Wk 4 Publishing_Leadership Project

The following is a link to my paper describing the Action Research project that I have been conducting for the last year: The Student-Centered Algebra Classroom.  Mathematics education requires change. Instructors should allow their students more opportunities to engage in experiential learning. Technology can help guide the way by empowering students by providing direct access to information, thus shifting the focus of the classroom from the teacher to the student.

Link to my paper

I will be submitting the paper to the National Council of  Teachers of Mathematics' publication, The Mathematics Teacher. Please read the following blog posts regarding my decision to publish and where.

Publishing_Leadership Project Part 1 of 2

Publishing_Leadership project part 2 of 2

Week 4 BP#4 Free Post-The Spiral Up

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As I read the Art of Possibility this month I felt torn. The last year was undoubtedly one of the toughest years of my life. I faced a difficult teaching assignment and an intense master's program, shuffled my personal commitments and tried to appease my children, all the time telling myself that it was almost over.   Shear exhaustion had put me in survival mode and I was riding the downward spiral.  The Art of Possibility helped me to start looking up again. I have never been the type of person to accept defeat. I loved reading the chapter, It's All Invented. It allowed me the opportunity to redefine my accomplishments and rise above the downward spiral. I had allowed myself to sit in my seat and play my part, instead of leading. I have too much to contribute to sit quietly in my chair.

It is easy to talk about what is wrong with education, but that is the downward spiral. We must start talking about the possibilities and the framework for change. Everyone deserves the opportunity to play their part with so much passion that they become a one-buttock player. We must start the conversation that allows individuality and personal freedom to prevail in the educational system.

Zanders made an important point about the calculating and the central self. I believe we have a limited window in education to influence a child's mind, before the calculating self within that child fights back to gain control. If we haven't helped them find their passion by the middle grades, we need to start looking harder, because force feeding the same education to them beyond that point will be met with pure resistance.  Traditional education may work perfectly for some, but it does not work for everyone. We need to encourage young people to find the plan that works for them, without painting them as failures. Choosing a different route is just that; a different route.

Particularly, in light of our country's economic woes we need to find alternatives to forcing a child to take courses over and over again that they don't want to take and make no effort to pass. Even if the child eventually passes the class; what have we taught that child? Unless that child assigns some value to being in the seat, we are wasting everyone's time.  Virtual school, blended education, magnet schools, career academies, technical and trade schools are all viable options that would allow the child the opportunity to discover the central self and nurture their passion. A child that has discovered his passion can inspire others and contribute to society. A child that is not allow to discover his passion can destroy society.

Week 4 BP#3 Response to Tricia Atkinson

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Tricia Atkinson wrote:

Wow, these last chapters were a lot to take in! Just when I thought my personal reaction could not possibly be more profound, the Zander’s prevailed with more stories and more implications of living a life of possibility. Most notably were chapters 10 and 11 when adversity was discussed in more detail, including the analogy of self as a game board (versus the typical interpretation as a participating piece). I will admit, when the idea of mutual responsibility in every situation was introduced, I felt some indignation. I mean, who doesn’t want to ostracize the drunk driver or the blatantly rude reaction or the frequent absentee. But how fascinating to think about their perspective and how it will not improve attitude and happiness by being upset and throwing blame.

As easy as it is to get into a downward negative spiral towards my students, blaming them for their negative, rude, and apathetic actions. But what about what I have done to contribute? What about my negative sarcasm or mediocre effort? Not to mention what they have eaten lately or when the last time is that they got a hug or “good job” from a parent? Trying to remember myself in each other person’s shoes will help me to react with a more enlightened attitude, just as Ben did when his students partied in South America. What would it have helped to “go off” like so many of us teachers are expected to do. Instead, the kids understood, felt enabled, apologetic, regretful, and still valued. Amazing. This Art of Possibility stuff is definitely not second nature in the world of modern education, but I feel like a breath of fresh air, a reminder of options and how to go with the flow, giving students and others in my life the benefit of the doubt, has been given to me…I am inspired and grateful.

Link to Tricia's Post

Tricia, 

You are so right and so perceptive. I too felt indignation at the thought of blaming myself for what was done to me, but Zanders is right, the blame game doesn’t make the world a better place. We live in a litigious society that is always looking for someone to blame. Ask any student who is failing and he will tell you, he is failing because the teacher didn’t teach him. Ask any teacher why the student is failing and they will say the student failed to learn. Not that we, as teachers, need any more responsibility, but they didn’t learn because we failed to enroll them into the possibility of learning. Granted, some of this is beyond our control, to which we need to cut ourselves a little slack…how fascinating. 

I was thinking, “How do we inspire them? How do we ignite the fire, even when it’s raining?” What came to me as an answer was remarkable simple: Why are we trying to light a fire, when we have electricity? We need to continue to integrate the current technology into the classroom and teach new things in new ways. Continuing to rub two stick together to try to make fire doesn’t make sense in the modern world in which we live. The new things that we teach need to include choices that will allow students to discover their passion for learning. 

Students don’t like change anymore than teachers, but learning to adapt to change is going to be important for the unforeseeable future. Creating the framework for the universe of possibilities and constantly assessing whether we are staying on track becomes our guiding force. From my perspective, I’d rather be the board, than get hit upside the head by the board :-)

Week 4 BP#2 Response to Matt Leskey

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Matt Leskey Wrote:

Revisiting paradigm changes.

Wow. I went back and reread the free post I made last week about the difficulty of changing education and I can’t believe how dark it is. Though it lightens up, the first half is like a relentless hammer of doom on how screwed up the current system and the difficulty of changing things. I must not have had enough coffee. While I think that the points about the difficulty of top down change are valid, I’m not sure that the situation is as desperate as I had implied. When I look around and speak with people who teach in public schools, I am noticing a shift in how things are working. Just a few years ago, the “we have to get technology in the schools!” mantra was being chanted, but oftentimes there was no planning and whatever was bought sat idle since no one knew how to use it. More recently, younger teachers who have grown up with computers, the Internet, and newer technologies have been replacing the old guard that was resisting change. In the old guard’s defense, change can be scary and a lack of training and support will make anyone a cynic about incorporating the latest craze. Younger teachers don’t require as much technology training and may be able to implement tech in the classroom a little easier. That’s not to say that all experienced teachers are afraid of change and technology, but there were quite a few at one point. The main thing is that there are more teachers that are willing to try new ways of reaching their students and that understand how to effectively use technology in the classroom. As this spreads, I hope that we see a bottom up change to the educational system. When one of the new guard creates something great for their class and their students start buzzing about it, it will spread to other classes through their school and district. Hopefully, good ideas and practices will take advantage of new media and social connections and spread in a viral manner. Something that I’ve noticed that could help with this spread is that most teachers are happy, and even eager, to share how they succeeded with a project. This creates a huge pool of resources that everyone can share in. The changes will also have to come from the bottom and work upward, since things are changing too fast for a government entity to keep up with. There will be missteps and setbacks and it’s still not going to be easy in any way. But, in a way, I think that the changes have to happen, not because we want them to, but because the world has changed and the education systems will need to match it. Still, I’m not so sure about letting students in a live classroom answer a question via Twitter.

Link to Matt's Blog

Matt,

First of all, I read your post from the previous week and didn't find it dark at all. You offered some practical possibilities for change. You wrote, "The only way to make the changes happen in a reasonable amount of time is if they are started by the teachers and work their way up." That seems hopefully, but I think the point of the reading this month in the Art of Possibilities, points to a broader possibility.  I think that change starts with the students and works its way up. Education will change when educators stop being the gate-keepers of knowledge and allow the students to take an active role in the creation of new ideas. Technology has facilitated enlightenment throughout the world by connecting people on a global scale to communicate  and collaboratively generate new ideas. There is really no way to hold back a viral explosion of information. The new ideas will do more than just spread from the bottom and work their way upward; the ideas will envelop us. Sure there will be mistakes; how fascinating. There will be times where we will lose the track and descend into the downward spiral. All the more reason for framing the possibilities and continuing to examine what is on track and what is not. The change is already in motion with the momentum increasing beyond anyone's ability to contain. As educators, I believe it is our responsibility to become the guardians of the track, framing it and guiding it forward to its destination in the universe of possibilities.

 

Week 4 BP#1 Final Reading, The Art of Possibility

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As teachers we are expected to be a lot of things to a lot of people. We're expected to do great things, with limited resources. Expected to smile everyday and inspire the masses, even when the masses take us for granted and sometimes worse. It can be a tough job and sometimes we allow the institution to beat us down, but it is in those times that we must rediscover the track back to the world of possibilities. When so much of what we do as teachers is beyond our control, it is important to adopt the concept of "being the board."

Assigning blame is rarely productive in situations where nothing can be changed and there is no consequence due. It is much more productive to find a "we" attitude that works within the board to find solutions that allow everyone an opportunity for success. Vision and passion require more than being adequate. Living life to the fullest demands an investment into the lives of others, born out of an investment in the self.

Practicing enrollment means taking responsibility for not only what you do, but also what is done to you. In many respects it asserts that you will not be a victim of circumstances. Valuable time can be wasted waiting for someone to come to the rescue when the power to change your circumstances lies within the framework you invent for yourself.   

Wk3 BP4 Publishing/Leadership project part 2 of 2

That Was Easy

 

Image by Civilian Scrabble

After a great deal of thought, hours of searching through websites for publications and upcoming conferences, I have finally made a decision. In the end, the decision was easy, because I found the perfect place. The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics is currently seeking articles for a 2013 Focus issue of the Mathematics Teacher on teaching the key concepts of beginning Algebra. My project investigated the creation of a student-centered classroom in Algebra One. My research hits on many of the key topics they are looking at for the issue. Now for the hard work of finishing my article when I am feeling so tired. The race is always harder at the end, but finding the perfect place has renewed my strength and given me added enthusiasm for polishing my article.

 

Week 3 BP#3 Comments to Marty Denson

Marty Denson wrote:

While reading chapters 5 through 8 of The Art of Possibility, I was most intrigued by chapter 8, which speaks of giving way to passion. My first thought was that I felt I must share this idea with my students as way to suggest to each of them how important it is to be completely committed to the activities they choose to take on. I often remind them that participating in any activity or organization for the sake of tile, position, and/or stature is neither beneficial to them nor the activity or organization they are involved in. Reading the suggested two steps in giving way to passion are notable concepts that I will include when discussing this overall theme of passion to my students.

How gratifying it was for me when chapter 8 later used Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata as an analogy to long lines discussed in that chapter. That particular sonata, which is one of my most favorite pieces to perform, is ironically the piece that I often use to demonstrate several concepts when working with select students. I think because of the familiarity of the piece, students become more engaged, which allows me to really articulate the expressive movements within the music. The Moonlight Sonata, when misinterpreted musically, bares a strong resemblance to life itself. Just as in the Moonlight Sonata, life can produce a “dull and numbing performance” when emphasis is placed in the wrong areas.

The heart of the matter, in my opinion, and as suggested in the reading, is that knowing your passion and allowing yourself to be consciously open to discovering that energy and life force, enables you to demonstrate a positive uniqueness. That uniqueness in expression is what brings meaning that extends beyond the “meaning viewed from the ground.”

Read Marty's Post and My Comments

Marty,

Life is very much like music. Sometimes we're rock-n-roll, sometimes jazz, sometimes the blues and sometimes we're just downright elevator music. We have all had times in our lives were we seem to be stuck on the 8th floor, trapped between passion and responsibility. Life is wonderful when passion and responsibility combine their lyrics, but they won't always play in perfect harmony. There will always be times in life where we will be forced to things that we really don't want to do and that is not always wrong. Sometimes passion must sit second chair to responsibility. The important thing is that you lead from the chair you are in with the same passion as if you were in the chair you would have chosen to be in and eventually you will find yourself where you really want to be.

 

Week 3 BP#2 Comments to Kristi Swartz

Kristi Swartz wrote:

The 4 chapters we focused on this week again had me thinking in a new way. Leaders are always said to be the strong, loud, commanding type, yet, in this reality, the leader is the one that makes others strive to have a vision of what is possible. As I read this week, I could not help but think of my son’s 4^th grade teacher. He truly is the best teacher I, or any of my own children, have ever had. I began to reflect on the readings and this particular teacher’s qualities. What quality does he possess? How does he lead? This is what I found. His quality is inspiration. He leads quietly. He leads by making each student feel worthy of great possibility, of vision.

When my son had this particular teacher, we attended a short play the students created in the classroom. We have all attended classroom plays, yet this one was different. Student made invitation letters went home, student created props lined the walls of the classroom. Student actors and actresses played the parts of the student written scripts. There were even student created commercials between the acts. All students were involved and the leader sat silent and just took it all in. A student made the introduction and all the leader said in the end was a simple thank you for coming to see you students amazing production.

At the time, I did notice how different the feel of the classroom was that day. Students were empowered to learn and grow, and proud to show the product they had created. The reason that teacher is such an amazing teacher is because he gets what Zander spoke of in his video this week and through The Art of Possibility. He gets that it is a teacher’s job to inspire possibility and watch students live into that vision. May it be so for all of us as educators.

Read Kristi's blog and see my comments.

Kristi,

Thank you for the comments to my previous blog post. I was so excited to hear that your school elected two students with Down's syndrome as king and queen of prom. Maybe our world is a better place?

Your son's teacher demonstrated his leadership by encouraging leadership. Sometimes the best thing that a leader can do is to remain silent and allow others the opportunity to lead. No one person has all of the answers or can play every part in the play. The orchestra is not made up of only first chairs. The tuba may be bigger than the flute, but it cannot play its part. A Down's syndrome king and queen will undoubtedly change the perception of royalty in your community.  We all have important roles to play. What is important is what we do with our part. How will we contribute to our world?

Week 3 BP#1 Reading the Art of Possibility

Image Credit:  The Conductor by Paul Helm

The teacher, like the conductor of an orchestra is not the true power in the classroom. The teacher derives their power from the success of the student. Some teachers may see their role as enlightening their students with their vast knowledge, but I disagree.  Perhaps more can be learned from the conductor.

One of the most difficult issues that I faced during my action research project as I moved my classes from the traditional teacher-centered classroom to a student-centered model was the role of the instructor. Almost universally, students perceive the role of the teacher as supplying knowledge and answering questions, a notion that has been perpetuated by an arena of high-stakes testing. While this methodology has merit for the conveyance of basic facts and principles, it falls short of moving the student to transference of the principles at higher levels of intellectual and cognitive application.

It is not the conductor's role to play the violin, only to direct the violinist. Like the conductor, it is not the teacher's role to answer the question, but to ask the question and point the student in the direction of knowledge. My research indicated that the teacher should literally say nothing that would interfere with the students' thought process. Students should be encouraged to develop the ideas, based on their previous knowledge and define the concepts for themselves.  This approach transcends the power of the conductor and empowers learning to take place from any chair. Through this collaborative orchestra of thought, knowledge is generated beyond the scope of any individual effort.

Is it necessary that every student masters the laws of physics, understand Shakespearean literature or solve a quadratic equation? I think we know better. Our world would be a better place if each child could discover and develop their passion. Establishing graduation requirements and competency testing does little to promote passion for learning. It is time to apply Rule #6 to the educational arena.  Yes, we should have some basic requirements and children should be exposed to wide variety of educational opportunities, but the sooner we help children develop areas of interest, the better chance we have lessening the control of the calculating self and free the child to find the central self. Imagine a universe of possibility where each person is able to express their inner desires in a positive direction by contributing to their world.  A world in which each person participates in the part that they were born to play and plays it with unbridled passion. 

Wk2 BP4 Publishing/Leadership project part 1 of 2

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Over the last couple days I took the time to write the summary for my AR Project and posted it to my website. As I posted it, I couldn't help thinking how far we have come over the last year. I remember when all my pages were empty and the project resembled looking out over a big black hole with the word, "TEXT" emblazoned over the top.

Now, only one black hole remains, the Publishing/Leadership project. (My apology in advance to my critical friend Debra Atherton, who is an English Literature teacher, but I could not help asking myself, what would Hamlet say?)

To publish or to present, that is the question:

Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer

The slings and arrows of colleagues 

Or take pen against paper in a sea of words

And by writing them say an end to EMDT

To sleep and more sleep, to say we end

The heartache of the thousands of projects

Completed accurately to the rubric

To sleep, perchance to dream-ay, there's the rub:

For in that sleep what dreams may come?

Where a presentation could impact so many

We must take pause to the universe of possibility

I guess my first inclination is to go the publishing route, but I don't think my project merits publication.  I hate seeming insecure and it's not that it's a bad project; it's just not the caliber of the projects that I have seen published. In some respects, I believe it should be published, because it is practical and useful and much of what I have seen published in math education journals is not that practical, but I don't find my project to be scholarly. Are there acceptable publications for less scholarly work?

Since I have only been back in education for two years and I have been a wee bit busy since then, I haven't been to any conferences in years and I'm not really certain what would be expected of me there. I am much more fearful of a presentation, but I have good presentation skills and I do believe that I have an important message to convey. I am leaning more in this direction, but again, I am not sure where would be the best place to start. Ideas?

Week 2 BP#3 Comments to Debra Atherton

Week 2 BP#3 Comments to Debra Atherton

Debra Wrote:
As I begin writing, the dominating truth is Ben Zander’s playing of Chopin. I started the video in a welter of not just tension and anxiety but resentment: “WhateverwhateverIjust don’tfreakinghave TIME forthis.” There’s something about his playing that transcends any musical experience I’ve ever had before—as if Plato’s actuality of beauty had manifested itself through my ears into my brain.


That’s not good right now. Several times during the reading of these chapters, I teared up—my physical response to truth—but I squelched the tears. I don’t have to look at my thoughts to see the characteristics of the measurement mentality in my “operant powers”—tell me, when one quotes Shakespeare, is one required to cite? Or doesn’t one rather leave hanging the assumption that, of course, one’s conversational partners will recognize the allusion?—one of my favorites being pretention. Oh, there’s a maelstrom of well measured melancholy burbling under my surface, as I sit at the end of a challenging year, which is at the end of a grievously difficult decade. And this blog would give me an opportunity to do another productive round of bleeding ink, symbolically speaking, or I can turn to a rather more intellectual analysis of my classroom and my students.

I don’t have time right now to bleed. The kiddies it is.

I had an epiphany in Dr. Dan’s class that changed the way I look at the emergent adults in my classroom. I can’t even remember why now (of course, I can’t remember if I ate lunch today), but I recognized that what these young people really wanted out of their education was not to get out of it, but to know that what they were doing was meaningful. And that what they’re doing in school, well, they usually feel that that isn’t. We were at this time wrapping up Pygmalion, and instead of giving them the usual literary analysis essay topic, I asked them to think about a problem they or a friend had that might have a solution in a lesson they learned from that play.

I’ve been teaching seniors for twenty years, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen them so engaged in my life.

So when Mr. Zander writes that “adolescents are looking for an arena in which to make an authentic contribution to the family and to the community,” and “how few meaningful roles are available for young people to fill” (p. 40), I saw an explanation for the present vacuous obsession with prom. When we fail to give them anything productive to do, how can we be surprised when all that’s left to care about is “Me! Me! Me!!!”

On the other hand, “Me! Me! Me!!!” is a rut almost all of my students have been in for a long time. And I don’t know where this “senioritis” garbage came from, but they are utterly unashamed of wallowing in it. If I gave my students a guaranteed A, I have no doubt I’d never see a majority of them lift a finger again, except to text under their desks.

My students, you see, aren’t there because, like Mr. Zander’s students, they desire deeply to improve their performance, but because the state and their parents force them to be. Does this mean they’re getting nothing of value in my classroom? Oh no, no, no—you should see them, this week, shining eyes reflecting the black-and-white glow of Olivier’s Hamlet. And I am really sure that’d be happening, grade or no. But the other wonderful things they’re doing—the visual poem, the fascinating discussions? They wouldn’t have those experiences if I didn’t reward them with points.

My grades aren’t competitive. Plenty of points to go around—an unlimited supply. Of course, I’m fond of saying “I don’t give points—you earn them.” And I hope they earn them doing valuable work that teaches them not only how to express themselves effectively but who they are and what they are capable of. I see them satisfied when they achieve something in a way that certainly transcends the reward/punishment system of points. But without that carrot, I don’t see them giving themselves the opportunity to achieve the satisfaction.

At least, not this year. As I reflect, though, on opening for my students a “Universe of Possibility,” I see that I have myself modeled that concept continually this year. I’m not only one of the “Old Farts” but had a well deserved reputation for being, while devoutly enthusiastic, hmm, let’s just say a bit of a stickler. This year I have continually tried one new thing after another, flagrantly experimenting and making mistakes and trying something else. I’ve boldly gone where no one (not at my school, anyway) has gone before. When I showed our principal the tweets we did in class watching Hamlet, he looked at me and grinned, “Who’da thought you’d be the one doing this, huh?” I’ve demonstrated categorically that one is never too … too anything to learn new stuff, no, not even if one's first pet was a dinosaur.

Link to Debra's Post

Debra,

I know exactly where you are coming from. I picked up the Zander's book with same attitude and maybe worse. We are all stressed out right now, not only is it the end of our year long journey through EMDT, it is the end of our school year. It's a tough time of the year. Perhaps if I was an elementary teacher, I would be missing my kids already, but I'm not, I teach 9th grade Algebra 1. That alone was a huge mistake, but it's what my administration needed me to do. No one should spend their entire day with 9th graders doing the same thing.

As I started reading the book, my attitude softened and there were points that I thought I might cry too. You are very right; Zander's students are far different than the students who come through our classes. All of his students choose to be there. The majority of my students are forced to be there and worse than that, they are not academically ready to be there, but the State of Florida gives them no other options. This creates undue stress on everyone involved. Something needs to change, but until then, we adapt the concepts to our students and try to find ways to draw outside the lines.

As one of your critical friends for your AR project, I have watched you draw outside the lines in amazing ways this year. You have shown your students how to create their own possibilities and even more impressive, you have shown your administration a thing or two. You appear to have moved beyond survival thinking and into abundant thinking, willing to take risks and relinquish control. Sounds perfect to me. I give you an A.

Week 2 BP#2 Comments to Monica Heaney

Monica wrote:
After reading Chapter 1 of The Art of Possibility, by Rosamund & Benjamin Zander, I was hooked. I read many paragraphs over and over because I didn’t want to forget the message. As a teacher with dual certification (regular and special education) I am often asked to identify a child’s disability. It really bothers me that so often students are compared to each other and not looked at as an individual. I can think of a particular student who takes longer to respond and process, this is considered a processing delay that I don’t agree with. I watch him listen and if he was an adult, he would say “give me a minute.” As a child if his response time is not immediate we think something is wrong. Chapter 2 of “The Art of Possibility” reminds us how our measurements put limits on possibility. I believe that this student is very smart. Measuring him according to students who have the ability to express themselves quickly doesn’t allow for the possibility of his intelligence to be expressed. Chapter 3, “Giving An A” should remind us to give this student an A. If we assume he has a lot to contribute and a lot to express, perhaps his anxiety would lessen. Maybe he would feel the belief of the teacher and maybe he would feel more comfortable in expressing himself and his ideas. The authors expressed the idea that you can change people. This is an instance were I believe this can happen. As the educator, if I provide an atmosphere of trust, acceptance, and high expectations, this student of concern would most likely express himself.
Making a contribution as mentioned in chapter 4 would be on my end as well as on the students end. As the teacher, my contribution would be, being extra patient with this student. My student’s contribution would be to express his ideas and become an integral voice in our class. Which, I would imagine would encourage him to repeat the contributions and become more confident and less anxious.

Link to Monica

Monica,

You really deserve an A. Thank you for seeing all children for the possibility that exists within the scope of their abilities. As the mother of an Asberger's child, I have come to embrace my son's unique attributes and celebrate his successes regardless of how he compares to my other children. You are so right about judging a student's work based on his abilities. I have students who work so hard to be successful and others who are successful without much effort, but our society wants results. Effort may be praised, but it is seldom rewarded.

I have always wanted to be a more compassionate teacher, but being the math teacher doesn't always bring out my sensitive side. I have beat myself up over this point on more than one occasion. My brain is wired for facts and less responsive to feelings, but that is part of what makes me a good mathematician. I will still keep trying to improve in this area, but after reading your post and seeing your insights, I think I really should just give myself an A and acknowledge my own differences.

Thanks Monica!

Week 2 BP#1 Reading the Art of Possibility

Recently I had the opportunity to be introduced to the World of Warcraft during a class on Gaming Strategies and Motivation. My guides for the excursion into this alternate reality were my two youngest sons, Stephen and Andrew. We had some interesting adventures and I spent way more time than I thought I would in this strange land. Many of the quests would take hours and I would go to bed dreaming that I was running through a field, trying to find my corpse so I could bring my lifeless body back to life. I would leave my house in the morning and I started thinking of everything in my life as part of the game. Following the same road, noting landmarks along the way, entering the building where I work, walking down the corridor, opening doors like I was on some quest. As I read the book, "The Art of Possibility" by Rosamund and Benjamin Zander and came to the first chapter, it didn't take much to convince this reader that it is all created.

Who makes the rules anyway and what were they thinking? Seriously, if we never colored outside the lines, where would we be? If we define ourselves by our perceptions of what our administrators, legislators, students or their parents think of us; where would we be? Given the current state of affairs in education, I'd much rather step into a "universe of possibilities" where I can have some control over my perception of the reality. If teachers are going to inspire their students, they need to have some inspiration. Budget cuts, meetings, more reports, standardized testing, learning gains and AYP, do not count as inspiration. If we are going introduce our students to the world of possibilities, we need to make sure that we are acquainted with the terrain.

I would love to give my students an A and differentiate my instruction to better meet the needs of my students, but the system that I work in doesn't support that goal. It is wrong to tell a student to seize the universe of possibilities and invent his own path to success, when there is a big bad test at the end of the year that is going to determine whether he passes or fails. We simply need more options in our system to allow students more control over their future and the opportunity to experience the universe of possibility. We need to re-think the rules and create some new possibilities.

Week 1 BP#4 Reply to Debra Atherton

For my fourth post, I have decided to reply to one of the replies that I received on my "Best of Intentions" post earlier in the week.

Debra Atherton wrote:

I’m surprised that I was surprised that we both wrote about intentions, not to mention our shared emphasis on common sense. Leggis’ example of the farmers and the airplanes illustrated that our culture has developed in ways unfathomable to those original law-makers. You’re right; the Creative Commons approach balances protection for the original artist with cultural and creative freedom for the artist who interacts with the original work.

It’s so tempting to make the corporate music structure the villain here, but it’s an establishment that worked for everyone—artists, listeners, investors. I have to confess to a deep pang of nostalgia when I saw the “Tower Records going out of business” sign! Change is a force of nature—and this change in the accessibility of publication, from a years-long battle with infinitesimal chance of success to an instant exposure for anyone who can click a mouse, has been more like a tornado than a cleansing rain. It’s understandable that the establishment would resist the onslaught, especially when the precipitousness of it gave little chance to recognize it and evolve.

But the kids have hacked into the system and set the stop light to blink in the middle of the night. And the cops can instigate a big old manhunt… or they can acknowledge that the kids have got the clearer view, and withdraw with good grace.


My reply:

Debra,

Is it surprising that we chose to write about the same things? I guess I could just say, great minds think alike, but I think that it is more than that. It goes back to the topic of copyright and fair use. We build upon the ideas of others. While I agree to an extent with the ideas of copyright protection, I believe that the laws infringe on the rights of creativity.

You touch on one other idea that needs further consideration, change. Change is inevitable, but never before has change taken place at such exponential rates due to the proliferation of the Internet. We have more access to the works of others than ever before. That access allows new ideas to be created and evolve at viral rates into even more new ideas.

Corporate music producers are not the villains, nor are they the victims. They found a way to make a ton of money, but the world evolved and they can no longer make money doing the same thing in the same way. With change comes loss. Is it sad? Yes, but we can't grief forever, either we adapt or we get left behind.

As teachers we want to educate our young people, but we also want to preserve our culture. The copyright laws restrict that ability, where fair use and the creative commons have found a way to adapt to change without completely turning our society into the Wild, Wild West of new ideas. Should teachers have more latitude with the copyright laws? Sure, but consider now the changing classroom environment. What defines a classroom is no longer bricks and mortar. So where do we draw the lines in the virtual classroom? Again, it is about change. I would like to think that we have reached a leveling in the speed of changes, but that is probably wishful thinking. In the book, The Art of Possibility, Zander and Zander discuss rule #6, "Don't take yourself so g...d... seriously." As change erodes the ideas of yesterday, this is a rule that we should all try to remember.

See my comment and read more from Debra.

Week 1 BP#3 Comments to Kristi Swartz

The following is a blog post by Kristi Swartz, with my comments below.

Wanted: New Media in the Classroom
Ron Smith Interview- Use Any Method to Reach Students

In the interview I watched, Ron Smith discusses animation use by high school students. He explains how he uses anything to get students interested in what is happening in the classroom. He integrates new technology and students express themselves in their own way.

I feel there is a real need for teachers to be aware of the new ways of expression in the classroom, which students use, everyday outside of the classroom. Students need to be as connected to the world inside the classroom as they are outside the classroom.

Ron Smith explains that a teacher who uses a PowerPoint thinks he is really techno-savvy. Teachers do not see the full benefits of digital teaching because this requires a new type of planning by teachers. Ron Smith explains how he builds the semester before the class even begins when using new technology. Most teachers work day by day, the new culture is preparation before class with more freedom during the day to aid student creation.

This article was interesting to me, but since it was an interview with a teacher of high school students, I need to adapt his ideas for the upper-elementary classroom. How: First, I love the idea of showing students a bit about several web 2.0 tools and then encouraging students to experiment with those tools to create a project, letting students choose the tool they wish to use for the project. For upper elementary students, I would begin with applications like Wordle, Glogster, StoryJumper, and ToonDoo. Once students are comfortable and familiar with these applications and how they are used, I would add more web tools for project presentation. I do try to create media for use in the classroom when I have free time that can be used in later classes to increase interest. I include a Prezi I created to use with students to share information about myself at the beginning of the school year. I encourage you to do the same. The more media we create and save, the more engaging our classrooms become!

I know students would love to have control over how they demonstrate their knowledge, and would likewise enjoy the presentation of final projects because they are all unique. Students would learn from each other’s final products! Final products can also be shown and shared with a larger audience, and perhaps used by many other teachers in their own classrooms! I know this type of learning would interest students and engage them in the learning as well!

New Media in the classroom? I’m sold!

My Comments

Kristi,

Your enthusiasm for integrating new media in your classroom is apparent. Thanks for pointing out the Ron Smith interview. (Interesting guy, brilliant mind and obviously a dedicated teacher. Were those really tube socks? :-) You have some wonderful ideas about how to adapt his ideas to your classroom. A couple thought come to my mind as I read your post.

Since we are reading about copyright and fair use this week, I can't help but see the similarity. We really do find inspiration in the works of other people. It's only natural to take an idea and want to improve on their ideas with our own ideas. I understand copyright protection, but there must also be a balance that protects the evolution of new ideas.

Part of me also thinks we are asking too much of our teachers today. There is so much information out there and new information is being created at exponential rates. If teachers are going to be able to keep up with new media in the classroom, we need to find ways to organize the existing information so the teacher can focus on the development of new ideas. I understand that teachers want freedom in their classrooms, but I would be willing to give up some of that freedom if it meant I could focus on more important ideas. If we are going to have a chance at keeping up and providing engaging learning experiences to our students, we need to learn to collaborate as teachers and build on those ideas to provide new learning experiences to our students. School boards and administrators need to be held accountable for providing that time. The ADDIE process involves more than implementation. Educators need time to collaboratively analyze, design and develop, implement and evaluate. Providing this additional time may cost more initially, but the long-term benefits would undoubtedly be justified.

Week 1BP#2 Comments to Tricia Atkinson

The following is a blog post by Tricia Atkinson and my comments on her post below.

Tricia's Post: Week 1 Post 4: General Reflection on Copyright: Shepard Fairey

Since there is not a specific project this week, I have decided to reflect a little bit about my work with students about Shepard Fairey. I did him for my Artist of the Week presentation, which usually entails a PowerPoint, video(s), or website that goes over the body of work and life of the artist. Students take a few notes and then we have a class discussion. The students reacted a lot to his work and the story about the lawsuit. Some students loved his work, the boldness and modern "graphic-y" look. They recognized some images from popular culture such as the Obey campaign, and of course, the Obama poster, as well as one of the other images of the guns and roses, which apparently, one of my students has as a tattoo (which brought up a whole new conversation about copyright and tattoos--one student mentioning that Hangover2 is getting sued over a Mike Tyson tattoo?). Some students thought his work was repetitive, narrow, and didn't take as much talent because it was made on a computer.

The issue of the lawsuit inspired quite a debate, varying greatly between my sections but always 2-sided. Some students said that he should have given the photographer credit. Some said if its on the internet, its easy to get, and therefore up for grabs. Some said he changed it so much that it shouldn't matter. Some said he didn't have any other choice 'cause he doesn't have a press pass to get a photograph. Some said Obama is such a figure-head, and in a political campaign, so his photographs should be fair use. Most agreed that Shepard should have at least given Garcia credit. I really enjoyed getting the kids talking about the issue and broadening their minds to the idea of credit and fair use. The more they realize the details of both sides, the more they will understand how these same issues effect their own lives.

My Comments to Tricia:

Tricia, First of all, I commend you for covering this topic with your students. Spending the last, almost a year, working side by side with you in the EMDT program has really opened my eyes and redefined my vision of education in America today. I took art in middle school because it was required, but never took it up again. I do love looking and I have a few small pieces that I have collected, but my perspective on art in education was antiquated and narrow. Now when I hear people talking about possible budget cuts and eliminating some of the elective courses such as art, I find myself extremely animated in my defense of the arts.

The issues regarding copyright and fair use are all around us. Truth be known, the application of art in our society is probably far more significant to our young people than the applications of the quadratic equation that I covered with my students today. Students should be made aware of the implications of "borrowing" someone else's work or even someone else's ideas. It isn't right. I remember a few years ago, when I was working in real estate, I had my own "Shepard Fairey" moment. I may not be the budding artist, but when it came to photographing a home, I had it down to an art. Way ahead of other Realtors, I used wide-angle digital photography and enhanced my photos in Photoshop, using captions. Occasionally, despite my best efforts, one of my listings did not sell and the owner listed with another agent. Imagine how angry I was, when I found my pictures in the new listing. If I had known then, what I know now.

Good work Tricia; keep up the good work.


Image Attribute:
By Shepard_Fairey.jpg: Cliff from I now live in Arlington, VA (Outside Washington DC), USA
2009 derivative work: Davidowenmorgan (Shepard_Fairey.jpg) [CC-BY-3.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Link to this image on Wikimedia Commons

Week 1 BP 1 The Best of Intentions

I can't say that I agree with the copyright laws or the definition of what is and is not fair use, but I am sure that the laws were set up with the best of intentions. Seventy to a hundred years seems excessive. It seems that the bulk of the protection needs to cover only a few years and that some rights and protections should drop off sooner. With such an extended period, even the ability to locate the copyright holder would be diminished.

Perhaps my logical analytical side is running on overload, but when I look at the definition of fair use, I have to wonder if it is really possible to justify usage under the current definition. If the test is, if you are teaching a unit and you are using copyrighted material, can you teach the lesson without the material, then I doubt it is all that common. Educators, by nature, are extremely resourceful individuals and there is usually more than one way to skin a cat. (Mathematicians tend to think a lot like attorneys.) However, many laws, established with the best of intentions, fail to see the full picture. I for one, find the stoplight quite useful, except in the middle of the night in the middle of nowhere, when I have been sitting at a light waiting for it to change. As I see it, the best alternative is permission, so make it easier to get or more people will break the law.

Creative Commons is like a flashing red light in the middle of the night. It doesn't mean you don't have to obey the law, it just adds a little common sense to the situation. Creative Commons is a good solution for all those concerned. Most of us want to share our work, but we don't want to be taken advantage of. CC makes it possible to share, but still retain some control over your work. It would be wonderful if more artists would voluntarily submit to this common sense approach.