Wk 4 Reading: "We" "Spark" the "Board" of Life

Lil Spark and her big Sister, FLAMES Colonel Tatyana Carnes

What if every morning we woke up to something new?

We can!  The greatest blessing we have in life is the day we are given when God awakens us to go forth and spark others with the light he put in each of us.  Our special gifts are ours for the purpose of benefitting others. 
Everything in this week's reading relates directly to my faith and the board God made me to be.  It is not for me, it is for others.  When we focus on ourselves we lose the Wow factor, or the Spark that God gave us to brighten the lives of those around us.  We are designed to be a blessing to all of creation and his special delight. 
By creating our board within the framework of Christ's example we are the greatest blessing we can be to everyone around us.  The abundance of life is our's for the taking.  In order to take we must first give, because as we give, we receive the blessings of interconnectivity and love. 
Have you ever seen a spark reflected in a mirror or glass?  It is magnified and instantaneously reflected back upon itself.  THAT is the power of the Spark.  What you put into the lives of others will come back into your own.  Spark someone today!

Ironically, my oldest daughter is Colonel of her dance/drill team at High School.  They are called, the FLAMES.  Every year the FLAMES hold a dance clinic for all the children in the community to come and have fun, learn to dance, and then perform at half-time at the first home football game of the upcoming season.  The name of the the clinic is called, are you ready...............
The Lil Sparks Dance Clinic.  The purpose of the clinic is to encourage children to participate in something bigger than themselves, get involved in the community and create a sense of hometown connectivity.  It works every year!!!  The children love it, the drill team is blessed by being a contribution to the children and the town, and everyone gets to see a heart warming routine during spring show and during that first home game.  Tatyana has personally sparked the love of dance in many children already, including her youngest sister, Ciara. 

Whether it is a dance team, sports team, chess club, big brothers/big sisters, teacher, neighbor, or stranger.....giving a bit of oneself to another human being in a positive way can spark the potential for greatness in someone else. BE A CONTRIBUTION AND LIGHT A SPARK TODAY!

Wk 4: Response to Lori Hobbie

CyndeeMay 25, 2012 12:30 PM

Lori, Like Tricia, I love your posted image! For me it holds all the entwined energy we humans share. We are all connected which is why a spark from one to another can so easily catch and take hold. It is also why we can create huge flames when enough of us spark together. Hmmmm, sounds a lot like a fireball rolling through everything in its path. That is how I imagined a great group of collaborators making a contribution during my reading this week.
Being the board was an interesting picture analogy for me. I hadn't really thought of it like that before, and because I am a chess player, I could totally relate to "being the board" and determining how the game gets played. Loved that chapter too!

You are absolutely right with your final sentence. I haven't met an effective leader who told "I" stories. Blessings are for us and we. Teamwork is a "We" story and the best way to accomplish anything is as a pair, group, etc. If God intended for us to have an "I" story, Eve would never have been created......hmmmmm

MAC Week 4 Reading Blog: The Art of Possibility Chapters 9-12

photo courtesy of pixalatedpallet.com

Chapter 9. Lighting a Spark

The art of generating a spark of possibility seems very connected to presence. If am able to stay open to the “noticing” that we read about last week, then I am often able to feel for openings, ways to connects. Many times this kind of connection will happen with words but sometimes it’s small gestures or even just allowing space that can be enough to let what might occur to occur. I’ve experienced this kind of connection in my work, personally and creatively. So often “enrollment” is simply allowing things to unfold naturally and that natural unfolding often seems serendipitous.

Chapter 10. Being the Board

At some point in my adult life I began to think of responsibility as “the ability to respond.” The actual definition is not far off but somehow embedding my personal response into the meaning of the word made a difference for me. Now that I am the board, the captain of my ship, the master of my fate, I get to choose. Often choice is related to redesigning something and sometimes it’s about cleaning up messes that I’ve made but it’s all mine even if it’s only mine in thought or perspective. I am the board and I make the executive decisions of who I choose to be in the world.

Chapter 11. Creating Frameworks for Possibility

This chapter allowed me to reflect on the power of gratitude. In my own personal experience, gratitude had been the single most powerful practice that I have cultivated. In terms of restructuring meanings and creating visions, there’s a lot to be said about creativity, letting go of spiral thinking and living without a scarcity mentality but nothing will expedite the process of creating frameworks of possibilities for me like gratitude.  

Chapter 12. Telling the WE Story

I had to laugh about getting past the “us and them” in this chapter because I get so caught up in the “me, myself and I” that I’m often not even in that conversation! But I do get the point. I like how Zander gives contrasting conversations in this chapter. When you compare an “I” conversation with a “we” conversation, the possibilities really stand out. “I” conversations sound very closed. I don’t know an effective leader who is not good at maintaining this type of perspective.

Wk 4: Response to Katie Ross

CyndeeMay 25, 2012 12:09 PM

Katie, great take on our weekly reading and putting what you learned from it to a very good use! I think that our biggest way to be a contribution in life is to shine the light God put in each of us, which will spark the light in others, or help brighten theirs and ours, any time we need a little "pick me up" in the shine department.
We are all connected as human beings and our collective energy has a lot more power when we work together with a positive view. Have you ever noticed that you can sometimes turn a frown upside down when you put a positive spin on a grumpy person's attitude? It may not work every time, but sometimes I just challenge myself to try and see if I can balance out the negativity in the room by being extra positive. It has some very rewarding moments. I want you to know that you have had a positive influence on me at different times in the course. One in particular I will never forget. One of our professors was taking an unplanned vacation during our course and was going to move our deadline up to a Saturday instead of the Sunday or Monday it would have been due. You and I were working online together and I mentioned that I was disappointed to have to do my work early because it fell on my Sabbath, but that of course I would complete the assignments I needed to. Your response was so sincere and caring that I was ready to speak up to the professor, when suddenly he changed his mind and left the due dates as they were originally scheduled. I will never forget your sincerity or concern for my situation. Thank you for that spark of kindness, I really needed it at that moment!

Friday, May 25, 2012

Wk4 Reading: Being YOU!

Excuse me, does anyone have a lighter because I have a light that needs to be sparked!

Over the past 11 months I’ve put a lot of things to the side to focus on school so that I could get the most out of it. I can now say, since I can see the end so close  ( No worries Professor Joe, I’m not taking a break yet)I”ve been thinking what I’m I going to do with all of my free time.  The answer finally came to me over a short vacation last week and it’s, volunteer for the Big Brother Big Sister organization here in Orlando. I want to spread my spark out to children who are just looking for a spark to follow. Who are looking for assistance lighting their own spark. As a small speck on this big universe I always try to give back. However the time has come for me to give back to another person.  The ending of the EMDT program is a great time for me to pick up another life changing torch.

Sometimes in life it’s important to just let things go.  When you can’t change the situation and you can’t make someone see your point of view, and you have done all you can do….you just have to let it go and move on. You can’t life let you pass it by like it did for the husband whose wife had cheated on him.  It’s ok to let things go it brings so much peace to the situation. It also allows for growth to take place, which may even let you see a different point of view.

The framework of possibility is being YOU! When we stand up to right is right and we stand up to people who are doing wrong we are creating the framework. Sometimes that means doing something that you don’t want to do to create a better situation, and other times it’s just speaking the truth.

I believe I have had the pleasure to lift people up to help them do and be more. At times I’ve been lifted up.  One thing that I love is that my husband and I both lift each other up and we also always help push each other towards the next best thing.  This chapter is one reason why I think it’s very important to surround oneself with good people.  It’s important to be around people who you can help make better and who can help make yourself better.

Example of just trying to be a good person.

Wk 4: Leadership Role Model Reflection - The led and the Leader

This is an interesting topic for me to discuss.  However, I am not sure how much it will tie in with the leadership project from this month's course.  Creating the presentation about my Action Research Project and finding a place to present it to a conference is not really related to the leadership role models in my life.

That said, follow me on a journey of 20 years in the Army and you will see that Leadership is something I have developed over the years.  I learned early in my career about how NOT to be as a leader, by watching the poor leaders around me, and by being directly affected by their uncaring attitude for others, or their incompetence.  Enough about the bad, they are many, but their influence was just a tool for my leadership toolbox.

On to the few, the good, the LEADERS in my military career.  My first memorable leader was my Brigade S-3 shop (Operations) Sergeant Major, SGM Tanna.  A quiet, unassuming man who was confident, compassionate, and a stickler for quality work, military courtesy, and respect for people.  As a new Soldier, a mere Private First Class (PFC) working in the Aviation section, I didn't know what to think of this new SGM as he took over for our outbound SGM.

It was one act, one day that solidified my opinion of this man and convinced me that I would follow where ever he led.  We worked in a three story building in Germany and were receiving new office furniture.  There were no moving men to do the work, we, the Soldiers, moved all the old stuff out, and replaced it with the new.  We carried a lot of desks, file cabinets and chairs up and down (basement level) three flights of stairs.

When I saw my new SGM, take of his jacket and help us move ALL the old furniture out and the new furniture in, I knew at that moment that this LEADER was different from the others that used their rank as a right to not work.  Instead, he led from the front and never asked a Soldier to do anything he wasn't willing to do first.  THAT is what made me respect him as my leader and willingly follow him, even when I didn't like the task, or the assignment.

Command Sergeant Major (CSM) Tanna was my SGM/CSM in many duty assignments over the years, Aviation is a small community, and when you are a good Soldier, the leaders you work for have a tendency to make sure you work for them again.  He and his wife Song became our lifelong friends.  My oldest daughter thought of him like a grandpa when she was little.  CSM Tanna has been retired for many years, but we remain in touch and he still offers me good advice.  I trust him, respect him, and love him like a second Dad.  We have known each other for more than 20 years, and if the call came today, I would bear arms next to him and follow him into battle.

The leaders over the years have varied by race, gender, ethnicity, religion, age, experience, military occupational specialty (MOS), marital status, etc.  None of those things had any bearing on my opinion of their leadership.  The bad all had simliar qualities; uncaring, selfish, rude, incompetent, unable to make decisions, spineless, and worked for their evaluation paper.

The actual LEADERS all had simliar qualities too:  caring, standard bearers, compassionate, listeners, team builders, and led from the front.

The Army has seven core values it teaches with the acronym -

LDRSHIP

Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless-Service, Honor, Integrity, and Personal Courage.

CSM Tanna epitomizes this acronym.  He led me despite myself........

The 25 year old young woman pictured below, was only four months into the Army in this photo.  She had completed Basic Training, Advanced Individual Training (to learn her military job), and Airborne Paratrooper School (to learn to jump out of airplanes into combat).  She had no idea in 1991 that 12 years later she would be responsible for 45 other lives, besides her own, as she led her platoon into combat in Iraq.  THANK YOU CSM (RET)  TANNA for instilling in me the right leadership mentality.  I was blessed to bring all of my Soldiers home.  GOD BLESS US ALL

PFC Cyndee Taresh July 1991

Wk 3 Response to Lori Hobbie

CyndeeMay 20, 2012 6:08 PM

Lori, I loved this week's reading! It seemed like I left one chapter smiling, just to finish the next one smiling even more.

Your paragraph about the kids playing with the symphony reminds me of that commercial where the parents are in the audience to watch a piano concert, but when the curtains open their son is sitting at the piano plunking away when the famous pianist comes up and instead of getting angry, he sits down and plays with the child. That is one of my favorite commercials of all time. That is just one way of giving away greatness while leading from any chair.

Thursday, May 17, 2012

MAC Week 3 Reading Blog: The Art of Possibility Chapters 5-8

Ode to Joy!

Chapter 5

Any Chair

Our 4^th grade class went on field trip to the symphony today. Over nine hundred 4^th and 5^th grade students from our district attended. The students had been practicing playing a small portion of Beethoven’s 9^th Symphony on their recorders all year. As the conductor turned to the kids and began guiding them to join with the orchestra, I couldn’t help but think of the chapter. I’ve never heard Ode to Joy sound more beautiful. Wonderful things can happen when you are “willing to give away greatness!”

Chapter 6

Rule Number 6

Again, I thought of my students as I read this chapter. Many of my students feel so incredibly pressured by standardized testing and the resulting “data” that their educations have become something to survive rather than enjoy. It is sad to see kids so stressed about learning. I make “a practice” out of making mistakes in my classroom. I tell my students how wonderful mistakes can be; I try to do what I can to help lighten up the academic mood that is prevalent on my campus. Educationally, I think this “rule” speaks to a social/emotional capacity that our students will need to survive. Our  social/emotional classroom instruction is driven by data we receive from students in the form of body language and facial expressions. Meeting each kid’s needs is an art but with rule number 6, it’s impossible to make a mistake!

Chapter 7

The Way Things Are

I love the diagrams in this chapter. The diagram of the closed conversation (spiral) verses the open conversation (sun with rays). There is a lot to be said about assumptions verses assessments (or facts) here. That can be a little confusing at times because what often seems like “fact” is actually just something we started believing at some point and it seems as real to us as the actual truth. I like the quote by Anais Nin, “We don’t see things as they are; we see them as we are.”

Chapter 8

Giving Way to Passion

The 2 steps written about in this chapter are easier said than done. Sometimes “noticing where you’re holding back” can be like trying see a color you’ve never seen before. I also think that noticing is the hardest part. If I can stay open to noticing, then letting go and following the possibilities becomes more like going with the flow.

Posted by lhobbie at 2:08 PM

Wk 3 Response to Bill Harris

Cyndee May 20, 2012 5:53 PM

Bill, I love your take on this book. It is a wonderful book and it is definitely eye opening for me as well. Your comment about the Wall view some teachers have of technology made me instantly think that they should instead look through the "window" Technology provides into the new learning spaces it creates for us. These walls we so comfortably build for ourselves are our sense of security in our survival mode for self preservation. Ironically, they are the same walls that will ultimately lock us away from our greatest potential....outside the box.
I had a few "aha" moments in the reading this week as well. Leading from any chair really struck home for me being a military veteran. We lead from every rank depending on the situation and the person. Sometimes the lowest ranking person is the only one in the group with a specific skill set, making them the subject matter expert. We cannot lead where we will not follow.
It was helpful to read your reflection on your experiences relating with your son as a teenager. Knowing I am not alone in the struggle to communicate with my teenager helps me know that I haven't suddenly lost my grip on reality. Sometimes I forget how I felt at her age, because I see her as a strong, confident young woman, and forget that she is still a teenager trying to find her way. I pray every day that the Lord gives me the right words to match what is in my heart, so that I can convey what is important for her to know and hear from me.

Week 3 Reading - Tearing Down Walls

http://social-creature.com/how-to-stand-in-the-face-of-powerlessness-for-a-new-generation

In Zanders’ Seventh Chapter of The Art of Possibility both Ben and Roz takes the reader on a “journey of possibility” by given examples and experiences that shows us how we take negative experiences and turn them into “walls” of challenges instead of paths toward our journey of possibility. The antidotal quotes and stories they use seem common sense, many of which we know. They have a way of helping you understand why it is “OK” to view the world from the “glass half-full” view instead of the opposite of half-empty. The focus of view that we should take should be on what is positive about the circumstance. In that ay we can focus on what moves us forward and not what holds us back.


I made an emotional connection as well as had an “Ah ha!” moment when reading the chapters of this assignment at two points. The first point; I teach teachers technology integration and continually hear from some teachers, “I can’t do this stuff”, “I’ll never understand this technology”, where am I going to get the time to practice”, or my favorite, “I haven’t needed technology in all these years, why do I need it now?” For most of these teachers their focus was on the “wall” or the technology. Many could not see the possibility in advancing themselves or their students through its use. Zanders’ explanation helps me to understand my role as an educational leader to reach them. Teachers often fear technology because they are afraid to make a mistake or “break” the computer. Zander says it is difficult to maintain an approach to things positively, “…in our competitive culture where so much attention is given to mistakes and criticism that the voice of the soul is literally interrupted.” This is where my leadership skills come in to make them feel secure both in training and when they return to the classroom.


The second point of encounter came from Roz Zander’s discussion of “The Wall”. In that section she talks about the “the wall” between a 16 year old boy and his parents. She addressed how the more the father talked about the wall that the boy put up the more the boy withdrew in the conversation. The only question I had when reading this section was how did Roz Zander get in my house without me seeing her? I had a mirror reaction to my now 25-year-old son when he was 15-16 years old with the same situation and circumstance. The conversations always centered on the wall and not what caused the wall or better still what would it take to fix it or tear it down. Discussions were usually “downward spirals” that inevitably led to a higher and thicker wall or as she puts it, “tend to look more and more helpless.” The long story cut short, leads to our finally remembering how much we loved each other and my realizing that he only wanted to be heard and seen as some value to the family. The wall fell down.


I am enjoying the journey.

Posted by Bill Harris "TechHelper's" Blog at 5:29 PM

Wk 3 Reading: Keeping it at least half full.......

Twenty years and three months of excitement, stress, learning, teaching, supporting, and leading was summed up in this week’s reading.  My career in the military could be described by the philosophy in chapters 5-8 of our text book, The Art of Possibility; Transforming Professional and Personal Life, by Rosamund and Benjamin Zander.  I say this because, all throughout the reading I kept picturing different times in my career that events unfolded like the story in the book, or training I conducted or received spoke the same message. 

Our Army is strong because of the decision making power given to every Soldier at all levels.  Military units around the world are in awe of the power given to our enlisted personnel since their military only gives that type of power to its officers. 

Some of the other countries now model their leadership courses and training after ours due to the effectiveness they see in the way we do things as an institution.  Our group efforts (collaboration) are proven successful over and over again regardless of the variance of mission type, location, or duration.  We do what we do well and we know it.   The power of positive thinking, strong team building, and self-confidence exercises increases our effectiveness exponentially. 

Everything in life can be boiled down to one word, PERSPECTIVE.  What you think controls your actions.  It is simple.  Think active; be active.  Think positive; be positive. 

I have always been a glass ½ full kind of person.  I believe it is part of my nature, not nurture, because many of the people in my family are negative thinkers.  I try to see the silver lining in every situation, even in the loss of loved ones.  Maybe, this mentality comes from being brought up in the church and knowing that no matter what, I have a hope for something beyond this world.  God loves me and I know it (after all he blessed me with incredible children)! 

Once again, I recommend this book.  It is well written, giving real-world story examples of the philosophies it talks about implementing.  

My Glass is Always 1/2 full!  The ice-cubes aren't obstacles, they make the drink sweeter (especially sweet tea)!

Wk 3 Leadership Hub

As my leadership project progresses I find myself wondering what it will be like to present it in a conference filled with educators and professionals that have done something simliar.  My Action Research Project was on Enhancing Engagement using Technology in the Classroom.  My first choice for presentation is the HICE, Hawaii International Conference on Education.

Right now I don't know if I will have the means or time off to present out of state, so I will continue to search for local conferences, but the International Conference in Hawaii would be amazing.  This is all a little nerver racking though. I have been doing presentations for 20 years, but not at this level or with a subject I don't feel 100% confident in presenting.   The material is important, I just don't feel like my actual AR Project turned out strongly enough to present to the public.  I would prefer to do another AR Project and present it, now that I have gone through the process and understand what was supposed to happen.

My Leadership Project 21 May 2012

http://make-a-difference-share-ideas.blogspot.com/2012/05/wk-2-where-to-publish-that-is-question.html#links

http://make-a-difference-share-ideas.blogspot.com/2012/05/wk-1-leadership-to-publish-or-to.html#links

Wk 2 Response to - Katie Ross (includes original post)

CyndeeMay 13, 2012 6:41 PM

Katie, you already know how I feel about collaboration and a group's ability to remove the box walls (TEAM-together everyone achieves more).......I love our book this month! The Zanders are fabulous picture painters using word windows to show us how we are limiting ourselves and thus stifling creativity! My favorite chapter so far is chapter 4, but each chapter has a wonderful message and relevance to everyday life. I agree that mostly I am positive and looking for the way ahead, but there are those times or events in life that put a cloud over my outlook and push me back a step or two. I try not to let it get much past two steps before I pick myself up and come back fighting! Open mindedness is definitely the key to exploration and creativity, so I agree that we all need to give one another an A. Sometimes the A will fall short and other times it will shine to the A+. Everyone is different, and it is that uniqueness that brings the tools to the collaborating table that can remove any box walls and keep the creativity flowing. I know, that you have also experienced the great teamwork in our cohort over the last 10 months, so you understand my love for collaboration. We are all so much stronger as a team than we are when we stand alone. Thanks for sharing more of your great insights!
Blessings,
Cyndee

TUESDAY, MAY 8, 2012

Wk2 Reading Entry

It is all invented! I have found that as I get older it is very hard to think outside of the box. I think this is because we allow everyday life to get in the way of free thinking. The question is how does one cultivate a place that doesn’t allow the boxed walls to trap them inside the box.  For me and my team at work we regularly have brainstorming activates. Some of the ideas we come up with never leave the room some become new workshops for all the new students. However just having a team of people coming together all building off of each others ideas is enough to keep the boxes of the wall down in my environment….for the most part. I think working in a place that welcomes a collaborative attitude is something that has been invented to help us work on thinking outside of the box.

My thoughts and actions allow me to see the world as a beautiful place! Don’t get me wrong when my thoughts focus in on politics, diet, processed foods, I get sad.  I feel hopeless at times to the things I mentioned above and I can see how it effects my measurement of the world.  I try to use my positive energy and thoughts on seeing those things as issues that will one day change. 

Chapter 3 really hit home for me.  I struggle with not being so harsh on people and myself, and I’ve been looking for ways to help me not be so harsh.  Adapting the “ Give everyone and yourself an A” mentality is a great way to challenge myself to see the A in everyone.  Even to see the A in people who procrastinate, an A in the people who don’t put in as many house as me, an A in the people who gossip or have a negative attitude. Giving an A to myself is a great way to boost my confidence in areas that I lack confidence.  It’s saying that I’ve already done a great job no matter what the outcome is at this point.  Chapter 3 is going to stick with me for a while, I’ve even posted a sticky note at my desk with a big A, to remind myself to give everyone and myself an A.

How will I contribute today is a great question.  I will contribute by smiling at everyone I see.  They say that smiles are contagious so hopefully my smile will brighten someone else’s day today.  

Posted by Katie Ross at 9:56 AM 

Wk 2 Response to Lori Hobbie's Blog (includes original post)

CyndeeMay 13, 2012 6:13 PM

Lori, I love your idea! After 10 months of knowing and working with you, seeing your projects and the difference you make in the lives of your students, I think you would be a great asset to the Edutopia platform! I think it is more important to make a relevant contribution than to focus on the "scholarly" requirement, but this is a Masters program, so we may be stuck with that requirement (for now).
Even if you can't use it for the month 12 assignment, I hope that you will choose to apply for publication with Edutopia also. I see you as a very relevant contributor as a publisher in addition to your educator role, so I look forward to reading your publications in the future!
Blessings,
Cyndee

MAC Week 2 Leadership Post: Where to Publish?

I don’t know if Edutopia would be considered a scholarly journal but if it were possible, I would love the opportunity to submit my work with them for publication.  I have several reasons for this choice. One is that this is the onepublication that I personally take the time to read every month. I have gained an immense amount of encouragement and insight from being a part of the Edutopia Community and to be able to contribute to the work would be very exciting. Another reason that I would be interested in publishing with Edutopia is that I believe strongly that The George Lucas Foundation is in many ways setting the standard for 21^st Century learning and that is something that I’d love to be a part of.  If I cannot find a clear path to publishing with Edutopia, my plans B & C will be to apply for publication with the following journals, Journal of Education and Society or  Association for Advancement of Computing in Education.

Wk 2 Leadership - WHERE to Publish, THAT is the Question.....

After much searching and several disappointments over closed application deadlines, I finally found two conferences that are open and have appropriate target audiences for the presentation of my Action Research project on Enhancing Engagement with Technology.
My first "discovery" was the HICE, Hawaii International Conference on Education.  This particular conference impressed me as the perfect place to present my information for the following reasons:

1. I lived on Oahu, "The Gathering Place" for three years and saw first hand the lack of emphasis on K-12 education.  
2. Due to the multi-cultural and cross-disciplinary audience, I see this an opportunity to reach a much broader audience than in other conferences.  Over 35 countries are represented in the audience at this conference, which means the ripple of my information flow can potentially make more waves in more places.  
3. The collaborative nature of this conference makes my heart happy, because collaboration is what I see as a person's most advantageous method of learning.  
4. I love Hawaii, the people, the FOOD, the experience of being there, and it would make a GREAT excuse to go there to visit my best friend.  

My second "discovery" was the GaETC, Georgia Educational Technology Conference.  This conference impressed me as a great place to present my information because it is staffed by all volunteers and the focus of the conference is educator professional development.  You may wonder how a presentation on Enhancing Engagement Using Technology fits into the professional development realm.  My answer is that we still have technology reluctant educators in the field that are holding us back from making the leaping bounds we need for our children.

I listed my choices in order of preference, but would be willing to present at either or both locations.  The final decision will likely come down to the financial requirements of each conference.

Wk2 Reading - BE A CONTRIBUTION! Reposted. Friday's submission didn't post correctly

Our textbook, The Art of Possibility, Transforming Professional and Personal Life by Zander and Zander is very interesting and easy to read.  I am not a fan of self-help books, because I believe the only necessary self-help book is the Bible.  However, this book really makes sense when you take the time to read it, and think about the many levels of effects it offers in the advice it provides.  My favorite chapter so far is Chapter 4 entitled, "Being a Contribution". This chapter really puts into perspective how we limit ourselves and our accomplishments by the rules we emplace in our lives and our self-constraining walls.
Reading this chapter reminded me of many biblical principles and reminded me why I don't just try to "think outside the box", but I prefer to not get into the box in the first place.  Our contribution to life and the betterment of the human race and the universe is only restricted by our own self-doubt.  Changing our perspective on how we see ourselves contributing to life can open an endless amount of possibilities for making a difference.
I highly recommend reading this book.  It can open your eyes to how you are denying yourself the acknowledgement you need to see your God given gifts and use them to his Glory.
Below is an image of the book cover to help you easily find it in the bookstore.  Go get it, you will enjoy it!
Blessings,
Cyndee

Wk 1 Leadership - To Publish or To Present....THAT is the question

Initially when I was thinking about whether to publish or present my Action Research Project, I thought I would choose to publish it.  That was my gut reaction, because I feel more comfortable with my writing skills than my speaking skills.  This is not to say that I am uncomfortable with public speaking.  I can TALK.  However, I get my point across better in my writing.  I believe that is due to the structured process of writing, editing, and re-writing.

I also know that no matter how many times I practice presenting material verbally, I sometimes get off track during the "live" version.  I tend to ad lib when I am passionate about the subject and go off on tangents.  That problem is easily controlled in publishing, because of the non "live" aspect of the written word.

All of that said, ironically I have decided to present my research project.  I don't feel that my research project is scholarly enough for publication, nor that the outcome is what I envisioned in the first few months of EMDT.

Researching the various conferences in Dr. Bedard's list is proving disappointing, because I haven't found one yet that is still accepting applications.  I wonder if this is because of the time of year I am going through months 11 and 12 of EMDT.  Even though the list is noted as a "starting point", I really have no idea where to find a conference to present my project, so once again, Google will be my trusted source to try to find conferences.  Any conference suggestions are greatly appreciated, so feel free to respond to this post.

As month 11 begins, I feel the roller coaster starting up the steep incline of uncertainty.  With 10 months of roller coaster rides behind me in EMDT, I know I am on the track of another month-long exciting ride!  HERE WE GO........

MAC - Wk 1 Blog Response 2 to Rebecca Stuart (Includes original post)

Friday, May 4, 2012

MAC_Wk1_Reading:Copyright

WOW! There is a lot more to copyright than I thought. I had no idea about the public domain nor fair use. It makes sense but it is a lot to take-in in just a few short days. Here is what I understand from watching the videos...PLEASE correct me if I am wrong! Ideas cannot be protected by copyright law, only the form in which the work was made is protected (i.e., the song, movie, art, etc.). 


Is every work that you make already copyrighted or do you have to ask for the copyright for it to be copyrighted? I think that you don’t have to do anything for it to be copyrighted but that doesn’t sound right.

Copyright has nothing to do with using someone’s work....it has everything to do with having PERMISSION to use their work. If they give you permission to use it, it does not matter how you use their work because you have their permission to use it.

So, I had a light bulb moment when learning about fair use... Full Sail has taught us to cover our backs using fair use without us even knowing! How many of you have placed, “All clips used in this video are intended for educational purposes only.” at the end of your videos? If I understand it correctly, placing this in our video ensures all who watch it that we are not intending to use the video for any other purpose but to teach...which falls under fair use. You can’t claim fair use like you could claim copyright of your work. Fair use is there to support you in court if needed.

Creative Commons license allows you to easily share your work with the public. The Internet has made it possible to easily let people know what level of permission they have to use your work. The symbols of the creative commons license all tell the general public how you will let people use your work. I never thought about how beneficial this is to preserving our culture. It saddens me to know that great works of history are no longer available because their copyright has expired. I think that it is truly amazing that Creative Commons has made it possible for us to share our work so that we may try to prevent this from happening in the future.

MAC - Wk 1 Blog response 1 to Faith Olarsch (Includes Original Post)

Begin Faith Olarsch's original post with my response to it below:  

MAC Leadership 1

"Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other."
John F. Kennedy

I have decided to present my Action Research information because I feel as though this will lead to a more collaborative learning process.  I am far more comfortable with writing a paper and submitting my well thought out spell corrected words to be done with my idea.  My thought is that I have learned so many amazing tools that will make a presentation interesting and welcoming to outside viewers, and this is an excellent opportunity to showcase those skills to people who are not necessary linguistic learners.  I am viewing this exercise as a intimidating yet amazing learning possibility.  I would like to see this turn into a whole new world for my career advancement and social influence.  Another component in determining a presentation versus a paper is due to the conference list.  There is a specific conference that I would like to submit for relative to the exploration of interactive media tools, which I will write about in the next blog.

Read more at Brainy Quotes: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/leadership.html#se0GSPqjpP2ppilh.99

Leadership by Faith Olarsch is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.