Most of my walks to the mailbox leave me with a yawn of boredom and this particular walk seemed no different.
My daughter, a Sr. in high school, applied to one school, (this makes sense if you know her), so most college mail goes straight to the recycle bin. But she couldn't resist opening this 1/4"x 5" x 7" box from Columbia College Chicago. Her comment when she opened it was, "I'm not going to this school, but this is really cool!" In the box was a stack of colorful cards. Each had an interesting photo and short saying on one side, with information about that aspect of campus life on the back. Pretty routine, but that's not the interesting part. The cards had a slit cut out on each of the short sides, and 2 slits cut out on each of the longer sides. They can be assembled into a nice tower by interlocking these slits. This really commanded our attention. I remember plastic toys like this from my childhood, (can't remember the name of them). Who thinks this stuff up? Someone at "The Nation's Premier Visual, Performing, Media and Communication Arts College" (or their advertising firm) in this case. They certainly backed up their point!
Here's that blend of one thing, an interlocking toy, to a completely unrelated field, college advertising. The whimsy was appreciated by my playful 17 year old. I'm left in awe of the creativity, and wondering what will show up in the mailbox next.
Friday, March 28, 2008
The End Is Near!
No, this is not some alarmist statement - just a reminder that our book group will be closing with a face-to-face session at 3:30 PM in the IV Library on Thursday, April 3rd.
If you've been reading the book, and the blog, but haven't been posting any comments please take some time to join the virtual conversation. The blog will remain online long after the "official session dates" (and you're encouraged to contribute any time) but I'd like to be able to post the Act 48 hours on MLP on the 3rd. If you want credit for Act 48 & Flex hours you will need to do some posting on the blog site.
Raise a question/concern, or simply respond to some of the good discussion that's been going on in the "comments" added to existing posts.
If you've been reading the book, and the blog, but haven't been posting any comments please take some time to join the virtual conversation. The blog will remain online long after the "official session dates" (and you're encouraged to contribute any time) but I'd like to be able to post the Act 48 hours on MLP on the 3rd. If you want credit for Act 48 & Flex hours you will need to do some posting on the blog site.
Raise a question/concern, or simply respond to some of the good discussion that's been going on in the "comments" added to existing posts.
Monday, March 24, 2008
A Meaningful life
I am not much of a nonfiction reader. but I really enjoyed this book and the message it told. I believe that we do need to look at how the world now works and adjust to it or be left behind. The last chapter on gratitude really struck home to me. I like the idea of thanking people for everyday things. I know that when I hand a student a paper and get a thanks in return, I feel warm inside. Unfortunately, not too many students even think to say thank you. So I am trying to thank people more often for the big or little things they do for me. Maybe it will catch on. I am trying to make my life less rushed. I have 4 children. 2 have already left home. I cannot believe how fast the time went, so now I am trying to make sure I spend more time with my other two children, before they decide to go and have lives of their own! I am trying to be more grateful for the blessings in my life and even hope to read a few of the books in the bibliography to help me continue on this path. Gwyn
Saturday, March 22, 2008
It's 3 am in the lobby of the Borgata Hotel & Casino
Ok! I confess! I have stayed up until 3 am watching people and making up stories about them. A casino is THE perfect place to study every type of character on the planet! I love feeling validated by Pink's "Ask yourself:"Who Are These People?" on pg.126. Although I realize I'm not the only person who enjoys people watching, I was beginning to worry that I'm a little nuts, because . . . it's 3 am in the lobby of the Borgata Hotel and Casino and I'm people watching! The boardwalk is good, the beach is better, but a casino - jackpot! Other folks are winning millions and I'm content trying to figure out if the wrinkled woman in the leopard spandex jumpsuit is the "toupee guy's" wife or mother. When she smacked him with her orange patent "pleather" bag and pulled him away from the dollar slots, the story I had "written" in my mind needed some serious editing! Anyway - does anyone else in the group love to people watch?
Sue M.
Sue M.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Story
After finishing the "Story" chapter, I was very happy to see that Pink included StoryCorps in his portfolio. To me this is a fascinating project - recording Americans' stories and archiving them. Every Friday NPR plays an excerpt from someone's StoryCorp recording, and it is always my favorite part of my week's drive. On any given Friday, it is almost guaranteed that I will be in my car laughing out loud or wiping away tears (not always the safest activity while driving on the Northeast Extension in the dark).
For some time now, I have been kicking around ideas on how to create a StoryCorps-like project with my students. I think my best options would be to do something in either the WWII or Vietnam War units of my U.S. History class. Perhaps the students could interview local veterans about their experiences, and then archive the recordings at the Indian Valley library. Another idea would be to have the students record their own stories to save for posterity, thus demonstrating that today's events are tomorrow's history.
I completely agree with Pink's assessment that storytelling is an effective learning tool. History is nothing if not a collection of stories, and I find that my best and most engaging lessons are where I present the history as a story instead of as an assortment of facts. This is true of my own learning experiences, as well. All of my favorite teachers from high school were those who told the best stories, and could help me connect to the content through tales of their crazy neighbors or the ridiculous things their kids did the week before. On its most basic and simple level, our jobs are to disseminate information to our students; sharing the information as a story seems like an excellent way to fulfill this responsibility.
For some time now, I have been kicking around ideas on how to create a StoryCorps-like project with my students. I think my best options would be to do something in either the WWII or Vietnam War units of my U.S. History class. Perhaps the students could interview local veterans about their experiences, and then archive the recordings at the Indian Valley library. Another idea would be to have the students record their own stories to save for posterity, thus demonstrating that today's events are tomorrow's history.
I completely agree with Pink's assessment that storytelling is an effective learning tool. History is nothing if not a collection of stories, and I find that my best and most engaging lessons are where I present the history as a story instead of as an assortment of facts. This is true of my own learning experiences, as well. All of my favorite teachers from high school were those who told the best stories, and could help me connect to the content through tales of their crazy neighbors or the ridiculous things their kids did the week before. On its most basic and simple level, our jobs are to disseminate information to our students; sharing the information as a story seems like an excellent way to fulfill this responsibility.
Monday, March 17, 2008
To Blog Or Not To Blog
I've been watching the conversation emerge, and I'm glad for the thoughtful posts I've seen. As we move into the "meat of the book" I'm sure we'll get more connections to our classrooms and our professional practice.
The emergence of your ideas as blog responses leads me to the title of this post. I would prefer to have an authentic exchange of ideas and reflections - not post an "assignment" and watch the obligatory responses add up! I believe in the blog as a way to add flexibility, convenience, and power to our professional conversations.
It's a way to do the Story sense that Pink highlights!
If you haven't shared a story of your experience with the text so far, please do. Perhaps the upcoming break will allow you the opportunity to read some posts and comments - or begin your own. I want to reach the end of our session (coming sooner than you think) with lots of evidence on this site to demonstrate that the blog option is a viable one for Flex, Act 48, and professional learning.
Look over the six senses (or start with the one that intrigues you most) and tell us something about your thinking. I can't wait to see how it connects to your classroom and your life...Dave
The emergence of your ideas as blog responses leads me to the title of this post. I would prefer to have an authentic exchange of ideas and reflections - not post an "assignment" and watch the obligatory responses add up! I believe in the blog as a way to add flexibility, convenience, and power to our professional conversations.
It's a way to do the Story sense that Pink highlights!
If you haven't shared a story of your experience with the text so far, please do. Perhaps the upcoming break will allow you the opportunity to read some posts and comments - or begin your own. I want to reach the end of our session (coming sooner than you think) with lots of evidence on this site to demonstrate that the blog option is a viable one for Flex, Act 48, and professional learning.
Look over the six senses (or start with the one that intrigues you most) and tell us something about your thinking. I can't wait to see how it connects to your classroom and your life...Dave
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Storytelling
Once upon a time, I started reading this great book, called A Whole New Mind by Daniel Pink. Then, my adorable little son started blowing bubbles at me and cracking himself up! I stopped, put the book down, smiled and blew bubbles back! And now, I got a chance to read that book again and just read Chapter 5, STORY! Story is not just about storytelling but about listening to stories and being a part of stories. Basically, Pink makes us realize that we are all born storytellers and listeners, whether it was our first "show and tell" experience, the ritual story before bedtime, or the very, very important events that occurred to us when we were 6 or 7 years old. You know, how when you came back from the assembly there were all these green footprints all around the classroom and you just knew that a leprechaun had invaded your class and, and, and!
After reading this chapter, it reinforced for me that we can all benefit from taking the time to appreciate the "Story" and become not only a better storyteller but a better listener as well. Stories are definitely not a waste of time, rather an avenue to incorporate facts we want to teach and deliver them with an "emotional impact" as Pink says. So, now we just need to find the time or make the time to let our students have show and tell each day, share stories when they come bouncing in the door, and then use this as our instrument to the thinking process. Story is definitely our avenue to thought! ~Nora
After reading this chapter, it reinforced for me that we can all benefit from taking the time to appreciate the "Story" and become not only a better storyteller but a better listener as well. Stories are definitely not a waste of time, rather an avenue to incorporate facts we want to teach and deliver them with an "emotional impact" as Pink says. So, now we just need to find the time or make the time to let our students have show and tell each day, share stories when they come bouncing in the door, and then use this as our instrument to the thinking process. Story is definitely our avenue to thought! ~Nora
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Symphony
I am amazed how other sources of input reinforce my main reading, whether it is a novel or A Whole New Mind. So the chapter on symphony was quite interesting to me, as has been the whole book.
In fact, Dave, I was wishing there was a personal blog element to the course where I could journal my thoughts for myself, knowing the instructor would have access to read them, without worrying about subjecting everyone to all the thoughts swimming around in my head. This personal journaling could be a way of synthesizing ideas. This might help meet the time requirement to the course as well. It's probably too late for this course, but could this idea work with future courses? I think I would participate more often if this option were available.
Back to Symphony. The section entitled "Seeing Relationships" mentions multitasking and its prevalence in our time. The main speaker at Literacy Fest last weekend, Dr. Jack Pikulski, spent a few humorous moments on the subject of multitasking. His children do it all the time, and he is ready for them to just attend to him when on the phone. His main point was that we can truly only focus on 1 thing at a time. We have to acquire automaticity at one of the tasks before we can truly handle 2 at a time well. Therefore decoding competency needs to be at the automatic level so the reader can focus on comprehension. Dr. Pikulski's observation is that shifting focus is exhausting. No wonder so many people are so tired these days! Then of course I immediately started thinking about my life to see if I am guilty. I am more likely to call someone to chat when I have something to do in the kitchen, where I think my mother would sit in her rocking chair and make the call. Guilty!
The bottom of page 136 says "...great minds are androgynous." "...creative and talented girls are more dominant and tough than other girls, and creative boys are more sensitive and less aggressive than their male peers." I can think of examples to support this. I am having a harder time thinking of examples that don't fit. These seem to be characteristics children come to our classrooms with that are already fixed, part of their nature or personality. Observing this, we can encourage those creative kids we see so they nurture their talent rather than putting it aside.
One workshop I attended at Literacy Fest was on The Writer's Notebook. At the end of the presentation, we were encouraged to keep our own writer's notebook along with the students so that we would not run out of ideas, and for authenticity. When I learn and participate, I have more enthusiasm to share with students. Pink lends another level of depth to it, encouraging us in "...the search for appropriate personal metaphors that make sense of our lives. (Lakoff) The more we understand metaphor, the more we understand ourselves." This would be a great entry for my journal (and older students as well). And where symphony is concerned it would help me better see the big picture of my life.
K. Wilson
In fact, Dave, I was wishing there was a personal blog element to the course where I could journal my thoughts for myself, knowing the instructor would have access to read them, without worrying about subjecting everyone to all the thoughts swimming around in my head. This personal journaling could be a way of synthesizing ideas. This might help meet the time requirement to the course as well. It's probably too late for this course, but could this idea work with future courses? I think I would participate more often if this option were available.
Back to Symphony. The section entitled "Seeing Relationships" mentions multitasking and its prevalence in our time. The main speaker at Literacy Fest last weekend, Dr. Jack Pikulski, spent a few humorous moments on the subject of multitasking. His children do it all the time, and he is ready for them to just attend to him when on the phone. His main point was that we can truly only focus on 1 thing at a time. We have to acquire automaticity at one of the tasks before we can truly handle 2 at a time well. Therefore decoding competency needs to be at the automatic level so the reader can focus on comprehension. Dr. Pikulski's observation is that shifting focus is exhausting. No wonder so many people are so tired these days! Then of course I immediately started thinking about my life to see if I am guilty. I am more likely to call someone to chat when I have something to do in the kitchen, where I think my mother would sit in her rocking chair and make the call. Guilty!
The bottom of page 136 says "...great minds are androgynous." "...creative and talented girls are more dominant and tough than other girls, and creative boys are more sensitive and less aggressive than their male peers." I can think of examples to support this. I am having a harder time thinking of examples that don't fit. These seem to be characteristics children come to our classrooms with that are already fixed, part of their nature or personality. Observing this, we can encourage those creative kids we see so they nurture their talent rather than putting it aside.
One workshop I attended at Literacy Fest was on The Writer's Notebook. At the end of the presentation, we were encouraged to keep our own writer's notebook along with the students so that we would not run out of ideas, and for authenticity. When I learn and participate, I have more enthusiasm to share with students. Pink lends another level of depth to it, encouraging us in "...the search for appropriate personal metaphors that make sense of our lives. (Lakoff) The more we understand metaphor, the more we understand ourselves." This would be a great entry for my journal (and older students as well). And where symphony is concerned it would help me better see the big picture of my life.
K. Wilson
Thoughts on Chapter 3
I have found chapter 3 to be the most directly related to educators so far. It makes me wonder if we need to rethink the direction we should be encouraging our children and students to take. Do we value MFAs as highly as MBAs? I was surprised to read that “More Americans today work in arts, entertainment, and design than work as lawyers, accountants, and auditors.” Do we know how to teach “ingenuity, personal rapport, and gut instinct?” Or are they innate abilities? If the statistics in the IQ and EQ section of the chapter are accurate and only between 4 and 10 percent of career success is dependent on IQ (as it is currently assessed), then educators need to be more creative in curriculum development and delivery to ensure our students are ready to live independent, successful lives. I look forward to reading and discussing the six senses that Daniel Pink says are indispensable in the Conceptual Age.
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