Wk4 Publishing/Presentation Post

I have to admit, my schedule makes it very difficult to attend conferences.  I have only been teaching four years and I coach several sports and have 5 teenagers.  I don't really look for more ways to complicate that schedule.  I do however, ingest a steady diet of TED talks and other keynote talks that I can access online.  I think my the hook that always gets me is the passion of the presenter.  The presentation doesn't have to be slick and it doesn't even have to have a topic that allows me to leave the room (or the web page) and go and start doing the thing that was being proposed.  With a passionate presentation about what is possible, I take a sense of community of optimism with me that reassures me that if I work toward this thing, other will be too.  Eventually this thing will be a reality.

Wk2 PPP/TOL
Wk3 PPP/TOL
Presentation Slide Show

Publishing/Presentation Slideshow

Wk 4 Blog Response @ Daniela

After reading the last part of the Art of Possibility I think this is great book about being you. It starts by giving you ideas on how to be the best you can be. Including to it that you shouldn’t take yourself too seriously. Lastly leaving you with the thoughts that only you know what’s for you and that what works for other people may not be the best thing for you. While reading this book I thought about all the “kid” advice people give and how I always think….if you’re not coming over to help me do it the way you suggest and they way I do it works for me. Then I don’t care what the books say; I do what works for me! I think that this book really set the town of how you can be empowered to be the best you. You just have to be you!

Wk4 - Blog Response @ Mike

Week 4 - Art of Possibility blog (ch. 9-12)

When talking about “the board,” I am challenged to remind myself that in every situation I am in, I WILL have an influence; that influence will have far reaching effects on the results that I am trying to obtain. As a teacher, this plays a vital in the success of my students. Many times, students will harbor things inside due to something I have said or my personality or attitude. It is up to me to make sure that I am on guard of how I position myself on the board.

Framing possibility…how many times have we, as educators framed possibility? How many times have we taken advantage of every opportunity to capture the right moment at the right time and turn it into an opportunity for success? I think we have these chances everyday. However, I personally believe that these opportunities can be captured best when we rely on our instinct, not necessarily our training. Too many times, a situation arises and, in our head, we are “trained” to do something different, simply because it’s “by the books.” However, it is at that moment, we hold the key to something valuable in our hands and we must ask ourselves, which door will we open?

dhburch said...

I agree with your point about students harboring things, but I don't think this is a fixed issue. I think it is very easy to say something that is taken the wrong way or dismiss something that is more serious than it appears. I also think, though, that your ongoing relationship with your student will override any ill-feelings about assumed mis-treatment. If you consistently show that you care about them and that you are not perfect, they will grow to know that you don't dislike them or disrespect them and forgive anything they think slighted them.

Wk4 - Reading Post - AOP Chap 9-12

My Dad "experiencing" my truck.  "Used to drive one just like this…"

Bring people "onboard " is a talent.  There are many ways to do it.  Conspiratorial, leading by example, etc.  Being the framework or "the board" is an awesome way to encourage development.  You/I have to be malleable and improve-able.  We can't be all knowing and fixed.  When the learners sense that they are teaching you as much as they are learning (or at least feel something similar) they will participate in the US.

In early blogs I talked about the "trip" being the thing.  The destination merely a chapter.  Ben Zander's quote below talks about exactly that.

 "I have come to finally to the realization that relationships with my colleagues, players, students, and friends are always more important than the project in which we are engaged. and that indeed, the very success of the project depends on those relationships being full of grace."

He broadens the scope to relationships, but the message is the same.  One of the things my father told me when I was growing up, one that I use almost daily, is that every single experience in your life makes you better at the next experience.  It really doesn't matter what the individual experiences are.  As Steve Jobs mentioned in the commencement speech you shared, connecting the dots is done after the fact, but it's the connections that make us who we are and make us good at what we choose to do.

I think anyone worth their salt in the teaching profession has the We/Us concept ingrained into their personality.  There isn't a lot room in the education environment for Me/I.  One one hand you are dealing with limited authority and shared goals at every intersection.  The individual teacher doesn't get much of the credit for the scholarship or the diploma of the student with multiple teachers.  The coach gets credit for the wins, but not the plays or the scores.  The We/Us concept is essential to getting the buy-in needed to educate.  Self-motivated, perfect students are few and far between.  Sure we can get farther with those students and they probably learn more ultimately, but these students aren't the reality in public secondary schools.  Our job is to get as many of the masses as possible to an average functionary level.  Ironically the best way to do this is to expect greatness and expect it to be accomplished as We.

Wk3 Blog Response @ Mike

Wk 3 - Think Out Loud Post (#2)

Well......it is official, but not official. I have submitted to present at the Texas Bandmasters Association in San Antonio this summer. I have gotten a confirmation email stating that my application has been received, so now I am waiting for approval. After thinking about this more, I am beginning to really grasp the immensity of these possibilities. Truly, there are no limits. The only thing that limits me and what I am capable of is myself.

I submitted an application to present a session on Web 2.0 and the Bandroom. I know there are a lot of tools that are available for band directors to use. But I would like my focus, if I am asked to present, to be on how learning can continue outside the band room. What can band directors do or implement that will engage students when they are not marching on the football field, or in a parade, or in a jazz ensemble, or in a concert? How can I help music educators reach outside the box and find other ways to educate their students WITHOUT having them pick up their instruments. So the question is, can you still learn while on Facebook or playing Call of Duty or watching Harry Potter?

We might soon find out! Stay tuned!

Wk3 Blog Response @ Jonny

Wk3 - Think Out Loud PPP

I have decided that I would like to do a presentation.  I think it is something that will push me a little more than doing the writing. Also, I have been looking for an excuse to test out some of the new tools that I have   been learning in the EMDT program.

The original conference that I was going to submit my presentation proposal to was the Tri-State Education Technology Conference, but the deadline for submissions does not match up with our EMDT assignments very well. Because of this, I will now submit my proposal to the Pennsylvania Educational Technology Conference and Expo.  This conference will be held in February, and their deadline for proposals isn't until the middle of October. I have never been to this conference before, but it seems like a good fit for me. I have read through most of the information on their website, and it looks like an excellent place to present my topic.

Logo from http://www.peteandc.org/default.asp