Week 4 - Reading - Telling the WE Story

This week I read about the power of WE. In the Art of Possibility, by Benjamin Zander, he presents the following thoughts on how to achieve the WE.

1. Tell the WE story - the story of the unseen threads that connect us all, the story of possibility.
2. Listen and look for the emerging entity.
3. Ask: "What do WE want to have happen here?" "What's best for US?" - all of each of us, and all of all of us. "What's OUR next step?"

I found this chapter to be very personal to me as a former athlete and now as a coach. Many of speeches provided by former head coaches or evan myself have involved this promise of WE. Yet as I have learned, the real WE in these case evolve from the I. Zander asks us to take a different approach. An approach which is free of fixed wants and desires and is replaced with not a compromise but rather a vision of mutual fulfillment. This shift happens when the conversation moves away from the I and is replaced with the WE. Even in writing this it sounds simple and almost commonsense based. However, I can recall several occasions in which my speeches on WE have really been embedded in the I. As coaches, we ask so much of our players. We ask them to put their health, trust and at times, lives in our hands. This upcoming year I will begin the task of coaching the freshmen football team. I have been asked to take over as head coach and bring some new life to the team. See in the past, the coaching staff before lived for the I. What was best for them, not the players. Students have since transfered or stopped playing the sport and now the head of the program is asking me to bring back the WE that Palma football stands for. Hopefully I will be able to take much of what Zander has presented in this book and apply it, not only to my personal life, but also to my new life as a head coach.


Reference:

Zander, R. & Zander, B. (2000). The art of possibility: Transforming professional and personal life. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press

Week 4 - Response to Therese Josephson

Therese wrote:

Based on the feedback I’ve received from critical friends and colleagues, I have decided to go with what I thought was my first choice last week. Teaching Music magazine.

I feel like this venue is the best way for me to demonstrate that what I did with my Action Research Project works, and is doable. I’m excited about the possibilities.

I think my article is in pretty good shape. I need to add some screenshots from my web page, as suggested in Monday’s Wimba. But I’m happy with the content and organization of it, and have received positive feedback from my critical friends.

My Response:

I have really enjoyed your AR work and your article. I have been following you throughout our course work and think that your project has had a real effect on your students experience. Since we are usually paired up in sections, I always like to look at see how "Therese has done it". Your work throughout all of Full Sail is top notch and it has been a real honor to work along side you. Your passion for teaching and music has really shinned during this process and I hope you are very happy with the journey you have made at FSO. Your kids are very lucky to have such an inspirational teacher and I wish you continued success in the years to come.

Week 4 - Response to Alicia Kalb

Alicia wrote:

My Response:

I think we all work with those that we would refer to as "blamers" of those people who seem to think everyone else is responsible for the problem. They never think that they have done anything wrong and most truly believe that it is everyone else's problem or fault. I truly feel sorry for these people, especially when it comes to teachers. I have so many at my school who are on the last couple of years in their career and they have simply given up. The passion and has left them, their classes are jokes and the majority of their day is spent complaining about everyone else on the campus. Whether it is the administration, students or even other faculty members, the burden and responsibility for the failure is believed to lie with them. It is a shame and sad to watch because the good in me believes these very same people are trying to call out for help. Attempting to get anyone to save them and help them restore the order they have lost in their lives. Yet, like everyone else,  I simply walk away and blame them for my problems.

Publishing/Leadership project part 3 of 3 - A decision has been made

Image from: http://www.springerlink.com/content/119978/cover-medium.jpg

Today I can finally breathe a sigh of relief. First off, I have finally finished my article and after much debate and research, I have chosen to submit my article to Tech Trends, a peer reviewed journal focusing on technology integration in education and training. In the beginning I was looking into larger publications like Edutopia, but ultimately I felt that my article needed to be submitted to a journal for proper review. While Edutopia is popular, it just didn't seem fitting to an article so deep in research.

With that said, I still have some areas that I have marked down to focus on within my article. First, I have to create an abstract at the beginning of the article. I have never written one before and am looking into examples of how to write an affective abstract. The next area that I want to review is my results and conclusion section. Right now both of these seem a little weak and need more focus on future development. Finally, I also need to figure out what images I should include in my article submission. Since I did not have a ton of people respond to my survey, the charts and data appear weak. While the images of the students working on their projects are great, I don't know if they fit. I am hoping that my wimba session with my peers will help answer some of these questions and help me create a final article that has a chance of publication.

* UPDATE
Last night I had my wimba session with my peers and instructors. They provided some very insightful information that I believe may help my article get published. One of the best bits of information they provided was that of including my future/cycle 3 work. In talking about what will happen beyond Full Sail, many of my peers felt I should add this to my paper and I think it has made a huge difference. Our instructor also gave me some really good advice on how to write an affective abstract and I even had a few comments on grammer issues to fix. The area that I still need some work on are the images to be included in the article. I have added three thus far and know of at least one more that will be added but is at school on my work computer. I believe the images I have added show some of the experiences the students and teachers have gone through, but unfortunately, I did not take any images from the training portion of my cycles. However, I am considering taking some screen shoots from the videos created by the teachers in one of my cycles and adding that as well. 

Week 4 - Free Response - Hey, hey, hey...goodbye!

Image from: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/87/Kissing_the_War_Goodbye.jpg

This could be the most anticipated blog of the year for me. It is the start of the end. The end of a year at school, the end of my role as a teacher and most importantly, the end of my journey at Full Sail. In many ways, I can not believe that a whole year has already gone by and that this experience, which seemed to begin only yesterday, is almost over. What started out as simply a process to "move-up" the salary ladder has now created a whole new direction for me and my life. Because of Full Sail I have been hired as a full time Technology Director and am now planning on continuing my education in pursuit of a Ph.D/E.d.D. This will ultimately be determined once Full Sail decides to either offer such a program or completes the accreditation process so I can continue my studies somewhere else. However, I am very much hoping that the school considers offering a doctoral program as I have grown very accustom to the teaching and learning style that Full Sail operates under.

While I am ecstatic that this process is almost over, I am also very sad to be parting with such a wonderful group of instructors and classmates. I have made so many friends and connections that I hope will last a lifetime, but just like high school, there is always the fear that communication will be lost and little will be heard from any of these dear friends I have made. Hopefully I will see and finally meet in person all of my peers and faculty members as I plan on attending graduation in July.  Unlike any other graduation, this one is very special for me. It will be the first in which I am financially responsible for the burden of my education and it will also be the first in which I excelled in a program. I was never a scholar and as little as GPA means in real learning, I have the opportunity to complete my studies with a 3.98. I never in my lifetime would imagine a day when I would be near the top of my class and graduating with two course director awards. Especially in such a talented pool of individuals who seem to defy the very idea that technology in education isn't thriving or needed.

Finally, it seems only fitting that on the weekend in which fireworks will fly around the country, me an 80 other fine students will be taking that one last step in a monumental event in which we all can proudly call ourselves alumnus of Full Sail University.

Week 4 - AR Project - Publishing

Today I begin to put on the finishing touches to my article that I plan on submitting to a peer-reviewed journal. What began as a chore and an ultimate fear of rejection has turned into an excitement about the possibility of someone actually publishing my work. While I am not holding my breathe and know that the possibility of rejection is more than likely, there is still a slight chance that someone will be crazy enough to publish my article. I am hoping that the group who will be sitting in on my wimba session and Joe, our course director, will be able to offer some insight on what modifications I can make to improve my article. Some of the questions I have developed so far are;

1. What can I do to improve my results/conclusions? 
1. I feel like there needs to be more. There is a lack of body to what will happen or change. I feel like I am saying here you go, I am done and nothing more will happen after the article is submitted.
2. What images should I attempt to use?
1. During my cycles I did not take any images of my workshops. I did capture some images of the students working on their projects but even then, I don't have many that show the teacher interaction. Many people have attempted to use charts and graphs, but my data collection (survey) was very weak and the graphs look worse included with the text than the text left on its own.
3. How can I formulate a good abstract?
1. The journals I have looked at publishing to all require and abstract and most are limited to 150 words. I am hoping someone will be able to provide me some positive direction on how to write the most affective abstract in the short amount of words.

Publishing/Leadership project part 2 of 3 - Change of plans

Image from: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/56/Change.jpg

After much debate and guidance from my good friend Ashley, I have decided to move forward with the publishing route for my project. Due in large part to time and the fact that I would need to almost create everything from scratch for a presentation, I have decided to give in. A large reason for this was something written in the directions for this assignment. In the instructions it said " As much as this might seem like a new writing assignment, it should be more a case of copying and pasting and re-editing what you’ve all ready written for your Action Research Project, if you’ve completed your Action Research Web Pages. If you look at the AR Web Pages that you’ve created, each page should neatly fit into the structure required for most journal articles". I have to overcome my fear and realize that time is not on my side. My biggest fear of the publishing route was pure rejection but I have now realized that this is a part of life. In my article I hope I can demonstrate that the idea of a "knowledge broker" is necessary for technology to flourish in the classroom and that my cycles simply prove this. As of right now, I have decided to pursue initial publishing with Edutopia but would like to investigate others including Technology & Learning. My goal now is to look into places to publish as well as begin the writing process.

Week 3 - Reading - Lighting a Spark!

This week I am going to focus on the ninth practice in Benjamin Zander's book, The Art of Possibility. In this chapter, he discuss the idea of enrollment and the "practice of generating a spark of  possibility for others to share." Zander offers the following as a guide for practicing enrollment and "about playing together as partners in a field of light."

1. Imagine people are an invitation for enrollment.
2. Stand ready to participate, willing to be moved and inspired.
3. Offer that which lights you up.
4. Have no doubt that others are eager to catch the spark.

I do not believe there is any better guide that could be used as a template for every teacher in the world. Yes this can be applied to business and life, but in the role of the teacher, imagine the result if we approached every interaction with our students in this manner. Often times we give in to the labels given to our schools, students and administration. We believe that they are not capable of more or if they were, we can not bring it out of them. We make excuses for why things are bad and how they could be better, but step off the the side when it is time to "step up to the plate". Yet, if we simply insisted that every interaction with our students was an opportunity to ignite a moment of enrollment, where would we end up? I imagine our students would rise up and begin to appreciate every interaction with their teachers. Which in turn would lead to students more engaged in the learning experience.


Reference:

Zander, R. & Zander, B. (2000). The art of possibility: Transforming professional and personal life. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press

Publishing/Leadership project part 1 of 3 - What to do?

Image from: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Aleksei_Sheludko_presenting_the_critical_thickness_theory.jpg

A couple of days ago, my good friend Ashley posed a very important question. What are you going to do for you Publishing/Leadership project? My response..."uggghhhhh". Not very elegant, I know, but at least I am spending some time right now thinking about what exactly I should do. Based on directions and feedback from friends, it appears that I may be better suited and attempting to present at a conference. This not only will be beneficial for my job as a Tech Director, but it will also force me to use some on the new tools I learned in my literature review. I can attempt to implement many of the techniques that were missed in my cycles and I could attempt to use this venue as a cycle 3. My biggest fear is actually presenting what I found through my research and project. It wouldn't take a genius to recognize that my cycles went against those thinks that are stated in my literature review. As of right now, I am going to look for feedback from my professor on what the best way to handle the presentation. I would rather work on presenting something like a third cycle demonstrating the uses and benefits of iLife in curriculum.

As far as where to present, my dream would be the Florida Education Technology Conference (FETC). I had the privilege of attending this conference in January and was blown away with all the things I learned and had access to.

Week 3 - AR Project

This week we were asked to create a summary page for our AR project. The point of this is to take the time and truly think about where we have come over the past 11 months. It was sort of surreal to be putting the final thoughts on the work and this program. In writing up the summary, it brought out frustration and joy reminding me that all though I am done, it did not turn out the way I thought. My expectations are so much higher for myself and my work, yet on this, I feel as though I compromised. I lowered my standards and gave into the pressures of time. If I could continue on in this program, beginning my project now after all the course work, I believe things would have been very different. I think I would have had a better foundation for researching literature as well as an idea of what meaningful project could be tested.

We work so hard during our monthly courses that I found myself loosing sight of the AR project. However, there are many of my classmates who have done extraordinary work and should be considered model examples. Lina Varley did a phenominal job with her project on home schooling and the role of technology. Therese Josephson did a great job of demonstrating how technology can help one of the biggest issues in education, communication. Another favorite of mine, Alicia Kalb took a very realistic problem, finding a job as an educator, and presented a unbelievably useful solution with her portfolio site. There are so many others that I don't want to overlook, but I think you get the point. These people have something they should be very proud about. I, in attempting to do more attitude, actually over thought this so much that in the end I created junk.

The worse part about all this is that I could have simply done research on all the things I do everyday in my classes. In my upper level classes I promote project based learning. In my lower end classes I do the same thing but I on a much more managed scale. All classes keep a digital portfolio, use blogs, screencasts, podcasts, videos, etc to present their information. Student collaborate virtually and provide feedback and guidance on assignments and yet I decided to over look all of this and do something different. So my advice to anyone attempting to do AR would be the same I tell my students, keep it simple stupid (KISS)! Lesson learned.

Week 3 - Response to Jill Davis

Jill wrote:

It was fascinating to learn about the New Media Academy. My son would love that school! Ron Smith teaches with a focus on 21st century learning and project based learning. I like the idea that Smith keeps current on the latest trends in technology and incorporates them into his classroom setting. What an engaging way to learn: present the format and have the students create the end result. Twenty-two ideas, and they are all right! Now that takes into count individual learning styles and true creativity. Also, for the students to teach one another - and the teacher.

As a teacher, it was interesting to hear how Smith spends a large quantity of time to prepare his materials before the course’s first day, so that he can be fully engaged with his students during the course. I could relate to the teachers he was referring to that still prepare their materials a week at a time. Hmmmmmmmm. Welcome to a new wave of teaching and learning!

My Response:

I too was inspired by this video and always view these types of schools in awe. Another school that I am a huge fan of is High Tech High in San Diego (you can watch a great video about the school here - http://www.edutopia.org/collaboration-age-high-tech-technology-video). The school itself operates on the idea of project based learning. That is, learning is taking place while operating within the task of a project. For instance, students may use a website to present information about atoms and a video editing program to create the main portion of the presentation on the site. Also, instead of gauging success like normal schools with state testing, etc, students keep a digital portfolio and do individual student presentation reports to demonstrate the knowledge they have gained. Instead of taking finals, the students do POL's or presentations of learning to demonstrate what they learned in a class. Students are also assessed based on how well the participate in groups and interacting with the classes they are taking. The school has grown to eight charter schools and 100% of all High Tech High graduates are accepted to college. Pretty motivating stuff. Oh yeah, they also offer a Masters degree for educators as well as several workshops throughout the year. Sign me up!

Week 3 - Response to Soyeon Kim

Soyeon wrote:

This video is a story about a man who does not has arms nor legs. Although he doesn't have the health that others have, he seems happier than any other person I have seen. How can a person be so optimistic and determined in such a circumstances? I mean, I complaint all the time about how others treated me, how I make mistakes, and how messed up the world is and so on. Nick completely taught me how to stay determined and positive with myself. He may be in a difficult physical condition, but he is the best emotional mental condition. I admire his passion and inner strength so much.

My Response:

Thank you for sharing this inspirational video, it really does put things in perspective. I, like you, tend to complain about the little things in life. Yet, watching Nick Vujicic really makes me wonder why it is I complain at all. In many circumstances I have the All-American dream life. I am married to an awesome woman, have a beautiful house, nice cars, great family and even a great job. However, I still think there is more as though the grass is really greener somewhere else. Videos like this remind me and us that we are all lucky. Lucky to be alive, lucky to be free, able to do the things we want, say what we want, be who we want. But as you said, we over look this freedom and undermine everything that people like Nick truly enjoy about life. Thank you for sharing this with me and reminding that I have it pretty good!

Week 3 - Free Response - SEED School

Watch CBS News Videos Online

It is not very often that a 60 minutes story has much relevance in my line of work. In fact, for as many issues as we have in education you would think there would be a featured spot for the subject in every broadcast. However, as I watched this story I was reminded of the good things that are happening in our profession.

The SEED school was created by Eric Adler and Rajiv Vinnakota and is based around the idea of boarding schools for the rich but intended for the less privileged inner city school student. Students are placed in a lottery and are allowed in no matter what their current education level. Many students come in with very poor basic skills yet go on to attend major four year Universities. So what is the secret to this success? What they found was that taking students out of their surroundings and putting them into an environment that fostered learning, the students were successful. To ensure this, students live on campus during the week, have access to mentors and tutors and are driven from day one towards a college education. There is not an option to fail and the dedication from the administrators down support this idea.

Watching such a motivational story, I began to wonder why there aren't more schools like this around the country. Why do we not take examples like SEED or High Tech High in San Diego and recreate these all over the country? I have no real answers to these questions and welcome any feedback.

Week 2 - Reading - Rule Number 6: Don’t take yourself so seriously.

Image by: Nick La Fountain

For many, I imagine, reading chapter six in The Art of Possibility by Benjamin Zander was a reminder of why we must learn to lighten up and not take ourselves so seriously. For me though, this chapter was a reminder of why I approach life with such a laid back, fun loving spirit. While I have it in me to be very serious and professional, I choose to spend most of my days finding the joy and happiness in my life and others. Zander talks about being fulfilled in what you do rather than doing things simply in order to move up a ladder. In humans, it is a natural instinct to want to "position oneself in the hierarchy", but as Zander suggests, this usually leads to a downward spiral. This is known as the "calculating self", but if we can move into a "central self", we can realize a life in which we are free from an identity, free from judgment and free from battling with the "calculating self". To do so is free simple. Lighten up, live every day like it is your last and for once do something to be fulfilled rather than to fullfil somebody else's perception. 

Reference:

Zander, R. & Zander, B. (2000). The art of possibility: Transforming professional and personal life. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press

Week 2 - Response to Christen Kauffman

I can not hardly believe we are working on the summary page of our action research projects. It feels like just a couple months ago I was scrounging for an idea, and now it is all almost said and done with. It is interesting to look back now and see the kinds of things I would have changed if I knew then, what I know now. One big idea I have had recently is to incorporate individual learning through online courses created by me using tools like Udutu. LMO gave me a run for my money, but it also gave me one of the most profound tools I have found in the program. Next year I will be implementing a series of online courses at the beginning of the year, highlighting things that students will need to know how to do on the computer throughout the year.

In a way I will be doing another round of action research. One of the most important things that this action research project has taught me is to not let procrastination run your work. I am a life-long procrastinator who likes to use excuses like, “The pressure to finish makes me do better.” Yeah I know, that’s crazy and probably just an excuse. I found myself pushing things to the back-burner then panicking that I wouldn’t have enough time to finish. I was thankful for the fact that our first website check-in was due at the beginning of the month as it pushed me out of that procrastination phase.

Even with battling my procrastination, I am happy to see that my AR project is wrapping up nicely. Many of my initial hypothesis are proving accurate in some way or another. It isn’t being right that has me excited though, but what being right means for my students. It is has been so exciting to see some of them coming out of their shells! This is a great way to conclude both the AR project and the school year.

My Response:

I couldn't agree more with your statement about "the kinds of things I would have changed if I knew then, what I know now." I actually spent several months changing my ideas and talking with Roxanne about how hard it was to be excited about my project when each month we learn a new tool that could be valuable in our research. This was extremely apparent when we came to LMO and like you, I wish I would have had this class earlier in the year. I think having the knowledge about CMS/LMS and tool like Udutu, could have made a huge difference in the presentation of our cycles.

Like you, I too am a life long procrastinator. I love the pressure I feel in my chest it's down to the wire and you have to get things done. I really needed this month to force me to wrap up all the work we have done in our project. I too kept pushing everything to the back burner and focused more on our classwork rather then the project.

Congratulations on finalizing and wrapping up your AR project. It has been a pleasure to be in classes with you and to get your insight on topics throughout the program. I wish you nothing but success as you move forward in the years to come!

Week 2 - Response to Lina Varley

Lina Varley Said:

[Video]
As graduation quickly approaches, I can’t help but be inspired by the words of Steve Jobs as he shares his story with Stanford University graduates. Everything in our lives truly happens for a reason and I am excited to see what will come of the investment we have all made this year.

Much like Mr. Jobs’ biological mother, my parents were adamant about the importance of education in my life. The words still play in my head, “Money and possessions may be lost or stolen, looks will fade with time, but knowledge will always be yours.” I think one thing missing in those words was creativity. Our capacity to create and imagine yields amazing results. Seeing the work of my peers and being able to have a glimpse of where the future of education is going has been a gift.

My Response:

This is truly one of my favorite videos. Not only is it from one of my favorite people, Steve Jobs, but it is also such a motivating speech. While the words he speaks are inspirational and should be heard by every student, parent and being, it was your writing that really got me thinking. Your quote, "Money and possessions may be lost or stolen, looks will fade with time, but knowledge will always be yours" brought me back to the days when my dad would say something similar. Not as poetic, my father would remind me of the very same thing as your parents. I never really knew what he meant, but get it now. I was very lucky in the fact that my dad paid my way through college and made it so I never really had to struggle. I took advantage of this and spent a solid 6 1/2 years getting through a pretty easy state school. I contemplated dropping out of school several times but remembered that wasn't want my dad was sacrificing for. Even until recently, I really didn't understand why he was so persistant about me finishing school. I hated school, but he understood what it meant to have that piece of paper and the doors it could open. Without his support and dedication to my success, I wouldn't be here today. It is because of parents like ours that we owe our success. Thank you for reminding me why we are working so hard today. Your parents should be proud!

Week 2 - AR Project

This week marks the end of one of the most challenging experiences I have ever faced. For the past nine months I have battled this horrible desease known as my action research project. While I am not completely satisfied with the end product of my project, I am ecstatic that it is finally completed.

From the start I struggled with this project. I changed my essential question/problem three times and ended up re-writing my literature twice. Thanks to the guidance of Roxanne, I ended up arriving at my essential goal of training teachers how to implement technology into their lesson plans. However, as I later learned from my literature review, I went about implementing in the wrong way. I did everything that you shouldn't do when trying to use professional development to help teachers integrate technology into their lesson plans. One of the reasons for this error was that I changed my literature after I was into my cycles. Having this information ahead of time, I would have reshaped the way my cycles were implemented.

Even though my cycles were done incorrectly, it still validated what my literature suggested and taught me a lot about professional development. However, one of the greatest outcomes of this experience was the fact that I have no moved into a different role at my school. Actually, it is a role I hold now, Director of Technology, but I am finally going to be given the opportunity to focus 100% of my time on the position. Currently I teach, oversee the school network and hold the tech position. Next year, while I will still have one class before school, I will finally have someone under me maintaining the network and I can focus on technology integration at the school.

In the end, even though my research project was a flop, I owe my current success at school to the process of undergoing the mind numbing pain I experienced over the past nine months. My administration saw a real need for my position to be full time and have the confidence in my to be a real change.

Week 2 - Free Response -How will the iPad change education?

How will the iPad change education?

There has been a lot of talk around my campus about becoming a 1:1 school. In this vision we imagine each student owning a mobile device and integrating this device into curriculum. In the past our thoughts were limited to tablets, laptops and netbooks. While each has their pros and cons, neither really stood out as a clear winner. With the advent of the Apple iPad, it appears that there may be an opportunity to take our ideas to the next level.

As Rob Reynolds points out, the iPad could be prove to be a real game changer. According to Reynolds, the benefit of a tablet like device include the following (This blog excerpt was written by Rob Reynolds on the topic of 21st Century Learning):

"They are about productivity — Learning is about doing and, increasingly, about doing both in and out of the traditional classroom. In the 21st century, learning is contextual and promotes engaging students in real-life applications. This means learning on-the-go but with all of the necessary materials and digital tools necessary for their tasks. A phone isn’t quite up to the task and a laptop isn’t exactly mobile. A tablet is the perfect device.

They are about convergence — E-readers will not take hold in education because tablets will negate their usefulness and appeal. An e-reader is a single-use machine and a fairly limited one at that. The tablet, on the other hand, will support e-textbooks — Web-based and offline — color, Web productivity, and a whole host of other media, content creation, and communication options. The tablet can serve many functions and the e-reader only one. We want convergence when it makes sense and the convergence offered by tablet devices will appeal to educational users.

They are about mobility — Make no mistake about it — tablets are mobile devices. They will run mobile apps, have mobile contracts in some cases, and be designed for productivity on-the-move. They are perfect for augmented reality applications, distributed learning, and student success tools.

They are about price and availability — Tablets will allow users to have the functionality they want at a price they can afford. More importantly, they will usher in a new era of learning material distribution and subscription models for textbooks. The net result will be lower education costs across the board.

They are about community — Tablets are mobile devices that connect users to one another. Learning, particularly in the 21st century, is a community-based activity. Enough said (2010)."

It's clear that the benefits to this new device need to be explored and taken into consideration when planning something like a 1:1 campus. I have already signed up to attend a couple of workshops based on this idea and my administration would like me to purchase a couple of iPad's to test on the campus.

Reference:
PBS. (2010). How will the iPad change education?. Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/teacherline/blog/2010/01/how-will-the-ipad-change-education/

Week 1 - Reading - Art of Possibility

Chapter 3 - "Giving an A"

This weeks reading was absolutely mind blowing! Have you ever approached any event, never mind education, any event and say "you know what I have an "A", I can not fail"? This was the overall vision of chapter three and attempted to get the reader to imagine a classroom where failure was not an option.

The author, Benjamin Zander, shared his personal experience in the classroom in which he employed this model. During the beginning of each term, Zander tells all of his students "Each student in this class will get an A for the course," "However there is one requirement that you must fullfil to earn this grade. Sometime during the next two weeks, you must write me a letter dated next May, which begins with the words, Dear Mr. Zander, I got an A because...". WOW! Could you imagine the respect and responsibility you would get from students once they knew the outcome of the class. I imagine that most educators would argue that this would never work. That students would simply put what we would want to hear and then do the opposite. This is expected, us educators are bread to fail. We are lead to believe that a class with all A's is a failure. I remember my first year teaching, I was in meetings listening to discussions about the bell shaped curve and its role in teaching. The idea was that we want a nice curve from A's to F's where the majority of grades fall in the middle. I was shocked that we were even discussing such a thing. What if our kids heard this talk, why would the even try? What motivation would they have in knowing that our administration valued average more than excellent.

It's not surprising to Zander who understands that we attempt to reward based on accomplishment and giving an unearned A can be difficult. However, he does suggest that students can help establish the range of knowledge they must master to achieve this goal. As Zander states "The practice of giving the A allows the teacher to line up with her students in their effort to produce the outcome, rather than lining up with standards against these students."

In the end, this chapter discussed more than just the role of this theory in the classroom. I learned that I personally need to take this same theory and use it in my day to day life. I tend to hold back trying things because of my fear of failure. However, I have now taken on a new M.O. and that is, I already have an A, failure is not an option.

Reference:

Zander, R. & Zander, B. (2000). The art of possibility: Transforming professional and personal life. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Pres

Week 1 - Response to Therese Lunsford

Therese wrote:

{Video}
So here's my latest post on video. From a (mild) rant in my last post to an ode to my general program here. In addition to what I say on the video, I can add this to why I love the EMDT program at FSO.

1. It's practical and directly applicable to my endeavors as a teacher.
2. It's flexible and works around my full time job.
3. Scholarships make it a pretty cheap Master's program.
4. You really do learn a lot.
5. It is, occasionally, FUN! (Call me crazy....)

My response:
You are so on point with this video. I couldn't agree with you more. I have really struggled with my AR project but have fallen in love with the people and content we have been given access to. I feel like I have made some new life long friends (both faculty and students) and have been given the knowledge necessary to make it in today's ever changing educational landscape. This program has challenged us to take a hard look at education and how we can be a positive change. I truly believe every educator should have to go through something as meaningful as this program. Trying the explain what we experience does not do the hard work of our teachers the dignity they deserve. I urge my fellow educators to experience this on their own and look into the program. Hopefully Full Sail will keep on the growing path and continue to be an influence of change for our educational system.

Week 1 - Free Response - Google Apps

This week, Google announced that some new changes are the horizon for Google Apps customers. We are a current user of Google Apps for education and I have been extremely happy with the overall Google experience. If you unfamiliar with Google Apps for education, take a moment to watch this video.


Currently we limit our use of Google Apps to our faculty and staff members. The most utilized functions are Gmail, Calendar and Docs. However, with this announcement from Google, it appears that there are some new functions that will prove to be very useful to both faculty and students. Some of the new products being added to the core services include, Blogger, Picasa and Google Reader. While this functionality has always been available to regular Google App subscribers, it has never been part of the core suite for those on the paid or education version of Google Apps.

While many of these tools were still being used in the classroom, the ability to have one central administration was none existent. With this announcement, administrators will be able to have a little more control over functions like Blogger and hopefully help teachers integrate this valuable tool in the classroom.

Week 1 - Response to Ashley Burch

Ashley Wrote:

Well EMDT has gone by very fast. I can’t believe there is less than two months before graduation. The one thing that has been foreboding thus far is the Action Research Project. I have been so nervous about putting everything together. It’s all there, just not organized. I lack some very pertinent organizational skills. It’s the art teacher curse, right brain thinkers. Ok, it’s mostly just me. The literature review has taken more time than I anticipated. I originally wanted to explore student motivation with student personal interests. It wasn’t successful due to the middle school age group. It’s an age group that is full of wonder and excitement, yet they don’t know who they are. They are at the exploring phase, finding out what they like and don’t like, what’s cool and not cool. It’s a difficult time for this age group.

That being said, I changed the focus to a regional event art competition that prepares students for high school and the state level art competition. The competition is called the Junior Visual Arts Scholastic Event.

Cycle 1 just gave me a basis as to what their final art piece should be. It wasn’t intended to do so, but I used that information to get them to the place they needed to be by May 1, 2010. Then, by cycle 2, they had an idea of what original art meant. They were prepared for the Junior Visual Arts Scholastic Event by creating original artwork and posting comments on flickr. This made students more conscious of peer to peer feedback for critiques.

The AR Status Report is keeping me in check as I have to get everything organized by tomorrow. The pages on the AR page are placeholders, and it has been a challenge to get it all filled in with detailed analysis. The work is done and I can’t wait til the final presentation!

Image: Creative Commons

My Response:
I know exactly how you feel. I too began with a different idea for my action research project and changed not only once but twice. I have had the pleasure of working with you during this process and think that you have shown some real courage in the ability to adapt to your environment. Being able to realize that your project isn't suiting the needs of your students and making a change is a huge step. I think you handled this really well and found a way to integrate, not only technology, but also a very crucial step in art. The ability to communicate and provide feedback. Getting this critical thinking skill at such a young age is going to benefit these students down the road immensely.

Knowing you, I am sure you feel a sense of disappointment. But you have to stop and take a look at the great accomplishment you have made this year. Not only have you balanced an insane schedule, but you have also found a very cool way to prepare your students for the next level. Be proud of these little victories and celebrate them.

Week 1 - AR Project

This week I spent the majority of my time working on my Action Research Project. As a major part of this course, we were asked to completed any open ended issues that might exist. For me this was both a blessing and a curse. It was a blessing because I needed someone to focus my time and energy on closing out the project. It was a curse because I finally had to adress the issues that existed within my project. First, I had to complete my literature review. I am absolutely convinced that you could end crime im America by requiring every inmate to write a literature review. There is nothing fun about a literature review and at the end of the day you are only happy because you finally finished all the work. The other issue I had to adress was the lack of communication from my critical friends. I have had two stakeholders in my project that have really taken an interest in my success. However, I have also had one administrator who seemed to "miss" every attempt of communication possible in regards to the need of his feedback. Other then these two minor headaches, I am pretty happy that my project has started on the path of completion. Next week I plan on having everything completed. I have a little more work on my final cycle and some minor revisions that need to be made on my literature review. Other than that, it should be smooth sailing to the finish line.