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.