Man o Man...! This week killed me!!!!! Peer pressure from all directions. I am still trying to finish my summary for my AR pages, hopefully tomorrow. This week trying to get my project to present on Monday was the most difficult and frustrating for me. My computer kept freezing and I had a video embedded in my presentation which was messing it all up. However, it is all posted and you can view it at my action research site posted on the MAC Google doc., for my fellow classmate. I also have the presentation on my MAC course blog, also listed on the class Google doc. I had not foreseen such difficulty in getting this posted, all of my other postings had always gone so smoothly.
Anyway, presenting At the OAEA conference maybe out for this year, the deadline has passed but I am going to ask for and extension. But I am still presenting to my District Art teachers. Then fall 2011 I will definitely be presenting to OAEA. YEAH!!!
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Mel Rainey wk4 201005 Reaction to Lina Valery
Lina Valery: Week 4 Reading - Leadership
When I think of leadership, I envision Martin Luther King, Abraham Lincoln, King David, Mahatma Gandhi, the Dali Lama, and many others with the spirit and courage to lead against the current. Many teachers began their profession with great ideals and with the hope of making a real difference in education. They came to lead and impact a flawed system. Yet, as they hit walls with district challenges, uninvolved parents, and absent students, inspiration was replaced by frustration. While it is easy to loose heart when it seems no one is listening or willing to look outside the box, it takes perseverance and steadfastness to lead the future.
Educators have an immense power of influence. I’m sure most teachers would say they chose their profession (whether impacted positively or negatively) because of a teacher that marked them. For many students their classroom teacher becomes the greatest voice in their lives, just by giving that student the confidence to believe in him or herself. Many dormant minds are simply waiting for someone to come in and change the recording created by a society that stopped believing in them.
I truly believe teaching, done right, is one of the hardest jobs in our society. It doesn’t help when there are political battles being fought about how to teach our youth, when the battle to inspire children to learn, should be the main focus. WE as a society, WE as parents and teachers, WE as leaders, and WE as a nation need to come together and focus on the goal.
Finally, as a homeschool educator, I would love to see the barriers between public, private, and homeschool go down. To know that even though there are different principals of faith, curriculums, ideals, races, socio-economic backgrounds, and political views, we could all come together when it came to educational collaboration. One thing all educators have in common is we all want the system to change. It’s true, our vision of change may be different, but there is one thing we all have in common. We want our students to learn for the sake of knowledge, to be inspired, and to search beyond what’s on the test.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Mel Rainey
@ Lina
Once again I think you nailed it. Teaching is one of the hardest professions to perfect. and do it well. Education is a revolving door that never slows down. There is always some new program or test, that changes everything we do as teachers. True learning only comes, when teachers inspire student minds, wether it is talking about the weather, a specific college or even culinary arts. ONe thoughtful inspiration from a teacher can mean a world of difference to a student. Students lives are different from what I remember, there are not many nuclear family scenarios left. I think we have evolved and become more of a quantum family, forces pulling in all different directions but still communicate to it original starting point, HOME.
Sunday, May 30, 2010 - 11:29 PM
When I think of leadership, I envision Martin Luther King, Abraham Lincoln, King David, Mahatma Gandhi, the Dali Lama, and many others with the spirit and courage to lead against the current. Many teachers began their profession with great ideals and with the hope of making a real difference in education. They came to lead and impact a flawed system. Yet, as they hit walls with district challenges, uninvolved parents, and absent students, inspiration was replaced by frustration. While it is easy to loose heart when it seems no one is listening or willing to look outside the box, it takes perseverance and steadfastness to lead the future.
Educators have an immense power of influence. I’m sure most teachers would say they chose their profession (whether impacted positively or negatively) because of a teacher that marked them. For many students their classroom teacher becomes the greatest voice in their lives, just by giving that student the confidence to believe in him or herself. Many dormant minds are simply waiting for someone to come in and change the recording created by a society that stopped believing in them.
I truly believe teaching, done right, is one of the hardest jobs in our society. It doesn’t help when there are political battles being fought about how to teach our youth, when the battle to inspire children to learn, should be the main focus. WE as a society, WE as parents and teachers, WE as leaders, and WE as a nation need to come together and focus on the goal.
Finally, as a homeschool educator, I would love to see the barriers between public, private, and homeschool go down. To know that even though there are different principals of faith, curriculums, ideals, races, socio-economic backgrounds, and political views, we could all come together when it came to educational collaboration. One thing all educators have in common is we all want the system to change. It’s true, our vision of change may be different, but there is one thing we all have in common. We want our students to learn for the sake of knowledge, to be inspired, and to search beyond what’s on the test.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Mel Rainey
@ Lina
Once again I think you nailed it. Teaching is one of the hardest professions to perfect. and do it well. Education is a revolving door that never slows down. There is always some new program or test, that changes everything we do as teachers. True learning only comes, when teachers inspire student minds, wether it is talking about the weather, a specific college or even culinary arts. ONe thoughtful inspiration from a teacher can mean a world of difference to a student. Students lives are different from what I remember, there are not many nuclear family scenarios left. I think we have evolved and become more of a quantum family, forces pulling in all different directions but still communicate to it original starting point, HOME.
Sunday, May 30, 2010 - 11:29 PM
MelRainey wk 4 Donita Massing Reaction
SATURDAY, MAY 29, 2010
FSO_MAC_W4_Being the Board & Framework for Possibility
Often, life delves out circumstances that are beyond our control. I have mostly accepted that as fact. The truth is, it's harder to actually accept it than it is to say you've resigned to that.
And being resigned to something is next to admitting status quo is good enough.
These chapters in The Art of Possibility have sparked a memory. A few years ago I was fortunate to attend a staff inservice presentation by motivational speaker, Sam Glenn. His wisdom, inspired by Zig Ziglar, touched and changed my outlook. I view Glenn, Pinneo and now Zander in the same light: truly enlightened people whose view of life inspires possibility wherever they are.
I have fought the downward spiral and will freely admit that the negative emissions from others also drag me down.
I don't want to be that way, and while they are out of my control, I can choose to "be the board on which the game is played," as Zander says.
This is the act of realizing that we willingly take risks by simply stepping outside the door each day. Rather than blaming and seeking revenge for the wrongs of others, accepting and moving forward with the notion that life happens. As Glenn says, it's about your attitude more than anything else. Sometimes it's good to use the attitude of humor, sometimes the attitude of forgiveness; in all, life is lived fully within the choices we make and our attitudes about them. We don't have to let negativity mold who we are.
Mr. Rainey said...
Willing to take risks is one of the hardest lesson to teach anyone I think. If more were willing to take risks in life and learn from then, I think the educational system would have grown more than it has. Students today just don't take risks. They expect an A just for showing up to class. Learning is about making mistakes from risk taking. Not sit and collect dust like some trinket sitting on a shelf.
Choices are the key guiding factor to a teachers job. How many choices do we make in a day? I can't even count them all.
Peace Donita!
P.S. If you get a chance could you take a look at my presentation at my action research site. The address is in our MAC class google doc. Thanks Kiddo!!!!
May 30, 2010 8:15 PM
FSO_MAC_W4_Being the Board & Framework for Possibility
Often, life delves out circumstances that are beyond our control. I have mostly accepted that as fact. The truth is, it's harder to actually accept it than it is to say you've resigned to that.
And being resigned to something is next to admitting status quo is good enough.
These chapters in The Art of Possibility have sparked a memory. A few years ago I was fortunate to attend a staff inservice presentation by motivational speaker, Sam Glenn. His wisdom, inspired by Zig Ziglar, touched and changed my outlook. I view Glenn, Pinneo and now Zander in the same light: truly enlightened people whose view of life inspires possibility wherever they are.
I have fought the downward spiral and will freely admit that the negative emissions from others also drag me down.
I don't want to be that way, and while they are out of my control, I can choose to "be the board on which the game is played," as Zander says.
This is the act of realizing that we willingly take risks by simply stepping outside the door each day. Rather than blaming and seeking revenge for the wrongs of others, accepting and moving forward with the notion that life happens. As Glenn says, it's about your attitude more than anything else. Sometimes it's good to use the attitude of humor, sometimes the attitude of forgiveness; in all, life is lived fully within the choices we make and our attitudes about them. We don't have to let negativity mold who we are.
Mr. Rainey said...
Willing to take risks is one of the hardest lesson to teach anyone I think. If more were willing to take risks in life and learn from then, I think the educational system would have grown more than it has. Students today just don't take risks. They expect an A just for showing up to class. Learning is about making mistakes from risk taking. Not sit and collect dust like some trinket sitting on a shelf.
Choices are the key guiding factor to a teachers job. How many choices do we make in a day? I can't even count them all.
Peace Donita!
P.S. If you get a chance could you take a look at my presentation at my action research site. The address is in our MAC class google doc. Thanks Kiddo!!!!
May 30, 2010 8:15 PM
Mel Rainey 201005 wk4 Readings
Chapter 10. Being the Board: It’s not them. It’s not the circumstances. It’s me. It’s my choices. Now what do I do?
Changing, everyday is what I want to do to keep my framework approachable. When I am the happiest as a teacher, is when I work with my students, not against them. If I create my classroom environment to be negative then it will and or positive, it will. The I in my class is what will control my directional pull. I have definitely seen this this year. The direction of my classroom has been a bit more structured and business like. When I first started teaching they were the best times and times kept moving I became and adult that had pressure from all side to perform and become the ultimate teacher or "Hall Nazi." I am a mixture of both.
Chapter 11. Creating Frameworks for Possibility: How do I take this flash of insight and make it into daily thing? And how do I share this with others?
I change constantly so that my possibilities can be endless. Allowing for multiple changes, gives me an opportunity to grow with my students and to see how they will react and adapt to the goals of each less and how they can appreciate art more. Sharing is one of my biggest suits to wear. I have shared everything in my school for the past 6 years over half of my teaching career I have had to share everything, let me tell you not having your own classroom has been difficult. Especially when I started with my own. Learning to interact and be apart of the school is how I get others involved. If you show you care, then they will come. More coffee!! More Coffee!! Food!!!! Makes great gifts.
Chapter 12. Telling the WE Story: I told you it wasn’t about you. Have you been able to tap into the power of combining your expertise and passions with someone equally gifted? Have you had the pleasure of lifting a teammate, student, stranger up enabling them to realize their dreams and exceed anything that you could have imagined?
Being a mentor for the past 6 years has been that experience. Equally gifted and unique, a teammate, fellow colleague and a complete stranger are those that I have mentored. WE as a whole is a hard concept when so many senior teachers have been burned by their districts. I hear the term WE and I have nothing but hope, but it will be the I and me teachers that bring me down. Sometimes to me, I think that it is practice for what is coming in the future. Another WE altering event, something that will change the course of public education. A change that will define, who are we as a race?
Peace! Rainey
Coda: Now what do we do?
Changing, everyday is what I want to do to keep my framework approachable. When I am the happiest as a teacher, is when I work with my students, not against them. If I create my classroom environment to be negative then it will and or positive, it will. The I in my class is what will control my directional pull. I have definitely seen this this year. The direction of my classroom has been a bit more structured and business like. When I first started teaching they were the best times and times kept moving I became and adult that had pressure from all side to perform and become the ultimate teacher or "Hall Nazi." I am a mixture of both.
Chapter 11. Creating Frameworks for Possibility: How do I take this flash of insight and make it into daily thing? And how do I share this with others?
I change constantly so that my possibilities can be endless. Allowing for multiple changes, gives me an opportunity to grow with my students and to see how they will react and adapt to the goals of each less and how they can appreciate art more. Sharing is one of my biggest suits to wear. I have shared everything in my school for the past 6 years over half of my teaching career I have had to share everything, let me tell you not having your own classroom has been difficult. Especially when I started with my own. Learning to interact and be apart of the school is how I get others involved. If you show you care, then they will come. More coffee!! More Coffee!! Food!!!! Makes great gifts.
Chapter 12. Telling the WE Story: I told you it wasn’t about you. Have you been able to tap into the power of combining your expertise and passions with someone equally gifted? Have you had the pleasure of lifting a teammate, student, stranger up enabling them to realize their dreams and exceed anything that you could have imagined?
Being a mentor for the past 6 years has been that experience. Equally gifted and unique, a teammate, fellow colleague and a complete stranger are those that I have mentored. WE as a whole is a hard concept when so many senior teachers have been burned by their districts. I hear the term WE and I have nothing but hope, but it will be the I and me teachers that bring me down. Sometimes to me, I think that it is practice for what is coming in the future. Another WE altering event, something that will change the course of public education. A change that will define, who are we as a race?
Peace! Rainey
Coda: Now what do we do?
Mel Rainey wk4 201005 Wimba posting!!
Hello all, man has it been a crazy week for me, as well it must be for all of you. First, let me tell everyone I missed you in class. I hope all is well with everyone.
This week was the closing of my old school, lots of activities and germs to be had by all. It lead me down a spiral that has kept me busy with multiple tasks all week. I would like everyone to take a look and the Leadership presentation and video that were posted earlier in the blogs. Check them out let me know what you think. This weeks readings and getting ready to finish the program and the closing of the old school have been full and tiring. we will see how the rest of the summer goes.
This week was the closing of my old school, lots of activities and germs to be had by all. It lead me down a spiral that has kept me busy with multiple tasks all week. I would like everyone to take a look and the Leadership presentation and video that were posted earlier in the blogs. Check them out let me know what you think. This weeks readings and getting ready to finish the program and the closing of the old school have been full and tiring. we will see how the rest of the summer goes.
Mel Rainey wk3 2010 Free posting
Well not much going on except trying to get all of my stuff together for next month. everything is in and almost finished on my AR site and things are going ok. I have alll of my leadership stuff ready for presenting, we will see how that goes. Anybody know how to get a keynote presentation that has a video embedded in it to transfer to viddler with out losing my voice over. It goes directly to the embedded video audio and never plays the presentation audio? Weird! I have some stuff to finish on my summary but all of that is in the works. See ya next month.
Mel Rainey wk3 2010 Project Post
I hate being sick! This weeks posting on the weeks project will be subtle and honest. The video blogs and video streaming that I choose and worked with this week are some that I have started to use in my classroom. Working on learning and putting all of my work together for this class was hard this week. The videos and streams are awesome and when I do get time to work on finding more and perfecting what I have learned, I know that this grad program will be well worth it. Also getting ready for the presentation was hard combining it with the ending of my school year. Yes I said it, I am done, packed up and awaiting the new school on August 30-September 1, I will be moving into a new classroom and building. Oh, did I mention it is only half a building, with no cafeteria, 2/3 of the classrooms and no gym. It is going to be another crazy school year. On to week four blogs.
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