Week 2 Comment - Helen's Post

My comment:
Helen,
We definitely do share a piece of our brains as this whole business of giving an 'A' was hard for me to wrap my brain around.  I agree with your notion that if we gave everyone an A, what do they have to work towards.  In my experience and how I feel, setting expectations is important to show people how successful they can be.  How can we know our worth per say if we are not working toward something?  Is that intrinsic motivation really enough without any outside motivators?  This is definitely something I have to learn more about and practice to see the result of how it can work.  I don't think it is ever fair to set any student/person up for failure by setting unrealistic expectations, but building strength by setting expectations to showcase individual strengths I still think are key in doing so.

Helen's Post:

Week 2 Reading: Chapters 1-4 (WK2BLG1)

Credit: Notebook Gallery Software (SmartNotebook)

This week in my MAC course I have finished reading chapters 1-4 in The Art of Possibility and WOW what a STRONG and uplifting book. It was nice to first view the video from TED because it really set the mood for the book before I started reading it.  Benjamin Zander is such a strong speaker and is so methodical with his speech and writing. Both Zander’s are filled with such strong stories and examples and reflections for me as a reader that I found myself rereading each of their stories multiple times.

The chapter this week that hit me the hardest was “Giving an A”. It was such a power chapters filled with uplifting stories that constantly kept making me reflect upon my daily life as a daughter, wife, educator, and all around person.  Reading these stories that Roz and Ben had to share about their lives and experiences really made me think about what I was doing towards and with others within my life. Many times we by human nature judge things before giving others the chance to prove themselves and we need to watch these barriers we put up. We need to allow the creativity flow and allow people to make their mistakes and make their judgments but ensure that we are allowing them and giving them the A they deserve.  When I first started reading the chapter I thought it had to do with standards and I couldn’t warp my brain around giving all students an A…because I kept thinking…what do they have to work for or towards then…their motivational levels fall and their thought on doing their best does as well…but it wasn’t about standards and giving the A so that something was completed but allowing our learners and peers in our lives to live up to their potential and allowing them to be passionate and share their experiences with others. I was moved through these stories and examples in this chapter and I know this sounds nerdy…but cannot wait to finish this book to reread this chapter again. I already have it bookmarked to read in the months of January-February…the time of the year when our students and teachers, myself guilty of, fall into the winter blues and hopefully this will make me become more passionate and drive my students in their learning when I ‘Give them an A’.

I really want my students and peers and myself to really reflect daily on what steps have I taken that make a difference…good or bad…We all need this opportunity in our lives to be given an A by ourselves or others. Being an educator we need to open our students eyes to see what they CAN do and what they are possible of achieving...allowing them to push themselves and be passionate about the things around them and share it. We need to change our world of learning into being able to look deeper than skin deep.

Source:
Zander, B. & Zander, R. (2000). The Art of Possibility. Boston, MA:Harvard Business School Press
TED Video: http://www.ted.com/talks/view/lang/eng//id/286

Week 2 Comment for Sheri

My comment:
I can't agree with you more that this class gives insight into how we should live our lives. I've actually been on a sort of personal/spiritual journey for the past couple of years and reading this book has reiterated so much that I have learned and allowed me to put into perspective so much more that I couldn't wrap my brain around. Once we make the conscious decision to release the efforts of judging and over thinking situations, things do become so much easier. And we may not realize it, but it is all in line with sowing seeds and putting out energies, depending on what you believe. You can attract so much more positive people and circumstances into your life simply by being/doing exactly what you'd want to experience.


Sheri's post:

Wk 2 Reading

Image by Sheri Brinkerhoff

All of the structure and ideals we use to bind ourselves into our lives are invented.  Only looking beyond the proverbial box can help us see beyond our immediate world.  I have often thought about how we create our own world based on our experiences. “The Art of Possibility” by Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander is one of the most amazing book I have ever read. Unleashing the possibilities within should be the goal of every person.  It really is all invented.  Someone created the ideas we use to guide our lives.  What could we accomplish if we did not know fear?  Assumptions are the biggest hindrance for me in opening up to the realm of possibility.  It is so easy to make a judgment about someone or a situation.   

During the last week, I have focused on trying to stop making assumptions about situations.  I find that when I do this I have an easier time giving someone an ”A.” I have found that I have more patience with people because I try not to make assumptions or judgments about behaviors and actions.  It helps to think about how you are contributing on a daily basis.  I loved that the idea of being a contribution releases one from the cycle of success versus failure.  The chapter where the author describes his class after giving everyone an “A” is very intriguing.  I have toyed with the notion of presenting this idea to my students.  Though I do not think my administration would be receptive to the idea, I like the affect on the students.  It releases them from the cycle of success versus failure and brings them to a place where they can focus on their personal journey.   

An excellent education teaches students how to live beyond the course material.  This class is an excellent example of the concept.  Though the course is titled “Media Asset Creation,” I feel as though I have learned more about how I want to live my life.  Lessons taken from this week’s reading have affected my personal thinking in ways that will extend beyond the course itself.

Week 2 Reading - "The Art of Possibility? What the what?!!?"

http://www.cybernation.com/images/success/possibility_wall.gif

Chapter 1: I had no idea what I was getting into when I started reading this book.  I guess I already put it in a particular “frame” and expected another textbook that should be relevant to this program to some degree.  To my surprise, Chapter 1 threw me for a major loop and actually struck a chord with me.   Challenging me to now really think of how I confine myself, my existence and even my own expectations of myself this chapter really got me thinking about all sorts of boxes I create in my life.  This particular quote towards the end of chapter 1 was so impactful that I actually copied it into my Facebook and Twitter statuses (an abridged version for Twitter though) “Every problem, every dilemma, every dead end we find ourselves facing in life, only appears unsolvable inside a particular frame or point of view.  Enlarge the box or create another frame around the data and the problems vanish, while new opportunities appear.”  I can’t tell you how often I see myself stuck writing a creative piece and can’t move forward because I don’t allow myself to truly be free in the creative writing process.  Or how many times I see my schedule as completely solid and when something unexpected occurs, it’s practically the end of the world because I initially think I can’t change my schedule.  Or when financial crisis sets in, and I feel like we are doomed because I’m not thinking outside the box and realize what other options are available that will ease the burdens.  I think this is something we all struggle with and since we are conditioned to actually fit things into neat little boxes to make them make sense, it becomes a struggle to deconstruct that pattern and try something “out of the box”. 

Chapter 2: Going through Chapter 2, I understand the concept of the world of measurement as basically the confines we fit everything into.  What makes us, “make sense “of the world and everything in it.   I would say my own thoughts and actions reflect the measurement world through my irrational anxieties of anything that involves change or the unknown.  Through my psych background, I know some of my irrational fears and anxieties are from learned or conditioned through certain life experiences.  As an adult, I’ve even learned to recognize where some of this comes from.  But I guess there is some comfort in my discomfort.  That although change and certain thoughts or things cripple me to the point of hyperventilating (heights, snakes, losing my children), I know exactly what they are, what triggers them and may even be more afraid of releasing them that I chose to hold on to them.  Now I know I’m probably going all over the place in this post, but while reading this book, I’ve been processing a lot of things in my frame of mind. 

http://www.funz.eu/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Think-Outside-The-Box.jpg

Chapter 3:  So the “A” is not an expectation to live up to but a possibility to live in to”.  That sentence initially turned me off.  It’s through expectations we can learn what we are made of.  What we expect of ourselves shows us how far we can go.  What we expect of others, defines what we will and won’t put up with.  I never thought expectations were a bad thing as long as they were relevant, clear and consistent.  I completely understand where this chapter is going, but I may not be at the place to embrace it yet.  Learning to deconstruct how to function without expectations is utterly challenging and to some down right impossible.  I know it is something that must be done to further understand myself and break down the barriers I’ve created in my life and hopefully teach my children to do this early on and not have to wait until some midlife crisis to breakdown all they’ve ever know (which is kind of where I’m at now).  Regardless, upon reading the rest of the chapter, I understand where the author was going and must just accept this as another challenge I have to learn to overcome; another miseducation I must learn to deconstruct.

Chapter 4:  I don’t care what you’ve been raised to believe, but it is practically universal to understand that contributing, giving, inspiring, doing anything outside of yourself for the benefit of someone else without expecting anything in return makes you feel way better than not doing any of the previously listed.  Sometimes it is a challenge for others to come outside of themselves long enough to see how much more of an impact they will make by giving a little bit of themselves.  When I counseled abused and neglected girl, I learned what an impact I was making and how I was contributing to the future of these girls.  When a handful of them found me through social networking years later and have told me what a word, or gesture meant to them even know showed me how true it is.  Spiritually, I know that that being a giving person only enriches you.  So I try to contribute as often as I can.  I teach my children to contribute.  I try to create the idea “if I have, you have; if I eat, you eat; if I can be happy, I should help make you happy.”  It’s the only thing that makes sense to me more so now than ever before.  

Week 1 Reading - Copyright

http://intechweb.wordpress.com/2011/05/19/hargreaves-report-on-copyright-the-answer-to-the-machine-is-in-the-machine/

In watching the videos on Copyright, I must say I was pleasantly surprised to see the video A Fair(y) Use.  I previously taught a research class and at the beginning of each marking period, I showed this video to my classes so that they can constantly be reminded about copyright.  The class was mainly project based learning and I learned the hard way about copyright when one of my students made a video using clips from a news broadcast and was challenged by fair use and they could not submit it to a contest.  It was an excellent project on top of that.  My classes worked closely with our librarian to also learn more about fair use and copyright to protect their creative work in my class.

The documentary Good Copy/Bad Copy was truly enlightening particularly at then end.  I was not aware of the prevalence of remixing in Brazil and how much those who seemingly don’t have much take time and effort to create such amazing hybrids of music.  I see kids these days doing the same things though.  Taking the technology and equipment that is available to them and doing things that are so advanced that it is downright amazing.  Larry Lessing's TED Talk about remixing culture led me to think about the questions: Are we really comfortable stifling that level or creativity?  Or do we need to find some healthy balance to encourage our future leaders and artists to flex their creative muscle?

Lastly, the clip about "Eye on the Fair Use Prize"  really pushed my concern regarding lost historical accounts.  I've always felt that what is captured in history will be how the future views the past.  Our perspective of the Greek Era or the Romans or even the missing accounts of African tribes and cultures prior to slavery comes from historical accounts and documents that are left for the future.  What we choose to omit only paints a partial view of all that really occur and is that really fair to those who must piece together a picture of our today?  I guess in some things, copyright can be a blessing and a curse.

Resources:

http://web.me.com/edm613/m11/wk1-reading1.html

http://web.me.com/edm613/m11/wk1-reading2.html

http://web.me.com/edm613/m11/wk1-reading3.html

Week 1 Comment - Cheryl's post

http://krazykk.wordpress.com/2008/02/25/260/comments/

Cheryl,
I must say, I am one to continuously ask about copyright because I always get too engulfed in the project, and forget what I'm allowed to do. When I taught the Research class, I took my students over to our librarian every marking period for a refresher on copyright so that they understand what they can and can't do in our projects. Funny enough, we used the Disney video as well at the school I taught at!

Cheryl's Post

Week 1 - Reading

This weeks reading assignment was very much on target for me.  I am in the library, and am asked copyright questions all the time.  This was very helpful.  I was amazed at the fact that copyright lasts a lifetime plus 70 years! WOW! That is one long time! It is a good thing that someone came up with fair use! Teachers would be in so much trouble if fair use was not around! Another thing that I thought was that those rappers with all the profanity and sexual innuendos throughout their music should be glad that someone would even consider using any of it.  I won't even subject myself to listening to that in the first place, let alone "borrowing" any of it! I am really behind in the times, as I have never heard of Danger Mouse and the album "Grey". I also did not realize that Nigeria was so involved in the music industry.  I really liked the "Fairy Tale" using the Disney characters! That was my favorite part.

Comment on Heidi Faber's post

Heidi,

Your perspective on the video “Eye on the Fair Use of the Prize” was definitely on point to me.  The amount of documented history that is no longer available to my own children now is staggering.  Unfortunately, what is happening is that information is once again being manipulated to omit the grit and reality of what occurred and replace it with a romanticized version of the truth.  We could all benefit from truly understanding the full scope of what occurred in history and not just allow what someone decides is all we need to know.  I agree that more of a stance needs to be taken so that people can make changes and have truly express what history really was about, the good, bad and ugly!

Heidi's post:

Week One Videos: Copyright Laws: One Viewpoint

The video “Fair Use Fairy Tale” was an accurate and creative way to relay the copyright information in an extremely relevant set-up. I will admit, I was shocked that a copyright now last a creator’s lifetime plus 70 years. I don’t see how the extra 70 years is relevant, the creator is dead; the family of the creator should not ride the creator’s coattails just to milk out more money. The lat I new, or thought I knew, copyrights last 75 years or the life of the creator. I used to agree with this when I learned about JD Salinger (wrote Catch in the Rye). He virtually vanished from society to escape the having to be hound by media to create a movie to his classic. He felt it would ruin the integrity of the book. However now days, I think media giants and influential “powers that be” have bastardized the original intent of the purpose of copyrights.

I think it is great that independent documentarians have stood up and created the “Best Practices in Fair Use” manual. What I don’t understand is why don’t people take more of a stand. If lawmakers can move the copyright length back to a lifetime plus 70 years, then with enough protest and civil disobedience it could be brought back to a more reasonable amount of time. I was particularly shocked by the video “Eye on the Fair Use of the Prize.” I think it is horrible and should be downright illegal for people to “lock away” our true history. It is truly a conspiracy of those in power to manipulate citizens (particularly young people that don’t have a reference) to make their political agendas reality. I find what was portrayed in that video to represent media using copyright laws to whitewash our history through lies of omission. I want to go beyond just “following the rules and sneaking around with Fair Use” people need to stand up and change these laws back to the people and not for profit makers.

I understand why copyright was put into place, to protect artists and creators, but like everything in America, copyright goes beyond protection…it has become a way for corporations to make ungodly amounts of money and greedily keep art to themselves that they really don’t appreciate anyways and the common man gets screwed. Art is not about money, art is about expression and that should not have a price (or a copyright). Fear of copyright infringement kills creativity. The idea of Creative Commons is a cool idea for getting the focus on art back on creativity, but when the video mentioned how the Internet made it so anyone could participate without asking permission. I must ask, why is that bad? It is everyday people taking back some kind of rights that laws and lawyers and corporations have striped away. These greedy people took copyright laws to the selfish, money-hungry place it has become and the Internet is the average person’s way of expressing their creativity and to fight back.

Week 1 - Free Post

                                      Image from: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3048/2607306410_49af600bdd.jpg

I really wanted to kick off my free post by exclaiming how excited and utterly petrified I am to be so close to the end of this program.  We've learned so much through this program that it is hard for me to swallow that we are nearing the end.  When I got into this program, the format of having 1 class every 4 weeks was appealing until it started.  Then, I realized how challenging it can be.  I can appreciate the fast pace because it forces you to really stay focused on the class and what is being taught without a break to "forget" anything.  I also appreciate how each element of what we learned gets reinforced through all the subsequent classes.  Building our CBR project month after month is a great way to go through a program especially having elements of the CBR incorporated into each course so that we remain focused.  I surely did not know what I was getting myself into when I started, loathed the program at certain points because of all the work we are responsible for, and appreciate the program for all that I've learned that is also applicable immediately.