Week 4 Free Choice: Wrap up

photo courtesy of Morguefile

This month has been an interesting journey.  The book came at a perfect time as my plans for what come next are at the forefront of my thoughts.  As the EMDT program inches closer to conclusion, I am left both relieved and disappointed.  While I will relish my free time and the new possibilities, I will miss the intellectual stimulation and class interaction.

Week 4 Peer Response 2

Torrey Proctor wrote:

I learned in chapter nine that I should enroll people for positive missions, and expect to give of myself in return. Our perception is like a nudge to a kaleidoscope in that it shifts instantly. All of the self-help information that is being provided in this book is easy to swallow. I found myself taking the books lessons to heart and applying them to my life.

Chapter ten was about naming yourself as a board and note a chess piece. Being the board releases the stresses that come with the measurement of who wins or loses the game. This chapter made me think of a high school student that makes me angry at times because he contributes nothing to class. I sometimes feel the student doesn’t belong in class. Now I’m seeing it in a new light. He belongs and has more to learn then the students that already get it. I should take this student on as a challenge to help him or accept that his behavior is the way things are. My favorite quote of this chapter is, “there is no great music-making without such risk taking.”
Chapter eleven reminds us to do things that are on-track and not off-track. This books definition of off-track means doing things that contribute to downward spiral behavior. I’ve listed my favorite quotes from this chapter below.
“I am here today to cross the swamp, not fight all the alligators.”
“Your playing small doesn’t serve the world.”
“Leaders who become their vision often seem uncommonly brave to the rest of us.”
Chapter twelve is about focusing on WE as a team or group. Never label a human being as the enemy. The only enemy is revenge, fear, hate, and righteousne
ss. I like the idea that truth, no matter how harsh it is, is better then revenge bottled up and consequently released.


My Response:

Your insight on chapter 10 is right on the mark. I try to remind myself frequently to be the board. When dealing with teenagers, winning against them only further alienates them and destroys the relationship with that student. I also find it helpful to remember the book's take on reality and perception as being self created. This helps me to diffuse any anger or frustration I feel when things are not done the way "I" think they should be.

Week 4 Peer Response 1

Photo by Melissa Lodhi

Curt Isakson wrote:

“A distinction is not a standard to live up to, but a framework of possibility to live into.”

The Art of Possibilities, Rosamund Zander, and Benjamin Zander, 2000.


Instead of commenting on just one part of the last chapters of this book, I would like to write down a few simple thoughts on the whole book:

This book has really got me thinking about I interact with the people around me, and how I react to the environment that surrounds me.  I have to remind myself that reality is simply my reality and the perspective I view it from can be so fluid from day to day and moment to moment. I believe that it is up to me to create my world and to make sure that I try to tackle it from a positive and educated viewpoint and keep the WE factor in mind always.  I cannot say I have had a book that has stuck with me so well as the Art of Possibilities.


My Response


I agree with your observations wholeheartedly. One of the most important concepts to me has been the one about my reality and perspective on what is happening. This is extremely important in dealing with students, as their reality and perspective are completely different. I now look at student behavior very differently and try to take my person stake out of it. I also gained tremendous insight from the book, A New Earth, by Eckhart Tolle, which has very similar concepts.

Week 4 Reading: Being the board

“Being the board” opens a new world of possibilities.  No longer the victim of circumstance, one can redefine their current situation to one of possibility.  In the current educator climate of budget cuts and random accountability, it is difficult to find the element of possibility.  Each email I receive outlines further disaster to come.  If teachers are unable to discover the WE and teach from a place of possibility, the real losers in the game will be the students. 

Like all revelations in this book, the practice of “being the board” and finding the “We” instead of the “Us and Them” is an ongoing process.  I have begun to ask myself how I can redefine situations without falling victim to the negativity and blame.  The insight gathered from this book offers a new way to handle current challenges and I hope that this information will help provide growth for myself and for those I come in contact with.

Photo courtesy of Morguefile

Week 4 Publishing_Leadership Project

Publishing Project Blog

My top two choices for presenting my project are the following:

Florida Dance Educators Conference or FDEO Facebook Page

National High School Dance Festival

The FDEO conference will take place in Miami, October 27-29 2011.  The website for NHSDF is not currently updated to the 2012 information but we do know that the festival will take place in Philadelphia March 8-11, 2012.  The reason that I chose these two venues is because I am interested in sharing this information with other high school dance teachers.  My approach included a strong movement component and the relationship of anatomy concepts to movement analysis was crucial in this study.  Both venues allow me to have access to other teachers in my field and offer the opportunity for both presentation and discussion as well as ongoing collaboration with participants. 

Presentation url

Think aloud 1

Think aloud 2

Week 4 Think Aloud 2

Image by Melissa Lodhi

I have decided to do a presentation as my Publishing Leadership project.  While there was some definitive evidence of success in my action research project, the subject still needs additional research.  The main benefit of the project was seen in student engagement.  Conversations with critical friends have encouraged further exploration as well and in particular, the suggestion was made that the use of 3-D software would result in transformative learning and long term may prove even more beneficial.  Through the process, I did learn some important instructional lessons and through a presentation, I think I can highlight areas for further research.

This AR project has numerous applications and offers a starting point for further exploration.  According to my review of literature, past research has also found the need for further analysis.  I am interested in sharing my insight with others in hopes that they might conduct their own exploration and share their results in return.  I believe this approach will impact future instruction and will cater to the digital natives of the future.

Week 4 Think Aloud 1

Image by Melissa Lodhi

For my publishing leadership project, I would like to present at the Florida Dance Educators conference and at the National High School Dance Festival.  Understanding biomechanics and anatomy concepts are so important in effective dance education and with the limited time we have with students in the classroom, we need the most effective means possible to deliver the information.  Both of these conferences will allow me to reach numerous peers and to share a process that was enlightening and informative.  I believe that this audience would be extremely receptive to the findings and would offer their own insights in regards to the project.

When beginning the project I had a strong desire to be published, but based on the results of the project, I believe a presentation offers a much better way to continue the research and to acquire feedback on present and future results.