WK4

My Dream Teaching Environment

Sat, 1 May 2010 19:09:02 -0400

My dream-teaching environment would be set up like a large corporation. Each student will have an office with a computer. The day will start with each student clocking in on the computer; they will follow the daily teaching and learning schedule for the day. At the end of each week, students will post and present report that reflect on the weekly assignment. I will facilitate to students as groups with each group having a different assignment. The week will start out with group session meeting with the Facilitator after each student receive his or her assignment for the week they will attend different sessions that will introduce them to different applications that can or will be used for that weeks assignment. The corporation will be set up like a small University for students to select their areas or interest
Examples: Filming, Graphic Design, Music, Recreation Sports, Gaming, Computer applications, etc. The school dress code will be professional dress. Parents will be required to meet with their child’s teacher every other week. I think I can set this up in my classroom if I had enough computers. The sign outside of my door will read Little Tech University.

What my classmates are saying

Sat, 1 May 2010 14:33:04 -0400

Van Mason
Yet once again it absolutely amazes me how this book speaks the truth that is my life, much less my life in the last 4 weeks of this class.

In Chapter 10 the author talks about “Being the Board” on which the entire game so to speak is played on. He describes that when you are completely out of options and are frustrated and angered and have no way out, you basically need to “think outside the box or norm”: At least this how I took it. And per my previous post concerning my action research website, this is exactly how I felt.

For I was angered and frustrated and out of options: All I had to rely on was myself and I needed to come up with a solution that fit me “Being the Board”. And I did exactly that; I revaluated my dilemma and took fault for my lack of following up on the changes of Action Research over the months. So I had nobody to blame but myself. I owned up to it and set out at creating a web of actions that would help me correct my wrong. In a shorter sense, it is like a game of chess, to which the author explains in this chapter. My entire dilemma was a chess match with myself and I checkmated my goals and problems by taking the necessary responsibilities and actions to right them.

“You can always grace yourself with the responsibility of anything that happens in your life. You can always find within yourself of any problem you have” - Roz

In the next chapter the author talks about “the leader of possibility”. As I expressed in previous posts about this book, I once again identify with this concept. For I have been considered an anti-hero among my friends, family, and co-workers. I strive to resist this and in the end it always happens where I lead in the areas where others are scarred and fearful. It is because of my compassion and the ability to see the difference between the fears and how one must proceed to change the problem that I feel this is why I am constantly elected to lead a pack of individuals in areas where others cant or don’t want to. Do I dislike this? Absolutely not, I might resist it because I have hopes that another will stand up and take charge, but then I remember that person is I and I have people who look up to me. Is it hard? Yes, but rewarding in the end. I only hope others around me will find that inner strength and diversity that they need to become a leader on their own when I am not around.

I describe in-depth myself as a leader because it is these qualities that I use for myself to identify and strive for my “dreams”. My “vision” is another version of this and identify with the author on how to accomplish these “dreams through the frameworks of possibilities, but at the same time I disagree. It is more of a personal thing for each individual to identify their dreams and ways of accomplishing them. This might help for others, but not to particularly for myself. But even as I say that I think about how I am going to accomplish my owns dreams and nonetheless it is a framework, maybe not the same in the book, but one nonetheless. So maybe I can identify with the author a little more then I thought.

"I am done with great things and big things, great institutions and big success, and I am for those tiny, invisible loving human forces that work from individual to individual, creeping through the crannies of the world like so many rootlets, or like the capillary oozing of water, yet which if you give them time, will rend the hardest monuments of man's pride."
ÑWilliam James

I couldn’t have summed it up any better then the author did with this beautiful quote. This was truly an amazing book that I will be talking about for years to come.

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Shirley Jordan
@Van
we sometime loose our perspective on things because we focus more on the outcome and how other will receive it. We listen to the comments of others and sometime don’t take the time to understand the message in the comment. I think you should continue to be the leader or board that you are but always remember to let others play a part on the board. It is all about teamwork. You may have felt you had a dilemma with your AR project but just look at it this way. Your final AR really was what you needed to do because it made a difference to others and to yourself as a person. The dilemma was a great payoff.
Saturday, May 1, 2010 - 02:30 PM

Xavier

CHAPTER 12. TELLING THE WE STORY: I TOLD YOU IT WASN’T ABOUT YOU. HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO TAP INTO THE POWER OF COMBINING YOUR EXPERTISE AND PASSIONS WITH SOMEONE EQUALLY GIFTED? HAVE YOU HAD THE PLEASURE OF LIFTING A TEAMMATE, STUDENT, STRANGER UP ENABLING THEM TO REALIZE THEIR DREAMS AND EXCEED ANYTHING THAT YOU COULD HAVE IMAGINED?
YES! I HAVE HAD THE POWER TO TAP INTO ANOTHER WITH EQUAL EXPERTISE. NOW, I HAVE NEVER LIFTED A TEAMMATE UP, BUT CAN ONLY IMAGINE HOW GREAT IT CAN BE. BUT I DO FEEL THAT I HAVE LIFTED MULTIPLE STUDENTS AND STRANGERS. THERE HAVE BEEN MANY STUDENTS THAT HAVE FELT EMPOWERED BY THE NEW, FOUND SKILL THAT I HAVE TAUGHT THEM. IT IS AMAZING HOW MUCH I CONNECT WITH THIS BOOK BECAUSE OF ALL THE MUSICAL EXAMPLES! THERE WAS A TIME LAST MONTH THAT MY CHORAL ENSEMBLE WENT TO A COMPETITION AND PERFORMED MUSIC THAT WAS WAY OUT OF OUR LEAGUE. WELL, I FELT THAT IT WAS OUT OF OUR LEAGUE. BUT SOMEHOW, BETWEEN MY SPEAKING AND TEACHING, I INSPIRED THEM TO STEP UP AND MEET ME HALF WAY AND MAKE THE MUSIC THAT THEY ALL DESERVE. BUT THEY ALL KNEW THAT WE COULD ONLY GET SO FAR WITH MY INSPIRATION ALONE. THEY WOULD HAVE TO BE WILLING TO FIND THEIR OWN INSPIRATION AMONG A CERTAIN PIECE, AND BE SOLD OUT FOR THE PIECE. NEEDLESS TO SAY, MY STUDENTS ROSE UP AND DID THE IMPOSSIBLE. THEY FOUND THE CONNECTION AND MADE SOME OF THE BEST CHORAL SOUNDS I HAVE EVER HEARD.

S. JORDAN
XAVIER
YOU HAD SOME POWERFUL WORDS ABOUT LIFTING OUR STUDENTS AND STRANGERS. AS WE GO ABOUT OUR LIVES AS TEACHERS, WE LIFT THE LIVES OR OTHERS EVERYDAY. THINK ABOUT WHEN YOUR STUDENTS SEE YOU IN THE STORE HOW EXCITED THEY GET WHEN THEY SEE YOU SOME OTHER PLACE THAN IN THE CLASSROOM. WE FEEL LIFTED BECAUSE OF THE EXCITEMENT OF SEEING THE STUDENT EXCITED AS TO SAY THIS IS “MY” TEACHER. THEREFORE, WHEN WE THINK ABOUT HOW WE LIFT OTHERS AND FEEL LIKE YOU NEED A LIFTED. TAKE THE TIME TO REFLECT AND THINK ABOUT THOSE MOMENTS. THIS WAS A VERY INSPIRING BOOK WITH A WEALTH OF INFORMATION THAT HELP ME MAKE A TRANSFORMATION IN MY LIFE AS TO HOW I VIEW OR SEE THINGS. YOUR STUDENTS WERE ABLE TO MAKE SOME OF THE BEST CHORAL SOUNDS BECAUSE OF A BIG LIFT FROM YOU AS A TEACHER.
SATURDAY, MAY 1, 2010 - 06:40 PM

Leadership Sharing Comment of Thanks

Sat, 1 May 2010 14:00:14 -0400

I would like to thank everyone for your encouraging comments on Thursday night on my Leadership project presentation. I would like to also thank Mr. Bustillos for giving such encouraging words and being understanding as to how much work goes into making any project possible. The book for this course was a great selection it has helped me to see the world that we live in, the people that we are exposed to, the little ones that we teach, and the team that we work with daily in a different perspective. You were such a great and helpful professor. I have learned a lot from my AR project. It added moments that are more challenging for my students in the classroom. I cannot wait to see the outcome of the math CRCT results this year. One of my classmates made a statement that it is not about raising test scores it is about seeing gains. Let us continue to make contributions daily that inspire others.
II was very nervous about my presentation especially having all eyes on me while presenting. I did not know what to expect and was not sure as to weather or not I was on the right track. The comments that everyone made were very helpful in helping me to make changes.
I applied to present this at a conference in Atlanta, Ga at the Georgia Educational Technology Conference in November 2010.

WK. 4 Reading Chapter 10-12 Being the Board

Sun, 25 Apr 2010 20:23:29 -0400

At some point in our everyday lives we sometimes feel like thing can’t happen without us. My way is the only way and if it can’t go my way then it won’t go right the plan will fail completely. I have been in situations where people don’t want to support because they didn’t have input in it. To some it is all about recognition and fame. I believe in everyone having a part and every idea counts. I had a situation once where someone quit in the middle of the program because they didn’t gain the respect or the spotlight that they were hoping to get. They quit because they didn’t realize they had committed to something else before this commitment. I was a little disappointed but knew I had to go on as planned because I did not want to let the children down. The program turned out beautifully and received many raved reviews. From this another offer came through for me to do another program with another group. The people that relieved themselves and decided they had something else to do came to me later and said they wanted to come back and help with what I was doing. At this point, I did not say no to her but I did say to her, I need reliable and committed people that can work as a team. The point that I am trying to say is you should never feel like you are so great and above others because it is not all about you. Every on has an important role and no role is greater than the other is because when putting a puzzle together you need all parts to make it complete. Don’t be a board but be a part of what makes the board complete. In order to make a difference in others we have to strive on making a difference in ourselves daily. Take the time to evaluate yourself and the things you do and say to others. A reward can be the outcome of something it don’t always have to be monetary, trophy, or being recognition before a large audience. It is all about the individuals involved as to how they feel and the impact that was made to someone's life.