EMDT MAC: Week 4 Art of Possibility 9-12

The Art of Possibility has been a very pleasurable read for me during this class. I have gained a lot of insight from reading this book, not only as an educator but also in my personal life as well. In this week's reading I was really drawn to Chapter 11: Creating the Frameworks. This chapter expounded upon the ideas built up in previous chapters and discussed ways to apply them to a healthier outlook on life. One of the ideas I specifically latched onto was the idea of expanding your ability to envision goals.

This is an idea I can relate to in my professional life. As a freelance multimedia designer one of the most important tasks I set aside for myself each week is networking with other freelancers from my area. At a personal level this has proven to be very frustrating for me in the past because in order to get a lot of the jobs in the area I live in you have to "know" somebody already. So starting off has been very difficult for me these past few years as I have struggled to carve out a name for myself in this area. Recently I haven't been giving as much time to this activity of networking as usual because in the past it has proven to be quite in effective, but after reading these chapters I felt a little more inspired to go out there and find my opportunity.

Well by chance I was at a book store at the mall looking in the programming languages section because I've been wanting to learn more about Web Development specifically in Word Press. It just so happened that while I was in this section I ran into someone whom I had networked with in the past and they recognized me. She saw what I was reading and we started talking about current projects we had going on. Long story short, she ended up bring me onto a project she is doing for a "living saint" who tours the country giving speeches and blessing people. It didn't really sound like a job that would appeal to me but I took it anyways just for the opportunity to work.

Somehow during the process of recording the PSA, the client became intrigued by how quickly and efficiently I worked and wanted to know more about my skills and training. I told her all the different things I could do and a little bit about my past work experiences. She was very impressed and immediately offered me more work. I couldn't help but think about the chapters from this book, about laying down a positive framework for my life could lead to more beneficial things.

EMDT MAC: Week 4 Publishing/Leadership Project

After presenting my project to my fellow classmates and listening to all of the creative feedback they had to offer for my presentation I decided that I would like to submit my AR project to the journal of education technology research and development. The reason I believe it is best suited for my project is because the journal focuses on the development of new technologies and learning strategies in education. The primary focus of my project was to create a resource for digital immigrants to use for education.

EMDT MAC: Week 3 WIMBA

This week's WIMBA contained a lot of information about the Publishing/Leadership project and abstract that I found really useful. I found the site to be a bit confusing but after watching the archive I feel much more comfortable with the process. I really enjoyed listening to the class discuss the Art of Possibility. It has been a book that I have really enjoyed and I was glad to hear all of the comments by my classmates. I personally don't have that much experience as a teacher so it was nice to see how more experienced educators interpreted the readings.

EMDT MAC: Week 3 Publishing & Leadership Project

Photo by Joshua Montanye

I've been giving it a lot of thought lately about how I want my ARP to be seen by my colleagues. That's why I've decided that I want to create a slideshow presentation to demonstrate the findings of my research.

I would like to use the slideshow as a rough draft of sorts for an animated video inspired by some of the TED Talks and various kinetic typographies from around the Internet. My ultimate goal is not only to demonstrate the results of my research, but also the fundamental principles in action as well. I figure that with a little creative flare, the project will be demonstrated a little more efficiently than with just words on paper.

EMDT MAC: Week 3 Blog Comment 2

Please follow the link here to the original blog post from my classmate:


Ann
I can relate to being anxious about giving presentations even when it is a topic you are very knowledgable in. I think it's great that you are taking action and taking the time to practice these skills. One tip I would suggest is using visualization training. It may sound kind of silly but it's a tip I learned in a public speaking class I took for my bachelor's degree and it has helped me out immensely.

EMDT MAC: Week 3 Blog Comment 1

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I think it's absolutely great what you are doing and I look forward to seeing more of your project. I am pretty much on the exact opposite end of the spectrum compared to your project as I teach adult learners to use programs like Microsoft PowerPoint and such. Many of my students get very discouraged along the way and I think it would be a great motivation to say look at these kindergarteners.

EMDT MAC: Week 3 Art of Possibility Chapters 5-8

I have to say that I found Chapter 5. Leading from Any Chair to be very amusing personally. As it happens I am working on an ongoing documentary on Maestro Longoboardi who was a student of Karajan and quite coincidently we were discussing the importance of individuality just the other day. The youth orchestra in which he conducts has been preparing for a major concert and I've been going to a few of them here and there to document their progress along the way. As I arrived at the school where they practiced I received a frantic call from his wife informing me that he was running late and to inform the students of the situation. To my surprise when I entered the room where they held rehearsal I was greeted by the sounds of Vivaldi. I hung back in the hallway for a bit until the Maestro arrived just enjoying the young musicians interpret this classical piece. Maestro Longobardi seemed very pleased when he arrived to hear his orchestra continuing in his absence. He pulled me aside and commented to me that it was not a Maestro's job to teach the students how to play music just to feel it and he went on to imply that he was very lucky to be able to learn more about the music from his pupils. I've never personally experienced anything like this as an educator but from that moment I really gained an appreciation for the importance of feedback even at a Master's level. It is very encouraging to know even after you gain an understanding of the material there will always be new ways to learn and grow as an educator.