Friday, July 1, 2011
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Week 4 Comment to Karen Gearns
Karen's Comment:
Telling the WE Story
The Art of Possibilities was a great read. This week I enjoyed reading about The WE approach. So many times we operate from fear and don't consider the good of all involved. The story of the couple troubled by the woman's need for revenge and the story of Roz and her sister were reminders of how we can get stuck. It is important to reach out and take risks in our relationships.
My favorite story from Telling the WE Story was the one about South Africa and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). I have heard of the great works of Nelson Mandela and the Rev. Desmund Tutu. I had not heard about the TRC. Learning that a government used this approach to begin healing relationship after apartheid was incredible. That kind of relationship building is exactly what we need in the United States. It is hard to believe what is true and what is not in American government. The media seems to have its own agenda. The US seems to be creating more distance between the classes rather than building the nation as a whole. We have also done a lot of damage in our relationships with other foreign countries. Wouldn't it be wonderful to have elected officials who ALL approached governance by telling the WE story. Maybe then all citizens of the world could meet their basic needs and have access to basic human rights like affordable education and health care. The possibility is there.
Reading The Art of Possibility made me think of the song Imagine by John Lennon. Imagine all the people living life in peace. Reaching out to others, not taking ourselves to seriously, and realizing everything we need to make the world a better place is already here are the messages I will take from this book. They are the messages I will take with me as I graduate from Full Sail and move into a new phase in my life.
My Comment to Karen:
Karen, I love your picture. Your take on the WE concept was thought provoking. It does remind of the John Lennon song. Don't we all wish we could think this way. What a different world we would live in if we all thought of others and reached out to their needs. I fully believe what goes around comes around; call it whatever you want, but I feel when I reach out to help someone, when I am in need someone will be there for me.
Telling the WE Story
The Art of Possibilities was a great read. This week I enjoyed reading about The WE approach. So many times we operate from fear and don't consider the good of all involved. The story of the couple troubled by the woman's need for revenge and the story of Roz and her sister were reminders of how we can get stuck. It is important to reach out and take risks in our relationships.
My favorite story from Telling the WE Story was the one about South Africa and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). I have heard of the great works of Nelson Mandela and the Rev. Desmund Tutu. I had not heard about the TRC. Learning that a government used this approach to begin healing relationship after apartheid was incredible. That kind of relationship building is exactly what we need in the United States. It is hard to believe what is true and what is not in American government. The media seems to have its own agenda. The US seems to be creating more distance between the classes rather than building the nation as a whole. We have also done a lot of damage in our relationships with other foreign countries. Wouldn't it be wonderful to have elected officials who ALL approached governance by telling the WE story. Maybe then all citizens of the world could meet their basic needs and have access to basic human rights like affordable education and health care. The possibility is there.
Reading The Art of Possibility made me think of the song Imagine by John Lennon. Imagine all the people living life in peace. Reaching out to others, not taking ourselves to seriously, and realizing everything we need to make the world a better place is already here are the messages I will take from this book. They are the messages I will take with me as I graduate from Full Sail and move into a new phase in my life.
My Comment to Karen:
Karen, I love your picture. Your take on the WE concept was thought provoking. It does remind of the John Lennon song. Don't we all wish we could think this way. What a different world we would live in if we all thought of others and reached out to their needs. I fully believe what goes around comes around; call it whatever you want, but I feel when I reach out to help someone, when I am in need someone will be there for me.
Week 4 Comment to Tina Deluca
Tina's Blog:
Chapter 9 Lighting a Spark or enrolling someone hit home. I always try to make contact with my students on a personal level if I can. Students are more interested in science when I ask about their personal lives. Did you guys win the game last night? How did your dance recital go? A short story will usually accompany the question from said student. However, during that class the student is more inquisitive about what I a teaching. Another part of the reading that really brought to light the world around me was Chapter 12 Telling the WE Story. If everyone would do this there would be no disagreements. In schools, “How can We help all of our students?” could be the topic of a meeting and the outcome could be fantastic. There are always going to be some people that are playing the fault or blame game, you need to get them enrolled in the We scenario to help all around them. I am going to propose this to my classes on the first day of school. “How can WE help each other to succeed this year in science class?” I am interested to hear what the students have to say. Great book really opened my eyes to different ways to think. It also brought to light some of the things that I am already doing and was not aware.
My Comment:
Tina I agree with you completely. Students feel respected and in turn have respect for you when you want to know about them. When I think back to my young student days, there were some teachers I loved and some I could have cared less about. When I think back I now know, the teachers I liked, and sometimes loved, where the ones that asked me about my life and genuinely cared. They got the best out of me and I got the most out of their classes. Great job, Tina, keep it up!
Chapter 9 Lighting a Spark or enrolling someone hit home. I always try to make contact with my students on a personal level if I can. Students are more interested in science when I ask about their personal lives. Did you guys win the game last night? How did your dance recital go? A short story will usually accompany the question from said student. However, during that class the student is more inquisitive about what I a teaching. Another part of the reading that really brought to light the world around me was Chapter 12 Telling the WE Story. If everyone would do this there would be no disagreements. In schools, “How can We help all of our students?” could be the topic of a meeting and the outcome could be fantastic. There are always going to be some people that are playing the fault or blame game, you need to get them enrolled in the We scenario to help all around them. I am going to propose this to my classes on the first day of school. “How can WE help each other to succeed this year in science class?” I am interested to hear what the students have to say. Great book really opened my eyes to different ways to think. It also brought to light some of the things that I am already doing and was not aware.
My Comment:
Tina I agree with you completely. Students feel respected and in turn have respect for you when you want to know about them. When I think back to my young student days, there were some teachers I loved and some I could have cared less about. When I think back I now know, the teachers I liked, and sometimes loved, where the ones that asked me about my life and genuinely cared. They got the best out of me and I got the most out of their classes. Great job, Tina, keep it up!
Week 4 Reading
I liked this reading the best. I have taught in a Title 1 school for the last 8 years. My students come from homes where parents are in jail, working all hours of the nights, and there is little or no guidance in the way of growing up educated. The majority of my students do not come to school with clean clothes, well rested, or breakfast. So what to do? To many of my colleagues this environment is too much to bear. To many teachers today, with our pay about to be based on merit, this environment would not be possible. I have to admit, that if it comes to my pay being cut in half, and I have to compete with others in schools unlike mine, I too will have to abandon these children. I cannot choose them over my own family. However, at this point, without any pay laws being enacted, I wouldn't change my school for anything. When I began teaching, my oldest children were in second and third grade, at an affluent school here in Seminole County. (We were/are not affluent, just got the benefit of location!)I will never forget that year, my son's second grade class collected cash to make a cash tree for the teacher's end of the year gift. I received that letter from the room parent and quickly sent in my $10 contribution. This was a feat, seeing this was my first year ever working/teaching and I had 4 children at home, but it was so important that she know we appreciated her. I guess I either didn't receive a second notice or I forgot about it, but I was also to send in $3 for my son to have pizza and brownies for the last day of school party. I know you see where this is going, my son was left out for my failure to send in $3 for his lunch that day; he got in the car from extended day and just burst out crying. I was appalled that the teacher never called, email, even pitched in the $3. See, at my school, I paid for my 23 students to have a pizza party and back to the cash tree, that teacher received $380 cash as her end of the year gift. It's all perspective. She may have looked at my teaching situation and not realized the gift in itself, to teach these young people. I could have given the smallest of tokens and the kids thought I was the most amazing teacher ever. And that was enough for me. I am guessing she also never realized how important it was that we wanted her to know we appreciated her.
When I read Ben's story of traveling and needing two quarters and realizing it was all perspective in needing to ask to be given the quarters instead of asking for change, I thought of how we interpret students possibilities. We may see failing situations, and unhappy students and teachers, like at the Eastlea School. If you search hard enough you will find similar schools where the students are pushed to their limits and teachers are inspired. The teachers and students are working harder than those of their peers, but the reward and happiness cannot be surpassed.
When I read Ben's story of traveling and needing two quarters and realizing it was all perspective in needing to ask to be given the quarters instead of asking for change, I thought of how we interpret students possibilities. We may see failing situations, and unhappy students and teachers, like at the Eastlea School. If you search hard enough you will find similar schools where the students are pushed to their limits and teachers are inspired. The teachers and students are working harder than those of their peers, but the reward and happiness cannot be surpassed.
Week 4 Publishing Leadership Project
I have written an article for publishing to help teachers implement technology in their learning environments. My main audience is classroom teachers with little experience using technology in the classroom. I would like to submit to a journal such as Edutopia, since this an informal journal for practical advice.
https://files.me.com/meli1456/bopssf
Please copy and paste. The tool in blogger is not working.
https://files.me.com/meli1456/bopssf
Please copy and paste. The tool in blogger is not working.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Week 4 Comments on Article
I received constructive criticism from critical friends through Googlewave. My group of critical friends consisted of Lauren Schneck, Tina Deluca, and Brian Hammit. We each posted our articles on Googlewave and posted comments back to each other. Googlewave allows each person to post and join the conversation when it is convenient for them. According to comments on my article I will need to, check my tenses and make sure they are consistent throughout the paper. Lauren also, gave me some ideas of things that were critical to her implementation.
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Week 3 Wimba
I enjoyed reading all the feedback from everyone on the book we read. Thank you Professor Joe for picking an unconventional text. It was exactly what we needed. Life has been very hard these last few months. (I know you know, but I am saying it again..)My school is closing down. Going through this whole process, of fighting it, the decision, and then realizing we really couldn't have affected the decision was very emotional. Leaving students at the end of the year is always hard, knowing I won't see them in August makes it 100x harder.
A good friend of mine lost her battle with cancer this past week, while we were on vacation. Her boys played football with mine and she was always the team mom. My oldest son really wanted to see her and visit with her before she died, I promised him I would take him once we got back in town, then we got news of her passing. I can't help but think there was a reason for us not seeing her. I know the vision that would have stuck in our minds would not have been how she wanted us to remember her.
The book has reminded me to let go of things I cannot control; let others take the lead when I can't see the way.
A good friend of mine lost her battle with cancer this past week, while we were on vacation. Her boys played football with mine and she was always the team mom. My oldest son really wanted to see her and visit with her before she died, I promised him I would take him once we got back in town, then we got news of her passing. I can't help but think there was a reason for us not seeing her. I know the vision that would have stuck in our minds would not have been how she wanted us to remember her.
The book has reminded me to let go of things I cannot control; let others take the lead when I can't see the way.
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