Wk 4-Wimba

Wow...That is all I can say. Once again, I am amazed and inspired by the great work my fellow students have produced. The presentations during the Wimba were great. Not only were they well designed, but everyone did such a great job guiding us through it.You guys rock and I am glad I have had the opportunity to go through this process with such a talented gro...

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WK 4-Leadership/Publishing Project

I would like to present my project at the Texas Computer Education Association (TCEA) conference that takes place every February in Austin, Texas. Before I actually apply, I am going to recruit a couple of the teachers in my CBR cohort to present with me. Here is my presentation as it stands now. You can view the instructors notes by clicking action at the bottom of the window once the project launches.My Publishing/Leadership Proj...

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Wk 4-Reading

To me, this is one of the most powerful quotes in the book The Art of Possibility. It is reminder about the importance of the moment and what is at stake. Indeed, it is the task of us all to produce and procure the betterment of others. We are truly one big WE.Although this desire to work in consort with his fellow man for the greater good should be the responsibility of everyone, it is even more so for those of us who have chosen to teach. It is by definition the core of our chosen path. This quote reminds us that our relationships with our students are dynamic and sometimes unpredictable. Educators talk about 'the teachable moment.' ...

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Wk 4-Scott Comment

Wk 4 Readings: My Focus on the Effort Ch. 9-12There are so many concepts of my life I can apply Zanders philosophies to both personally and professionally. However, as I write this passage, at this very moment my thoughts are with the five at-risk youth I am trying to work with. I stress trying because as life ‘is what it is’ for me, I had to realize it is the same for them. I may not be able to change them, well influence their beliefs is a better and more appropriate phrase. I can only lead by example, show them I sincerely love and care for them and want the best that life can offer, feed them positivity and show them the possible outcome.How...

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WK 4-Shavor Comment

WK 4 Reading Ch. 9-12"Enrollment is not about forcing, cajoling, tricking, bargaining, pressuring or guilt-tripping someone into doing something your way. Enrollment is the art and practice of generating a spark of possibility for others to share."If anything could describe how I operate with team mates and clients on a daily basis it would be the above quote from the Zanders book. After reading the story about the children and the orchestra I found myself in tears. Part of me realized that A) for the last year I have been in the presence of teachers that have that passion required in spite of all that has opposed them. What a gift that has been....

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Week 3-Rule Number 6

I must admit... Many of the principles discussed in The Art of Possibility are concepts I completely believe in and have used as guides during my life. In fact, at times while reading it I have wondered if there was a point to continuing (The irony does not escape me). While reading, I have had a lot of 'of course' and 'naturally' moments.And then it happened... Epiphany!I have two sons (Drayton 5 and Dalton 3) who I love with all my heart. Lately, my oldest son and I have started developing a bit of a contentious relationship. He seems to challenge me at every turn. Of course, I, having a tendency to be too authoritarian, haven't budged....

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Week 3-Wimba

Abstracts, Week 4 Wimba, Publishing Project, Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!This weeks wimba left my head spinning. I love the book but I could hardly focus on that part. So much to do... I do appreciate the clarification on all of these up and coming issues (did you say meany pants?). I need to come up with a better plan. I have let technical issues, the laws of inertia due to a week off, and personal habits become a bit of hindrance during this month. Re-focusing as I type...It's both exciting and scary to be getting near the end. I am anxious to get my publishing project up to speed and I look forward to presenting to the class. I may even make a live...

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Week 3-Grover Comment

Publication versus PresentationWell, I am leaning towards a presentation. I do not have time to write another paper worthy of publication.With the advent of voice in powerpoint, I'm wondering why we need to type more words on a project? Also with the advent of YouTube or Viddler, couldn't we submit a link to our PowerPoint screen flow or actually "present" to our video camera and post it? Often my brain works faster than I can type, and believe me I can type pretty fast (80+ wpm when I get going). Also with typing my English/grammar cop comes out, and I tend to fix things as I type instead of waiting for a re-write. (I just fixed a missing comma...

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Week 3-Skocko Comment

Without thinking, I leapt to the stage and said to the young Cuban players through an interpreter, “Your job is to teach those rhythms to your stand partner.” And to the American players I said, “Just give yourselves over to the leaders sitting next to you.”— from The Art of Possibility (p. 75)It would be so easy for me to use that passage as an opening to speak to the power of peer mentoring, link to Mac Lab Mentors, and embed a video to hammer the point home:.And to be completely honest, that was my plan. I’ve finished the book and just want to get these posts out of the way. Yes, I enjoy writing and yes, I believe in the power of blogging...

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Week2-Wimba

The Wimba session cleared up most of my copyright questions and helped make the muddy issue of fair use, which I blogged about last week, more concrete. It still seems tough to put an exact definition that everyone sees the same, but I am sure I have a better understanding.I was most interested in the discussion about the differences between copyright, trademark, and a patent. I was not not aware of the distinction between trademark and copyright and, although I watched the archive and couldn't vote, I also picked brands as an item that carries a copyright. It is interesting and it actually makes sense the way that different genres, for lack...

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Week 2-Comment 2

Week2-The Art of Possibility/ Chapters 1-4Image courtesy of Zander and Zander The Art of Possibility generates a great deal of thought after reading even the simplest paragraph. I am trying to find ways to implement what I am reading to make an impact in my teaching and in my classroom. I have come away with several nuggets to jumpstart my school year in the art room. The first light bulb came with the description of the teacher’s role described by the authors. The teacher role is to help students chip away at barriers that block their abilities and expressions.I really love this idea of unlocking potential that is within each student, not...

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Week 2 Comment 1

Blog Post on Reading (Week2)graphicleftovers.comFrom my reading of the Art of Possibility, the last two chapters really stuck with me and caused me to think as well. As an educator I like to think of myself as a contributor each time I step into my classroom with my group of students. In the reading the great example of the mother giving her daughters money to help them out in their situation is the way I try to pass my knowledge to my students when they come to a point on a project and they may struggle I know that I can come in and provide information to help them. The chapter on given the students an A gave me a project to start this semester...

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Week 2-Give Yourself an 'A"

I was struck by chapter 3 of The Art of Possibility. I have always believed that grades are an arbitrary measuring system that ultimately cheapen and sometimes pervert the desired outcome. I find the 'explain why you earned an A' activity interesting.I often discuss this concept with my students. Of course, they look at me like I am insane. In fact, every I ask my classes to tell me why are grades important. I usually get back responses like: 'for allowance money,' 'to get into a good college,' 'to stay out of trouble at home,' or ' to be successful in life." This usually leads me to concede those points, but I then ask them to explain what...

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Week1-Comment 2

Wk1_Reading response: Copyright, fair use and remix In phase one, I found myslf really empathizing with movie creators because of the blatant piracy under Swedish law and Nigerian law. But gradually, I found myself empathizing with the remixers as creative folks themselves. The DJ Girl Talk convinced me he couldn't really do what he does without violating copyright law as it stands. And Mr. Lessig also persuaded me to rethink copyright in terms of print media.As a lit teacher, I know a thing or two about print. I know I couldn't teach without print. I know I sometimes, okay, often redistribute a newspaper or magazine article in class to discuss the ideas or the words themselves without prior permission of the author or publisher. I might be protected with fair use as a...

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Week 1-Wimba

Once again... The CBR rears it's ugly head. For the second class in a row a good portion of the content will be tying up loose ends and polishing the final look of our CBRs. I understand the project is a big part of the program, so I see the necessity; however, one can still hope for a different path... Right? I do appreciate Roxanne's help, and I am glad we have been coached through the process. She did a good job of clarifying in Wimba some of the things she pointed out in the sight review email that she sent me. I also like Mr. Bustillo's definition of a literature review. I'm sure I just missed it earlier, but this is the first time I have heard or seen someone lay out the expectation so clearly. So, I would like to say thank you for that. I am glad this course is structured...

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Week 1-Comment 1

Week1_Wimba OH Wimba how I love thee! Thank goodness for archive!My FAVORITE part was the literature discussion. Why?! Because I needed the most clarification on this (long long story), but this has been a HUGE frustration for me. So I'm SUPER thankful for this clarification FINALLY!"lit rev is a survey [overview] of a lot of literature...""what did the world say about what I want to do?"Broad spectrum - no list - not research paperA dialogue that covers the spectrum of what you're researching.Jen Geiger said during a conversation, "What would Diane Sawyer say about the literature?" which went along with the professor's analogy of a good talk show host!!! Where was this analogy eight months ago?! Super thankful for a fresh viewpoint to this process. Think the curtain is finally...

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Week 1-The Thin Fair Use Line

I knew the definition of 'Fair Use" was a slippery one, but I did not realize just how slippery. I was not, I hate to admit, aware of the exact verbiage until part 2 of this weeks required material. And, I might add, I'm still not completely sure. It seems like it is a hard thing to completely pin down. As an educator that creates media for both my students and my staff, I am most concerned about how fair use applies to education. According to Mr. Bustillos, a good barometer for whether or not an educator can use copyrighted material for instruction is to ask the question can the unit still be taught if the material in question is removed. This is reasonable and easy to apply in his example of background music; however, this criteria could easily come into question and become more complicated...

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