Leadership Post - Week 3

My leadership project revolves around sharing information from my Action Research (AR) project.  I wanted to find out, through completing my AR project, whether or not creating Cornell note templates would assist my English Language Learners (ELLs) in understanding and retaining information they'd read.  The templates were made available to students through Google documents, both during school at from home.  The reason I'm choosing to share this information is because I think anyone who teaches ELL students knows how they sometimes struggle to read textual information, take notes, and retain the information.  Based on the data I collected and feedback from the students, this strategy is well worth employing.

I have chosen to attempt publication with Science Scope, a publication for middle school teachers, providing information about current trends, hands on activities, and best practice.  I feel strongly that students need to be able to read and take comprehensive notes at the middle school level.  This skill will enable them to be more successful in high school and beyond.  Through sharing information about my project, I hope to encourage teachers to encourage their students to practice and perfect their note taking skills.


Here are links to my previous week's Leadership Posts:


Week #1
http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8545998065174408654#editor/target=post;postID=9078806271785156499


Week #2
http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8545998065174408654#editor/target=post;postID=1582943399686567983


Link to my Leadership Document:


https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kb06nys3hNLSccFPXdS2D6GdR9xvozFZMKwQrGTjhWQ/edit

Link to NSTA National Science Teachers Association web page:

http://www.nsta.org/publications/journals.aspx#authors

Link to specifics regarding writing manuscripts for NSTA:

http://www.nsta.org/publications/journals.aspx#authors

Response to Jena Wayt

Jena Wayt's Reading Response

FRIDAY, JULY 20, 2012

WK 3 Reading - The Art of Possibility

It is my responsibility to awaken the possibility in other people. I like the way that sounds! I find that I have certain people I go to when I need encouragement and just someone to listen to me express my thoughts and feelings out loud. I am pretty sure that I have friends that come to me when they need the same thing. Listening is very important to help others see the possibility right before them. I get very excited when I get the opportunity to do just that. But, shouldn’t I be doing that with everyone I meet? Do I do that? If I am being honest, I will have to say no. The first people that come to mind are my children. Are their eyes always shining? Do I awaken possibility in them? No, I don’t always. Why? Because I take my desires and myself too seriously! Downward spirals are everywhere at times. I need to start saying, “How fascinating!” every time my children/people and I make mistakes. I need to begin to use the words – How about? What if? What are we looking for? What’s next? More often! Zander says, “The leader is the one who can distinguish the downward spiral and then has the power to take people from the downward spiral to radiating possibility.” That is my new goal for this year! I want to empower people to radiate with possibility, to have a vision. How do I do that? I will use Zander’s key:

1.  It’s all invented.

2.  Standing in possibility.

3.  Rule #6 – Don’t take myself so seriously.

I watched an interview with Roz and Ben. This is what Ben said at the end:

“Possibility is always only one sentence away. Whenever things get tough or difficult or the mountain seems too high climb, remember that possibility is always only one sentence away. So, come up with a sentence and think what it is we can say and physically manifest that will take us into possibility. It can be something very simple. It is always there. You can never fail to find it.”
Zanders Art of Possibility Introduction

The Art of Possibility: Transforming Professional & Personal Life 

by Rosamund Stone Zander, Benjamin Zander

My Response to Jena

Paula SanchezJuly 22, 2012 10:40 AM

Jena - I, too, watched the interview with Roz and Ben. I, too, am embracing the notion that possibility is only one sentence away. Every year, I try to come up with a new "sentence" to send my students out the door with, without recycling any from previous years, and without blatently stealing them from somewhere else. That is a challenge! As an AVID teacher promoting college preparedness, I was watching a video of an instructor using specific strategies to engage his students. One of his strategies was a choral response, a cheer, a mantra at the end of each class. He, and all students, simply said, "Be excellent today!" to each other as they departed class. I love it, and will have to blatently use it next year.

Response to Kat Thoreson

Kat Thoreson's Week 3 Reading Response

FRIDAY, JULY 20, 2012

Wk 3 Reading: The Art of Possibility - Upward spiral

Toscanini: Read more about him here.

This is some good ammunition that I’m going to add to my cookbook of resiliency and coping techniques. Although Toscanini, the great Italian maestro, was, more than likely pompous and mildly narcissistic, I love his line. The story goes as this: once, in a fit of anger, Toscanini fired one of his orchestral members. The member, on the way out the door, hollered at Toscanini, some profanity. Toscanini replied “It’s too late for an apology!” What a perfect response. The recipient of this response is dumbfounded. What can one respond?

As a teacher for the better part of twenty years, we learn to respond quickly to adolescent temperament while maintaining a level of respect and, yes, a hierarchical structure intact. 

The text The Art of Possibility, by Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander

gives us insight on flipping situations, or more aptly, directing the energy of a situation or event using insight and asking the question: what do we want to become of this situation? What do we want the outcome to be? And How can all participants, willing or unwilling, benefit? 

I’ve given some thought to the idea of scarcity thinking. I have been a victim and conscious participant of this type of thinking, sometimes out of necessity and poverty, and sometimes out of survival.  I’ve found a quote that I would like to share on the status of victimization: 

This quote adequately addresses the conscious shift that the authors allude to in their book. It is the idea of thinking in scarcity and the downward spiral. If you feed thoughts into the downward spiral, it gains momentum and grows in size. This is a brutal combination. 


I am reminded of the holocaust story of the small girl who, in the camps, found a small raspberry and carefully wrapped it and placed it in her pocket for the day. At the end of the day, she gave it to her friend. What if the most beautiful possession that we had, we instead gave it to our friend? 

I would like to suggest and experiment with the idea of the upward spiral. Perhaps this reaches out like rays of sunshine, lighting those in its path. . . . .

My Response

Paula SanchezJuly 22, 2012 8:29 AM

Kat - Your statement, "...we learn to respond quickly to adolescent temperament while maintaining a level of respect, and yes, a heirarchical structure intact", echoes my thoughts exactly. As educators, we are bombarded with both love and hate actions and statements. We have to develop thick skins and enormous hearts to maintain the level of professionalism required. I love the Survivor Psalm. Do you know the author? This is something that I woud like to have on hand to pass on to students who are in difficult situations, something I encounter all too often in my school. Having no school counselors results in teachers often listening to the stories students 

Week 3 Reading Blog

The Art of Possibility – Chapters 5-8

Chapter 5

The silent conductor.  I can apply this concept to many aspects of my life.  As a parent, I was able to guide my children to make (usually) appropriate decisions regarding their actions.  I did not need to raise my voice or get in their faces or make a big show of my authority.  I did a lot of waiting patiently (and silently) while they thought things through and made choices.  As an educator, I choose to allow students to make decisions and choices, while I am poised on my chair, ready to jump in and support them whenever needed.  I allow them to make mistakes and then try to figure out why they made them. I told my children and I tell my students that it’s OK to make mistakes, just not to make the same ones over and over. 

Chapter 6

I love Rule #6.  If only I could figure out how to live by it all of the time.  For me, the world we live on demands that we take our responsibilities and ourselves seriously, some if not most of the time.  The time to stand your ground (and take yourself seriously) and the time to make light of a situation often follows one after another, many times a day.  I think if I can just keep myself in check, and remember to think before I act, I can practice living by Rule #6 – and not take myself so seriously.

Chapter 7

The information I’m walking away with from chapter 7 is the reminder that when we are in a situation we don’t like, we tend to misplace our attention.  Instead of focusing on how things are, we instead shift to how we think things should be.  Maybe it’s just human nature – we try to analyze situations, even when they are not near and dear to us, and make conversation out of what is wrong with the situation and how it should be handled differently.  I appreciate the intention of the author, who, through examples, demonstrated accepting the way things are, and clearing away the “should”. I also appreciated the differentiation between talk in a downward spiral, and talk from a central point, with unlimited direction.  I need to remember these ideas when talking to my children and my students.

Chapter 8

As is the common thread throughout this book, the author is again, through examples, giving us permission to “let go”.  We’re encouraged to take notice of things that are holding us back, and make a conscious decision to change it.  I cannot tell you how many situations I’ve been in where I have been guilty of “holding back”, whether due to discomfort or unfamiliarity or upbringing!  When I do let go of inhibitions, the experiences in my life are much more full and enjoyable.  I need to remember that I cannot ask things of my students that I am not willing to do myself!

Week 2 Wimba Reflection

It's funny how repetition of a topic helps clarify.  As I watched the WIMBA archive for week 2, partly on my cell phone sitting in the Milwaukee, Wisconsin airport, I gained more clarity on the topics of copyright, creative commons use, and issues around fair use.  I surfed as I listened to the information again, and was amazed at how many sites there are that give advice, some legal and some not, on copyright issues.  The topic of copyright even caused me to go back to my capstone trailer video, and redo the music I'd added.  Somehow, I had a nagging feeling that the "small portion" I'd used was not that small, so I reworked music in Garage Band and changed it.  I appreciate the additional information about our leadership projects, as well.

To Publish or Present?

I am somewhat disappointed that most conferences that would apply to my interests and information have come and gone. I had originally thought I would enjoy doing a presentation of my project, but the timing is just off.  Since we are mid year, it is also premature to apply to present at most 2013 conferences.  I will resort to publication!

The first option for publication would be Science Scope.  It is a magazine that I receive and actually read, tear pages out of, and file with my curricular materials for future reference.  I think the information I've gathered from my Action research project could be valuable for other middle school teachers who are also involved in the AVID program.  

My second option, also for publication, would be Tech Trends.  This is a publication for educators, and contains articles about best practice as it pertains to technology.  Since my AR project involved using Google Documents and laptops, my data may be valuable to other middle school teachers looking for ways to reach their  ELL students.

Response to DeDe's Blog Post

Dede's Week Two Blog Post

Friday, July 13, 2012

WK 2: Blog Post #1 - Readings on "The Art of Possibility" Chapters 1-4

Posted by msdedej at 7:33 PM

Reading Chapters 1-4


Chapter 1: It's All Invented 

Zander’s expression “It’s All Invented” refers to the idea that we literally invent our life as we choose to see it.  Like the two British salesmen sent out to Africa to find out about business opportunities, one coming back saying no Africans wear shoes and the situation is hopeless versus the other coming back and saying no Africans wear shoes and glorious opportunities abound, we can choose in every life circumstance a downward spiral or a land of unbridled opportunity.

Chapter 2: Stepping Into the Universe of Possibility

The universe of possibilities is the place you seek after you have discovered that it's all invented. This universe…like a page that displays…extends beyond the borders that confine us to everyday reality. Our current world that we survive in is made up of measurements… measurements of achievement that we compare and contrast ourselves to. Our goal is to get up in the morning and instead of trying to figure out how to survive, we need to arise and yell out to everyone to look at how different things appear when you see them as possibilities. In this new world you make all things possible by creatively thinking and giving… producing new life, creating new ideas, consciously endowing with meaning, contributing, yielding to the power of contexts. How do you practice this step? Ask yourself; “How are my thought and actions, in this moment, reflections of the measurement world?” Just keep asking yourself this question until one day you wake up and someone asks you how you are doing and you reply, "Perfect" in light of all the problems you may face.

Chapter 3: Giving an A:

Zander conducts his musical class in Boston entirely differently.  He gives everyone an A from the moment the class begins.  All he asks of his students who enroll in his class to get the A is for each of them to write a letter in the first two weeks of class dated at the end of May of the following year that begins, “Dear Mr. Zander, I got my A because…” He does not ask for the student to extol his or her musical accomplishments (although that is allowed).  He wants to hear how the student has developed as a person over the year and whom that student has become over the year, writing the letter despite the future date in the past tense.  He wants the student to fall passionately in love with who he or she has become as a person. We need to give another person an A in life.  He explains that the reason for the Arab-Israeli conflict is that the Arabs have failed the Israelis and the Israelis have equally given a failing grade to the Arabs. 

Chapter 4: Being a Contribution

Every situation can be a reflection of our negativity, pettiness, and narrow worldview or it can reflect a broader beauty.  This is what comes to mind when I think about the starfish story. I will make a difference… Life is often an obstacle course that we spend a lot of time trying to figure out how to maneuver through and still remain hopeful. If we take away the element of measurement we experience a life where we are contributors to it. Not because of what we have done, but because of the story we tell. Remember the lady who was throwing back the starfish and the gentleman told her how useless this action was? She still helped each starfish she threw back into the water. The purpose of this section is to help us to invent ourselves as a contributor. Here's how: Declare yourself as a contributor. Throw yourself into life as someone who makes a difference, accepting that you may not understand how or why.

The TED video of Benjamin Zander was an awesome video. Benjamin Zander is a great speaker.  He has a very wonderful way of connecting to the audience also thru his writing as well.

My Response...

Paula Sanchez said...

Dede - You wrote, "Life is often an obstacle course that we spend a lot of time trying to figure out, how to maneuver through, and still remain hopeful." Well said and deeply felt! I think the magic is being able to continue jumping through the hoops, dodging around the barriers, and tunneling through the piles of stuff thrown at us. I feel like this book secretly planted seeds of optomism in my brain...I can relate best when authors use real life examples and stories to prove their points. The stories demonstrated the power of optomism and self-invention, which, in this difficult time we live in, is very empowering.