MAC - Think Aloud #2

I am very glad to have been able to present during the Wimba session on Friday after my Internet troubles prevented me from attending on Thursday. I appreciated the responses of my peers, and more importantly, I benefited greatly from viewing the works and listening to the presentations of this incredible group of professionals. I will continue to edit my paper to have it ready for publication. As we move into Month 12, I must continue to push for excellence and jump in with both feet. There will be no time in Month 12 for Internet service interruptions. I must stay ahead of the curve so that I can relax once Dr. Bedard says I have completed my journey. Thank you, everyone, for a marvelous Month 11!

MAC - Think Aloud #1

The top two choices of where I would like to submit my article are Tech Trends and Educational Technology Research and Development. I chose these two venues because they both focus on the technology in education. My Action Research project focuses on best practices to enhance student achievement in an online educational environment. I am leaning more toward Tech Trends.

MAC - Week 4 Response #2 - Mark Lillquist

Oh do I miss Art, Mark! :)

It has been completely removed from the curriculum at my former high school. I'm also relatively certain that it is not offered at the middle school in town, either. At the elementary level, it's up to the teachers to do art whenever their schedule permits, but there is no longer an art teacher.

I loved your video. What grade level do you teach? My high school math classroom has looked similar in the past (sadly). I love the statement that "Zander's book was like medicine." Then, you immediately followed with ways that you can better manage your class so that you don't have as many issues with the students. Kids will be kids, right? No matter how much time we spend trying to "train" them. Especially, in art. I can remember the excitement and the freedom to make a "mess" and then call it "art!" My creativity was nurtured tremendously by my elementary art teacher. So, kudos to you! And, now you can take control of the situation and Rule #6 may help you find that passion and enjoy the insanity of the students.

Thank you for sharing!

Amanda

From Mark:

Ch 9:

I believe I sparked some students' interest when I brought in some Styrofoam heads and some human hair tracks. Gluing the hair to the little nylon cap seemed to fascinate them. I like the Brit’s solution to their education problem because it addressed the motivational needs of the students rather than the pedagogical methods of the teachers.

Ch 10:

Wowzers, I needed this chapter because I was blaming the students for being mischievous…during the last weeks of school. I should know by now to batten down the hatches, provide super fun stuff with a heavy grade, and be on continuous patrol with parents on speed dial…and rule number six.

Ch 11:

Humility

Ch 12:

Refresh your dreams and awake to a new day of possibility

MAC - Week 4 Response #1 - Mike Wood

Excellent post, Mike! :)

I am thrilled to have read this as I return (hopefully) back to my former teaching position in my former high school. Though I haven't shared your frustration in my short teaching career yet (7 years), I know SEVERAL teachers who have felt, or currently feel, the same way as you described. The frustration in the educational settings appear to be growing stronger as money tightens and teachers are held to higher and higher standards. Can you imagine what it would be like if all teachers, administrators, and district personnel adopted the mindset described in the Art of Possibility? That would be an amazing system!

Thank you for sharing!

Amanda

Mike's Post:

I wish I had this book when I was teaching full time. Chapter 9 Lighting a Spark would have been an inspiration at a time when I had given up hope of ever being able to motivate and really engage my students. Working with high school students with learning disabilities is so difficult to begin with and when faced with teaching a mandatory curriculum that is clearly designed for younger students it became almost impossible. They were discouraged and insulted and so was I. Looking back on it now I realize that we had lost sight of the spark within us, we had lost sight of the fact that we could nurture that spark in each other. Being the Board, chapter 10, would have allowed us to act in a way that allowed us to choose our own path and to quit blaming others for our circumstances. You see here that I am including myself in the equation. I had become as disillusioned and as helpless as my students. I carried the revenge creature around on my shoulder for the last 2 years in the high school and reacted to the administration by blaming them for how I felt for what they had forced upon the students. I had quit working with them in a “We” frame of mind and had instead firmly retreated in to an, us vs them mode. It did no one any good. I had finally reached the end of my rope and resigned. This year, after a year away from teaching, I decided to start subbing again. In the final 2 weeks of school I was once again back at the high school that I had walked away from, from the students I had walked away from. Many expressed regret that I had quit but here they were about to graduate and once again I could see the spark in their eyes they as I do, feel reenergized and full of hope for the future now. This book and my time at Full Sail have given me a new way of approaching teaching. I’m looking forward to practicing a new way of seeing things, “The Art of Possibility.”

MAC - Week 4 Reading - The Master of my Destiny = ME

I have thoroughly enjoyed reading the Art of Possibility, and would prefer to have had it in paper form rather than digital form. I want it on my bookshelf! :) One idea that stood out to me was in Chapter 10...My take - We are not victims. Though bad things may happen, we share the responsibility of everything that happens in life. We choose our destiny. Yes, unfortunate things happen to "good" people everyday. It's your response to those unfortunate/bad things that defines you. I'm all for accountability, but this chapter takes it to a whole new level. And, I laughed through most of it because it sounds so reminiscent of the conversations I have with my husband. Since his tours in Iraq, he has become a far more negative person, a victim of circumstances. I often tell him that he chooses to place himself in situations. Therefore, he shares the responsibility of whatever occurs. I'm still working to convince him that he is NOT a victim. He can choose his path and magnify his destiny. We all have choices. Everything is a choice. Granted, unexpected things may happen, but we can still choose how to deal with them. The power of choice makes you a master rather than a slave to the things life throws at you. If you choose to be a "victim" then a victim you shall be. If you choose to be responsible for whatever happens in life, then you are in the driver's seat. Even if you get rear-ended (as in Chapter 10), you chose to be in that car at that particular time. Perhaps you will choose a different path on the next drive. Or, perhaps, the risk of driving that same path again may prove to be negligent if you otherwise were enjoying the drive. We live in a world where perception = reality. I perceive myself as a conqueror, enjoying life to the fullest! (Though, I would prefer a little more sleep lately.) haha!

Wk 4 Publishing_Leadership Project

Online instruction is gaining momentum as technology becomes more accessible and academic standards become more rigorous. Many educators are familiar with distance and online learning at the higher education level (colleges, universities, trade schools, professional development, etc.). In recent years, online education has entered into public K-12 education. In recent months, several traditional public schools have partnered with online instructors or have developed their own online programs to help meet the needs of their students and accomplish the goals of No Child Left Behind.

Click the links below to review the project and my thoughts along the journey:

Publishing/Leadership Presentation Document

Think Aloud #1

Think Aloud #2

MAC - Week 3 Response - Wimba

This week's Wimba was a woeful reminder of how much catching up I have to do after a week away from the computer. This week, I had several face-to-face meetings with the leaders of FLVS, and was able to present a new idea that we may actually implement soon. The Wimba session was a stark reminder of the need to better manage my time to find balance between work, school, and family in the midst of senior season and unexpected travel. As I mentioned in my post to Brian, I must also take responsibility for my choices and be accountable for my decisions. My job and family had to take center stage this week, and I will refocus my energies back to my coursework in the coming week. My submissions for this week, though hopefully adequate, are not representative of the quality of work for which I am accustomed to submitting. I appreciate the details that were given with respect to our project and presentations next week. This is a Wimba session that I will watch more than once. At the present time, I plan to write the paper rather than create a PowerPoint or Keynote. Once I am able to focus more fully on this project, however, that may change.