Wk 3 Think Aloud PPP 2: Definitely publishing...

Image taken from computer screen.

My exploration of different journal sites is over. It wasn't easy, though. I checked here and there, keeping in mind the content area I teach. However, after reviewing the guidelines of the publication assignment, I noticed I had some misunderstandings. I spent a long time checking journals for language learning and technology, but my CBR target group was composed by teachers in different content areas, not just Spanish, so I had to restart my exploration, this time focusing on my CBR big idea and development of my project. Again, I came up with three possible journal sites, so I went ahead and  explored those very carefully taking into account submission/ publication guidelines, their audience, and online availability, and I finally decided to go with the Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, which will also allow me to submit my article to their digital library. This way, my colleagues and everybody interested will have access to my research if they have an internet connection and will not have to wait for a physical copy to be in their hards.

Wk 3 Comment 2

Kris,

Your comments on accepting things the way they are, reminded me of our vacation in Orlando last spring, we never expected to have so much rain that week, but we decided to go with it, and we had a good time. Walking in the rain in Downtown Disney with my family is something I'll never forget, especially now...

October 14, 2011 7:41 PM

Wk 3 Comment 1

Lania,
I felt the same way when reading chapter 6. I thought of colleagues that seem to get the best out of any unexpected situation, and who always remind us at work we can't take everything so seriously. We need to find a balance, especially when it comes to our professional lives if we deal with different groups of people, and... "at the height of laughter, the universe is flung into a kaleidoscope of new possibilities." (Jean Houston)

Fari

Wk 3 Reading: The Art of Possibility (5-8)

My reflection journey continues...
5. Leading From Any Chair: "How much greatness are we willing to grant?"

Image taken from www.freedigitalphotos.net

Very thoughtful question! In my professional life as a teacher I've had to work with people that seems to forget that leading has nothing to do with imposing a concept or thought, but being open to your employees ideas and new ways to do things. A good leader knows how and when to delegate responsibilities,  to trusts others, and usually puts himself/herself in someone else's shoes to understand a situation or to come up with a solution to a problem. As teachers, it's always a good idea to survey our students to find out what works best or what can be improved in our clasroom. If our students shine, we shine too! The effectiveness of a teacher is definitely shown through our students' achievement, not data sheets...

6. Rule #6: "What would have to change for me to be completely fullfilled?" 
Finding balance is my answer to this question. It's so easy to lose your temper and get out of control if you let your "calculating self" take over your reactions to a situation that arises. However, letting your "central self" handle it, is a way to put in practice rule number 6 and come up with a more productive solution.

7. The Way Things Are: "What do we want to do from here?"

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We definitely need to change our negative way of seeing an unexpected situation,  and turn it into  a positive one, taking the best out of it. If we can't change it, we "think outside the box", and come up with a more optimistic outcome. In other words we get rid of the "downward spiral talk" and get into the world of possibilities. If we  choose to see the glass "half-full", we can even come up with a new way to fill it up!

8. Giving Way to Passion: We should not refrain ourselves, we should release that energy and passion trapped in our souls, in our hearts. This way we will connect with a world of possibilities and we'll go beyond the limits set up by those who think that "all is invented".

Wk 2 Think Aloud PPP: Weighing the Pros & Cons

After carefully analyzing the pros and cons of both ways to deliver information on my CBR project , I've decided to create an article about it. As a linguistic and intrapersonal learner, I definitely think that I can do a very good job writing a paper about my CBR project findings and personal experience. It was really hard for me to decide because I think that a visual presentation is very engaging, but I know how shy I could be if having to talk to a large group of people that are not my students or colleagues. I also know that once I feel nervous and stressed, my English speaking skills get messed up.

In order to reinstate my choice for the project, I went ahead and took a multiple intelligence test on the Birmingham Grid for Learning website and the results confirmed what elements of my intelligence are the strongest: linguistic and intrapersonal (as you can see below...)

Image taken from my computer screen...

Now my next step is to decide where to publish. Out of all the possibilities proposed in the example list I have picked three, but I still want to check some other websites that may be more related to my content. It's time to start my exploration...

Wk 2 Comment 3: I simply had to say it...

Image taken from www.freedigitalphotos.net

Allen,
I definitely believe that Steve Jobs is the perfect example of following what the first four chapters of The Art of Possibility talked about. Steve didn't believe that "all is invented", that's why he kept working and improving his ideas on and on...He definitely didn't have his mind set up with the usual frame that brings the dichotomies of success-failure, good-bad, expensive-cheap or comparing-contrasting. He truly "thought outside the box" and went beyond the angles of that typical frame. He stepped into the "universe of possibilities", deserves an A and always believed he could make good use of his gifts and share them with the world. He literally "contributed" to humanity...

Wk 2 Comment 2

Kris,
Grading is something I have always disagreed with. The reality is that you can't reduce the performance of a student to a number. If you think about how long it takes a student to show his work is average, you will come up with a  70, at least.  It's not fair that passing is only from 70 to 100 that means 30 points only, while failing goes from 0-69. I think it is better to use goals/achievements to tell someone how he/she has perfomed. Believe it or not a grade affects students and, and sometimes, it even leaves students out, and they may be that stone Michelangelo talked about...