Wk 4 Publishing Leadership Project

I am planning on presenting my project at the eTech conference in Ohio. I would like to present there because it is close to my hometown and it would be great to attend and see the other exhibits as well.

Think Out Loud Post #1

Think Out Loud Post #2

Park_Ashlee_PubLeadProject.ppt

Think Out Loud #2

For my first choice, I would like to present my presentation at the Ohio eTech Conference. My second choice would be the Pennsylvania Educational Technology Expo and Conference (PETE&C).  Both venues would be perfect for my subject. 

My comment to Janene

Janene's Post...

Wk4 The Art of Possibility Chapters 9-12

When I started teaching over ten years ago, I believe my whole body was filled with lighting ready to transfer to others. I wanted to relight a spark in my students, so they would be ready to take on the world.

Recently, I think my inner light has fizzled, and I see a dying light in my students.

Maybe it is the end of the year. Maybe I feel a little burned out. But when I read these last few chapters, I realized, I need to make a change in my thinking. I can still make a difference in my students’ lives. I can still light that spark.

How do I rekindle that feeling of making a difference? I know myself. I need to make a change with my professional life about every three to four years. Do something different like changing schools, positions, or curriculum. This really helps me with keeping my ideas fresh and new.

However, what about the students that have that darkness inside, but don’t want to let in the possibility of light? Every year, I try to motivate a student that just doesn’t want to work with me. Usually it’s a student that just wants to goof off, play around, distract others, and try to be the “cool/bad” kid. You all know them…we all have at least one in our class. This year, I just so happen to have two of them in one class. This is how I overcame this type of behavior. I gave both students a lot of leeway.

I let them work on a multimedia project together that consisted of a rap creation they created in Garageband Loops. I saw the spark...they showed the light.

Instead of me running around yelling at them to get to work, saying, “stop this”, or “stop that”, I provided my students with endless possibilities. My students found new technology knowledge, created a content skill rap song, minimized distractions, and had fun. I was able to do my job…which is mold young minds. WE all learned from this experience.

My comment...my comment said it needed approved, it didn't show up, but I did comment?? So I had to retype this may not be verbatim but it works...

Hi Janene, 
I think its great that your sharing what you have learned here with some students who need something different. I am sure they loved every minute of it! I also think its great that you know yourself well enough to know when you need a change. I know several teachers who needed a change some time ago but didn't want to put forth the effort that a change requires. A good teacher knows and will change for herself and her students! 

My comment to Laurie

Laurie's Post...

The chapter Lighting the Spark in Zanders book, Art of Possibility states that passion rather than fear is the igniting force of possibility.  He discussed how the practice of enrollment is about giving yourself as a possibility to others and being ready, in turn, to catch their spark.  You become partners in a field of light.  I have experienced this many times through use of enrollment, getting others to see the light, through my passion verses using manipulative means to engage them.  Allowing them to see your passion gives them different perspectives thus unleashing possibilities that they would not otherwise have seen.  I am passionate about incorporating what I call the fun factor into my corporate training courses where my French colleagues culturally oppose this.

Fun training materials - Photo taken by Laurie Kish

Photo taken by Laurie Kish with permission

I prepared a training course on Project Management that I intended to release world wide to all our global sites that involved an interactive team building pirate adventure where they were required to dress up as pirates and journey across the open seas with the mission to find the treasure within a specified time-line, specified cost, and with a certain performance measure.  I presented this to my French colleagues just prior to launch and the mere idea of this seemed childish and they closed their minds immediately.  Of course fear ran through my soul and I felt attacked, and defeated after spending many weeks developing this module.  I decided to show them how passionate I was about learning effectiveness when hands on fun activities are integrated into the modules by convincing them to participate in a session to experience it first hand.  They agreed and in the end I opened up my module for their critique and comment and asked them to help me improve it so it was culturally acceptable to the French.  By doing this, I could see the light in their eyes as they engaged in helping me add more fun factors.  They were sold and to this day they often contact me to help them incorporate other fun examples into some of their training sessions.  The sparks of possibility are living within all of us; we just need to imagine that all people andsituations can be an invitation for enrollment.  

My comment to Laurie...

Hi Laurie,
This is really amazing! I love that you didn't get discouraged when others weren't "on your page." This story is rather inspiring to me as sometimes I have an idea and I feel like the more experienced teachers at my school would think I was crazy...for lack of a better term! I think after reading this chapter and your experience I could "get them on board" well maybe have more courage to try to "get them on board" Thanks so much for sharing!

Week 4 Reading...The Art of Possibility

When reading chapter 9, I was inspired by the term enrollment. I immediately thought of my classroom and how different it would be if the kids in my classroom could understand this term. I think if I were a high-school teacher I would read this portion of the book to my students. I really liked the story about the boy with the ten-dollar bill and no air for his bike tire, as well. In the book the author said, “ The scene changed right before our eyes from bankruptcy to abundance…” I loved this quote and isn’t it great that with a few different words everything can change?  This reminds me of when I was in the third grade and one time I asked my teacher, “Can I go to the bathroom?” She looked at me and said, “I don’t know, can you?” From then on I learned that I needed to say “May I…” This is totally different from the meaning of the book, but it just goes to show that the way you say something or look at any given situation really does make a difference. If the boy didn’t change the way he asked for the quarters the three wouldn’t have reached abundance, and if I didn’t learn to say “May I…” I wouldn’t have gotten very far in third grade!

In chapter 10, I was excited about the advice for what to do when feeling at my wits end…I thought to myself, wow now I might have all the answers!! From this chapter I gathered something that my father has told me my entire life! My father is famous for saying “You’re responsible for you and nothing else!” The quote I emailed to him was, “Gracing yourself with responsibility for everything that happens in your life leaves your spirit who and leaves you free to choose again.”  I really appreciated being able to give this to him and I know he’ll appreciate it.

This book has been a great read. I love all the personal stories shared and all the memories that it brings back to me. It allows me to reflect upon and rethink my everyday decisions. This has been the best textbook I have ever read so far throughout my entire education.  Thanks for a great read!

Week 3 Wimba Post

Watching the wimba archive was beneficial for me as many questions that I had were answered about the abstract and the week 4 wimba presentation. I am always thankful for the archive because I get to listen to other people's questions and I typically have no questions afterward and I can go about getting my work completed correctly.

When discussing the text...The Art of Possibility I agree that this book is a great reminder of things we already see and know everyday. These things may have been in front of us all along...just like the Honda Element, but now they speak to us or they are more clear. I think this book is great. Chapter 5 really spoke to me, but I can't say it's my favorite chapter. I like them all!

Month 11 is almost over...Post #4

I am just amazed at how fast these past eleven months have zipped by. I am starting to look forward to graduation and meeting everyone in person. I am even more excited about going back into my notebook  to sort through the hundreds of websites, web 2.0 tools, and technology ideas and figuring out how I am going change my classroom for the better. I am so blessed to have this opportunity and be able to provide new experiences for my future students.