WK4 Comment on Classmates' Blog - Blog Post 3

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Everett Jones blogged:

What an interesting read again.  This book has potential as being effective.  I would suggest that it is a great starter book for motivation.

Wishful thinking, optimistic thinking about giving your spark to others and being receptive to others light and spark is awesome.  Not everyone has that spark that can be seen, so it is our job to show them our spark of kindness and maybe their spark will shine a little brighter for the next person.  We are all conduits of knowledge.  Chapter 9 is very much about this concept of feeding off of each others sparks. 

Following chapters:

Keeping our minds open in difficult circumstances to the possibilities of new beginnings or closure may be more ideal.  Negative thinking only places us backwards on the game board.  Let's think positively and place ourselves in a better place forward on the board.

As I've stated in other blogs, everyone has something good about themselves whether it is apparent or not.  WE all possess qualities that can bring out the best in others or in situations.  Do WE always make the better decisions for us?  Not always.  However, when we do make the better decision, WE all benefit in some way.  If not, let's build up another and wait our turn to be built up ourselves.  WE should be in this together.

@Everett

You know my mom would tell me all the time to hang around those who seem to have had the same thoughts or morals. It took me a while to understand that as a child. But when you are trying to be a positive and optimistic person those are the people you need to hang around or they will blow out your spark. I like how you pointed out how you need to pass your spark off to others. What use is your spark if you can’t pass it. Eventually you will stop growing. As teachers we have the best opportunity to bring out the best in students. It starts early. Like you said sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t, but at least we tried.

WK4 Comment on Classmates' Blog - Blog Post 2

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Pam Holifield blogged:

I have recently added the phrase, "A vision articulates a possibility" to my Facebook page to see the comments that would be left. Since I am terrible with delayed gratification, after only one 'like' I moved onto my students to hear their comments. Some students were stuck at the word 'articulates' while others replied, "Oh yeah, yeah I get it Miss (for some reason all the kids use Miss instead of Mrs. such and such)." Anyway, I came to realize that students are the one who should be reading this book. The problem blocking most students is that they have no vision. Therefore blocking most possibilities and missed opportunities.

I look at myself. I always had vision and always steered my course to the direction I wanted it to go. I remember people asking me what I wanted to be when I grew up and I replied with specific details up to to the type of car I would drive. All have come true except my Eddie Bauer Explorer is a Kia Sedona (which most people think is the Cadillac). My visions determined my possibilities. I wish most of my students would see their visions like I saw (and still continue to see) mine, work towards those goals, and not miss opportunities that might belong to them. Like in the movie "Field of Dreams" if you build it, they will come.

@Pam

I enjoyed our blog this week. Students do need a vision. Some of them have visions but they are the wrong kind of visions. Instead of them wanting things that will help them in life they have a vision of things that will help them bling-bling in life. When you are a child, that vision has to start at home. There are so many things out there like TVs, movies, music that seem to deter students from a realistic vision. Not saying that they can’t have those things but now they want them quick and easy – which is a whole different story. Instead of reading the vision portion of the book…they need the entire book.

WK4 Reading Ch 9-12 - Blog Post #1

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Hmmmmm____________

Don’t let a “No” ruin everything. Did I mention that there’s a reason for everything? Sometimes a “No” means “Yes” to something else. Take for instance a house that you thought was your dream house or the guy/girl you thought was your soul mate. You might not have known that your so called beautiful dream house had a pipe issue or an ongoing electrical problem. You might not have known the person of your dreams had halitosis or was really mean and lied all the time. It’s all about how you look at things. Sometimes “No” can be a blessing. Are you optimistic or a pessimist?

The book also spoke about shifting blame. I used to do that a lot until I grew up and found it was wrong. I had an apartment by myself toward the end of my college years. One time I lost a bracelet and swore someone took it. Then I realized how stupid it sounded seeing how I was the only person there. No one to shift blame to.

Situations that we are in can change the way we think and our vision of our future. Whatever your vision is for yourself, you most likely will accomplish. Visions are usually formed from what you have a passion for.

WK4 Publishing Leadership Project

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I really wanted to submit my information to a journal in Alabama but I did not find one that I thought was right for my project. I decided to submit to AACE the Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education and ISTE the International Society for Technology in Education. My first choice is AACE because most of their members seem to be those that can make a change in the school system. I believe presenting my project to them will convince them that blogging enhance students learning.  My second choice is ISTE the International Society for Technology in Education because it is geared toward pre K through 12. Even though my project focuses on 7^th grade bloggers, it can definitely start in an earlier grade level.


Publishing/Leadership Thinking Outloud Part 1 of 2


Publishing/Leadership Thinking Outloud Part 2 of 2


Publishing/Leadership Project Paper

WK4 Publishing/Leadership Project Part 2 of 2 - Think Out Loud 2

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Below are the 3 publications that I am considering. They all seem to be interesting and will reach the audience that I am targeting.

AECT’s Quarterly Review of Distance Education is a rigorously refereed journal publishing articles, research briefs, reviews, and editorials dealing with the theories, research, and practices of distance education. The Quarterly Review publishes articles that utilize various methodologies that permit generalizable results, which help guide the practice of the field of distance education in the public and private sectors. The Quarterly Review defines distance education as institutionally based, formal education, where the learning group is separated and where interactive technologies are used to unite the learning group.

The Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE), founded in 1981, is an international, not-for-profit, educational organization with the mission of advancing Information Technology in Education and E-Learning research, development, learning, and its practical application. AACE serves the profession with international conferences, high quality publications, leading-edge Digital Library, Career Center, and other opportunities for professional growth.

The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) is the premier membership association for educators and education leaders engaged in improving learning and teaching by advancing the effective use of technology in PK-12 and teacher education. ISTE membership is a powerful and meaningful way for educators to connect with peers, to gather in a variety of forums to share the challenges and excitement of teaching, and to be part of a community that leads the transformation of education.

WK3 Publishing/Leadership Project Part 1 of 2 - Think Out Loud Blog Post 4

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I have chosen to do a publication. I am not a big speaker and would rather write my words than to stumble on them. These are the journals I am looking at to publish my paper: ISTE– International Society for Technology in Education, AACE- Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education, and AECT- Association for Educational Communications and Technology.

WK3 Comment on Classmates' Blog - Blog Post 3

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Andrea Nichols blogged:

Lead from any chair. I am a trained classical musician. I attended the University of Southern Maine from 1987-1990. During that time I played for the University of Southern Maine Concert Band and sang with the USM Concert Chorale, while majoring in music education. The conductor of the concert band was(and still is) Dr. Peter Martin and the conductor of the chorale is Dr. Robert Russell. Both still teach and conduct at University of Southern Maine. It was a privilege to play and sing under both of these professors because they have excellent artistic vision as well as non-confrontational approaches to conducting. That’s not to say it wasn’t constantly intimidating to play in their ensembles. I never felt good enough. It’s tough being at the skinny end of the baton. Practices were long and tough. The performances I was exposed to during this time were some of the best live performances of music that I’ve ever heard and, amazingly, I got to take part in them. I love the shiny moment at the end of a piece when the exquisite music stops but the conductor does not lower his hands from conducting, the moment where the audience is transfixed on the performance they just heard and are reluctant to applaud for fear of ruining that moment of awe. But then the conductor lowers his hands, breaking his connection with the ensemble and the applause washes over the musicians bathing them in warming glory.

Questions. This book asks lots of good questions. Question: How much greatness am I willing to offer my students? Answer: About as much as they are willing to take. Why is my team not shining? Why are my students not shining? I plan on asking myself that more often both as a teacher and a team leader.

The book says that nobody has to lead but I’m not so sure about this. Someone always takes the lead. I mentioned in my last blog about the book (and in class) that I like the idea that you can lead from any chair. I think I figured this out as a child because I always wanted to be one of those back up singers (think 1970’s Tina Turner). The back up singers had great costumes, dance moves and their own microphone. They weren’t in the spotlight but they had the greatest harmonies that made the lead singer sound really good. I think it’s funny now, the idea that I was 12 and didn’t want to be the lead singer. Most people want to be the lead singer, but not everyone can (or should) be. It’s usually the people with the biggest egos that need to be the lead singer.

That leads me to Rule Number 6. More specifically: Don’t take yourself so goddamn seriously. That’s funny. I think I need to remember this rule. I take myself way to goddamn seriously. I must be listening to my My Calculating Self. I once went to a counselor in college who made me take this self-analysis test and then told me that I should be an accountant (instead of a school teacher) because I was constantly calculating about life. So true. This calculating mentality can lead to insomnia. I guess this takes us back to Rule Number 6. Chill out, Andrea. Relax.

What would have to change for me to be completely fulfilled? Oh man, where do I start? That may have to be a completely separate blog. How can I take myself less seriously if I have to figure out what I need to be completely fulfilled? Right now I think my answer to that question is more laughter and more sleep. ☺ I think that I get really depressed and downtrodden when my calculating self eclipses my central self. I think that I am generative, prolific and creative but usually way to busy with life to let that flow. This is where my discontent breeds amongst itself. It takes grace to practice Rule Number 6. Rich, compassionate and free, what I want the world to see, my expressive world of the central self.

Presence without resistance.

That’s tough.

Close the gate to escape, denial and blame. Easier said than done.

Emotional heavy lifting. Been there, done A LOT of that.

Clear all judgments. I’m not a judger, I’m one of the judged.

Downward spiral talk excludes possibility.

Sarcasm creates victims but that doesn’t stop anyone, does it?

Start from where you are, not from where you should be. I still need a map.

Make way for passion. I’m passionate about sleep.

My Promise to Myself:

Figure out what’s holding you back and let it go. I’ll try.

Participate wholly. I will.

Life flows when we concentrate on the long lines, the patterns that connect over time.

I’ll look for the long lines.

Phrasing is everything.

@ Andrea

Just by reading your blog, it seems that you have a personal connection with the authors. You can probably relate to the majority of the stories that were talked about. I like how you took what the book offered and related it to what we know. I too would rather be a back-up singer. I’m the one to help make things work behind the scenes. The little things that people don’t pay much attention to but are important. I don’t like being in front.

On another note… It looks like you need to lighten up a little. Life’s too short. Enjoy while you have a chance. Remember, you can’t control everything but you can control YOU!