Wk 4: Response to Vivianne Jimenez's Blog Post

Vivianne's Original Post:

After reading Art of Possibilities I feel enlightened beyond words. I took so much from these chapters. “Certain things in life are better done in person.” My mentor always reminds me of this thought. She would run the office in the same manner. Once a week we were not allowed to send emails to each other. Instead we would have to get up from our office and relay the message in person. Her reason for this was because she felt we could gain so much more from interacting with one another. This is why Ben went in person to meet with the world’s greatest cellist instead of making a call. He gained so much more.

“Being the Board” is the graduate course I must master. Circumstances at work continue to bring stress and worry at times but reading this chapter helped me in mapping out a plan to actually turn my situation around and transform my world. I want to rid myself from the world of measurements and begin to live a life of tranquility and bliss. I must invent my framework so the new Vivianne can emerge and change the world; well at least begin with mine. 

“Leadership is a relationship that brings this possibility to others and to the world, from any chair, in any role.” - Zander

My Response:

Hey Viv,

I'm so glad that you were able to read "The Art of Possibility" at this time of your life. I too liked the story of Ben Zander flying to meet his cellist friend to ask him to perform an original piece of music (composed by another mutual friend) as well.  It is so important that in this ever-increasingly digital age we live in, that we maintain face-to-face human interactions as they are becoming an ever-more precious, and persuasive, commodity.  

It's really great that this book has helped you deal with the stress of your everyday work situation; however, I disagree that you have to re-invent your framework "so the new Vivianne can emerge and change the world."  Current Vivianne has been changing her world and the world of those around her for at least the year I have known her, and I suspect for long before we ever became acquainted.  Viv, you are already the person you wish to be.  You just need to remove the obstacles that prevent you from seeing that. I'm glad I met you in this program.

Steve L.

Wk 4: Response to Bryan Davis' Blog Post

Bryan Davis' Original Post:

As I continued reading through chapters 9 to 12 of The Art of Possibility, I find myself continually impressed with the style of Zander’s writing. It challenges the reader the really think about everyday times where one can be instinctively negative about a situation and reframes it to raise the question of where did I learn to think of this situation, thatway? Not to turn this into a review of the book, to save time, I liked it; I’m going to dissect my favorite parts from these chapters. I especially found inspiration in Chapter 9 where Zander took a hard no about holding a concert in a venue to a massive opportunity where the odds were stacked against him, conducting an orchestra for a school in a vastly underprivileged area where many assumed that culture was a lost cause. Not only did Zander and his orchestra rise to the challenge of performing for these children, they exceeded expectations and were a rousing success. It was during this chapter that I started to think about the influence music has had on my life, and some of the many times that music has really raised my spirit to overcome obstacles. Then I thought about Chapter 9 again and thought why wouldn’t live music in this school be successful? To assume a taste in music based on socioeconomic status and race is pointless, I’ve heard the arguments on this, but at the end of the argument music is still music and has the capacity and power to touch anyone whose ears it hits.

I also really enjoyed the idea of “being the board” as chapter 10 suggests, because it does provide a more favorable way of presenting situations. While I can’t say that some of the examples Zander used would find much solace in “being the board” it is a healthier way to frame a bad situation. This chapter had a great example in Zander writing the letter to his student about learning to not lash out about situations out of his control, and I’m sure anyone who has been in charge of a monumental task where many things can go wrong, can sympathize with Zander’s position in this story. I have to admit that I’ve not only been in the position Zander was in, I’ve taken the same path he did by lashing out and becoming a burden to the supportive people around me. While I can’t say that “being the board” is a philosophy I could see myself subscribing to in order to solve a tough situation, I can see the value in taking a few minutes to cast that light on a negative situation before acting in regrettable manner.

It was at this point where I found myself reading my second favorite chapter of The Art of Possibility, Chapter 11. The part where Zander describes having his students write comparisons of playing music to the work that the engineers do at NASA. I immediately enjoyed the notion of musicians writing to NASA to speak to the inspiration and imagination that both these fields require to work well. It was especially rewarding to read how touched these engineers at NASA were by these letters, and the fact that they sent them into space to inspire the astronauts and remind them why they do the work they do. In fact, my second favorite quote from this book fell in chapter 11, “I am here today to cross the swamp, not to fight all the alligators.” As an educator, particularly the math teacher in me, that particular line resonated with me. Sometimes just having a positive attitude about the situation can win the battle. I think to that end, this is probably what Zander’s greatest message was throughout the book, that one can lose sight of how great the things in front of them truly are if they choose to frame everything in a negative light. I would contend that this was the most uplifting chapter of the book; because of the way it framed a situation that hadn’t changed or been disrupted at all, but found a new more positive way to look at it. I think as an educator it gets easy to forget the world of possibility seated in front of us each day when we get bogged down with all the white noise of collecting data, and performance evaluations, and so on.

As I came to chapter 12 I was actually excited to see how Zander wrapped this book up, and I have to admit I haven’t gotten that into a book in quite some time. To be honest, I was expecting a massively grandiose message and felt a little disappointed when I finished chapter 12. Not to say that Zander’s message of looking at situations in the “we” instead of the “I/You” wasn’t good, I think we (and all of our personal relationships) could certainly benefit from doing so from time to time. I just built up this idea of a huge overarching message that I assumed had to be coming, but in reality that wasn’t Zander’s message in the first place. In fact, in the coda following chapter 12, he even states himself that this book wasn’t written to “cure” your problems; but, after reading this and allowing Zander to do a little mind expansion, I can certainly see how this line of thinking could make a lot of things in life easier and eliminate a lot of unnecessary stress.

My Response:

Curiosity - NASA's Newest Mars Rover
courtesy of www.NASA.gov

Hey Bryan,

I'm glad to see that you got so much out of the Zander's book.  I too loved Chapter 11, especially reading all the letters that Zander's students wrote to NASA and the response of NASA's astronauts and other employees back to the children.  How cool of NASA to send the letters up to the International Space Station!  Incidentally, I know that you wrote that the letters were sent to the space station "to inspire the astronauts and remind them why they do the work they do" which is undoubtedly true, but NASA also sent those kids' letters into space to inspire the kids to take more interest in math and science as well.  In fact, nearly every NASA space launch these days carries the names and thoughts of students from around the world.  I know this because I am an official NASA Explorer Program educator.  I have had my own children place their names and thoughts on several NASA missions including the most recent Mars Rover that landed earlier this month.  Since you teach Math, you can be part of the Explorer program too.  Here is the link.  Check it out!

http://www.nasa.gov/offices/education/programs/national/nes2/home/index.html

Steve L.

Wk 4: Leadership Blog Post

Ghandi Monument - Lisbon, Spain
- photo by Rei-artur at www.commons.wikipedia.org

There are many individuals that I consider to be role models, but Ghandi is certainly at the top of my hero list.  Ghandi proved through his actions that non-violent political resistance can bring down a corrupt empire.  Ghandi spoke Truth to power; and through great sacrifice, Ghandi freed India from the tyranny of Great Britian's rule.  Ghandi and other great pacifist leaders such as Dr. Martin Luther King have proven that common individuals, against all odds, can fight the tyranny of a great power and change the consciousness of an entire world.

In all honesty, I do not have the spiritual strength to be a martyr like Ghandi, but I can try to do my best to have a positive impact on our world, and "fight the good fight."  In my life, I have taken great risks on many occasions to stand against injustice, and I have been politically active since my High School days.  I chose to teach because it is a job that enables me to touch many lives in a way that promotes a better world.  I may not be in a position of power where I can effect the fate of whole nations, but at my school, I teach the future leaders of our world - and I mean that literally.  This year alone, I had the grandsons of Henry Kissinger and Robert F. Kennedy in the same class.  The fact that I have had some influence (as minor as that influence may be) on the upbringing of future leaders makes me proud to teach.

Well I may not ever be the spiritual and moral leader Ghandi became, but at least I have one important quality in common with him.  We have the same birthday, October 2nd (and Sting as well!).  How cool is that!

Wk 4 - The Art of Possibility - Ch. 9-12

The Game of Life
- From Freedigitalphotos.net

Reading Chapter 10,  "Being the Board" of the Zander's book made me think about Milton-Bradley's board game called "The Game of Life." In the board game, your lot in life was a matter of chance - a roll of the dice.  In contrast, "The Art of Possibility" implies that your lot in life is a matter of choice.  Although there are obviously external factors in this Universe of which we have no control, how we act and react in our individual lives are certainly our own responsibility.   That is what the Zander's meant by "being the board." Playing the 'blame game" solves nothing.  We need to see our role in the events of our life and accept responsibility.  On page 142, the Zander's ask us to tell ourselves "I am the framework for everything that happens in my life."

Chapter 9, "Lighting a Spark," speaks of "enrollment" - the art and practice of generating a spark of possibilities in others.  This practice fits in with the idea of giving back.  The Zanders speak of "the Life Force," and how important it is for us to not only find our own spark of possibilities, but to help others find theirs as well.

I loved Chapter 11 of the book, "Creating Frameworks for Possibility" because it talked about "creating the vision."  The grander the vision, the greater the positive effect on our world.  Dr. Martin Luther King and Ghandi are discussed in this chapter.  What I like about this chapter is that it reminds me of why all of us are in this EMDTMS program. We are all trying to create a grander vision of how to educate our students - of how to pass on knowledge and hopefully create a better generation of leaders for our future. A vision to create a better, more enlightened, world.

"Telling the We Story," Chapter 12, is all about inclusion.  The Zander's explain that the I/You dichotomy leads to conflict, and that the best way to resolve such conflict is to replace "I/You" with "We." We need to find the common bond that unites us all to acheive the best of all worlds in a world of possibilities.

Wk 3: Leadership Blog Post

 - image courtesy of www.iste.org

My leadership project is titled "Professional Development: Incorporating an Organic Approach to Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) Teacher Training."  It is based on my Action Research Project where I trained 14 faculty members how to use Prezi.  The research verified that incorporating an "organic approach" to ICT faculty development does lead to successful faculty development.

I plan on submitting this project for publication to ISTE's Journal of Digital Learning in Teacher Education (JDLTE).

The links to my two previous leadership blog posts are:

Wk 1 Leadership Blog Post

Wk 2 Leadership Blog Post

Here is the link to my leadership document.  I couldn't figure out how to convert Google.Docs to APA format, however, the original document is formatted properly:

Steve's Leadership Project

Wk 3 Response to Mavy Torres' Blog post

Mavy's Original Post:

After reading the chapters for this week, I found Rule # 6 to be an interesting topic for discussion. I found it interesting because of the way it resonates about me, and how I take myself very seriously, to the point I have caused some disappointment in my outcomes. As time has gone by, I have slowly applied Rule # 6, and not taken myself so seriously, although I feel a ways away from really perfecting it. I don’t give myself room to accept making errors like on school assignments and work. I do give myself more tolerance to grow and explore with my family, reviewing my goals, working with art and doing community service.

It is important to provide oneself room for improvement throughout the various challenges we face in our lives. As we experience them, we will learn to not get mad over spilled milk; all it takes is to truly accept that errors do happen, not just understand it, and to be willing to learn from them. By permitting errors to occur, understanding becomes a vital part of growth, and we better learn and improve for the next time opportunity.

Furthermore, what I thought inspiring was Chapter five’s: Leading from any chair. I was impressed with the conductor giving the reins to others in order to make the orchestra successful. Delegating power to others is a scary concept because we naturally tend to maintain control. When we give others opportunities for leadership, they can share their vision and truly contribute to improving the music of life. I know from experience that delegating is a great way to give the opportunity for someone to learn to become leader. At times, it can be scary because the result will not necessarily be the way you wanted to go, however, it can be exciting to learn how they envision something new that you would not have thought about. This leads to my point, being careful not to micromanage people. The reason that people micromanage is because they want things only one certain way, their way, and will not give an individual any opportunity to take a different path for the similar or better result. We cannot be afraid to give opportunities of leadership, otherwise we limit the potential of those we are meant to serve.

Steve's Response:

Great comment Mavy. I agree that you have been too hard on yourself at some points in the past year, but you have always sought the advice of your peers, and you have always faced your fears and insecurities and triumphed over them. You are right to say that we all need to "be willing to learn" from our errors. I always tell my students that the point of doing homework is to learn, not what you know already, but what you don't know, so you can ask for more help before the next assessment. In other words, the point of homework is to learn from your mistakes.

Mavy, don't underestimate yourself. You have been a leader to the rest of us just as we have been leaders to you. You have led from your chair on many occasions, and you have done well because you were willing to listen, and you have always respected others as equals.

Most people do not know how jewelers can tell real diamonds from the best synthesized fake diamonds. Think about this. The best man-made diamonds are actually 100% flawless. Completely perfect in all respects. Real diamonds, even when considered to be "flawless," always have slight flaws in their crystal structure. The slight flaws cause the light to be reflected slightly askew which creates a brilliant array of bright colors that a "perfect" man-made diamond cannot imitate. Each truly perfect nature-made diamond has unique flaws that bring about the unique characteristics of the natural gem's brilliance. Aren't humans really like diamonds?

Wk 3 Response to Angelo Pardo's Blog Post

Angelo's Original Post:

One of the biggest takeaways from reading this particular book is that I have never seen myself so enthusiastic about diving in. Let me reiterate that the “Art of Possibility” by Benjamin and Rosamund Zander is one of those books that you cannot put down; it is a brilliantly refreshing account of the lessons and stories about enjoying life to the fullest. I really like the format of the writing so far because when I read I don’t see words, rather I see an ocean of pictures before me–every chapter is filled with paintings of concepts that I truly understand and appreciate, because the lessons are so applicable in my own life.

Allow me to give a brief summary of each chapter (5-8). Chapter 5 is about stepping down and letting others lead. I have heard it said a lot from teachers that it a humbling and genuine experience when the students teach the teachers. Chapter 6 teaches us to lighten up using Rule Number 6 (hilarious. Chapter 7 is about being present to the way things are so that we can have clarity on the next step we should take. Chapter 8 is about giving way to passion, that is to let go of restraint and participate fully. Benjamin Zander, in one of his anecdotes, referred to this as going “Beyond the F*ck It”. I also learned from these chapters the difference between the calculating vs. central self. I am now striving to be more in contact with the latter because I can see how much good it does for me and for everyone else around me.

Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

My Response:

Angelo, I am so glad that you are finding "The Art of Possibility" to be such an inspirational book.  I know that this year has been filled with a great deal of trials and tribulations in your life; and there have been times when you hit a spiritual low.  Seeing how your spirit has been lifted by this month's readings is really nice.  In fact, your life this year (and probably everyone's lives now that I think about it) could be turned into stories within the Zander's book.  Remember how stressed you were at times, and how there were points along this EMDT journey where you almost left the program. We all had such thoughts and feelings at some point(s) in the past year.  Now compare those down times with the exuberance you feel when reading the pages of this book.  You (we) are living proof of the truth the Zander's have laid down on paper for anyone to read and explore.

Stay happy my friend.  It's all an illusion anyways.

Steve L.

Wk 3 - The Art of Possibility - Ch. 5-8

Ram Das - Be Here Now
Lama Foundation - New Mexico - 1971
from wikipedia.org

The more I read The Art of Possibility, the more it reminds me of Ram Das' 1971 spiritual guidance book "Be Here Now." This is especially true for Chapter 7, "The Way Things Are" which implores us to accept the world as it is now, in all its splendor and glory, with all its imperfections and human flaws. Chapter 7 is really about the practice of mindfulness - being present in the moment with out the "calculating self" getting in the way of possibility.  Be Here Now - Here Now Be - Now Be Here.

Reading Chapter 5, "Leading From Any Chair" made me think about the many times that my students taught me something, or led the class into a deep conversation that I had not planned.  Many times in our Wimba sessions we each take our turn leading and moving the conversations forward.  If we all remember that all humans are of equal worth, then the dichotomy between teacher and student begins to break down and unforeseen possibilities will arise.

Chapter 6 is my favorite chapter in the book so far.  The wonderful "Rule #6: Don't take yourself so goddamn seriously" is such a great piece of advice.  If it is true that "all is invented," then that includes the invented way in which we view our own selves.  If we are honest with our selves, we would see that on the grand scale of the Universe, our individual lives are meaningless and insignificant.  However, the same honesty can reveal that on a human life scale, each individual life is meaningful and full of possibilities.  We just need to "lighten up" to see these truths.

Finally, Chapter 8 implores us to give into our passions.  Allow the energy of your passions to guide your path through the Universe of possibilities.  Open your heart and allow the Universe to sing in the uniqueness of your inner voice.

Wk 2 Response to Michael Brosnan's Blog Entry

Original Post - Michael Brosnan

The Art of Possibility

This is an interesting book stocked with stories and commentary surrounding attitudes towards productivity and contribution. In the first couple chapters I felt more as if it were a self-help book than one that would actually apply to the EMDT program, but nevertheless, I read on. By the time I completed chapter four, I didn't want to stop reading! Although the book thus far is more about mindsets and attitudes than implementing technology or lesson designs, there is poignant commentary for not only educators, but all professionals.

"In the realm of possibility, we gain our knowledge by invention."(20) Of all the sentences in the first four chapters, this one resonated strongly with me. I'm going to make a poster of it for my classroom! I have always strived to make my classroom one of possibility, but in the past several years I've tried to really teach history slightly differently. History can be a little dry, so I restructured almost all of my units in sort of a "choose your own adventure" sort of way so that students can discover and consider various possibilities. We do a lot of hypothesizing and predicting now. Students have learned to consider a particular option and predict the ramifications of their decisions. One example in particular that comes to mind is the Reconstruction Period after the Civil War. Students had to compile a thorough reconstruction plan for the nation that included rebuilding the South, educating the freed men and women, creating jobs, reassuring the North of rebuilt southern allegiance, etc. The students were initially concerned that "they'd guess wrong" - that wasn't the point. Once they got over it, they realized that anything was possible in their plan if they could defend its purpose.

In what could have been a few day lecture of the actual reconstruction plans, students were allowed to invent their own solutions. At the conclusion of the unit, they were merely informed of what was actually done - many of their invented plans contained attributes of the actual reconstruction plans. Students gained a thorough knowledge of not only the historical reconstruction plans, but a deeper knowledge of what reconstruction of a broken nation might entail. I realized their depth of understanding when we later critiqued the Fourteen Points at the end of WWI.I think it is important for educators to create an environment of possibility for students to invent and explore. It is a decidedly American trait to innovate and create and that's what students should always have the opportunity to do. (Of course they need to copyright it though...)

My Response:

Hey Michael,

I would say that the Zander's book is a self-help book, and I too have found the book hard to put down.  What really intrigues me about your blog post is the description of how you have chosen to teach your students about the post-Civil War Reconstruction Period.  What a brilliant idea to have your students come up with their own reconstruction plan before showing them the actual Reconstruction plan.  History as taught by so many traditional teachers can be such a dry and boring subject.  It's so hard to get students to find the meaning of past historical events as they apply to the student's limited vision of the world at such a young age.  Surely one of the goals of learning History is to hopefully prevent past mistakes from re-occurring in modern times.  Of course, History is usually taught in such a boring manner, that the human race rarely learns the lessons of the past, and we sometimes seem doomed to repeat our mistakes forever and ever.  How many "wars to end all wars" have been waged in the past few hundred years?  Having your students invent their own reconstruction plans connects them to their past in an engaging way that helps them realize the significance of historical events.  When they realized that they did not need to come up with the original Reconstruction plan (guessing wrong was "OK")  the students were able to take ownership of the assignment and start thinking for themselves.  You have really come up with an excellent way to teach any subject.

Wk 2 Response to Angelo Pardo's Blog Post

Original Post - Angelo Pardo

Okay, I admit that I am not too thrilled with reading assignments, especially when they are directly related with education, design, or technology. It was actually quite refreshing to read “The Art of Possibility” by Benjamin and Rosamund Stone Zander.

I was immediately drawn into the reading when I read the line that ‘everything is invented’ in Chapter 1. The idea encouraged me to create my own game, with rules and limitations, and not play the games of others, especially those games that encouraged a mind of self-defeat. Chapter 2 explained the universe of possibility and how everything in the universe is in our grasp. Once we stop thinking in measurements and start thinking in possibilities, we unlock a great deal of opportunity and potential that has always been in front of us the whole time. Chapter 3, one of my favorite chapters, introduced the idea of ‘Giving the A’. When Benjamin decided that standards were a deterrent to learning and creativity, he awarded his students A’s at the beginning of his course, but only if they wrote a letter in the past tense stating how they deserved the grade. Giving the A puts everyone, whether student or teacher, father or daughter, in the same place of understanding, void of judgment or inhibitions. Chapter 4 really opened my eyes to being a contribution to others, even if it’s just to one person in the room. It really is a paradigm shift in my own thoughts and actions, and instead of the victim mentality I now have one of gratitude and servitude. Benjamin proved that even as a contribution to others, both sides of the party still learn a great deal from each other, and the time spent together becomes an enjoyable and productive experience.

I am enjoying the Art of Possibility so far, in so much that what I have read just from the first four chapters has been a very emotional and touching experience. Looking back, I realized that while I read those chapters, my eyes were watery and I could not help but think about how I would start treating people, especially those closest to me, from now on.

My Response:

Hey Alf,

I have to admit, I really enjoyed this weeks readings as well. The Zander's book really made me think about all sorts of things regarding the nature of life, and the meaning of our existence.  I have always believed that people create their own reality; and that the way in which we view our experiences here on Earth influences the course our lives take in the short time we have on this planet.  I have always been attracted to the peacemakers throughout history - Ghandi, Bhudda, Jesus, Mother Teresa, Nelson Mandela, etc... These are people that chose a life of self-sacrifice to contribute to the betterment of our world and care for those less fortunate.  I agree with the Zander's that if "everything is invented," why not invent a better world for ourselves and those around us?  There is so much danger in the natural world that we can not avoid. Innocent lives are lost to fire, Earthquakes, hurricanes, tsunamis, heat waves, animal attacks, etc....Why do humans choose to add so many man-made disasters such as war, violent crime, rape, arson, etc...to the danger? 

Wk 2: Leadership Blog Post

ISTE's  Journal of Digital Learning for Teacher Educators
- screenshot by Steve Lux

During the past few days, I have been searching far and wide for an appropriate publication to submit my Action Research Leadership Project paper when completed. Although I was able to find several journals that specialize in action research, many of them were looking for theoretical studies about the action research process itself, or the journals expected a minimum 5000 word article.  The journals that did accept shorter papers about specific action research projects mostly belonged to various University's that promote Action Research, and several of these journals seemed to have very limited distribution.

The Journal of Digital Learning for Teacher Educators, JDLTE,  is one of three journals published by ISTE, the International Society for Technology in Education.  ISTE is one of the largest and most highly respected organizations promoting educational technology.  The requirements for submission to JDLTE fits the subject of my Action Research Project, and final papers are expected to be in the 2000 - 4000 words using APA format which I am now quite familiar with.

So JDLTE is the journal that I will submit my Leadership Project to first.  My biggest concern is that they may not be willing to take on an "Action Research" paper as that is not the specialty of this journal.  However, if my project is published in an ISTE Journal, I would be very excited, as i know that the article would be read by a relatively large audience with a chance to have a substantial impact on the future of technology faculty development.

Wk 2: The Art of Possibility - Part 2

The Dead Sea - by Jimmyweee

Mt. Everest - by Phillip Milne

Why Teach?

After making the case that “it‘s all invented,” where “it” refers to our perception of reality, the Zanders invite us to re-define ourselves in the “University of Possibility.” Chapter 2 urges us to look beyond the confines of the “world of measurement” to stand “in the great space of possibility in a posture of openness, with an unfettered imagination for what can be.” Chapter 3 allows us the privilege of giving ourselves an “A.”  Release our selves from the imprisonment of measured standards. Become the self that you see earns that “A” grade.  This seems to be a great way to utilize the power of visualization, and improve ones ability to succeed.

At the age of 13 I traveled to Israel and visited The Dead Sea, the lowest point on the Earth’s surface.  After that experience, I saw a documentary about Sir Edmund Hillary’s ascent to the top of Mt. Everest, the highest point on the Earth’s surface. It became a goal of mine to get as close as possible to Mt. Everest, and I achieved this goal in 1987 when I trekked 350 miles through the country of Nepal, reaching the Mt. Everest expedition base camp, and then hiking up to the peak across from Mt. Everest known as Kala Pataar.  I had now witnessed the majesty of the mountain the Nepalese call Sagamartha (Mt. Everest) with my own eyes.

The Everest trek fulfilled my dreams of seeing the highest and lowest points on Earth.  Metaphysically, I had experienced the highs and lows of the Earth, and a great deal of the in-betweens as well.  When I returned home, I became depressed.  I felt (mistakingly) that there was nothing else to learn.  I don’t know why, but I pulled myself together with a single thought.  I had seen the highs and lows of life; it was to time to give back. It was time to contribute. It was time to teach.  Reading Chapter 4 of the Zander’s book brought this memory back to my life.

Wk 2: The Art of Possibility - Part 1

Sunset - UCSB by Vinay Shivakumar

Who Defines Your Vision of Beauty?

As an undergraduate at the University of California, Santa Barbara, I decided to take a Botany course about the native plants of California.  My attraction to the course was that it included two extensive four-day road trips through the California Wilderness. On one of these trips, I was assigned to be part of our instructor's group.  Her name was Kelly, and she was a PhD post-doc doing botanical research at UCSB. 

During one of our long drives (each group drove in their own University owned utility vehicle) we started conversing about relationships. Professor Kelly asked one of our female group members if she had a boyfriend.  The girl said “No” and Kelly asked “Why not?”  The girl replied, “I guess I’m not pretty enough.”  At that point, Kelly slammed on the brakes and pulled over.  She turned around, looked the girl deeply into her eyes, and told her, “Never accept a definition of beauty that does not include your self.” These words have been stuck in my head for nearly 30 years now.

For me, this is exactly what “The Art of Possibility” by Roz and Ben Zander is all about.  In the first Chapter, the Zander’s write, “It’s all invented anyway, so we might as well invent a story or a framework of meaning that enhances our quality of life and the lives of those around us.” In other words, if reality is merely an invented construct of the mind, we are continuously defining our reality either sub-consciously and/or consciously. We are much better off if we acknowledge this fact and begin a conscious effort to re-invent our own story in a way that promotes our own well-being, and thereby, each other’s well-being as well.  Take control, become aware, invent your own story, and define your own vision of beauty.

Wk 1: Leadership Blog Post

It's hard to believe, but here we are in the final stage of our Action Research Project.  I remember reading about the "Publishing Leadership Project" requirement in Stage 3, and wondering what exactly that project was going to be.  Well, now we know!

For my Leadership Project, I am leaning towards "publishing an article" as opposed to "presenting at a conference."  I feel a little more confident in my writing skills than my multimedia presentation abilities; but for me, time is a major consideration.  In order to make a presentation at a conference, I would obviously need to attend that conference; and given my already way too busy schedule, it seems that it would be difficult for me to spend extra time away from home.  It does sound like a great experience to go and present, but I do not need to make travel arrangements to publish an article.  So as of now, I will be spending the next few days researching for appropriate publications to submit my AR Research Leadership project.

Good luck everyone!

Week 1 Response to Rhonda Doyle's Blog Post

Original Post - Rhonda Doyle

Copyrights

I found the material presented on copyrights to be informative and compelling.  I had not previously considered the broad range of ways that the international and industrial communities were incorporating personal media.  Having a strong foundation of values that direct me to respond with a simple, “we as grown men and women know the difference between what is ours and what is not” I had to open my interpretation of legal definitions and their impact on keeping privacy and protections in place.

I am a fan of the Creative Commons license for these reasons;

It allows the artist or original creator the opportunity to decide how and in what way they would prefer their material to be used.

It allows for others to engage with the originator and obtain permission for non-commercial or educational use.

It is a legal form of ownership that can be acted upon if necessary in the event that the agreement is violated.

I submit that the issue of copyrights, patents, and Internet freedom will continue to be topics that challenge our society to continuously defend its position as more content is created and distributed.

My Response

Hey Rhonda,

I certainly found the week 1 "reading" material to be "informative and compelling" as well; and I am also a big fan of the Creative Commons approach to the licensing of creative content.  In addition to the reasons you mentioned in your blog post, I would also add that the Creative Commons approach seems to embody the original intent of copyright law, which was to protect  artists from having their works stolen and/or exploited by other individuals, especially for financial gain.  

In the past, I have published original music on the Internet under the Creative Commons licensing terms.   From an artist's perspective, what I like about the Creative Commons is that it allows the artist to freely give away their creations - the exact opposite of what copyright law is used for today.  So why would an artist want to give away his/her works?  Most artists believe, perhaps delusionally, that their talent is a gift.  Artists create art because they can not live happily unless they create.  Most wish to share their creations in the hopes that others will find the works as compelling and beautiful as the artist does.  Artists are pleased when others find value and meaning in their artistic creations. 

Musical artists signed to large record companies rarely make any money off the sale of their music anyways.  The record companies take all the money, thus copyright law today is hardly ever protecting the rights of the artist, but rather, the law is protecting the rights of the record company to exploit the artist.  I published my music through Creative Commons because I hoped that somehow in some way, the Creative Commons would allow my music to travel freely around the world for anyone's enjoyment while protecting my works from third party exploitation.

The Creative Commons is built around the premise that art exists independently of the creator for the benefit of society at large.  It strikes a great balance between the artists' rights as a content creator, and society's  rights as a beneficiary of the arts.  So I too am all for the Creative Commons approach.

Week 1: Response to Bryan Davis' Blog Post

Original Post - by Bryan Davis


Copyright law is most certainly a hot-button issue in our ever-increasing digital culture. After watching many videos addressing the use of copyrighted materials and what constitutes fair-use, it became more and more clear exactly how blurred the lines truly are as far as using copyrighted materials. Discovering that rights are now in place for documentary makers and musicians to use a piece of a copyrighted material to get their own creative points across was a wonderful discovery.

The explanations covering fair use and copyright law in the classroom were quite helpful. As a teacher, I have used materials like showing short clips from films like The Patriotand Gettysburg to show students what warfare looked like during each films’ respective time period. After reviewing the materials I was relieved to understand that by having created lesson plans that rely on the showing of these materials for students to complete the activities I should still be ok under the policy of fair use. It was somewhat relieving to know that there are guidelines that we as digital content creators and educators can use to decide how we utilize copyrighted materials in our presentations. Albeit the fair use policies are somewhat hazy guidelines to live by, they are, much like the independent filmmakers stated, at least a tangible document that can be cited and read.

After reviewing these many videos and viewpoints of copyright law the singular idea presented from each person speaking on copyright laws was that they are vague laws to live by. To be safe, and to avoid a civil or criminal charge being pressed, a content creator should always try to get permission from the copyright holder if they intend to use or build upon their original copyrighted ideas. Fair use a great step toward protecting the rights of content creators and avoiding a lawsuit for just speaking about another person’s work, but it is not a governing force by any means that is guaranteed to protect the content creator.

My Response


Hey Bryan,

I agree with you that copyright law is vague and blurred, and I too found the videos to be quite helpful. It's true that the safest route is to "always try to get permission from the copyright holder" if one is planning on using copyrighted material; however, I think the whole point of having a "Fair Use" legal exemption from copyright law is to release documentary filmmakers, educators, etc. from having to take the time to license, and perhaps also pay excessive fees to use, copyrighted material.  In fact, the document put together by the documentary filmmakers attempting to codify guidelines for Fair Use, was put together to encourage us to utilize Fair Use as a legal defense if need be.

Several individuals in the second part of the "reading" expressed that Fair Use was in danger of the "use it, or lose it" syndrome.  I believe they were worried that if Fair Use is not used as a documented legal defense, it will eventually be eliminated.  The video we watched called A Fair(y) Use Tale purposely pushed the legal definition of Fair Use in the way they used so many short clips from Disney animated films.  In Chapter 5 of the video, they explain why they used Disney material, and that was because Disney is one of the most aggressive companies when it comes to copyright infringement litigation.  The filmmakers were clearly taunting Disney - daring Disney to take them to court.  Certainly we all have to follow copyright laws; however, we do not have to cower under the intimidation of large corporations that threaten us with lawsuits.  That is, we can be confident that we have a legal defense known as Fair Use in our back pocket.

Week 1/Copyright Issues

Creative Commons image licensed by opensourceway through the Creative Commons license.  Image attained from www.opensource.com via www.flickr.com.


Although I was somewhat familiar with the copyright issues in this weeks "readings", the videos we watched really changed my perspective about copyright laws.  The videos regarding Fair Use by the documentary filmmakers were a real eye opener for me.  I had never considered copyright as a form of censorship until I learned that documentaries regarding controversial issues such as the civil rights movement have been kept from public view by copyright laws.  Seeing that documentary filmmakers challenged copyright law with their publication of Best Practices in Fair Use Guidelines, and learning that the Supreme Court at some point agreed with them that Fair Use is really a free speech issue was quite amazing.  I found myself wondering if today's supreme court, if it was the first court to examine the issue of Fair Use, would have come to the same conclusion as a more liberal-minded Supreme Court of the past had done.

The idea of Fair Use is based on the notion that access to knowledge and ideas of copyrighted works is essential to the growth and development of a free society. Somewhere in the videos about Fair Use, it is stated that if the benefits to society outweighs the financial or other loss/damage to the content creator when one uses a copyrighted work, than that use should be deemed Fair Use.  This notion really stuck in my mind.  There is a famous quote that states "I stand upon the shoulders of giants who stood before me." Many know this quote, but few know that it was originated in a speech Sir Isaac Newton gave to the Royal Academy of Sciences when he became the society's second director.  Learning about Fair Use made me think about Newton's words because I am a science teacher, and I can't even imagine what this world would be like today if individual scientists were able to copyright the knowledge they have discovered and prevent others from having that knowledge to analyze and build upon.

The ability to learn from the past, and build upon that knowledge is what makes our species unique on Earth.  Copyright Law was originally established as a 14 year right to allow creators of copyrighted works time enough to sell their works and gain adequate compensation to at least cover the costs of producing their works.  Today copyrights are life +70 years.  Although there are those that may claim that this longer term was imposed to be more fair to content creators from a financial perspective, there is no doubt that the current law has provided the means to censure information and keep the public ignorant of some ideas, facts, and historical events.  This is not only shocking, it is wrong.

Resource pages (created by Joe Bustillos)

http://josephbustillos.com/m11/pages/wk1-reading1.html

http://josephbustillos.com/m11/pages/wk1-reading2.html

http://josephbustillos.com/m11/pages/wk1-reading3.html