Wk 4 Reading Entry

This week’s reading is hard to summarize. I feel like these last few chapters were more of a wrap up than new info. You know... How to use the previous chapters knowledge. I love the being the board chapter. Its always good to step outside of your current situation to “see” the bigger picture. This is what I pictured as I read the Being the Board chapter. Okay, here is the board in which my game of life is being played.... what happened to make my current situation come about?
There are a few parts of this week’s reading that stood out to me:
In chapter 11, a lady said unkind words to her brother and then never saw him again. It is a little cliche but I tell my students all the time, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, then you have nothing to say at all.” I would love to find an easy way to tell my students, “Say things like its the last thing you’ll ever say to that person. Would you want to say something positive or negative?”

How awesome it is that there are actual student letters to NASA floating around in space. It must be truly inspiring for them to read letters from children that have such powerful meaning.

I have loved this book! I hope to be able to pass this book around so that others may find the possibilities in their lives. This quote inspired me.... I hope that it can inspire you too.

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate,

Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.

We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented,

and fabulous ----

Actually, who are you not to be?

You are a child of God.

Your playing small doesn’t serve the world.

There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other

people

Won’t feel insecure around you.

We were born to make manifest the glory of God within us.

It is not just in some of us: it is in everyone,

And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously

Give other people permission to do the same.

Marianne Williamson, A Return to Love (New York: Harper Collins, 1992)

from the Art of Possibility

Wk 3 Leadership Project Hub

My project is designed to not only share the findings of my action research project but to also share how to use the web 2.0 tools that I used throughout my action research. My action research goal was to positively integrate technology into the classroom. I found that my teachers were unmotivated but my students loved it! It is important for people to know that a portion of the blame for lack of technology integration has to fall on the educator. It is not solely the fault of the administration or budget cuts. Educators must be willing. I hope that in sharing to a group of teachers that care enough about technology to come to this particular conference, I will be able to show them what a difference one person can make. Many of the teachers at my school are becoming more willing to use technology in the classroom now that they have seen my students in action.

I have chosen to present at the Florida Education Technology Conference (FETC).  FETC is hosted in central Florida every year. I have been longing to go to this conference and I hope to be allowed to go next year whether I present or not. I chose this Florida conference because one of their focus areas is about Integrating Web 2.0 tools. Based on this focus area, I have tried to focus my presentation on how I integrated technology at my school and in my classroom, as well as the results of this technology integration.

Week 1 Leadership Post: Present or Publish
Week 2 Leadership Post: Where do I share?

Leadership Document

Week 3 Comment # 2: Mary Wilson

Mary Wilson's Week 3 Reading Post:Friday, May 18, 2012

week 3 reading: moving on to rule number 6

this book was well worth the wait, the book is like opening a door where you are suddenly blinded by bright light, at first it is so bright you cant see anything you just close your eyes and take in the new feeling, as you stand there longer you start to acclimate to this new environment and try to figure out how you can share this amazing feeling with others.

this is where i am with this book, i was amazed by the first few chapters. now my head is spinning on how and where to use these new found ideas. i have already told my mom, my sister and two teachers about this book. i have restructured my final so that the students will be able to express themselves in a way that is more comfortable for them instead of how i wanted it.

i had assigned a project as their final exam because most of my students do not do well on traditional tests and i thought a project would be a better way for them to express their creativity. i had one student who seemed really bummed about the project and really was not doing anything. when i asked him what was wrong he said he would rather just take a test, i immediately said no and got kind of mad that he had even asked, i mean i spent a lot of time designing a project that i thought the students would enjoy and excel at, so i told him to try the project and left it at that. lucky for him i read over the art of possibility and reflected on my decision and thought maybe i should not take my decision so seriously, maybe i should ask him what he thought of the whole thing. we had a discussion and we decided that i would make him a test and that would stand in for his final project. after the conversation i noticed he was smiling, he said mrs. wilson i probably look really happy on the outside right now, but on the inside i am ten times happier, i am jumping around and screaming, you have made me so happy. thank you for listening to me.

Drawn by: Alinn

these are the moments i live for as a teacher. it is one i will hold on to and cherish, not just for the happiness of the students but for the lesson i learned.

Week 3 Comment # 1: Katie Ross

Katie Ross's Week 3 Blog Post:

TUESDAY, MAY 15, 2012

Wk3 Reading: Up, Up, & Away!

I’m not sure that I believe that we are all leaders. I do think we have the ability to make a difference in people.  We can easily do this just by being nice and being opened minded to the fact that we don’t know all the hardships that we all have in our lives.  We listen to people by opening our ears and really paying attention to what each one of us is telling each other. Sometimes we get so carried away in ourselves that we have a hard time stepping out and really paying attention to the people around us.

Rule number 6, I think is going to become my saying to myself. Sometimes at work I get so absorb in the task at hand or what needs to be discussed, that in a meeting I get upset when the meeting gets side tracked and people start telling jokes. I need to obey rule number 6. After reading this chapter I promised myself that when these types of situation pop up during my meetings to laugh with my team instead of look annoyed. We can all use a good deep belly laugh everyday and I need to start taking advantage of all the ones that are presented in front of my. So Rule number 6 welcome to my life!

I do a good job of being content with the way things are and also knowing when it’s time to push to make things better.  I have a very positive outlook on life so it’s very hard for me to focus on the negative.  Sometimes after watching documentaries about food and the earth I can sometimes feel “ well I can’t make a difference” but my positive attitude always speaks to my brain and reminds that sometimes one person can make a difference.  Sometimes we have to settle because we can’t change the situation and that doesn’t mean lowering expectations to me. To me that means just stepping back and focusing my energy on something that I can make better.

I express my passions by talking, breathing, and being a walking example of them.  I think it’s great not to care about some things and to just let go and let the universe do it’s job. I find that when I give something up to the universe it always does the right thing for that situation.

Just a reminder to stop and smell the flowers!
Picture from Creative Commons.

My response to Katie's blog:

Katie,
You commented that you are "not sure that I believe that we are all leaders." Someone is always watching what you do. The actions that you do, as they watch, serve as a way of leading them without either of you knowing. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, to lead is to have charge of. Is there anything or anyone that you are in charge of? Do you ever have a lead position in the meetings that you mentioned? So many times people associate "leaders" with the top, like their boss, president, or director, but a leader is anyone who leads. I think at some point we have to step up and lead something. Now, ... some people are better at leading than others but that doesn't change the fact that they are leaders.

I too will be taking Rule Number 6 with me wherever I go! I also have a situation at work where I am going to do my best to take the annoyed look off my face and embrace what is happening.

I think that with the positive attitude that you have described here and that I have heard in your voice in class .... you are more of a leader than you think.