FINALLY!!!

After a long (and sometimes difficult) summer, I've finally been called back. I'll be teaching 6, 7, and 8th grade Language Arts and 7th grade social studies at a middle school in Kenosha. It was news I'd been waiting for all summer. We'd been preparing for the worst, but hoping for the best. Thankfully, we're going to be okay and will continue on with the nice little nest egg we've built over the summer.

The news of my new position bring some trepidation and nerves, but from what I've heard, the school is great. With Carter starting kindergarten this year, we're now busily looking for after school care for him.  We think we've found a spot, but will have a little more research to do on Monday.

Bittersweet

As the school year ended, I found it very bittersweet. It's always hard for me to say goodbye to a class, but this year it wasn't just my class, it was my Harvey family. It's been tough lately to not be bitter and angry, but I am trying hard to stay positive.  I chose not to say goodbye to anyone really, it would have been way to hard. Four years ago, I had done the same thing, saying goodbye each year to my Pershing family. Being connected to my Harvey family has been so much different in so many ways. There is a possibility that I will be called back, but I am not holding my breath waiting on anything. There are very few jobs out there that I can apply for. Many of them are just way to far from us, and I will not commit to such a long commute.

On a better note, Grandma was released from the hospital and is home recovering. She's a trooper and thankfully was "fixable".

My mornings are now spent drinking coffee and watching the boys get into what ever shenanigans they can. Life is good.

A whirlwind

Since April 1, I feel like my life has been in a whirlwind. As the governor of WI continues to take money from education in this great state, the schools are fighting just to keep up with rising costs. In Kenosha, the district is losing about $555 per student, which in turn translates into a $33 MILLION deficit for the district. That then translates into massive cuts into the education system, the deepest being with teachers. After 4 years in the district and 8 years teaching, I got my lay off notice. I had a good feeling it was coming and in fact some insider information had tipped me off the night before. Knowing ahead of time however doesn't make that information any easier to process.
I cried all day. I was told I could go home if I wanted, that coverage was arranged for my room, but I couldn't go home. I'd go home and what...wallow in my own self pity. I much rather would have been with my students and for good reason. As my co teacher was reading Charlotte's Web with the majority of the students, I was sitting with one reading with her. She has a knack for knowing when people are down and need a little bit of love. She laid her head on my shoulder as I was reading to her, looks into my eyes and says "I love you Mrs. Shike." And that my friends, is exactly why I teach. Everyday, I walk into my classroom and change the life of a child. EVERYDAY!! What I do is powerful, impacting and sometimes life changing. It's worth it.

The second part of my whirlwind started last week. My Grandma sent me an e-mail saying she was having a CT scan. She'd been having trouble with her legs for sometime and it was being attributed to low potassium. Apparently there was more to the story. She called me on Thursday, after her CT scan, to let me know that she was in the hospital in Madison. The saw an orange sized mass in her colon on the CT scan and the doctor in Reedsburg said he wouldn't touch it, so he sent her to Madison. She's been in the hospital since Thursday. She's got an infection and they've put her on antibiotics. She's clearing up the infection and will have surgery on Thursday to remove the mass in her colon. She had a blood test that screens for colon cancer and that was negative, so that was fantastic news. During the surgery she will have a biopsy done on the mass to rule out cancer completely. They are going to take out a pretty large portion on her colon, so she's going to have a colostomy bag. That's the least of our worries. Please pray for her as she heads into this surgery and recovery. She's my last living grandparent and probably the one I've been closet with. she means the world to me and a whole lot of other people, so I am not giving her up, not just yet.
The "rule" is, she needs to live to 100.  At least that's my rule for her, she seems to think I am insane to ask that of her. Maybe I am insane, but 100 is my rule!

11 days

I am officially 11 days from graduating with my Master's Degree in Education Media Design and Technology. 11 days!!! Looking back on the last year, it's been a bit blurry. I realize that I took in a huge amount of information in the last year, and it's going to take me some time to sort it all out. I give my final presentation tomorrow night, and don't really feel nervous...yet. I am sure I will get nervous tomorrow, but I don't think there's anything to get nervous for. Oh who knows...

Week 4: Frameworks

 

In the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. "...the dream of a land where every man will respect the dignity and worth of human personality." As a teacher in the great state of Wisconsin, right now I don't feel that my dignity and human worth are being appreciated or respected. So in the spirit of Dr. King, 100,000 plus people assembled this past Saturday in Madison to be sure that the governor of our state understands how much we dislike his 'dis' to state employee unions. 

As Zander says "The 'leader of possibility' invigorates the lines of affiliation and compassion from person to person, in the face of the tyranny of fear. Anyone of us can exercise this kind of leadership whether we stand in the position of CEO or employee, citizen or elected official, teacher or student, friend or lover."
So, collectively, 100,000 people stood at or near the capital building in Madison to be the leader of possibility. All 100,000 of those people being their own leader of possibility.

I've been the person, in the past, to think I won't write to the senators or legislators, someone else will do it and voice my opinion on the matter. Well, that time has passed. I've realized that I create my own destiny and I am my own leader. This makes me want to stand up for what I believe in.

Week 4 Publishing and Leadership

Well, after much deliberation last week and right up until WIMBA on Tuesday, I decided to stick with presenting. To be honest, I am nervous as all get out that I might be chosen to present. I would like to share my research with my peers, but the thought of being the expert on the topic at a conference terrifies me to the core. I've decided to go forth and submit my presentation to WEAC  (Wisconsin Education Association Council) for the state teachers convention in October. For many reasons, this makes the most sense to be, but ultimately, it boils down to three things: 1. These are my peers, 2. It's close to home and travel wouldn't be difficult and 3. I can make a difference in my own
state and for possibly for my own future students.


This is the link to my final project:

files.me.com/ashike/olqlu1.key.zip



Post #1: Initial thoughts:

http://4shikes.blogspot.com/2011/02/week-3-publishing-and-leadership.html


Post #2:  Some confusion about the project, leads me to rethink my options.

http://4shikes.blogspot.com/2011/02/thinking-about-presenting.html

Beyond the #$%^ It.

All right, I have to laugh, this was really the last thing I expected to find in this book, although really it makes sense. I've been at that point in my life, and thankfully, like the cellist in the book, it worked to my advantage.

I had spent the previous 4 years working in a building as a building substitute. I worked everyday in the same building and when I was needed in a classroom, I was in. When I wasn't needed, I worked with small groups of students in all the grades.  The problem was, I made minimal money and had no benefits or contract. The last year I was in that position, I was asked to be a second teacher in a third grade SAGE classroom that was seriously over "capacity."    I should have been given a contract like a regular teacher, or at the least been considered a long term sub, but I wasn't. The administration had interviewed me a few times for various positions, but I was always passed up for the job. I was too good at what I was doing as a building sub. It was disheartening.

I was on vacation that summer with my family in Vail, CO. We were visiting my brother out there for the first time. It's beautiful out there. I had been applying to various districts around where we lived and we were in the middle of a serious hunt for our first house. I got a call from a principal in Kenosha for an interview, she wanted me in the next day and I was 1200 miles away.  She offered me a phone interview and I took it. I was BTFI.  I went for it and put it all out on the line. She thanked me and asked if I'd be available the next morning for a second interview. I figured, what the hell?  Why not, I've gone this far. So I had the second interview and we took the day to drive up the mountain.  My phone had no signal, so I couldn't have taken the call if she called to turn me down. We returned and my husband and I went with my two brothers to have a drink together. My phone beeped in my pocket and I knew this was my call. It was my answer.

I listened to the voice mail and there was the principal, offering me A JOB!!! My first real classroom and first real position. Not that what I was doing before wasn't real,  but this was a classroom.  four years in the waiting and I finally had what I want.

Going beyond the #$%^ it was worth it. It gave me the job I wanted, and my husband and I bought our house in Kenosha. It's all been uphill from there.

Week 4_comments to Brian

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Wk4 Reading

I admit I am skeptical person, and a lot of people I know would say I’m hard-headed. While blogging about the book The Art of Possibility, I have questioned a lot of the tactics as they do not always align with my personal theories.

But I really liked the section on “enrollment”. That is something that I think can be helpful in any person’s life, including my own. While I’m not sure about the terminology and associating it with college or a yoga class, I fully support the idea of being excited about things, especially in the workplace. While people may not adopt or agree with your ideas, the concept of offering your excitement, to put it out there, is a wonderful idea.

As the book says, they may not always be receptive, but the possibility is there that they could be receptive. And at what cost to you? Very little. Maybe exposing some passion you have for you job? Big deal. That’s a good thing. And sincerity goes a long way. Maybe they won’t be receptive the first time, but upon seeing numerous, sincere attempts on your part, you could whittle away at any barriers.

In such a busy, stressful time for me, this was a nice closing section to reflect upon.

1 comments:

4Shikes said...

Sometimes, it all about putting it out there. It's hard to take a risk and walk out on that "limb" but sometimes it needs to happen. How many times did Edison fail when making the light bulb? 600? There's something to be said for taking a risk and perseverance through the tough times.

Week 4_comments to Gregg

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Wk 4 Publishing_Leadership Project

My initial plan is to propose my Action Research Project to be published into two educational technology journals. Since my project deals with the idea of using age-appropriate social networking in the classroom (Edmodo), I wanted to aim for two publications that might be interested in publishing the research that I discovered. My first choice of publication is through the nonprofit education organization, Computer-Using Educators, or CUE. This organization's goal is to advance student achievement through technology in all disciplines from early ages through college. CUE publishes a quarterly journal entitled OnCUE and I thought my research would benefit the audience and readers of this publication.

My second choice for possible publication is through a journal dedicated to informing and educating educators from the K-12 levels in improving and advancing the learning process through the use and integration of technology. This journal is entitled T.H.E Journal and is perfect for the possibility of publishing my Action Research Project findings and discoveries. In fact, T.H.E. Journal recently published a whole article on the use of social networking in the classroom and Edmodo was one of the featured sites. So hopefully the journal would take note of my research and possibly publish it in lieu of their recent articles on social networking in schools.

* Link to Publishing/Leadership Think Out Loud BP1

* Link to Publishing/Leadership Think Out Loud BP2


* Eilers_Gregg_PubLeadProject.docx

2 comments:

antosb said...

That is fantastic that you have found some very apt journals to publish your paper! I am beginning to question my choice of doing a presentation as there seems to be very few places for me to showcase it. On the other hand, there are dozens of business journals out there if I had went the paper route. Did you look at places to present during any of this? If so, I was just wondering what your search tactics were...

February 23, 2011 12:26 PM

4Shikes said...

I think both choices would be honored to have you. You've put so much time and effort into your AR, and I think sharing the results would motivate people to start using more technology in the classroom. I think you should take this into a presentation as well. I think hearing a teacher who's used it and had success makes people willing to task a chance and use something new.

February 23, 2011 7:18 PM

A moving video

Those of you who know me, know that what's happening in WI has really rocked me to the core. This video was so moving and beautifully done I had to share it with you.

The video and editing was done by Matthew Wisniewski and the song is Mumford and Sons-The Cave.


Wisconsin "Budget Repair Bill" Protest Pt 2 from Matt Wisniewski on Vimeo.

Thinking about presenting

Such an open choice.

Ok, so I've been thinking about this publishing and leadership project and have decided to take the publishing route instead. It's too scary for me to think about getting up in front of my peers and really not knowing what I am going to talk about. I know I'd be talking about my AR project, but what makes me the expert, other than the fact that I've done the research. Nothing about this makes me an expert, just a researcher.
Then again, I think about it and I feel like I do have good information to share. I feel like what I did in my AR gives teachers an option and an avenue to increase parent communication. This in turn, creates more engagement in the classroom with the kids and the parents.  They want to be involved, the want to know what's happening and they want to be able to talk with their kids about what they did during the day and get an answer other than "I don't know."
 To be honest right now, I just don't know! I don't know which way to go.

Week 3-Publishing and Leadership

Well, I have to admit to concept of presenting my Action Research scares the poo out of me. I have never been much of a public speaker. I struggle to speak in front of the staff at my school.  However, I don't feel that publishing a paper really gives people a good idea as to what I did and what happened during my Action Research. 

I started looking at Dr. Bedard's list of journals and conferences. That was even scarier for me. But, in all reality, I need to step out of my comfort zone and reach further. I came to this program for it's quality and am coming out of it with so much more knowledge than I ever expected.


I've looked at a few of the conferences that are listed there and many seem to be too broad for me. I looked in ISTE and SITTE, but again both seemed too broad for me and I guess a little part of me doesn't feel progressive enough to go that far.

I've been looking at the Wisconsin Education Association Council's state teachers convention. This would meet my needs in many ways. One, it's close to home. Two it's my state. Three, these would be my peers.

Week 3-The Art of Possibility

Rally on the capital steps.

It's been a difficult week here in Wisconsin. I am sure most of you have heard by now that our governor is trying to take away our collective bargaining rights here in WI. This will affect 157,000 public unionized employees. Teachers, sanitation workers, nurses, health care workers, etc.  This "budget repair bill" has divided our state and created huge conflict. I am going to admit, it's been very hard to focus on anything else this week. I've been doing my best to keep my head held high, but it's been tough.

I became a teacher because I had a teacher once tell me I was stupid to my face. I never wanted another child to feel the way I did at that moment. I set out to make a change in the world, small little me...making a change. I never thought the day would come that our union rights would be threatened and our bargaining rights taken away. I never thought I would see the day that an elected official (not by me!) would find so little value in education. It makes me sad.

Ok, so I am sure you are wondering how this all connects to this weeks reading. Here goes.

"Being present to the way things are is not the same as accepting things as they are in the resigned way of the cow. It doesn't mean you should drown out your negative feelings or pretend like you really can't stand."
"It simply means, being present without resistance: being present to what is happening and present to your reactions, no matter how intense."

The capital rotunda at 8:00 on Wednesday February 16, 2011

This seems so fitting to the personal turmoil I've been dealing with this week. Last Friday this bill was introduced and the state began to panic. My husband and I followed it all weekend, but there was little news coverage about it. Monday it began to pick up and Tuesday we were in full force. Unions began peacefully protesting at the capital.  Teachers began to plan days to go to Madison and protest in solidarity. (I do want to say I don't condone "sick outs" and not showing up to work.) I've been very vocal about my feelings at school, something I usually don't do. I like to keep politics out of my workplace.  But I couldn't stay quiet about this! Wednesday we got an e-mail from our union saying the district would allow teachers to leave upon student dismissal. (Wednesdays our students are released early for collaborative time within the building.) So almost all the teachers walked out together and 8 of us piled in the car and drove two hours to Madison to make our voices heard. I couldn't sit still anymore and not take part in what was happening.

The capital rotunda at 8:00 on Wednesday February 16, 2011

I have to admit, I was a bit nervous. I've never been a political activist or any type of activist for that matter. But I had to do this. I had to make my voice heard. I couldn't stand by and do nothing anymore. Being there was the experience of a lifetime. It was peaceful, inspirational and motivating. Seeing thousands of people come together to fight for something they believe in was amazing.

The capital all light up at night.  2-16-11

Week 3-comments to Beth

EDM 613 MAC Week 3 Wimba " The Art of Possibility" and Leadership Project

Although this was one of the shorter Wimba sessions, the information was pretty intense. After reading the Art of Possibility with its inspirational stories and authors peaceful purpose, it was WILD and AWESOME to see Van Halen's Right Now video!!! I was not expecting that. However, the context and correlation were very appropriate. People do forget how one act of kindness, one responsible choice, one hug, one positive word, can change a lot in a domino effect. I was reminded of an email my husband sent me about 2 years ago about a project that a HS class did- each student made 6 ( with 30 extra) ribbons that said something like " you made a difference in my life" and gave them to 6 people with 6 ribbons. Those people gave them to 6 people and so on. A guy gave one to his boss, the boss gave one to his son, the son gave one to a teacher... etc. I was amazed at what a simple story made such on impact on so many people. The Art of Possibility has the potential to touch more than one life....

The power of positive thinking has to be incorporated with motivation and willingness to change....And have the ability to let things go... you will feel better.....see life in the broad scheme of things.... not the scope of the day.

I am very nervous about the Leadership project. I have such a specialized group of students and the research is so limited. I hope that my peers will be able to understand the impact technology has on students with Autism. I am committed to having a great school program, being an up to date and informed teacher, and using my skills learned at Full Sail to promote an technology. I want to tell others about my success with technology in my classroom.

1 comments:

4Shikes said...

The power of positive thinking! That's an issues all WI public unionized employees are facing right now. We are all trying to think positive so we can make a change in what our governor is trying to do to our state-rip apart unions. It's a sad and scary time right now, but I have yet to stop thinking positive and that we can make change happen. Just call me Polly Positive!!

February 18, 2011 7:03 PM

Week 3-comments to Gregg

Wk3 BP Entry 1 - EDM613 MAC - Art of Possibility Ch. 5-8

Wow! As I read through chapters 5-8 in "The Art of Possibility," I couldn't help but think of two things: 1) teacher-talk in the staff room, and 2) the power of student- to-student learning. Allow me to explain.

The whole concept of the calculating self vs. the central self completely changed my thinking about how I view certain aspects of the teaching profession. I asked myself, "Self? Am I a person that tends to take things too seriously to where it effects how I interact and lead my students?" Fortunately, the answer from my "self" was a resounding "No!" But what my inner self was convicting me of was how I can somehow be effected by how others relate themselves to the calculating self analogy. In other words, I can at times get sucked in to a conversation at lunch with other teachers that revolves around the common complaints of standardized testing, state standards, decisions by administrators, micromanagement and a plethora of other topics that educators seem to find the time to rant about. I discovered that I will listen to these conversations and walk away wondering what good did that just do for any of our students, other creating a free therapy session for these teachers at my expense? My point is, and I think this is what Zander was getting at, was the fact that there will always be something to disagree with, something that doesn't go the way we want it to, or someone that doesn't do things the way I would do them. But the question is whether or not I choose to stay stuck in that rut or way of thinking, or do I choose this presence without resistance approach? Do I let the obstacles stand in my way, or do I allow myself to say that is the way it is and allow myself to be creative and open the pathway for possibility? Obviously my goal as a teacher is to do the latter, but I know I am guilty of allowing my calculating self shadow the central self and the possibility it can unleash.

Secondly, the whole idea of students teaching other students kept running through my head. After reading the story of the Cuban and American orchestras teaching each other how to play different and difficult pieces, I started thinking about how much power students have when teaching other students. I use this strategy in my own classroom to a certain degree, but this concept of the "silent conductor" really highlighted my thoughts on how I can enhance the learning by disappearing from the lead of the room, so-to-speak, and let the kids lead their own learning with each other. Automatically, my head began spinning with different ways to approach some of my lessons and how to implement a more centralized learning environment to where I enable or give students the freedom to learn from each other. By doing this, I think the dynamics of my classroom would completely change, and if nothing else, a great social experiment for my 6th graders who are mostly English Language Learners!

The photo used in this blog is from Flickr, under the Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic License.

Photo attributed to:
"I Complain" - shtikl

1 comments:

4Shikes said...

Therapy sessions at lunch, LOL. It's sad but true. There are many days I leave lunch early or don't go at all to avoid the negativity. There are day I go to just get it off my chest, so that I can go back into my classroom with a clear head and do my best to educate my students. For me, it's about getting rid of it in the lounge.

February 18, 2011 6:58 PM

Week 2-AR Site

Can it be? Is it true? Can this huge weight really be lifted off my shoulders? My lit review was approved and posted on my AR site early this week. The rest of the week has been polishing and final touches. Are there things I wish were better, sure. But, at some point, I feel like I have to stop looking for perfection with my site.

All but two of the pages are populated after some minor changes based on suggestions from Roxanne DeLeon.  The final two pages to be populated will come in month 12. I am glad I kept up on creating the pages each month. It's made the final assembly of the site a little less stressful. 

Like the literature review, this is another thing I am glad is complete. It's a huge weight lifted off my shoulders and a major stress gone from my life. It feels great to have it done!!

Week 2 Comments to Catherine

EDM613 MAC - Week 2 Reading - The Art of Possibility

Where will your A take you in your world of possibilities?

Our children start in life with no stifling concerns about expectations. They are free from those constraints and it is reflected in their creative self expression. Unfortunately, that begins to change as they enter the world of education. Grades become the measuring stick of their growth, instead of pencil marks on a door frame or pictures of their imagination in play. Conversations change from, "Let's pretend we're on an adventure...," to, "Why did you fail that test?" It's no wonder so many children become disengaged in school, and from their families. They are being asked to perform within the box of expectations rather that thinking outside the box and in a world of possibilities. With the pace of technology changing the world we live in, we NEED to encourage the wider thinking outside the box, filled with the potential of creativity, and ever expansive thinking. The future does not exist inside the archaic box of measurement of the past. Rather than admonishing our children and ourselves for not conforming to the measurement standards that are so rigid, we need to encourage them and ourselves to, as Jim Morrison sang, "Break on through to the other side." Exploration and growth has always depended on the belief that more is out there, we need to go and find it. Ask the early explorers, scientists, philosophers and artists. I'm not quite sure how that was lost in guiding our children, students, and each other, but we need to believe in it again.

4Shikes said...

Catherine, In my district, grades k-2 have a standards based report card. They are assessed on standards and not given letter grades. In grade 3, we make the "big switch" to letter grades. I spend a huge amount of time explaining at conferences that a "c" means the child is working at grade level and meeting the expectations. The proverbial "a" means they have to be exceeding the expectations laid out by the district. There is such a stigma placed on the grades, parents are quick to forget that their child needs to meet standards.

Week 2 Comments to Pamela

Week 2-Blog Post #4-Free Post

This week has been very hectic and hard at work. I was informed Thursday at a faculty meeting that my school will be loosing 16.5 teacher allotments for next year, and I am one of those 16.5 allotments. I couldn't help but think what am I going to do? I was very upset at the thought o losing my job, but reading this weeks reading really enlightened to different possibilities. Don't be afraid of change embrace it! I was thinking about all the students that I would miss next and how I have influenced their life and in turn how they have influenced mine. It is some amazing how much a teacher can learn from their students. If anything they have taught me to be patient and understanding. Those are the two things that I struggled with the most my first year teaching. I hope that my life and what I do as a teacher will influence somebody somewhere. Ephesians 5:8-14 "⁸ For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light..."

1 comments:

4Shikes said...

Pamela, I feel your pain. I've been on the chopping block for the last 3 years at school due to declining enrollment. While I truly love my school, my administrator, the kids and the staff, I wonder if this is my year. But, after reading this week, I wonder if a move might not be so bad after all. I wouldn't lose my job, just my position at my school. There are a few places in our district that are more geared towards technology and maybe this would force me to step out of my comfort zone and find something new. After all, in 47 days, I will have a shiny new Master's Degree!! Good luck with what happens. You do have the right outlook!

Week 2-The Art of Possibility #1

One day it's sidewalk chalk, but who knows what the future will bring.

A certain part of this weeks reading really stuck with me. I've been preparing my students all week to start research on a peacemaker as part of our service learning project. We started by talking about what research was and all that "fun" stuff. I began modeling the note taking process by using a book about Nelson Mandela. The kids were shocked and appalled that someone was treated as poorly as Mr. Mandela and the rest of the people living in South Africa that were affected by apartheid. They immediately began an earnest discussion about how they could be a more peaceful people. My heart leapt for joy-they were getting the message. One of my students raised her had a said something to the extent of "Wow, I can't believe one person could make such a difference to a whole group of people. Mrs. Shike, he's like that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. of South Africa!" They began to ask what they could do to help be more peaceful. We started talking about different ideas and the door was opened!

That same night, I was reading The Art of Possibility and came across the story about the starfish. One line resonated with me "Smiling, she bends down and once more tosses a starfish out over the water, saying serenly 'It certainly makes a difference to this one.' "(pg 55). So if I make a difference to one child in my classroom, and our research makes them more peaceful, then I have accomplished my goal. Do I want more of my kids to be peaceful? Of course. Do I hope more than one of them gets the message? Absolutely! But, if during the course of this project, I reach one student and that student reaches someone else, imagine the domino effect that could have.

Zander, R. S. , & Zander, B. (2000). The art of possibility: transforming personal and professional life. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press.

WIMBA Blog-Week 2

Sorry I missed this session. Since copyright frightens me so much, it would have been good for me to be there. Alas, a run to Quick Care with my son, kept me away.

One thing that makes me feel better is that using Creative Commons can help me out in the classroom with my students. The explanation of Creative Commons makes me more comfortable using materials. What I've found with Creative Commons though, is there is a TON of material out there, and I would have to be very careful with what we were using in the classroom.

Knowing that I can use copyrighted works for my teaching is helpful. Keeping in mind that if I can teach the unit without it, I can't use it without permission. What's nice about Fair Use, is that if you need some legal protection, there's some there within Fair Use.

Thanks Tim for the site. That's going to be helpful. It's nice to know someone out there is still got peoples best interests in mind.

Literature Review

From the beginning the literature review has worried me. I felt like I was being sent out to sea in just a raft-the sea being my lit review process and the raft being my topic. Sifting through all the literature was daunting, but I had to get my feet wet sometime.

I worried that I wouldn't have enough peer reviewed literature and felt there was a disconnect between my topic and some of the literature I found. After reading, rereading and more rereading, I finally started to see connections. Once I found the connections, it was a little easier to get through.

I also had a friend that was ahead of me in the program by about 5 months. She had previously asked me to read her lit review to check for grammar and such. When we began our lit review I asked her if I could use hers as a reference and she was kind enough to let me do so. She also let me share it within my group, so we at least had a reference.

I feel like Full Sail could have given us a bit more guidance when we started the literature review. I know there's more on the AR site about the lit review, but that came a bit too late for us. The good thing is it's there now for the future students when they need it.

Wk 1-Comment to Gregg

Wk1 BP Entry 4 - EDM 613 MAC - Lit. Review

As my 6 month journey with my Literature Review comes to an end, I would like to say some final words to my paper.

Dear Lit. Review,

Well, we have had quite the ride these last several months. We had our good times, and some bad times as well. We had our late nights and our early mornings. I kicked you to the curb a handful of times, and you made me sleep on the couch for not keeping you APA happy. There were the times when I tried to make you feel more appreciated by synthesizing and rewriting you, but you always claimed to need more 1.5 inch space and more support from other people (specifically your "peer-reviewed" friends). I remember one time in particular where you told me that I needed to rewrite your introductory paragraph because it was too wordy and wasn't representing you to the potential you deserved. I was really embarrassed about this, and so I spent a good amount of time reworking and developing a better foundation for the both of us. I really felt we hit it off on a positive note, just to find out that I was hurting the both of us from the start. I am proud of myself for correcting that in our relationship and giving you what you finally desired: a body of 1200 to 1700 words. So now the time has come to where we must go our own ways. I know we will keep in touch and maybe even run into each other at the local EBSCOhost. All in all Lit. Review, we had a great time together and I wish you well in your new world of research. Take care and good luck.

Sincerely,
Gregg Eilers
Your author and caregiver

2 comments:

Brooke McKaig said...

LMAO!!! Gregg, You crack me up! My letter to my Lit. Review wouldn't have been so nicely, or should I say eloquently put;) Too Funny!

February 4, 2011 10:29 PM

4Shikes said...

Gregg-you may have missed a calling...as a comedian!! That was hilarious!! From the beginning the lit review was so daunting and scary. I wish we would have had more guidance starting the lit review. I feel like we were sent to sea in just a raft and left to survive. There's more info about it now on the AR site. Again, I wish that would have been there sooner. I think we would have had a few more "supplies" on our journey.

Nearing the end

My son after his "race"

I have to admit, as excited as I am for graduation, I am very nervous. Over the last 10 months, I've learned so much. I struggle to try and implement the things I've learn for various reasons. We have limited technology in our building, many sites are blocked and take weeks, if not months to get unblocked, and then there's the time factor. When would I implement a lesson that I've spent hours planning, in addition to all the mandates being handed down from the district. It's overwhelming at times to think about all I've learned and all that's not being used right now.

Ideally, I'd love a position as a technology teacher. Someone who can plan dynamic and engaging lessons and teach them in classrooms. As glorious as that sounds, that would involved putting myself out there as a job applicant again. That's something I am not sure I am ready to do just yet. I love the building I work in and the staff and kids, so it's a comfort things right now. I could possibly find something within the district, but that means I'd have to give up my current position and that's not something I am willing to do.

Beyond that, there's a feeling of loss for me. When we're done with month 12 and have graduated, what will occupy my time. I know I will spend more of it with my kids, but not being connected to my classes and work will create a void in my life. It's almost like losing a loved one. I've really enjoyed my time at Full Sail and forging the friendships has been a very unexpected benefit to the program. I've met and become friends with some truly amazing people, people who will always hold a special place in my heart. It will be a little strange to not have a weekly connection during WIMBA, or projects to collaborate on. Now I am sure that we will stay in touch, but I am guessing the frequency of our communications will diminish a bit.

When I started looking at getting my master's degree it was really more for the pay raise than anything else. I wanted to get it and get it done before the kids got involved in school and sports. Researching programs lead me to talk to others with their master's degree and a friend turned my in the direction of Full Sail. I am a firm believer in fate and I feel that her pointing me in the right direction was a fateful moment for me. Because of her, I've met my wonderful friends and learned all the things I've learned. After the first few months of the program, I realized this was something different than I had intended it to be. It became something I was truly passionate about. I've poured my heart and soul into all that I've done for the last 10 months and intend to do the same for the last two.

Last summer, I ran my first 5K race. I trained for weeks and weeks to get ready for it. When I finished, I felt a huge sense of accomplishment. I can't imagine the feelings I will have at graduation. This was something I couldn't train for. I just jumped in blind and kind of hoped for the best. I've gotten so much more out of it than I ever intended to. Like I said, I just wanted the pay raise.

After all is said and done, I will have to step out of my comfort zone. I am going to have to use what I have to better education. This has been my training for that. It's like training for a 1/2 marathon (something I will being shortly), when the end is near, the tough get going. It's going to be a trudge to the finish line, but what comes after that is what matters.

Week 1-Comments to Catherine

EDM613 MAC - Week 1 Reading - Copyright

Reading and watching the videos about copyrighting, and fair use, was daunting! There is no easy answer or clear right/wrong thing to do. I believe that artists are inspired by elements in their world, including music they hear. So what's a person to do? Be careful and always ask permission. Better to have requested permission, and find out fair use applied, then to not ask, and break the law.

3 comments:

antosb said...

Most of the time you will not be able to actually ask anyone. So if you're a teacher and are using it for educational purposes, you should be fine. I know a lot of cases where Disney will go after daycare centers that have any of their characters in it (Winnie the Pooh, Mickey, etc...) but if you show Fantasia in your class to talk about art, you are free to do so.

Don't let being scared stop you from using great copyrighted work! If it's educational and you're making money off of it, go for it!

February 2, 2011 6:14 PM

antosb said...

That's NOT making money on it!

February 2, 2011 6:15 PM

4Shikes said...

I wish there was an easy answer to this. The murkiness of copyright and fair use makes me scared to use anything that's not mine. I fear the FBI or police coming into my classroom, guns blazing and arresting me in front of the kids. Don't laugh, I've really had this nightmare!

February 3, 2011 10:39 AM

Week 1-Copyright

Oh, the world of copyright. To be honest with you, it scares the crap out of me. As a teacher, I make my kids cite all the sources they use in research and creating presentations. As a student, I use things that are mine personally (pictures) to be sure that I am not violating copyright laws. It's easier for me to use my own images, than to try and use something from Creative Commons and use it wrong. If I need music, I'll create my own GarageBand loops or find something from freeplaymusic.com. I know I am not distributing my work for profit, but I still freak out to think I am possibly violating some law.
Good Copy, Bad Copy was interesting to watch. It's eye opening to see so many artists and producers out there sampling from each other. I am not sure if I think it's right or not. I can't imagine music without other music. So many times, you hear a song on the radio that sounds like another song, or has been redone by another artist. This is more exposure for the artists, but at what point does the song writer get credit for this. Some recording artists are mega millionaires, but what about the song writers, the behind the scenes people, producers, mixers and so forth. When do they get all the public recognition and mega millions?