Week 4 Publishing Leadership Project

I am a Pre-K teacher in a day care center where I am the only teacher. And know of several other teachers who are in the same situation.  This issue or problem gave me an idea of how we could get together and share classroom ideas.  I am excited about sharing this project we NAEYC and I Teach K!


Publishing/Leadership project part 1 of 2

Publishing/Leadership project part 2 of 2

Final Presentation

Week 4 Peer Response Mary

Mary said

Telling the We story. 
In reading chapters 9-12 I was again reminded of situations that occurred in my schools last year. Since starting using the Google Apps education suite with teachers and students the chat feature became somewhat of a controversial issue. While teaches used it to communicate effectively with each other, the central office and colleagues in the other building, students also used the chat feature and often in not such effective ways. By the middle of March teachers were pressuring administrators and the tech department to turn off the students’ chat privileges. It was definitely an US and THEM discussion. Us teachers (forgive the grammar) can’t monitor and manage what the students are saying and doing in the chat window, THEY are using the chat to ignore instructions or maybe even to cheat (never verified). When I read the Telling the WE chapter this situation came back to my mind. After spending this year in a challenge-based program, and spending many hours collaborating with colleagues in the program I place a high value on the ability to “chat” with learners in my room and across the country. This chapter has encouraged me to find a way to tell the WE story to my colleagues and to try to help them re-evaluate their perception of the chat feature.

I said

It is so easy for adults to forget what it is like to be a student in elementary, middle or high school.  We need to remember and try to find a happy medium with our students and technology.  Just like we read in Chapter 12, it is about US and how we can work together.

Week 4 Peer Response Angela

Angela said
Enrollment, according to the author in Art of Possibilities, it is not forcing, bargaining, or tricking someone to get your way.  It is the art and practices of generating spark to share.  I remember at a career seminar I attended there was homework giving for each student to go out that day to a idea company they would like to work for and asked to speak with the hiring manager.  We were instructed to tell them our purpose was not to ask for a job, but to interview them to see what type a candidate they are looking for to hire.  At first I was scared, but after asking the questions I became more relaxed and the hiring manager seen that in me. A the end of the interview I was given constructive criticism that helped me.  Like the father who dressed in his three-piece suit to met with a man to conduct business in person, sometimes you must face in person to impress the mind of others.


I said

What a wonderful idea to talk to the hiring manager about what their ideal candidate is.  I believe this assignment not only helped you, but the hiring manager as well.  It was an interesting way of enrolling a potential employer and one that I will use in the future with clients and other’s that I want to catch my flame.

Week 4 Publishing/Leadership project part 2 of 2

I am considering presenting to the National Association for the Education of the Young Child and I Teach K! conferences.   The National Association for the Education of the Young Child is also a publication that I am considering.

I chose these two organizations because they deal with teachers who work with young children and I feel that that age group is often left out of the technology conversation.

Week 4 Reading: The Art of Possibility Chapter 9-12

My thoughts on the chapters 9-12 of the book, The Art of Possibility.  I do believe that the last chapters of the book are going to be a work in process for me.  But I am ready.

Chapter 9 Lighting A Spark

The term enrollment is used differently from what I am use to.  The book uses the term as “the art of practice of generating a spark of possibility for others to share”.  My favorite part of this chapter instructs us to not look at getting a NO as a negative, but use it to help create a different possibility.

Chapter 10 Being The Board

Life is a game and sometimes you have to change or turn the board around.  When you change the board, you don’t focus on the negatives or whose right or wrong.  Try to find a way to make the situation work for all parties involve.

Chapter 11 Creating Frameworks for Possibility

A vision is away to create possibilities.  It does not have numbers; it is not measures or comparable. 

Chapter 12 Telling the WE Story

It is not about you but US.  When you use this practice of WE, you look at conflict differently.  You ask , “how can we make this better for US and not just ME.”

Week 3 Peer Response to Veronica

Veronica said

If you want your kids to behave better, your employees to do a better job, lead people around you or win new clients in your company, the key is influence. You must become a person of influence. You need to understand the needs of others. The first step to influence others is to have self-awareness. One of the clues to empowering the people around you are appreciation, approval and attention. Have gratitude to others on every occasion. Praise them for every accomplishment. Pay close attention to them when they talk and interact with you.

My response

Reading your post reminded me of a lady at church.  She is a leader that feels it is important to appreciate and give gratitude to everyone that helps her in a program or activity. Before reading this book, I often wondered, why she wasted time with all these acknowledgments, but now I understand why she does it and why people are always willing to help her.

Week 3 Peer Response to Angela

Angela wrote  

I remember when one of my daughter's was around five years old. She looked at me and said she wanted to be a doctor when she grew up.  I was so happy to hear her say those words.  I knew what I needed to do to help her fulfilled her dreams.  However, that fairytale never came true because one of her lovely teacher cast a dark shadow over my daughter's head and told her "if you become a doctor then everyone will die!"  My daughter never told me what that teacher said until years later for the fear of what I may have done.  In the book of The Art of Possibility it talked about a child is an exquisite attention-getting device.  (p. 82).  A child relies on strong leadership to help children to discover who they are and achieve their goals.  However, when that leaders or role models shatter a child’s dreams it affects them.  In adulthood, unless the child has a strong will, they grow up not fulfilling their goals and live their life in a box. 

My response

I am sorry that you daughter had a teacher who did not understand the power of words.  Teachers need to realize that they are there to empower and uplift children and not stifle them for aiming high.  Thank you for sharing.

Week 3 Free Blog Post: The 8 Ball

Royalty free from Getty Images

Its hard to get in front of the 8 ball when you start out behind.  I heard the phrase while watching television this week (a rare thing since I started school).  This statement made me think about my students.  They are from low-income families, some live on Medicaid, or from paycheck to paycheck.  They do not have the luxuries of computers or other technological gadgets.  But, I believe and feel that just because my student’s are not middle and upper class, does not mean that they have to have an underclass education.  I believe a teacher that I give my students everything I have to offer that being financially or bring my personal technical devices that I allow my students to use. By doing this I feel that my student may be beside the eight ball or in front of it, but I am determine to ensure that they are not behind that eight ball.