Vivianne No comment yet

Week 4/ Response to Steve

Steve's post:
The Game of Life
- From Freedigitalphotos.net
Reading Chapter 10,  "Being the Board" of the Zander's book made me think about Milton-Bradley's board game called "The Game of Life." In the board game, your lot in life was a matter of chance - a roll of the dice.  In contrast, "The Art of Possibility" implies that your lot in life is a matter of choice.  Although there are obviously external factors in this Universe of which we have no control, how we act and react in our individual lives are certainly our own responsibility.   That is what the Zander's meant by "being the board." Playing the 'blame game" solves nothing.  We need to see our role in the events of our life and accept responsibility.  On page 142, the Zander's ask us to tell ourselves "I am the framework for everything that happens in my life."

Chapter 9, " Lighting a Spark," speaks of "enrollment" - the art and practice of generating a spark of possibilities in others.  This practice fits in with the idea of giving back.  The Zanders speak of "the Life Force," and how important it is for us to not only find our own spark of possibilities, but to help others find theirs as well.

I loved Chapter 11 of the book, " Creating Frameworks for Possibility" because it talked about "creating the vision."  The grander the vision, the greater the positive effect on our world.  Dr. Martin Luther King and Ghandi are discussed in this chapter.  What I like about this chapter is that it reminds me of why all of us are in this EMDTMS program. We are all trying to create a grander vision of how to educate our students - of how to pass on knowledge and hopefully create a better generation of leaders for our future. A vision to create a better, more enlightened, world.

" Telling the We Story," Chapter 12, is all about inclusion.  The Zander's explain that the I/You dichotomy leads to conflict, and that the best way to resolve such conflict is to replace "I/You" with "We." We need to find the common bond that unites us all to acheive the best of all worlds in a world of possibilities. 

My response to Steve's post:

Steve, I love your comparison of the 2nd life board game to chapter 10 in the book Art of Possibility. I played that game as a child all the time and the comparison makes so much sense. You make a valid point in regards to controlling our reactions toward things beyond our control.  We have to remind ourselves that we must take responsibilities on how we deal with situations in our lives. This is something that I remind myself of everyday. I have no control over the changes that are taking place in my school. Yes, these changes are affecting me in many ways but what can I do about that? They are beyond my control. I can let these changes make me bitter, stressed, or sad, or I can remind myself of all the things I have read in this book. The most important being controlling of my reactions toward things I have no control over. At the end of the day I create my own life.


Vivianne 3 comments

Week 4 Reading: Art of Possibility


After reading Art of Possibilities I feel enlightened beyond words. I took so much from these chapters. “Certain things in life are better done in person.” My mentor always reminds me of this thought. She would run the office in the same manner. Once a week we were not allowed to send emails to each other. Instead we would have to get up from our office and relay the message in person.  Her reason for this was because she felt we could gain so much more from interacting with one another. This is why Ben went in person to meet with the world’s greatest cellist instead of making a call. He gained so much more.

“Being the Board” is the graduate course I must master. Circumstances at work continue to bring stress and worry at times but reading this chapter helped me in mapping out a plan to actually turn my situation around and transform my world. I want to rid myself from the world of measurements and begin to live a life of tranquility and bliss. I must invent my framework so the new Vivianne can emerge and change the world; well at least begin with mine.
 
“Leadership is a relationship that brings this possibility to others and to the world, from any chair, in any role.” - Zander
Vivianne 1 comment

Week 3/Leadership post: Leadership Project Hub


My leadership project presentation will showcase my Action Research Project. My AR project, “Engaging Students with Digital Visual Literacy” focuses on student engagement and connection in the classroom with the use of digital visual to enhance curriculum and classroom content.  Some of the tools included were an interactive syllabus where students had access not to only their course but to links and videos of resources needed for the class, Prezi presentations, Google+ Circle and a learning management system.
My goal is to present my AR project at Georgia Educational Technology Conference or Virginia Society for Technology in Education. Both conferences focus on merging education with the latest technologies and promoting digital technology that is changing the face of education. The ideas and concepts of these conferences support the focus of my Action Research and Literature Review. I am still very interested in presenting at Digital Media and Learning Conference and will submit when they begin to accept applications for next year’s conference. 
Click Here To View: Leadership Project Presentation
 
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Week 3/ Response to Bryan

Bryans Post:





Week 3 Reading: The Art of Possibility (Chapters 5-8)


As I continue making my way through the readings of The Art of Possibility I’m further engrossed in the idea of redrawing perceptions of the world around us to start seeing what is truly around us. Starting with the first reading of Chapter 5, I felt that the idea of “leading from any chair” could just be a good motto for any leader. In my opinion, good leadership is simply motivating your students, team, or employees to perform at their best. If you are motivating these people to wish to perform at in a leadership role or to be able to function so efficiently that they don’t necessarily notice when the leader is removed, then that is the mark of great leadership. I also found it inspirational to hear the tales of the conductor having the violinist take over so he could watch his orchestra from the back row of the audience. To me, regardless of what kind of music being performed, this is a concert I would be compelled to go see. Hearing that level passion that the conductor is leaving his very controlling and involved role to experience his “product” as the paying customer would, demonstrates a thoughtfulness to me that should be modeled by any leader of quality.

Moving on through the reading, I found chapter 6 to be especially inspiring. The whole mantra of “Don’t take yourself so goddamn seriously” is a good one to live by, and one I’ve learned on my own to adopt over the years. Having worked in a teaching and mental health role with kids, I’ve worked with a big range of ages and learning capacities, and throughout this I’ve learned that humor is probably the most universal of languages. Some of my most successful teaching moments have evolved out of taking difficult materials and adding bits of humor to the teaching process. Even just joking around with students can sometimes build a strong enough rapport that they learn that you’re not always about business, and in turn, this can motivate some to really push themselves to perform better in my course because they feel they know me better as a person than some of their other teachers. As I read of this concept being applied to business models, it didn’t surprise me to learn of instances where it generated success in those worlds as well. I also felt that chapter 7 conveyed a strong idea about presenting things as they truly are when dissecting a situation. I think it’s human nature to fall into the “poor me” boat when things don’t necessarily go our way, but it rarely ever helps the situation, and more rarely improves it in my experiences. I can really see how the simple idea of changing “but” statement to “and” statements can make it easier to stop us from playing the victim in situations where it really won’t help anything move forward.

Lastly, I think this week’s reading wrapped up with some good thoughts on doing something about all of the possibilities one can see when they reframe their ideas. The metaphorical imagery of a river building an ice tower is a strong concept, and the thoughts on letting nature flow through your body to take the course it should are really strong; but, I have to admit I’m excited to hear more ideas of doing something about the possibilities Zander is trying to open our minds to seeing. Again, I have to reiterate that for an “assigned” reading this has been an easy and compelling read for me, and one I would recommend to others. I look forward to concluding this book in the coming week.

My response to Bryan's post: 
Bryan, I enjoyed your post very much, but what stuck with the most from it was your Chapter 6 reflection. I too agree and need to live by, “Don’t take yourself so goddamn seriously”. Not too long ago, I would become overwhelmed and stressed out over the smallest things. During my experience at Full Sail, my managing and teaching position along with my personal life, I have learned and continue to adopt this attitude so I am able to strive for a piece of mind.

I agree with you that humor is always needed when things get a little too serious. I also bring humor to my classroom to ease the tension, especially during my portfolio class, where the pressure is on due to completions of portfolios and website in a 4 week deadline. My students always seem to appreciate my silly jokes. I believe when a teacher rules with an iron fist, it brings the moral and motivation down in the classroom. When people are happy and comfortable in their work environment, they are more productive. Humorous and happy people always seem to get more accomplished. So I build the environment in my classroom with a smile and the occasional teacher joke.

Vivianne No comment yet

Week 3/ Response to Alf

Alfs Post:  
One of the biggest takeaways from reading this particular book is that I have never seen myself so enthusiastic about diving in. Let me reiterate that the “Art of Possibility” by Benjamin and Rosamund Zander is one of those books that you cannot put down; it is a brilliantly refreshing account of the lessons and stories about enjoying life to the fullest. I really like the format of the writing so far because when I read I don’t see words, rather I see an ocean of pictures before me–every chapter is filled with paintings of concepts that I truly understand and appreciate, because the lessons are so applicable in my own life.
Post image for Wk3 Reading: Art of PossibilityAllow me to give a brief summary of each chapter (5-8). Chapter 5 is about stepping down and letting others lead. I have heard it said a lot from teachers that it a humbling and genuine experience when the students teach the teachers. Chapter 6 teaches us to lighten up using Rule Number 6 (hilarious. Chapter 7 is about being present to the way things are so that we can have clarity on the next step we should take. Chapter 8 is about giving way to passion, that is to let go of restraint and participate fully. Benjamin Zander, in one of his anecdotes, referred to this as going “Beyond the F*ck It”. I also learned from these chapters the difference between the calculating vs. central self. I am now striving to be more in contact with the latter because I can see how much good it does for me and for everyone else around me.



My response to Alf's post: 
Alf, I share your same enthusiasm towards the book “Art of Possibility”. This book is much more uplifting and inspirational compared to the other books we’ve had throughout our courses. Not to say that I didn’t learn anything from my other readings, but they were more focused on the subject at hand. So, I as well was not too excited about another book in regards to the technicality of our craft. To the contrary, it was a refreshing read and a guidebook to my place of serenity. This book is helping me understand and cope with all the things that are currently surrounding my life.  I related most to Chapter 5 because it helped me once again to put things in perspective. It felt as if Benjamin, Rosamund, Zander and Mr. Bustillos knew what I was currently going through and said, "take a look at this." As you mentioned this book showcases the “lessons and stories about enjoying life to the fullest” and I am learning how to take those steps regardless of what life throws in my direction, with every chapter I read.

Vivianne 2 comments

Wk3 Reading: Art of Possibility


It’s a bit scary how much this book is speaking to me, it relates to the moments in my life that are occurring right now. The letter Georgina wrote to Zander in Chapter 5 stood out to me the most. She explains in her letter how her set back with her seating arrangements changed from a disappointment to a winning situation. I too can relate to Georgina. For the past 6 years I held the Program Chair position for my school. Changes in my workplace took place where I no longer was holding this position. As some of you may know, I was demoted to the lead instructor position and my ego was a bit wounded. My campus president at the time explained to me how there is good in change and that a setback in life is never a bad thing. As days went by I was sad and bitter but than I began to realize that titles didn’t make me, I can still continue to lead and I still had a voice which can be heard- program head or not. Just like Georgina and her position in the orchestra, I too came to the realization with the help of my campus president that I still mattered and made a difference.
“…A leader does not need a podium; she can be sitting quietly on the edge of any chair, listening passionately and with commitment, fully prepared to take up the baton.” -  Benjamin  Zander
Vivianne 1 comment

Week 2 WIMBA Archive


I wasn’t too happy that I missed Wimba last Wednesday but a lot of changes are occurring in my department that forced me to miss it. I am hoping this is not the case for the remainder of the WIMBA sessions.
Again the videos provided in regards to Copyright laws were insightful and helpful. This new knowledge has inspired me to create a presentation detailing copyright laws because my students who are training to be graphic designers must understand, respect, and apply this law towards their craft and yes, Creative Commons and its 11 different flavors will be a resource used in my classroom. Rhonda, I agree that education within this subject matter must take place early on in the education system due to the digital culture we live in.  After gaining such detailed knowledge of Copyright laws, it was shocking to see the lack of information presented and given to us for our students in the Graphic Design and Animation program.
Fair Use is a subject matter that I need to continue to gain knowledge in because I still get confused with the restrictions of it. However, it’s an important aspect of Copyrights to know, especially in the field of Graphic Design so that incidents like what happened with Shepard Fairey, who created the Obama poster, do not happen to my students.
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