MAC Class Week 4 Response to Classmate Kimberly Duran

'We' Could Do Anything - Like Reach The Moon!

Here is Kimberly's post about the final chapters of 'The Art of Possibilities' by Benjamin and Roz Zander:

Kimberly Wrote:

Chapter 12 really sparked so many thoughts in me this week. Often times in education,or at least the trainings I've been to the past few years, we practice "I" messages. Telling our students what "I" need to see happen, or what "I" would like to see happen rather than just telling kids what "they" need to do. "I" messages seem to be all the rage at my school even, and I didn't realize until I read this chapter about the We story. The "I" messages have worked decently, but what a concept to make it about we to show that I am there in support of my students, staff, and other co workers. I even tested it out today on one of my tutors that is a college student, and it worked so wonderfully. He really felt a part of the decision making process, and felt as though "we" (he and I) found a solution to something. I could totally see his confidence shift. It was astounding, truly. I really want to practice this more. I must deprogram my brain from the "I" message and allow the WE to sing out of my mouth!! What a great way to end this amazing piece of literature. This week I will begin my transformation from I to we.....!!!!

My Response To Kimberly's Post:

Hi Kimberly,

You are so funny. I can hear your voice singing the “We Song.” I have been fortunate enough to have done several projects with you to know that the project is always better with you involved! I have never known a day of projects without you being a “We” to me! Wow, that sounds like a hit country song title. Luckily this is date stamped and thus copyrighted. I will change the word projects to ‘Life’ for purposes of country and western. Say that with a drawl please.

There is a moment of ‘buy-in’ that sometimes requires an ‘I’ to make a point. It is a shock effect maybe, like when Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “I have a dream…”. That is a rare and unique case that had so much impact. I sometimes even leave myself out of the equation and just say, “You…” in my sentences. It is very powerful also. 

MAC Class Week 4 Response to Classmate Dorreen Petersen Davis

'Turn The Clock To ELEVEN'

Here is Dorreen's post about the end chapters of 'The Art of Possibilities' by Benjamin and Roz Zander:

Dorreen Wrote:

Wow, this book continues to my ideas to the possibilities that could happen. I really agree with chapter 10 about one can only be accountable for what one has control over. I think that is all we can worry about. However, the idea of looking at every situation as a chessboard is very interesting. It seems to me if more people would think more like this we would have fewer lawsuits and maybe things we need like insurance wouldn’t be so expensive. The business world also wouldn’t always be thinking, “we need to cover our behinds”.  I love the board question, “How did this get on the board that I am?” Seems like self-reflection is a very important part of this whole art of possibilities.

I think that the criteria for a vision is wonderful not only for companies but for personal goals.  Think everyone should have a vision as these visions can be looked at like mini goals. Lastly in chapter 12, the WE is so important and strong. I would think that the WE will always be stronger than the I/You and it could stop the finger pointing or blame we see in our society today.

Looking back at the book it seems that all eleven practices are tied closely to one another if one could achieve just a few of these practices the possibilities that could open up to you would be extreme. Can you image if one could really take into practice all eleven – the possibilities could be endless!

My response to Dorreen's Post:

Hi Dorreen,

Yes, the power of eleven. If everyone had all eleven practices memorized and embedded into their psyche, we would have no wars - only world peace; no anger, only helpfulness; no more failure, only success; no racism, only love; no constraint of the mind, only limitless options; but who wants all of that?!! People frenzy feed on bad news. What would happen if there were a station of only ‘good’ news? Would people even watch it? Why are we so enamored with tension and strife? Is it in peoples’ genome? Please help me. I have become the perfect sheltered juror who escapes at all cost from the bad news of the days. What will happen if we all of a sudden avoided bad news and only wanted good news? Please share what would happen. My hands are cupping my face awaiting your answer! Oh, and would you like to see the 300 pages that Benjamin through out when he wrote this book. Every writer has extra pages that don’t make the cut. Often, those pages are the real truths that people aren’t ready for. I vote, ‘We see the hidden pages!’ 

Week 4 Review of ‘The Art of Possibilities’

 'Benjamin is My Star Hero!'

Benjamin Zander, author of 'The Art of Possibilities,' is one of those rare individuals who truly ‘Cares’. Is must be a rare gene strand of DNA? He shows this care by placing his visiting students on the stage near his orchestra so they could experience the truest form of ‘passion’ and orchestral performance. These students had already sat for a few hours in previous meetings and now they were going to sit through a concert – they might fidget and be distracting, yet they knew Benjamin was giving them a gift of a lifetime and they were perfect. That takes intuition and a lot of trust. When do we ever go out on a limb like that in the aspect of trusting someone?

And then when Benjamin shares the story of Cora his 2^nd chair violinist, he really opens up his soul. He shows us that he didn’t always have this ‘Pure Care.’ He once was, let’s say, in development. Cora changed his life for the better because she stood for something that mattered to her. He lost her in his orchestra and that is what caused a paradigm shift to create the Benjamin we know today. So what am I really saying? We all need to stand up right now, put our hand over our heart, and say, “Thank you Cora.”

My Week 4 MAC Class Leadership Update n Links

'Keep An Eye On This Presentation!'

My month 11 Leadership project is well developed now and I have determined that I will submit a speaker application for the FETC conference in Orlando, Florida. 

I am a strong supporter of the Full Sail EMDT program and feel that the diverse activities we have completed have prepared me to present at any level: small room or a large-scale presentation. I would like to thank all of the EMDT instructors for their strong influence along my journey. My year of research has unveiled some very interesting outcomes and I will be synthesizing and collaborating with others for quite awhile. One intricacy from the research is that, certain cultures are much more highly engaged than others due to using a class response system. Why? You must comment below if you’d like to know the answer. It is significant and you will say, “Wow,” when you hear the possible reasoning. In fact, you may need to go to FETC to hear my presentation. Let me know and I’ll save front row seats for you – First Come First Serve. Seating is limited, so write soon. The other conference I would like to submit my application for is ISTE, because is deals with the use of technology in education and my life is technology. 

While you are waiting for those conferences you can review my past Leadership project developments, which are found at these previous weekly blog links:

Week 1 Leadership Blog:

http://bloggedonphonics.blogspot.com/2012/03/leader-of-leaders.html

Week 2 Leadership Blog:

http://bloggedonphonics.blogspot.com/2012/03/leader-within-me.html

Week 3 Leadership Blog:

http://bloggedonphonics.blogspot.com/2012/03/my-week-3-class-leadership-quest.html

My Presentation:

And even better yet, click this "clickable link sentence" to go straight to my Leadership Presentation slides and speaker notes!

Well, thank you very much for stopping in to see the progress. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated. I look forward to hearing from you!

My Week 3 Response To Classmate Kimberly

'A Clover Field For Your Piglet!'

Kimberly Duran wrote:

I really enjoyed the Babe analogy in Chapter 7-The Way Things Are. I have seen this movie so many times and it went so well with how the authors were trying to get their points across about being present to the way things are. I have a student that I swear this chapter was written for. He is what I call an Eeyore kid. Kind of negative all the time, walking around with a rain cloud over him. Always making road blocks instead of paths. Being much like the cow in the analogy, the oh well that's the way things are kind of mentality. I showed him a couple of snippets of the movie Babe after reading this chapter, and then we spoke about being present to the way things are instead of just accepting things the way they are. How this type of thinking is a catalyst for change, and how this could help him to improve his way of thinking. He really enjoyed the analogy as well and said that it pointed things out to him in a different way and really put things in perspective. The simple trick of turning the word but into and was like magic. He and I have been trying to find ways to turn more dreary outlooks into positive experiences. I just LOVE this book, it has been so insightful on so many levels. I have found so many uses for the things I have learned, I really am floored by all the great stuff and thankful we were given the opportunity to read it!!

My response to Kimberly:

Hi Kimberly,

This post really warmed my heart because I also watched the movie ‘Babe’ about 50 times, with my young children – and the Piglet photo you used instantly makes me say, ‘AAAaahhhh’! Thank you for the care you have to see those Eeyore types and coach them to a higher place. I would like to hear all the conversations said at their supper tables when those children mention YOUR name for inspiring them to a new level of life. Thank you also for sharing your appreciation for this book. What will you ask Benjamin and Roz when we meet them? And even better, what will you ‘Teach’ them in our conversation? That is why they will invite us to their next event when they are in town!  - Hunter

My Week 3 Reading Response To Classmate Dorreen

'Can We See Things Correctly?'

Dorreen Peterson Davis wrote:

This book continues to be full of ideas and inspiration. Each chapter opens up ideas to share with my students, and fellow faculty.  Many of the practices, in my eyes, are common sense and should be easy to do. I try to live by several of them. I agree that the calculating self is hard to ignore or work through, but we need to; at least we should recognize it. I will be the first to admit if I have done something incorrectly or don’t know something, especially with my students. I think they need to know that I’m not perfect nor do I want to pretend to be. I am emotional and sometimes it does get in the way but it never turns defensive.  So I guess my central self is working well. However, I do think that sometimes my central self gets in my way of letting go and doing something really out there.  I have given away my passion for some things, but I have kept my passion for graphic design. I tell my students that in order to do well in school and whatever they decide to do they have to be passionate about it.

Rule number 6 really resonates with me. I’ve come from a family that doesn’t take ourselves too seriously and if we did someone would say something that would lighten up the situation. However, it seems that as people move up the corporate ladder they forget about this rule and their calculating self comes out and they need to remember where they have been and that the rug can be pulled out from under them and lighten up.  

Practice seven is very, very important. I’m not sure people think in the present until something happens in their lives that wakes them up, like a death to someone close or a terrible accident, etc.  We seem to have to have that life changing moment to wake us up and to live to optimum possibilities.  Ben Zander states, “that we need to focus on what should be and not what is. “  My students are always dwelling on what went wrong with their project and not what it is. Therefore, the first thing I tell my students during their presentations is not start with the negative of the piece or what they didn’t do or what went wrong with the printing, just sell me on what you have. If they knew it wasn’t working then they should have fixed it. They are always blaming someone else for what went wrong instead of owning what happened, learn from the experience and make adjustments for the next time.

The ideas in chapter 8 are my downfall when it comes to my personal life. I am working my way out of it though. The first step was deciding that I needed to get out among people again and that I needed to give back, hence I started teaching. Teaching lead me to Full Sail and what an experience. I only hope I can keep moving forward and keep on with the BFTI. Thank you for everyone for helping me along the way.

My response to Dorreen:

Hi Dorreen,

Thank you for your openness to share your thoughts at this level. I appreciate your honesty about your ‘central self.’ I wonder if there is a study on how long it takes us to give away one of our passions – one year of hardship, 5 years, …? You brought up something all of us should think about. Thank you for your graphic design passion and all the times you have dazzled us with your skills. I like how candid you are about the Rule Number 6 issue when people move up the corporate ladder. I have seen this ‘power’ change people to the point you don’t recognize them anymore. Do they really have happiness anymore? Why do they forget the people who once were their best friends, for years? Are the new higher-level powerful friends funner and funnier with better conversation? My young son and I flew first class one time and he said he never wanted to do that again. He liked the conversations in coach class better! Oh, for the innocence of the mind of a child.  - Hunter

Wimba Week 3 Summary

Celebrate Life's Possibilities!

Hi, welcome to my summary for the EMDT MAC course week 3 Wimba achieve. I liked the surveys and feedback segments. The first question was, “How is the book ‘The Art of Possibility’ different from ‘The Power of Positive Thinking’ or Oprah’s, ‘The Secret’?” Well, I couldn’t stop reading The Art of Possibility. It was much more engaging to me because of the authors’ Benjamin and Roz’s style of writing. The next question was, “Which chapter meant the most to me and why?” I loved the chapter when Benjamin set up a mediation session between two businessmen who were ready to dissolve their company agreements. Benjamin helped them through this difficult dispute and helped solve the problem. Shear genius. The last question was, “What things are you going to take from the reading and use in your teaching and life?” This book is a ‘reinforcer’ all around for me. I appreciate every word in the book and smile along with the passion that exudes from each sentence. Thank you for having this book in the course work! I highly recommend it for everyone – who can read.