Sunday, March 28, 2010

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

Monday, March 22, 2010

MAC WK 4 Blog 1 - Media Project

Here is a link to my media project.

The following video is part of the project.

Sunday, March 21, 2010

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.

Saturday, March 20, 2010

MAC WK 3 Blog 1 - Microsoft Education Newsletter

I just learned that Microsoft sends out and education newsletter once a month. I can't believe I never knew about this. What a great resource for teachers. It provides tips and tricks for Microsoft software as well as information about curriculum that can be used in the classroom. The highlight of this months issue is digital storytelling. If you haven't heard about digital storytelling checkout the newsletter. What an exciting way to help students show their voice and allow themselves to really put what they are thinking out there.

http://www.microsoft.com/education/DOWNLOADS/Newsletters/EduNews_Feb2010.htm

Sunday, March 14, 2010

MAC WK 2 Blog 3 - Reading Compassion


Two cows are sitting in the field. One cow says to the other, “What do you think of this mad cow disease?” The other cow looks at him and says, “What do I care, I’m a helicopter!”

It is easy to get caught up in taking ourselves too seriously. There are serious things that each of us deals with. Work, school, relationships and many other things force us to responsible and move forward with strength and certainty. Although it is necessary to take things seriously, especially ourselves, it can also overwhelm us as people and become an obstacle to us in our humanity.

Rule number 6 – Don’t take yourself so seriously. This one and only rule helps us to move beyond our calculating self and move toward a centered self that seeks to find joy in others pleasure and fulfillment rather than our own survival. There is a selfishness and supremacy that comes from taking ourselves too seriously. This is not only damaging to us but also to the world around us. It can ruin the relationships that we all depend on in order to succeed. The calculated self keeps us in isolation solely focused on our own survival. Our survival cannot be maintained independently. We are a part of a whole. In order to find that freedom we seek for ourselves we must lose it by giving it away to those around us. It is in this compassion for others that our selfishness is found to be useless, and in cooperation with others we can attaint what we need by not taking ourselves too seriously.

Photo courtesy of http://raisingebenezer.wordpress.com/2009/09/07/more-on-compassion/

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

MAC WK 2 Blog 2 - Response

Week 2-2: Media Proposal Frustration

After being really excited about the possibilities for my media project this past week I have been frustrated with the media content proposal this week. I cannot quite put into words the ideas that I have in my head. I do believe that it is a really great assignment because it has really made me focus in on what I want to create. However, I have had trouble explaining the media project in detail because I keep wanting to place my thesis work into my content proposal. I forget that the content proposal what my thesis looks like in action instead of trying to prove myself all over again.

Just like a rubik’s cube all of the parts are there, I just need to put them in the proper place and perspective. I think the major problem is that my ideas have been in my head for so long now it was as if my brain dumped all of my ideas out and now I have to organize them. This is why I believe placing the Media Content Proposal assignment earlier in another class would have been helpful.
Photo courtesy of: http://www.sxc.hu/index.phtml
posted by ryan jackson at 10:35 pm
labels: pilot groups, teacher feedback, thesis media project

piturachsatit said...
Ryan I couldn't agree more about the Media Content Proposal assignment being placed earlier in the class. I have been thinking about why it was placed at the end and I am thinking that the goal is for us to use all that we have learned throughout the year and put it into practice with the proposal. I still think this could have been done in draft form earlier and then completed this month.

Good look with the rest of this process. The fact that you desire to create something tangible with all that you have learned means that you will end up with a strong final product. Keep it up, it has been a pleasure working with you throughout the year.

March 10, 2010 8:10 AM

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

MAC WK 2 Blog 1 - Pacific Science Center




The Pacific Science Center came to our school today to teach science labs. It has been an exciting day of science. The 6th grade teachers decided to make it a day of science by incorperating science into all of our classes when we aren't doing the sceince center activities. I was impressed with the labs, as they use a problem-based learning appraoch to the activites. It helps brings out the students natural inquisitional minds.

One things I think they could improve on is in their whole group presntaions. For an organiztion as large as the Science Center the use of media in the assembly was non existent. All they used during the presentaiton was a small tabel up front of hundreds of students which made it difficult for everyone to see. To me it seems like they could step it up and make their presentation more exciting with video, music, and photos. The students were mildly engaged. Sceince is supposed to be exciting and students are naturally curious but, with this digital generation it is important to bring more to the table to get their attention.

Picture courtesy of http://www.pacsci.org/

Sunday, March 7, 2010

MAC WK 1 Blog 5 - Media Project Proposal

I. THESIS ABSTRACT
As standards and pressure to succeed increases for students their own intrinsic motivation to learn has begun to decrease. New pedagogies must be utilized in order to stimulate their internal desires to learn. Many have named this generation “digital natives” because they are growing up in an age that is immersed in an ever present and evolving technology that plays a significant role in their lives. Educators must learn how to take advantage of this technology in order to make school more relevant to these learners. The technology gives educators a tool to bring the necessary learning requirements to today’s students in a way that is relevant and meaningful. This puts students back into the center of the learning environment. When it is the students who are the center of learning, the classroom becomes a place where students feel more responsible for their own learning and that natural intrinsic desire can redevelop.


II. Introduction
Problem Addressed
Students of today have been labeled as digital natives. The world in which they have grown up is a digital one. They haven’t seen a progression from things like compact disks to mp3’s. The mp3 is what they have known from the beginning. Because of their familiarity with all things digital, traditional projects such as making posters on paper or dioramas are no longer exciting to them. James Pence, Marketing Director, Teacher's Domain, WGBH:
“I think that many times kids come to school and they have to power down. At home they’re online, they’re IM’ing, they’re doing their work, they’re checking the Web, they’re going to Wikipedia, they are downloading music, they’re playing music and they’re watching television all at the same time. The classroom is not like that” (Technology’s Effect on Education, 2008).
Teachers need to learn to harness 21st century technology in order to reach the digital native and motivate them in the classroom.
The key to making this happen is to use technology as a tool to teach what is already being taught in class. The trend in education today is to teach to different styles of learning and to provide classrooms where students are actively participating in the learning. Technology fits well with this new style of teaching as it can be utilized as an instructional tool (Eisenach, 2007). The use of Web 2.0 allows teachers to move beyond the regular paper and pencil assignments and let students delve into infinite possibilities of creating and exploration on the web. The tools of Web 2.0 allow the learning that goes on in the classroom to move away from a teacher-centered approach to one where learning is student-centered through project-based learning. “Project-based learning is a constructivist approach that encourages learning in depth by allowing students to use inquiry-based methods to engage with issues and questions that are rich, real and relevant to their lives” (Solomon & Schrum, 2007, pg. 39). Technology doesn’t make learning happen. It needs to be used with good pedagogy and with the understanding that it can increase student motivation in their progress to meeting standards.
Target Audience
Various Web 2.0 tools along with other form of technology will be used to help motivate students in the middle school setting. The project will be particularly geared to 6th grade students at Grand Coulee Dam Middle School in Grand Coulee, WA. They will be using this technology to demonstrate their understanding of state standards that are being taught in the classroom.
Sharing the project
The media project will be shared with the students of Grand Coulee Dam Middle School, along with staff and administrators. The project will be created with iWeb and it will be placed on the schools website to share with everyone what the students have been doing and their reflections on the activities they have been doing throughout the year. Video will also be used to capture student reflections to determine their own feeling about the technology that was used and its affect on their motivation to complete the assignment.



III. Goals and Objectives
Instructional Goal
The subject of the media project is reading comprehension. The students who will be participating in the media project are in the 6th grade and will be working towards standards as defined by the Washington State Grade Level Expectations (GLEs). The students will learn different ways to think about their reading and demonstrate their understanding of what they have read in order to improve reading comprehension. This will improve students reading levels and give them the ability to read and remember the information. The ability to remember what you have read, after you read it, goes far beyond the reading classroom. It applies to all subject areas, as reading plays a significant role in learning. Students with better reading comprehension have a higher chance of success in school and will provide greater opportunities for them out of school.
Learning Domain
The learning domain that the media project fits into is cognitive as well as affective. Students will be learning how to improve reading comprehension. Another objective of the media project is to increase student motivation through the use of technology. This will apply to the affective learning domain, as it will be working on improving student attitudes.
Learning Objectives
1. The students will summarize the plot/message in a culturally relevant literary/narrative text.
2. The students will state the theme/message and supporting details in a culturally relevant literary/narrative text.
3. The students will identify the characters traits and provide supporting details in a culturally relevant literary/narrative text.
4. Students will demonstrate through video their understanding of how a characters traits influence their decisions.

IV. Presentation
Instructional Approach
The learning theory applied to the project will consist of multiple theories: constructivist, inquiry, and direct instruction. This is based on the fact that there is no one, ideal theory; all of them bring something valuable to the table. It is up to the teacher to understand each theory and in their pedagogy bring what is needed in order to optimize the instructional design (Mergel, 1998). When student are immersed in a learning environment that understands the learners needs, students will be able to find success in their own skills and abilities and take more leadership in their learning. This student-centered approach will be applied to the media project as it is designed to let each student utilize his or her own learning style.
Each student learns in a variety of ways. These are called an individuals learning style which can be shown: by seeing and hearing, working alone and in groups, reasoning logically and intuitively, memorizing and visualizing and modeling (Felder, 2007). When each student understands their own learning style they are aware of techniques the teacher is using and can learn when they are being taught in a way that is more beneficial to them and in ways they may struggle with, which can be a key that they need to something to compensate for that fact. Teachers who are aware of the learning needs of their students can present the information in a variety of ways in order to meet the needs of students. They can also provide opportunities for students to demonstrate their understanding by giving them a choice of methods that would better suit their learning style.
Technology plays a significant role in a teacher being able to design instruction that is student-centered and presents the information in ways that meet the different learning needs of students. “Technology has the power to reach and motivate various learners” (Pitler, Hubblell, Kuhm, & Malenoski, 2007, p. 32). Using technology is an effective way for the teacher to differentiate the instruction for their students. Students get what they need, how they need it, and they enjoy the process more, which will ultimately contribute to deeper learning for the student.
Working with the Internet and technology to create things excites students. Being able to create a video, use a blog, build a cartoon and so on motivates students to get to work. What teachers need to be aware of is that that excitement and motivation don’t always lead to the results they are looking for. Using technology is fun, but learning itself isn’t always exciting, regardless of the topics, because it requires work. It is important for instructors use sound pedagogies and not just rely on technology to do all of the teaching.
When technology is used well, it can be a positive influence on student learning when applied with clear learning goals. Technology itself isn’t the answer. It is a tool that, when used in addition to sound teaching practices, can increase student learning and achievement and it stimulates motivation to learn. (Pitler, Hubble, Kuhm, & Malenoski, 2007). Teachers need to plan lessons with the learning outcome in mind not the technology. If the technology becomes the focus, the learning that is trying to be taught becomes secondary. This will have dire effects on a lesson regardless of how exciting the technology being used is. Students will spend more time playing with the technology and focusing their energy into that end, resulting in little interaction with information they are required to learn.
Learning is most effective when the student is involved in four distinct phases of learning: activation of prior experience, demonstration of skill, application of skills, and integration of these skills into real world experiences. These phases of learning should also be apart of a problem-based type of instruction where the learning is centered around a problem introduced by the teacher (Merrill, 2001). Figure 1 illustrates this.



Lesson Structure
1. Students will be given the objectives of the lesson.
2. The reason why this is important will be explained to the students for them to develop reasoning and motivation for the project.
3. An overview of the project will be presented with a mind map.
4. Prerequisite knowledge will be introduced to the students. These are the new things they will need to do in order to be able to meet the objectives.
5. A demonstration of the procedure will be given to the students. This is done to model to students how to complete the project.
6. Practice will be given to the students. First in parts and then the whole project. Feedback will be given and so that adjustments can be made.
7. The final step will be an assessment of the students learning based on the revised version of their final product.
The order of this structure is based on David Merrill’s Guided Instruction. It is designed with the learning outcome in mind in order to provide the best instruction possible. The learning won’t be subject to the technology employed by the lesson. Rather the technology is secondary to the instructional design. It is a tool within the design that will be used to assist in reaching individual learner needs and increase motivation. “Effective uses of technology in education require a blend of product and idea technologies. Together, they form environments that unite technological capability with pedagogical necessity -- combining what can be done with what should be done” (Hooper, S., & Rieber, L. P., 1995, pg. 164). The goal will be for the technology to be transparent and to support the curricular goals.
V. Evaluation
The evaluations for this project will be both formative and summative. Students will need to demonstrate understanding of certain skills in order to be able to complete the project. This learning will be checked with formative assessment. There will be a short Udutu lesson embedded in the website that will check the students understanding. Once students have passed the Udutu lesson with 80% proficiency they will be allowed to continue with the project. Before turning in their final project, students will submit a draft in order for the instructor to provide feedback. The final project for the students will be assessed using a rubric that will be given to the students at the beginning of the project so they understand what is expected of them.
A final reflection from the students will be done as a video journal to help them think about their learning and to share evaluation information to the instructor about the lesson. This information along with the summative assessment will be used to identify if the students attained deeper learning from the project. It will also be used as an evaluation tool in course development for future students.



VI. References

Edutopia Staff. (2008, March 16). Why integrate technology into the classroom? : The reasons are many. Edutopia. Retrieved July 22, 2009, from http://www.edutopia.org/technology-inetgration-introduction

Eisenach, D.D. (2007). The Effectiveness of Technology in Education. Retrieved January 3, 2010 from http://www.eisenachfamily.com/pdfs/debbieeisenachsythesis.pdf

Felder, R. (2007). An introduction to learning styles: How students learn, how teachers teach and what usually goes wrong with the process [Audio Recording]. North Carolina State University. Retrieved June 5, 2009 from http://ctl.csudh.edu/SpeakerSeries/Felder.htm

Fouts, J. T. (2000). Research on computers and education: Past, present and future. Bill and Melinda Gages Foundation. Available Online at http://www.portical.org/founts.pdf

Hooper, S., & Rieber, L.P. (1995). Teaching with technology. In A. C. Ornstein (Ed.), Teaching: Theory into Practice. Retrieved from http://www.nowhereroad.com/twt

The Iowa Journal. (2008). Technology’s effect on education. Retrieved on February, 10 2010 from http://www.iptv.org/iowajournal/story.cfm/170

Mergel, B. (1998). Instructional design and learning theory. University of Saskatchewan. Retrieved March 8, 2010 from http://www.usask.ca/education/coursework/802papers/mergel/brenda.htm#Is%20There%20One%20Best%20Learning%20Theo

Merrill, D. (2001) First principles of instruction. Utah State University. Retrieved on March 5, 2101 from http://id2.usu.edu/Papers/5FirstPrinciples.PDF

Pitler, H., Hubble, E.R., Huhn, M., & Melenoski K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning.

Solmon, G., & Schrum L. (2007). Web 2.0: New tools, new schools. Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education.

Saturday, March 6, 2010

MAC WK 1 Blog 4 - Response to Elyse Audet

Wk 1 Free Choice Post - Technology in the Music Classroom
The following video is the basis for my discussion on technology in the music classroom. The video may be considered a bit "cheesy," but is a good starting point for critical though among peers.

Technology is something that is talked about in many circles. Yes, we do need technology in the classrooms. But so often music teachers think of this as something the other teachers must do. There is so much the music teacher can do!! Podcasts, recording music, social networks, etc. are all wonderful for the music classroom. Technology is something that is overtaking the music world, and it is important that the music teacher also keep up with that.

Music teachers so often concentrate on the performance aspect of music. We come together, tune up the instruments, rehearse, and then perform the music at a concert. There is so many other things that can be incorporated. Programs such as Finale, Smart Music, music games, videos, etc. can be used in the music classroom. These would help in engaging the students, as well as educating the students about how music is created and recorded. Programs such as Smart Music could help motivate the students to practice more, which would help the performance side of the program. MENC (Music Educators Association) has many wonderful tips on incorporating technology into the classroom. The video shows what the classroom could like like now as opposed to many years ago, and the same is true for the music classroom. We could incorporate our rehearsal area with keyboards and computers and recording areas. As music teachers we need to dream big, and find ways to better educate out students about music.
posted by elyse at 3:46 pm

1 comments:
piturachsatit said...
Unfortunately it isn't just the music teachers who often feel like technology is something that only the computer teacher needs to do. There are some computer skills that need to be taught in a class with specific objectives and standards just like any other class. This is only that case for a certain skills. The regular classroom teachers need to be aware of the technology available to them to help them take the lessons they are teaching and bring them to a whole new level for their students. The technology of today has the ability to make the classroom more exciting for students. When students are excited about coming to class more learning happens and there are less behavior problems.

March 6, 2010 5:25 PM

MAC WK 1 Blog 2 - Digital Toolkits

Does your desktop look like mine?

With classrooms going digital many teachers aren’t able to keep up with all of the digital files they are using on their computers. Just look at your colleague’s desktop and you can tell how well they are able to track and organize all of their files. As the digital age continues to develop teachers need to learn the skill of keeping their files organized. One way of doing this is by creating digital toolkits. A digital tool kit is a collection of digital materials based upon a unit of study. I’m sure everyone knows the teacher who has a crate or tub full of resources they used for teaching a particular unity. It is no different now with computers, excepted there isn’t a physical tub or crate to keep those tools in.



This is where file management skills come in handy. Learning to use file folders on your computer like crates and tubs, will help to create a more organized system and make your digital assets more usable. The first step with files is naming. Instead of creating a folder and labeling it pictures, organize your pictures into categories like reptiles, birds of prey and multiplying 2 digit numbers. Then these folders can be placed into other files that are based on units of study. If you are teaching a unit on birds then within that file all your teachers’ resources will be placed in that file. The best part of keeping your files organized in this manner is collaboration. Teachers can easily share resources and add to them with their own ideas or things they find.

Don’t let your computer files look like a child’s bedroom. Clean it up and see what you can accomplish.

Friday, March 5, 2010

MAC WK 1 Blog 2 - NCCE

I have had the greatest opportunity this week to come to the Northwest Council for Computer Education, NCCE. My first seminar was on what is next in educational technology by a Patrick Crispin. I wanted to share a few of the exciting things I learned from that seminar.

One of those is a Web 2.0 application called Prezi. This is a PowerPoint and Keynote killer. It turns your standard old slideshow and turns it into a powerful visual learning experience. Think animoto for slideshow. I could see this really improve visual presentations for the classrooms. Students would be drawn in to the information. Slideshows are no longer new and exciting for students and they no longer provide the same motivational effect on students as they one did. Prezi has the ability along with teacher creativity to change all of that.

The other thing that really caught my attention was dropbox. Once you sign up for an account a folder is created on your computer similar to idisk. If I add this application to multiple computers I could be working at home on a project and then when I am at school I could open up the folder on my work computer and the project would be right there as I last left it ready for me to continue working when I have a few extra minutes (that rarely happens). I plan on using this right away when I get home to help me finish my thesis.

One last thing is augmented reality. I’m not going to describe it detail just go check these sites out. You will need a webcam to use them.

http://ge.ecomagination.com/smartgrid/#/augmented_reality

http://www.livingsasquatch.com

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

MAC Wk1 Blog1 Unlimited Potential

“If you aren’t prepared to be wrong then you will never come up with anything original.” Ken Robinson

Several months ago I read the book The Element after being introduced to Ken Robinson from one of my masters classes at Full Sail University. I loved the idea of being who you really are, finding your element, and not feeling like you have to be like everyone else or take the same path that everyone else takes. Every person in this world is unique, and with that uniqueness comes a very special set of skills and abilities that are just waiting to find their place in this world.

Unfortunately we live in a world of standards. Everyone is compared to a single set of standards regardless of their background. What happens is that those special qualities that each of us have are forced through a one sized fits all filter. Those special qualities don’t always make it through. This leaves many people out of the norm and unable to break in, making them feel less confident and unwilling to give their own ideas a try.

In the book The Art of Possibility an idea is proposed about giving an A. The idea behind it is to free people from the one-sized fits all approach to people and the world, and help them move into a world of possibility. “When you give an A, you find yourself speaking to people not from a place of measuring how they stack up against your standards, but from a place of respect that gives them room to realize themselves” (Zander, 2000, p. 26). That realization will allow a person to move beyond our cultures standards and free them to move where their own desires are. Freeing them up to take risks. Taking risks opens up new doors for opportunities and the confidence that comes from giving people A’s can make dreams a reality.

As an educator I am always looking for the opportunity to teach a life lesson. Something I have come to realize is that those lessons I want to teach come from my own set of standards and therefore are skewed by my own perceptions. Students don’t always learn from my life lessons because I have been coming about it from the wrong prospective. My standards for life don’t always meet the standards of the people I am trying to teach. Instead of trying to make them see things from my worldview, I need to empower them to think for themselves, to observe, to take risks, and learn from the results.

People have endless potential. Lets not mess it up by trying to compare everyone to the same set of standards.