MAC WK 4 Blog 4 - Unfortunately we haven't gorwn up much

"If I cannot be present without resistance to the way things are and act effectively, it I feel myself to be wronged, a loser, or a victim, I will tell myself that some assumption I have made is the source of my difficulty." Zander, The Art of Possibility

The book, The Art of Possibility, asks us to think of taking responsibility for everything that happens to us, and in doing so allows us to be free to choose again. I have always been an easy going person. Although the idea presented is intended to be shocking and even controversial, it ring a chord within me. I continually see people who are truly burdened by seeking to right a wrong that has been done to them. I don't see them living a richer or fuller life through this, what I see is a lot of pain and suffering. Yes, things need to be dealt with and their needs to be justice, but it doesn't affect the psyche as one might think. By not seeing things from an individualistic perspective and and instead by looking at the whole picture, can change a persons perspective. Zander calls this, "being the board".

People are more narcissistic than they want to believe. As we grow older we think we have moved beyond the 3 year old throwing a fit because they didn't get their way, when really we have the same emotional reactions as our 3 year old self, only we have learned to control it in a seemingly socially acceptable way. Why does everything have to be fair? Who ever even told us that anyway?

Being "the board" goes way beyond personal gain. Think of how much fuller our relationships could be if people trusted that no matter what happened between us, we would take the responsibility. What a freeing friendship. There would be no blaming, no hard feeling, no lingering thoughts that would fester until they are blown out of proportions.

This type of thinking sets one up for success. It helps to move people beyond the situation and helps them to take control, move forward, and be successful. The woe is me attitude has never gotten anyone anywhere.

MAC WK 4 Blog 3 - Master's Journey

I can't believe that in one more month and I will finally be done. What a feeling. I am excited to finish something that I have worked so hard to accomplish and I am excited to have much more time back in my life. There has been much to learn over this past year. A year full of media that was way beyond anything I was expecting. It has been a deep, rich learning experience which has helped me to learn new technology, and more importantly, how to meld it into teaching in a way where its transparent and the learning has nothing to do with the technology, the technology simply enhances the learning experience.

As our world continues to change and technology evolves into something way beyond what I can imagine today, I feel like what I have learned from this program won't be like tomorrows Walkman, outdated. There were times where I would have liked to have learned more about the latest and greatest in technology, but now I understand why that isn't the goal of the program. The latest and greatest doesn't last long in today's world. My iPod of two years ago sells for $50 on ebay today. Even though the tech changes, learning doesn't. Even thought the tools we use for learning change, ultimately the way in which our brains process info doesn't.

The title of our program at Full Sail is fitting, Education, Media, and Design. The education and design sandwich the media. Good teaching requires more than cool tools. The tools need to be in the hands of a skilled professional who understands pedagogy and who understand the learning needs of their students. Full Sail has helped to bring me to that next step. I will be leaving here with a working grasp of media in education and with a hunger for more. That is what I am most excited about.

I know have multiple sources of information to continue feeding myself even after I am done next month. The process isn't over for me even though the classes end. I have been introduced to many things and I desire to learn even more. It has been fun, it has been difficult, at times it has been annoying, but I am ever thankful for the experience.

MAC WK 4 Blog 2 - Responce

Cindi Jobe: Week 4 - PBS Video: Digital_Nation: Life on the Virtual Frontier

MAC WK 4 Blog 1 - Media Project

Here is a link to my media project.

The following video is part of the project.

MAC WK 3 Blog 4 - Presence Without Resistance

When things don't go my way my immediate reaction is to complain and point out all the bad things that are happening. I complain about why it is everyone else s fault but mine, and that people should have listened to me. This immediately puts me in an even worse mood and doesn't open up for the opportunity for redemption. I need to learn to just be with the way things are so I, and the people around me can move forward.

Why are we (me) so preoccupied with how the way things should be? I see this in schools all the time. Teachers complain about how the administration should be, how students should be, and how parents should be. This type of thinking is so detrimental to the health of the school building. It keeps everyone from dealing with the real issues because everyone is focused on how everyone else should be and not dealing with the way things are. Lets embrace the way things are and learn to deal with and work through the situation we are in and then we will have the freedom to progress and move forward.

MAC WK 3 Blog 3 - Responce

What a great concept, to go BTFI! (Zander, 2000) This rings true to me when thinking about all of the teachers who have been recently laid-off this year. I, having had experience from last year being laid-off have come to know and embrace the BTFI concept that Zander speaks about. Instead of giving up and cursing the world I decided to use my time pursuing a Master's Degree in Education Media Design and Technology. I went to a meeting for the laid-off teachers last Friday. There were some who could only think about the obstacles and how terrible the situation is. Then there were a few that stated that they were going to use that time doing something they enjoyed. One of the teachers, who is expecting in May declared she would enjoy her time off being a stay-at-home mom with her new born child. No matter what obstacles, set backs, rejections, or disappointments life decides to throw at us, the important thing to do it to look for the possibilities in life and participate in that life rather than just giving up.

Zander, B., Stone Zander, R. (2000) The art of possibility. Penguin Books. New York.

Piturachsatit said...

I just saw our local theater groups rendition of Annie last night. After reading your blog a song came to mind. "The sun will come out tomorrow, bet your bottom dollar there will be sun..." What a great attitude to keep. We teach our students all the time to make good choice and that they have the power to make something good out of something bad by the choice they make. Adults need to listen to the advice we give.
March 21, 2010 3:48 PM

MAC WK 3 Blog 2 - Motivation

My thesis is about motivating students in the reading and writing classroom with technology. I really do think that technology has the capability along with sound pedagogy from the teacher to increase students intrinsic desire to learn. That being said I feel like it is also just another band-aid to a much larger educational dilemma. In my district we have been discussing all year about how to reach our struggling learners because there is such a sense of apathy in them. Many ideas have been thrown out; technology, project-based learning, problem-based learning, more discipline, more reward and so on. All of theses things are great, but they aren't addressing a more real and prominent issue to undermines all the improvements we can make at school. The home. I know we can only control what happens at school and with that time we need to do the best we can, but there needs to be a better solution as we look at the needs of our students. Schools need to find away to support parents who are struggling to meet the needs of their children or we are going to continue to have difficulties at school which we won't be able to address well.