was able to set up my training for asynchronous planning, there was no opportunity to deliver the unit to the students. Cycle two was scheduled during our summer break. We are a small parochial school. There is no summer school. Not only that, we had a major overhaul in our faculty over the summer. Since we are a tuition based school, enrollment determines our staffing needs. With the current economy, we have lost many of our students. This necessitated many faculty members being cut to part time. Some of them were not able to accept a contract that did not include benefits, and have left to seek other opportunities. The new additions are all excellent, and willing to pitch in and help with my project, but nothing can be done about the actual dates for our school attendance.

The second difficulty I foresee is in creating any visual record of the project in action. A large number of our students' parents refuse to allow any photos or videos to be made of there children. Many even refuse to allow their students pictures to appear in the yearbook or on the school bulletin board. I suppose the world has changed quite a bit since my own children were in school. I never thought twice about allowing their pictures to be taken and used on campus or submitted to the local paper in recognition of their accomplishments. I'm not sure what next month's course requirements will be, but I certainly hope I will be able to fulfill them!

MAC Week 2 Comment: Carlos Benitez

Chapters 4,5 and 6 of the book the “The Art of Possibility” continue to evolve within the subject matter of human behavior and very specifically as it relates to the contribution that falls to each person not only in terms of personal fulfillment but also in relation with what should be the contribution to others. The various writers on this subject have been very repetitive in that an important part of our own welfare is inextricably tied to the two-way relationship with our fellows, whether they are our relatives or just friends.

Even renowned authors such as Dr. Deepak Chopra continue stressing the importance of focusing on the positive contributions to others as one of the ways to find inner peace. At a recent conference in the Colombian city of Cali, Dr. Chopra moved hundreds of attendees at the conference "Reinventing the body, reviving the soul" made in the context of the seminar "Exposer." He was very explicit in saying that 75% of happiness has to do with the choices we make. "If we act in line with our creative expression, if our actions have purpose, meaning, and make others happy, we walk toward happiness." But what Dr. Chopra stated is not entirely new, other wonderful authors of these thematic, as is the case of Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, widely known for his book "The Power of Positive Thinking" and its invaluable contributions to the theory of positive thinking, have repeated it hundreds of times. One of the great merits of Dr. Peale was to have spoken to us about these concepts more than fifty years ago; he always repeated about the importance of believing in yourself and make a contribution to the cause of others.

Carlos,

I agree with you completely in the power of positive thinking. I have long been an admirer of Dr. Norman Vincent Peale. I think we often blame our unhappiness or lack of fulfillment on others, but in reality, we have the choice of how we will greet each day.

MAC Week 2 Comment: Denise Cullen

This week’s reading musings (draft)...

Fact: I haven’t been enjoying life as much as I could (and should be) over the past several years. Logically, my life looks pretty darned good on the outside, but emotionally on the inside I haven’t been having much fun. Could it be that I have been conforming to the pressures that I must constantly measure up? Of course, expecting that I should be having fun is an indicator. After all, isn’t that what they say, that if you’re not having fun, then something is wrong, or wrong with you?

Sharon Jones

It is so easy to fall in to the trap of trying to measure yourself against some arbitrary (and often changing) scale. I have found that the mood with which I enter a classroom sets the tone for the direction in which the class will go. That isn't to say that you have to smile and accept whatever behavior your students bring, but that your mood, energy, and enthusiasm can have a very real impact upon your students, both for their accomplishments and their behavior.

I have found that when I am at my "silliest" my students are better behaved and more engaged than when I am in "drill sergean"t mode. This even applies to my youngest (Pre-K) students. I can make them giggle as I use my "scary" voice and face to explain behaviors that are not appropriate. They actually seem to remember those. On the other hand, when I am frowning and fussing, they either tune me out, or shut down completely. There is definitely something to be said for the power of positive thinking.

MAC Week 2 Reading: Rule number 6

As we continue reading "Art of Possibility" I am struck by the genius and simplicity of the Zanders' philosophy. This week the reading centers on Rule Number 6: Don't take yourself too seriously. How many of our perceived problems might disappear if we only adhered to that one simple rule.

I have found that the kind of day I am going to have is usually self-determined. If I choose to be in a serious, critical mood, I can almost guarantee I will have a less than stellar day. Do the students behave worse than usual? No, not really, but my perception of their behavior is more negative. If I choose to come to school in a light and happy mood, ready to explore the limitless possibilities with my students, will I have a better day? Definitely. This dove-tails very well into the philosophy of "not taking myself too seriously."

Ben Zander, in his examples, explores the unlimited possibilities that occur when a "leader" is willing to relinquish some of his/her control and listen to those being led. Roz Zander, on the other hand, approaches her work through identifying the central self defined by the calculating self. As I was reading her anecdotes, I could definitely identify the characteristics that have developed into my calculating self and central self. Together, Ben and Roz have presented a compelling model for shifting the focus from ourselves and our perceptions, to the idea that we are contributors to life. When the focus is no longer on our own accomplishments, but on how we have contributed to the accomplishments of others, our understanding of the role of educator undergoes a complete transformation.

Week 1 Open Topic

My school has now completed the first three weeks of class, and everything is beginning to settle into a pattern. In addition to my music classes and administrative duties, I am once again the reading and math resource specialist for the 5th grade. In this role I have "inherited" an adorable young man who has an official diagnosis of Oppositional Defiant Disorder. In addition, he has exceptionally low short term operating memory. This little fellow is as sweet as can be. The only time the defiant qualities come out are when faced with testing situations. He participates well in class and can generally express the concepts that are being studied. When faced with a test, however, he totally falls apart and frequently will refuse to even take the test. Such an incident occurred this week. The students were to take a test on the summer reading selection, "Brian's Winter." When I saw my little fellow shutting down, I removed him from the class and we went to my resource office. Once there, I turned the test face down, and asked him to tell me about the book. As he talked, I wrote down everything he said. The longer he talked, the more excited he got about the story. When he finished, he was all smiles. It was easy to praise him on the excellent job he had done.

I then asked him if he would like to use the notes he had just created and take the standard test everyone else was taking. At first he felt like that would be cheating. We discussed the fact that everything in the notes came from his own brain. I did not ask any questions or prompt him in any way. Once he was sure that this was fair (he is very literal and extremely fair-minded) he turned over the test and began to fill in the answers. He was very proud of himself upon completion of the test, and even chose to answer the bonus essay question. My goal for this student is to work on strategies to reduce his test anxiety, and increase his ability to order his thoughts.

This week's reading on The Art of Possibility could have been tailor made for working with this student. His anxiety level when faced with any traditional measurement system creates a self-fulfilling prophecy of disaster.

Week 1 Comments for Karen Williams

This read was a very inspiring one, especially chapter 3 - Giving An A. I loved the author’s statement, “When you give an A you find yourself speaking to people from a place of respect that gives them room to realize themselves.” We are instructing and educating a very different generation of students who are very focused on peer competition and measurement. The author stresses the fault of this comparison by grades as it does not give a true account of a students ability. When you show a student a universe of possibilities by allowing them to create that universe it becomes more rewarding for them.

The “A Letters” demonstration by one professor, which he called a poetry of self-invention, was wonderful. He decided to give his students an A for the course if they wrote a letter as if it would be a year from that initial start day of class. The letters were awesome because students’ letters were written as though they had already accomplished their dream and universe. They were able to create their own future just by having the opportunity to be creative. That is truly a practice many of us should adopt in our classes.

Karen,

The idea of "giving an A" to the students by virtually having them determine their own goals is truly uplifting. I particularly like the idea that each student identifies where they are now in their development as a musician, and as a person, then determines where they wish to be in one years time. Through this method, the student is fully invested in the true goad - his development, rather than the artificial goal of a grade.

Week 1 Comments for Jodi Zeigler

The Art of Possibility

The power of positive thinking is truly a powerful tool! Zander’s experience with music is a perfect way to set the “tone” for explaining his views on possibility. I agree that we all seem to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of everyday life. I find myself making judgments and assumptions on a daily basis that are limiting my view on the world and things that are indeed possible. What we can achieve is limitless, but our ability to create a mind set that is open and judgment free is incredibly difficult due to the underlying information we learn growing up in our society. I find it amazing how often I hear my students saying they can’t do something before they have even tried it. It seems people are so terrified of failing that they are scared to even attempt something they may be great at. Zander uses his musical teaching metaphors to explain this view of limitless possibility, as a teacher I feel it is critical for us to embrace this mindset and try to instill it in our students, so their future is full of possibility.

Jodi,

I, too, have students who are afraid to try anything new. The idea that they might not be good at it just paralyzes them. I think it is a sad commentary that our tendency to measure and compare everyone is creating such a negative impact on young learners.

I have to carefully monitor our online grade reports, since the default setting includes the students rank on each assignment, and their overall ranking within the class. This is not editable on a global basis, but must be reset in each grade book for each teacher. Still, it is worth to time and effort.

Week 1 Readings MAC

As I was reading this week's assignment on The Art of Possibility, I was incredibly moved. I'm sure part of that is because I am a musician, and the Zander's approach much of their writing from the view a professional musician. In addition to this, though, we have a beautiful and well illuminated view into the human psyche. These readings open up the basic fear we all have of "not being good enough" for the task at hand. In education this can be devastating. Witness the student who feels himself (or herself) to always be judged against another student or sibling. As teachers, we easily fall into the trap of judging one student's performance against that of another. The bell curve effect -- that someone must be the best, and someone must be the worst, and all others must fall somewhere between -- has permeated the American educational system.

In The Art of Possibility, the authors allow a more individualized approach to the education of your students. It is not a matter of relaxing, or indeed removing, standards, but of taking each student and enabling them to reach their maximum potential. I was particularly moved by the concept of "giving the A" to students by having them basically determine their goals. The likelihood of a student reaching a goal he has set for himself is much higher than the likelihood of meeting a predetermined standard imposed upon him.

Since our goal as educators is to foster the desire to develop and succeed in our students, this philosophy seems tailor made. One of the biggest complaints I hear from fellow teachers is that no matter how "hard" they teach, their students are just not coming up to the mark. Perhaps the "mark" is one that the students have not yet had the experience in life to recognize.

I do recognize the enviable position we in the fine arts have, as opposed to the core curriculum teachers. While we meet both state and federal standards within our fields, students are not required to perform on national standardized tests to insure continued financial support of the institution. Still, I find that most students within the grade range of PreK through 8th grade really want to excel and please their parents and their teachers. Since each individual develops and reaches benchmarks at their own unique rate, the arbitrary standard of achievement not only crushes the spirit of the learner, but creates behavior problems within the classroom. Even within the top echelon of students, there is anxiety as to their position within the group. As educators, we have an obligation to assure that each student reaches his or her maximum potential, not just the arbitrary standard set by the law of averages. Yes, the student must acquire skills along the way, but the student who has been told he "can't cut it" certainly never will.