Sunday, November 20, 2011

PPP - Presentation Post - WK #4


Link to Final Document:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YLb9vcqqeUyogp_UVakVSCdPgoKGIYxBfsDUG-7tBoY/edit



Link to PPP Think-a-Loud #1:

http://mac613.blogspot.com/2011/11/ppp-think-loud-blog-post-1.html

Link to PPP Think-a-Loud #2:

http://mac613.blogspot.com/2011/11/ppp-think-loud-post-2-week-3.html

Since I was unable to present my paper for publication in Wimba this week, I shared my paper with my classmate and my critical friends and this is the feedback I received.  This considerate feedback was beneficial in helping me prepare my paper for publication.

From Rosetta Cash:

"Good introduction and thorough coverage of the literature review. I do think that you can expand and add a bit more information in your methodologies section. Overall, I found your article informative. It provided me with information about Twitter that I did not know. I am not a Twitter user and have avoided becoming a part of the Twitter phenomenon. However, looking at its potential in academia has me rethinking my position."



















From Laura Hammock:



"Aside from the few grammar and typos that we talked about that you need to fix, I think your paper sounds good.  I still think you need to consider adding a Facebook presence for them to drive traffic to their Twitter feed.  I know that you said you are not working with them anymore, but I think that would be an easy suggestion to add to your paper.  Maybe add a sentence stating that in the future a Facebook page could be added to increase their online presence.  All of that being said, you offer a lot of interesting ways to use Twitter."








From Karla Thompson:




 "I enjoyed learning about Twitter and its educational implications.  While I’m familiar with Twitter personally I have not considered its use in the classroom.  I would encourage you to proof your draft for punctuation and capitalization to ensure consistency throughout the document.  There were also some grammatical and mechanical errors that could impede the intended meaning of your paper."

Sunday, November 13, 2011

PPP Think-a-loud post #2 week 3

(screenshot taken from edutopia.org)

Last week I shared that I have decided to publish and that the forum I have selected for publication is Edutopia.  The focus of their magazine and website is less academic than the other journals that I reviewed in making my selection.  In preparing to ready my paper for publication I have been reviewing articles on the Edutopia website (www.edutopia.org).  The popular science meets practical classroom application feel of the articles I read there makes me feel like I can tailor my current literature review and description of my methodologies from my Action Research website to craft an article that would fit into their editorial vision.  I still have some confusion about how to best do that to fit both their criteria for submission and the parameters outlined in the PPP assignment listed on FSO.  I see that in step 2 that our options are expansion (for a more academic journal) or compression (for a less academic journal).  I think that I will be doing a lot of compression and I think that I will be doing something like "Top 10 ways to use Twitter in Education."  Which means that my article will be significantly shorter and much different from the literature review even though it will be taken from it.  Fingers crossed that I am on the right track.

Saturday, November 5, 2011

PPP Think-a-Loud Blog Post #1 - week 2




(screenshot from www.edutopia.org)


In considering wether to publish or present I have decided to publish.  I reviewed all of the journals and conferences and decided that the forum that best suits my Action Research Project is Edutopia.  While the link listed for information on publication in Edutopia listed on the PPP assignment page is no longer a working link, I did a search to find about submission and the screenshot with that information is posted above.  I also think that since Edutopia is less academic it will fit the style of article that I can craft from my Action Research Project.  My concern about Edutopia is since they have a staff of writers already and do not actively seek guest submissions, I feel like that makes the chances steeper for those not on staff to get published in their magazine or on the website.


Saturday, October 22, 2011

Week 4 - Tuesday Night's Wimba


(screenshot from MAC613 Wimba Session Archive)

I heard something about OS Lion effecting Wimba at the start of this session, and I am assuming that this in my problem in trying to watch them.  I've been at it over 2 hours and I'm finally  through the 1st Wimba session;  It played for about 5 minutes and crashes and restarts me at the beginning.  

That aside, this format of presentation and feedback, seems very rewarding.  Catherine's feedback to Lania was insightful and helpful.  And I think Lania has a very clear idea of how to proceed with her goal of publication. 

Kris' CBR on Metadata seems incredibly useful in his instructional setting.  I like that when he was considering his project initially his goal was to make the project something that would be engaging and enroll his students' passion.  I also like that a big component of his project was having students present to other students and thus share their passion.  I like how this project is so pertinent to your students field of study and how much it will benefit them in practice once they enter the job market.  

Response to Alonzo


 
MAC BLOG
 
WEEK 4- THE ART OF POSSIBILITY: CHAPTERS 9-12
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2011
 
This week’s reading continues with chapters 5-8 of “The Art of Possibility” by Zander, R. and Zander, B. Chapter nine was entitled, “Lighting a Spark”. This chapter showed how we can inspire in those around us, action, creative expression, and contribution. Chapter ten, “Being the Board”, spoke of simply how we should all be 100% responsible for how things are going. Next was chapter eleven, “Creating Frameworks and Possibility”. This chapter gave me the idea of how we put this practice into reality, in the type of “world” we may live in so that we can make a difference. Lastly is chapter twelve, “Telling the WE Story”. This chapter speaks of how finally by coming from a “we” type of partnership. We can create a bridge that unites all divisions and people as one. This could be a real possibility for world peace from this point of view.
 
1 COMMENT Manage Comments for this Entry
KEVIN MCLAIN
Your concise summary of the chapters is good, however, I think that your summary of chapter 10 is a little oversimplified.  Perhaps I am complicating or misinterpreting the author's purpose, however, I think the example they use with the drunk driver states that its not about all of us being "100% responsible for how things are going," as you said,  but instead about not getting wrapped up in the blame game because it distracts from the end goal.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2011 - 03:06 PM

Response to Kris Knof




Friday, October 21, 2011


Wk4 Reading - Art of Possibility Ch9-12



2 comments:

Rosalynn said...
Kris,

Loved the fact that you used a video for this one. Especially when talking about networking and see a person face to face. This wasn't a face to face situation, but it did make the presentation more personal. People often forget the importance of real life networking because of technological advances. Thanks for helping me remember, maybe I can use this in my workplace.
Kevin McLain said...
I think what you said is important. Meeting in person shows you're willing to go the extra mile. It generates that spark.

I like you interpretation of the story of the bike: "How can I use what I've got?" In other words, can what looks like a bad situation be reframed to benefit all involved. I must admit when I read the story, I felt like this is a long way to explain that you asked for 2 quarters - but I think after hearing your take on it made me reconsider that sometimes the easiest solutions are the most obvious but we sometimes fail to see them because we are looking at them through the blinders of what we believe is fair, right, acceptable. By allowing the men to give her the money, she was able to let them express their generosity.

Nice to hear you share a story about the St. John's River - my bedroom and balcony overlook the St. John's. Your story nicely summed up the practice of being the board. The gentleman you described was engaged in the practice without even realizing it.

I also liked the way you have you class create mission statements and make sure that they include in the the passion or the "why." I think this is a greg way to make sure that they aren't creating "visionless mission statements."

Thursday, October 20, 2011

The Art of Possibility: Ch. 9-12

Benjamin Zander

(http://awareconsultinggroup.com/technology_gap/zander.jpg)

Reading Response:  The Art of Possibility, Chapters 9-12

"Enrollment is the art and practice of generating a spark of possibility for others to share."   from The Art of Possibility

This quote sums up the entirety of the concept of enrollment.  Ben Zander tells the story of his father taking the train to Glasgow to have breakfast in the train station to discuss an important meeting and he wonders why he didn't just use the phone.  He comes to see that passion must be engaged over fear.  Later, he is able to persuade a famous musician with a tight schedule to play a piece that was written expressly for him at the Evian Festival in Lake Geneva by following his father's example and meeting the gentleman in person.  He was able to ignite the musician's passion for the composers work.  This story is illustrative of the main idea of this practice - engage peoples' passions rather than their fears.  

The story of the students at the Dockland's school in London - I was especially taken with the 10 yr old boy who was asked to come up and conduct the orchestra for the finale of Beethoven's Fifth.  Zander was motivated by the boy's passionate movements in his seat to invite the boy to conduct.  The young boy's passion in turn motivated all the musicians.  Passion is contagious. 

I'm listing the steps exactly as Zander lists them in the book (directly quoted) because I think they are so useful:

1.  Imagine that people are an invitation for enrollment.
2.  Stand ready to participate willing to be moved and inspired.
3.  Offer that which lights you up.
4.  Have no doubt that others are eager to catch the spark.


The next practice that is delineated is the idea of "being the board."  "I am the framework for everything that happens in my life."  The authors state that this is the most radical and hardest to grasp of the practices.  I would agree because it seems entirely too simple that I feel like I must be missing something.    I feel like the crux is the story about the musician coming late on the Mendelssohn piece where another musician is going to rat out the culprit but before they have a chance Zander, the conductor, says "I did it."   I feel like this chapter was about not letting blame get in the way.  Once mistakes are made, they are done, playing the blame game simply takes more time and loses site of the ultimate goal.  When one assumes the role of the board rather than the player, they don't see themselves in relation to the the other players, and so there is no need to divide up fault and assign blame.

In the practice of framing possibility or being a leader of possibility, the authors outline clearly specify what it takes for a leader to create an environment where people feel comfortable to make mistakes without falling into the downward spiral.  This quote is rather meaningful to me because it acknowledges our innate nature and how we might transcend it:  "As a species we are exquisitely suited to thrive in an environment of threat where resources are scarce, but not always ready to reap the benefits of harmony, peace, and plenty.  Our perceptual apparatus is structured to alert us to real and imagined dangers everywhere."   The part about not reaping the benefits of harmony, peace, and plenty are particularly striking.  Its like we have to be constantly aware and open to the POSSIBILITY of the universe.  

Again (directly quoted) useful steps for framing possibility:

1.  Make a new distinction in the realm of possibility:  one that is a powerful substitute fo the current framework of meaning that is generating the downward spiral.
2.  Enter the territory.  embody the new distinction in such a  way that becomes the framework for life around you. 
3.  Keep distinguishing what is "on the track" and what is "off the track" of you framework of possibility.

Zander relates a moving story about an elementary school girl who has lost her hair due to chemotherapy.  The other students make fun of her and she doesn't want to return to school.  When she does, the next day, the teacher has shaved off all of her hair and now all the students think its cool and want to do it.  The teacher stopped the downward spiral by changing the board. She didn't negatively engage the students who were making fun of the little girl (at least that isn't shared in the story).   But she simply created a powerful substitute for the current framework and thus created a realm of possibility. I think that this is the biggest take away from the book so far - that we cannot control the actions of others but we can change the framework surrounding the players.