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.
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
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| 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.
