Wk4 Reading: Art of Possibility Chapters 9–12

In reading chapter 9-12, Zander continues to leave me in awe because this book is amazing and still is teaching me things about myself. Zander provides information that pertains to the lives of many. I can relate what I read and learn to my personal and professional life. Chapter 12 hit home for me because I learned a long time ago that the world is not going to be centered around just you. It is not all about me.

The first step that there are unseen threads that connect us all. I have had many opportunities to help others. You go through life working on your hopes and dreams but the fulfillment that get me is helping other people realize theirs. I work with high school students who have dream of going to college and many of them will be the first in their family to go to college. Most of these students have limited family income so the obstacle of affording college weighs heavily on them. I have been working with these types of students for 8 years now so I love when I have helped them through the process, they go to college and come back to see me when they graduate and thank me for helping them realize that their dreams can come true. I love doing what I do. My students do not know this but I was once in their shoes and someone helped me realize that my dreams could come true. Sometimes I get discouraged when things are not going well and I need to be encouraged and I get a call from one of my students and tell me that they got their first job or they have just been admitted to graduate school. My students are my encouragement. It's not all about me!

Wk 4: Comments on Del's Blog

Chapter 9 hit home to me also because in my job I try to make an impact on every student that I come in contact with. I agree that teachers or any adult should try to generate a spark in today's youth. I also agree that saying certain things in life are better done in person. I believe in that statement for professional and personal reasons. I always tell students to handle things in person and not through email or text. I want to see there smiling little faces from time to time. LOL!

Wk4 Reading Entry

Chapter 9 lighting a spark is the chapter that spoke to me. Zander states that enrollment is the art and practice of generating a spark of possibility for others to share. Teachers should be all about trying to generate a spark of possibility in their students. While reading chapter 9 it reminded me of a few years ago when I was giving a quiz on measuring at the beginning of the year. I always want to check and see where my students stand on measuring. I was explaining how to read a tape measure to one of my students. He kept asking questions and I continued to explain how to reduce the even fractions and all of a sudden He said HEY! This is math! This is so easy. It was great to see how the light just came on for him. He immediately started showing his friends how to read the tape measure. That was a great moment in my life. Also in chapter 9 Ben talks about his father saying certain things in life are better done in person. I am a firm believer in that statement. When I was self-employed I always wanted to present a quote for a job in person. I remember bidding on a job one time and I presented the quote and explained what I would do and furnish. I was told that I was a little higher on my bid but he liked my proposal and how I explained the process of completing the job. I was awarded the bid. I believe that if I had not been able to present the proposal in person I would not have been awarded the bid. http://www.flickr.com/photos/sarahreido/4977913557

Wk 4: Comments on Dwayne's Blog

Love your summary of the chapters. This book is amazing and still is teaching me things about myself. Zander provides information that pertains to the lives of many and this book is a must read for everyone. I also love that Zander points out the obvious.

In lighting the spark hit home for me because I am all about paying it forward. I agree with Zander when he states one of the passions of human kind is to connect, express, and communicate. I am the poster child of things not going right so Chapter 10 hit home so I am taking what Zander says and rename myself as the board in which the game is being played.

Nice summary

Wk4 – Reading

#9 Lighting A Spark – This chapter encouraged us as leaders to be willing to catch others’ spark. In other words, be there for those around us that when they contribute find a way to grab that intensity and carry for it. Some of the steps are: 1. Imagine that people are in an invitation to enrollment. 2. Stand ready to participate. 3. Offer that which lights you up. 4. Have no doubt that others are eager to catch the spark. He goes on to explain that one of the passions of human kind is to connect, express, and communicate.

#10 – Being the Board – In this chapter, when things don’t seem to be going right and you are at your wits end, we are told to rename ourselves as the board in which the game is being played. The first part of the practice is to declare, “I am the framework for everything that happens in my life.” Or, “If I cannot be present without resistance to the way things are and act effectively, if I feel myself to be wronged, a loser, or a victim, I will tell myself that some assumption I have made is the source of my difficulty.” The second part is to ask your self, “Well, how did this get on the board that I am?” Being the board is not about blaming yourself, it is about making a difference and repairing breakdowns in relationships.

#11 – Framework for Possibility - The steps to the practice of framing possibility are: 1. Make a new destination in the realm of possibility. One that is powerful, substitute for the correct framework of meaning that is generating the downward spiral. 2. Enter the territory. Embody the new destination in such a way it becomes the framework for life around you. 3. Keep distinguishing what is “on the track” and what is “off the track” of your framework for possibility.

#12 - Telling the WE Story – This was the chapter that meant the most to me. Being a leader you must always focus on those around you. It’s not about your qualifications but about your ability to speak on behalf of those you are leading. Telling the story of WE is what connects us all. It is a story of possibility. We must always ask ourselves as a leader, “What do WE want to have happen here?” “What is best for us? What is our next step?” This chapter focuses on changing your mindset from “I” to the “WE”. It is one of the last obstacles as a leader to overcome. Once w truly consider the WE around us, it allows us to be a non-self centered effective leader. 

Wk4 Wimba Info: Leadership Project Sharing

I could not make the Wimba Sharing session so I shared my Leadership project with two of my co-workers. In sharing my project, I created a presentation that summarized my CBR project. I shared the link and went through the presentation with both co-workers to explain the goal of the project and some details that I thought were important.

Flyer used on the program's Facebook page to advertise the tutoring program

The feedback I received:

Kim and Sinitra stated that the presentation was nicely put together and professional looking. They loved that I was presenting on the tutoring program that I implemented. They felt that it was important for the people indirectly involved to know how things went and the other aspects that took place: good and bad.

Sinitra complimented me on taking on the task of creating a FREE tutoring program for students and utilizing the resources that the College provided for the students and I to use.

Kim commented on sitting in on a tutoring session and learning a lot about online tutoring resources she felt would benefit the students inside and outside the classroom. Also, these resources could be acessed from any computer from anywhere.

Kim and Sinitra both were new to the iPad. They were amazed at how the students used the iPads to learn. They were exposed to different Apps that the students downloaded to help them with their schoolwork.

Overall, Kim and Sinitra commended me on a job well done and shared that they learned a lot from just listening to my presentation.

Wk 4: Leadership Project

My Leadership Project is an overview about incorporating technology to motivate students. I was given a chance to implement a tutoring program for students in our surrounding area schools. The presentation highlights the project, some issues I experienced, things I learned and what I would change.

I would like to present at SC EdTech Conference  because I am familiar with this conference and have heard great things about the conference itself. But first I would like to present the project to the Director of the Educational Talent Search program, which is the program that sponsored the tutoring program, the students, teachers, parents and the school administration. I feel it is important to first start local with that group of people and then present to other programs or people who are thinking about the benefits of tutoring.

My previous Leadership post: 

Wk 1: Leadership Role Model

Wk 2 Leadership: Publish or Present??

Wk3: Where Do I Want to Share My Project


Leadership Project

Wk3: Where Do I Want to Share My Project

Through my CBR project, I incorporated technology to motivate students who participated in a tutoring program. First I would like to present the project to the Director of the Educational Talent Search program, the students, teachers, parents and the school administration. I feel it is important to first start local with that group of people and then present to other programs or people who are thinking about the benefits of tutoring.

I have the advantages, disadvantages, ups, downs, likes, dislikes; you name it I can tell you from my experiences. I will have a chance to sit down with the Director of the Educational Talent Search program and evaluate the program and help decide if the students benefited from attending and if we will continue to have the program.

I want to present and publish because I want to cover many audiences so I need to do both. I am still researching journals that I could possibly publish my findings.  A possible journal I would like to publish in is the Journal of Research on Technology in Education (JRTE). The journal features research on learning and teaching with technology in educational environments.

Wk 3: Comments on Dana's Blog

The Rule 6 part of the reading got me on a personal level. As person, I need to remember Rule 6 everyday. I think I would be more productive in my professional and personal life. I hate when something comes up and slaps you in the face.

In my job, I think I have built myself to being serious because helping students attend college is very important to me but I could always change my approach. I think a lot of us take ourselves serious because that is what has been beat into us from day one by family and school. Well, I can speak for myself so it will be hard to pre-program myself out of taking myself serious but I am making it a goal to work on lightening up and laughing.

Week 3-Reading

This is what came to my mind as I was thinking about "The Art of Possibility"

In the "Leadership From Any Chair" section, I love the story about the youth orchestra's trip to Cuba.  I think we can draw many parallels about leadership in this story and teaching.  It's important for those in leadership positions (teachers) to sometimes step down and empower students teach each other.
Rule #6 is so important to remember.  I think it is important to remember to not take ourselves too seriously.  We get so busy and worked up about things.  It's all invented anyway, right?
I also like the idea of "presence without resistance".  The book gives the example of going on a Florida vacation, only to have rain.  I think asking the question, "What do we want to do from here?" and being open to many other possibilities is a healthy way to look at life.  Surely we all have disappointments in life at times, but looking at new possibilities without dwelling on the negative is something everyone could try to do.

On a side note, after watching Zander's TED talks, I think the audio book (if he narrated it) would be fantastic!