Week 1 Blog Post #1 - WIMBA week 2

Week 1 Blog Post #5 - Response to Devin Bryant

Week 1 Reading- Smash the boxby: Devin Bryant

The Art of Possibility definitely spoke to me. I was immediately drawn into the message because it speaks my language. I was not completely aware of the ability to change your perspective and look at the world around you in a new light until my freshman year of college. I had little glimpses of it through out my life. Times when I felt more in power and in control of what was going on, but I could never really pinpoint why. When I finished my freshman year of college I went to work at a camp for the summer and my whole reality shifted. Part of it was being in the woods, away from civilization for so long, surrounded by strangers and none of the material trappings I usually had. Another aspect was all the time spent talking, reflecting, having conversations with other people who were feeling this shift as well. It felt as though I was in another universe where all my priorities were changing. I could really hear myself and others in a way I'd never experienced before, because my perspective had changed, the way I looked at the world had been altered. Forget about thinking outside the box, I had smashed the box and felt like I was floating in space looking around going, "why on earth was I living in that tiny little can"?

So as I was reading about the need and ability to "reinvent" the way you look at situations, it really struck a chord with me. I truly feel that we as humans get so caught up in our lives, schedules, paths that we feel we need to be on, that we are almost wearing blinders. And there are little things that happen every once in a while that shake us up, get our attention and make us look to the left and right and see how closeted we really are. But unfortunately, I have not figured out how to stay in this place where I can be in control of shifting my perspective, and I think that is something a lot of people struggle with as well because we get so caught up in the drama of daily life and forget how to look at our lives differently.

The story about white water rafting and "toes to nose and look for the boat" really clicked with the way I was raised. I think that when you are "thrown out of the boat" as Roz said, it is really like being sucked underwater with no idea of what is up or down ad there is an awful fear that you may never make it to the surface. And what I've realized over the years is that many people in the world have absolutely no idea what to do when this happens because they've never been told that there is a way to help yourself. Either they focus on the negative and can't even see the light streaming through the water, or they completely give up hope when something goes wrong and don't even bother swimming to save themselves. But in my family, the motto I've heard all my life is "everything happens for a reason". I've heard others use this in a religious way, to say that God is taking care of the situation, but that wasn't the way my family looked at it. I remember when I was little my mom explaining to me that with every situation in life there is an upside and a downside. You can always find a way to make something good or to make it bad. All you have to do is make the choice to look at it in a positive way and then it's easy to find a way to change the way you look at anything. I think this was what Roz was talking about when she told her story, because having that mantra in my head has really helped me get through rough times in my life when I've fallen out of the boat. I didn't worry about drowning because I had the voice in my head telling me what to do. And I think that's what this book is really trying to say, that if you can take control over the way you look at situations in life, you can make anything happen.

My Response: 

Week 1 Blog #4 Response to Chris Gemp

Giving an A
by: Chris Gemp

This chapter really spoke to me.  I had a very similar experience to Mr. Z recently.  Two weeks ago, third quarter ended in my school system, so consequently I was giving tests to finalize their grades.  My sixth graders took a fairly standard test, with fill-in the blank, multiple choice, and short answer questions. My class averages were 95, 97.5, and 102(there were 5 points available for extra credit).  I made a comment to my colleague that I must have made the test “too easy”.  She responded: “Why shouldn’t everyone get an A?”  I have to say that I agreed with her.  I did not make the test any easier than in previous years. I was reminded of my first year teaching, when a different colleague told me her philosophy when making tests: “I make it hard enough so one student will fail”. 

Why should that be our goal?  I think teachers should strive to have each of our students earn an A.  I do not think we should just give out A’s, but there should certainly be no limit to the amount of A’s allowed.  We want our students to strive for greatness, so why shouldn’t we strive for that same level.  I think it is our success and our failure as much as it is the students. 

Michelangelo is often quoted as having said that inside every block of stone or marble dwells a beautiful statue; one need only remove the excess material to reveal the work of art within.  If we were to apply this visionary concept to education, it would be pointless to compare one child to another.  Instead, all the energy would be focused on chipping away at the stone, getting ride of what is in the way of each child’s developing skills, mastery, and self-expression. (Zander)

I have a student that is fairly resistant to putting forth a lot of effort into any class.  I sat down with him one day while he was supposed to be practicing the guitar and asked him why he wasn’t practicing.  He said that he was never going to pick up the guitar again after he left my class. I thought that was a pretty narrow-minded statement for a seventh grader to make. I consequently asked him what he wanted to do after he got out of school.  He mentioned that he wanted to be a mechanic.  I said, well there was a possibility that he would never pick up the guitar again after my class, but that there were still many skills he could take with him into his future endeavors.  I mentioned that work is sometime stressful and that coming home and jamming on the guitar could be a fun and relaxing activity.  Also I said that learning how to read music, would strengthen his reading ability, and that was a skill he would need all of his life.  He asked my why, and I said: “well, you may not read for pleasure, but they are always coming out with new products and someday you might have to read a users manual, and those are never easy to read, so its would be a good idea to be an excellent reader.”  Lastly we talked about when playing the guitar your hands are doing separate tasks, as well as so are your fingers.  I correlated that with the hands on requirements of being a mechanic.  He was satisfied with our short discussion and has now been very productive for the past few classes.  I am sure that will not last till the end of the year, but it has lit his fire now and when the time comes, I am sure we will have a new conversation to continue his efforts. 

Week 1 Blog post #3 - Assessment within a K-3rd grade Art Room. To be or not to be. That is the question.

Week 1 Blog Post #2 - Art of Possibilities Ch 1-3 - Reaction

Week 1 Blog Post #1 - WIMBA

Oh, my Holiness!! I made a huge mistake and watched the wrong archived wimba!! An entire hour of Thesis stuff when I am within Action Research. I did not realize this until I could not find the assignments that were discussed.


So, today I watched the correct wimba archive and I have to say; I am wimba'ed out.


I enjoyed to detailed explanations of our Action Research Report that is due the 13th and I now see that all the un-posted data will now need to commit to. I am glad there is a deadline though b/c I have so little social life anymore that I have now become a procrastinator which I had never been before. I have found myself putting things off so I can spend time with my husband, family, and children.


Luckily I have everything done and just need to put it into words which won't take too long.


On the other hand the Publishing assignment discussed at the tail end of Wimba does alarm me a bit. I guess I didn't hear about our that future venture, but my AR is pesentation worthy and I am very excited about my research and findings, so what's the worry; eh?


Thank you Mr. Bustillos for you positive attitude and your patient composure. I appreciate your great efforts in assisting us on our walk out of Full Sail's EMDT program:(.

Media Design being used to train Trashmen