Week 4: Thinking out loud - Helpdesk Prioritization

Now that I completed my action research project, I feel as though I need to implement this practice on a regular routine.  While I do love to create the videos for my staff, I do feel that I may fall short in terms of time.

In my opinion, most of our staff are literate in their day-to-day technology usage.  Many times, they rely on the helpdesk system because the issue is not necessarily an issue that they have but one that is campus-wide.  While these types of issues are frustrating for the end user, it is equally frustrating for the IT staff.

When a campus wide issue is reported, we tend to stop what we are doing and tackle the issue that is causing the greatest impact.  We know that if the problem does not get corrected quickly, other issues tend to happen such as individuals troubleshooting issues that are not related and changing settings that should not be touched.

Troubleshooting skills and technology alternatives seem to an area where I would like to spend some of my focus with staff technology development.  With everyone relying on technology for their routine day to day tasks, troubleshooting skills are a necessity for everyone.

Week 4: Publishing/Leadership Project (part 2)

As we wind down the final month of a year long Action Research Project, I have come to the conclusion that my findings may be of interest to other independent school IT staff.

I am going to look into presenting my Action Research Project at the annual Florida Council of Independent Schools.  FCIS holds an annual conference that allows faculty, staff, and administrators to get together for fellowship and learning.

After brainstorming and presenting with fellow Full Sail classmates David Hotler, Ginny Holm, and Michael George in a private iChat session, I am finally confident that my final presentation is shaping up.  We took turns last evening presenting our projects and provided comments on each others performance and project content.

The following comments were made during concerning my project which I used to tweak my presentation which will be submitted next month.:

David Hotler says: Dennis I like the premise of this study.  I am always frustrated when I ask a question to the IT department and get back a form letter that hardly addresses the issue.  Here you decided to try and make the help desk more proactive and solve issues before teachers come to you in frustration.  Your research showed that most teachers prefer  videos over text responses but that you had some problems with teacher participation in the study.  It sounds as if you starting doing Action Research about one thing and as your research went on you realized the true root of the problem and shifted laterally.  This is great!  Actually this is what Action Research is all about!  Great work identifying that your research may have come up just a little short but only because you need more time to refocus and attack the problem from a new angle.  

The only failure here would be you giving up.  Stay active in this topic because it is immediately useful to you and your work environment.  You stated that you have 65 teachers for every one IT worker.  That is a large enough gap that you should be vigilant in further pursuing this issue.  Ideas for next time include providing only videos to start and gauge the reactions of teachers.  Also, build the survey right into the video with a link.  Last, house everything in a common place so that teachers can finish one video and see something like: “and teachers who found this helpful also watched...”  That way you can further advance preventative maintenance and increase productivity with technology.

Michael George says: Dennis great job on the project.  It is clear from your help desk call metrics that your training resources are being used by the staff.  I found it interesting that teachers preferred video instructions to text instructions.  Many of the older teachers I know like to print instructions out and follow them line by line.   I think making your self-help videos available your staff increased technology adoption and utilization at your school.   I see you struggled to get teachers to participate in your project.  At my school I am an ITL (technology leader) and I had a similar problem and I asked my principal if I could use 50% of a PD day to devote to “playing and learning” with technology.  All the teachers brought their laptops and we had a very productive afternoon.  I have found that teachers just need some unstructured playtime to absorb and understand the tool then ask questions.  Most teachers are willing to try new things if given time to work on it.  It is very difficult to change “habits of mind” and human nature is to revert back to the old methods that are well understood and provide a high degree of comfort.  For many, technology can be quite abstract and complex.

Week 4: Comment #2 - David Hotler

Friend and classmate, David Hotler, diverges his thoughts on how Zander's book Art of Possibility relates to him personally.  The following is an excerpt from his blog entry:

The last practice is what I think I do best. I constantly find myself in the position of networker or connector. I seems to know someone who can do something for every situation in my life. Need an oil change, I know a guy. Need a banner, I know a guy. In some situations I am simply the missing piece to a more complicated puzzle and I am always will to fit myself into that puzzle. Someone needs a logo design, I can do it or I know a guy. You need a sign made, you want a website, show me how to photoshop this into that. These things to me are easy and readily available in my life but to others it is a large obstacle on the path of their quest in life. I help them pass it and they are able to move on. I have not done this for others many times but have had this done to me many times. In some situations I meet with someone that seems to be on my path for longer than just one favor and we begin to work in trade together. I do this and you do that. We become a team of strengths that work towards something bigger. 

This is how I responded on his blog:

David, this truly depicts the old adage, "it's not what you know, but who you know".  This is a perfect example of being a lifelong learner.  Sometimes we think we need to know how to do everything in order to be considered a lifelong learner; however, in my opinion knowing where to find the answers is the epitome of lifelong learning.

Life is bigger than just you and me.  Things get done because we are all cogs in the gears that we call life.

Week 4: Comment #1 - Annie Woodle

Annie Woodle recently posted the following entry about keeping her spark glowing:

In the Art of Possibility Chapter 9 lighting the Spark stuck with me this week. I like the idea of enrolling people into your enthusiasm. This chapter inspired me to purchase the book for the teacher I worked with during my Action Research Project. She was excited to read it during summer break…and I thought wouldn’t it be great if it helped her in some way to see all the possibilities that pass through her classroom each semester. During my visit there was a lot of forgetting Rule Number 6, and seeing scarcity instead of abundance…not only from her, but also from myself…so I had thoughts about the possibilities of sharing the book. The section about doing things in person was good for me to read as well…Sometimes I try to do to many things from distance communication. When I was trying to secure a classroom to do my ARP in I emailed a lot, and called…but then I showed up…and it seemed like after I met people in person things just took off from there. This is a great read, just to remind us to look up and stay open.

I responded to Annie with the following:


We seem to be on the same wavelength!  This chapter is one that I particularly liked this week and blogged about it too.  Chapter 6 and Chapter 9 have similar themes where we can control our anxiety by first off not taking things too seriously (Chapter 6) and by enrolling people to share our spark (Chapter 9).

This book has been an enlightening book that should be a required read for anyone who is entering the real world after college.  Your persistence with communicating via email then following up in person sure does sound a lot like Chapter 6 as well (some things are best done in person).

Keep up the great work!

Week 4 Reading: Art of Possibility Chapters 9 - 12

This week's reading encompassed a chapter titled Lighting a Spark.  Zander explains that during the Middle Ages, people would carry a metal box with a smoldering cinder that they would perpetually feed kindling so that when the time arose, a fire could be build with ease.

This "spark" was then used in the analogy that we can carry the spark and be infectious by allowing those around us to be use this spark to create possibilities.

I have often called my own children pet names such as sparky because they create and bring out possibilities that I just do not see as possible for someone their age.  Whether it is my lack of memory for 30 years ago or the fact that today's kids are growing up much faster than we did at that age, I am amazed at the possibilities and accomplishments that they create and perform.

Just this week, my first grade son's math worksheets included multiplication and division.  Yes.  Division in 1st grade.  I did not even know this was possible.  I hope he continues to carry that proverbial smoldering cinder and continues to create sparks as his educational journey progresses!

Week 4: Think out loud - Professional Development

At a recent administrative meeting, the topic of professional development was brought up and I quickly inserted my two cents on the fact that our staff needed more technical training.

Receptive to the requiring staff to complete a certain amount of technology training, our headmaster charged me with coming up with some technology training topics.  While much of my training may revolve around technical training in terms of troubleshooting and how to use networked resources, I will also focus time on how to make technology work for them.

Technology is a tool that should be used to make your job simpler.  When I hear someone say that they will do something manually (aka pen and paper) because it is easier, I stop them and tell them that a few hours of aggravation up front may save them a life time of tedious manual work.

Week 4: Publishing/Leadership Project (part 1)

I know that I am not the IT administrator who is feeling the burden of understaffing.  Understaffing in the IT departments have escalated over the past decade.  Back in 1990's and early 2000's it was common to have a 1:35 ratio of IT staff to workstations.  Now most schools are closer to a 100:1 ratio or higher.

This increase is justifiable in most cases as networks and operation systems have become more stable and the need to make desk-side visits are minimized by using remote access software.  However, the part that does cause the most frustration is now many more people are wanting and demanding new technologies at which the IT department is burdened with supporting them.

Most new technologies now rely on the very same network and network nodes that we [as IT people] have acclimated to the 100:1 ratio.  This reliance on the network and it's resources are underlying issues that can take up more time and energies than the original 100 nodes assigned to one person.

Over the years, I have attended several conferences that specifically target the IT staff for schools. The Florida Council of Independent School offers breakout rooms for IT staff.   The Lausanne Laptop Institute offers special tracks designed for IT specialist.

Given the nature of my action research project, either of these two venues would be a great place to present my findings.

Week 3: Free Rant (on Copyright...continued)

I have served as a faculty advisor to our student-led Honor Council for the past six years.  As I wind down the end of our school year, I have reflected back on all of the cases of plagiarism that have occurred over the year.

Without doubt, plagiarism runs rampant not only at the collegiate level but also through the secondary school system.  Our school is no different than any other school in this regard.

After watching the Good Copy, Bad Copy video, I started putting the correlations together and realized that much of our problem dealing with plagiarism is due to cultural differences in copyright protection.  We are primarily an international boarding school and each of our students have a different perspective and interpretation of copyright.  Too bad for us in this aspect but this does not give us the excuse to dismiss the educational opportunities that it presents.

Many of our students come to the United States because this is an easier avenue to get permitted to American colleges and universities.  Our school takes a proactive measure in holding the students responsible for upholding our Honor Code (lying, cheating, stealing and plagiarism).  Our headmaster-appointed student board puts many hours into hearing cases that have potentially broken the honor code.  If found guilty, demerits are issued.

While plagiarism cases are usually easy to convict, sometimes students lack the education on how to properly cite another authors work or sometimes they find their content in a Google search and cite Google as the author.  In either case, our Honor Council tries to educate them that they are essentially violating the copyright laws that are set forth in the United States.

I feel that the time we spend in each Honor Council session is time well spent as it truly is our responsibility to educate our students not only in the core subjects but also prepare them to be a productive citizen once they leave high school.   Getting sent to the Honor Council for plagiarism will not get you dismissed from school per se but it will hopefully guide you in the right not to repeat this mistake.  High school is where you learn how to be an adult and follow adult guidelines; college on the other hand is where they expect you already know these guidelines.

Week 3: Comment #2 - Joanna Puello

Fellow classmate, Joanna Puello, recently shared as story where her administration had asked her not to sit behind the desk as often during class.  She writes:

I had a good laugh as I read through Chapter 4: “Leading From Any Chair” (The Art of Possibility by Rosamund & Ben Zander)! Ironically, the same day I read the chapter, my boss at the ESOL language center where I teach called me into her office. “I’ve gone by your classroom recently, and I’ve noticed you sitting a lot while you teach. None of the students have complained, but…try to stand more. You can always lean on your chair if necessary. But other than that, everything is fine!”

I nodded and said, “Ok.” (Not going to pick that one to battle!) Then I proceeded to ask her about my current group of students. When I got them, they had just failed Level 3, so I was assigned to re-teach the material. Some of the new students were ready to re-take the test even though we hadn’t finished all of the material because I had tailor-designed the classes so that their test taking would be more successful (and ultimately so that they would learn more English). “Can they re-take the test on Monday?” I asked.

“They don’t re-take the test,” she said, surprised at my question.

“They don’t?” I asked, even more surprised.

“No,” my boss responded, “Because what if they don’t pass the second time?”

Then they have a pretty rotten teacher! I thought to myself. I didn’t say anything but finally understood how my students got to Level 3 when they didn’t know many things that Level 2 students had mastered.

Later that day, I read “Leading From Any Chair”. I remembered my ESOL training through Cambridge University and how in one practice round, the trainer corrected me because I was towering of my students instead of crouching down to their desks. So which way is better? Do I stand or do I sit? Well, I stand while I teach when I need to write on the board or when the class activity naturally requires it. Otherwise, I feel honored to be “at the same level” as my students. What’s so important about standing? Is it to exert an aurora of leadership? If I’m an effective teacher, can’t I teach well from any part of the room? Evidently, standing up = effective teacher or energy or good communication or established authority for my boss. I, on the other hand, measure my success “from the twinkle in their eyes” (Ben Zander). I know that relating to my students (who are often far more accomplished or wealthy than I am) and respecting them as individual people gives me a connection with them and opens the gates to their hearts so that they will be motivated to listen to me talk about the fundamentals of English grammar. I also don’t need to stand to get control or to grab their attention. I can whisper, and they’re all ears because in the midst of the most complex grammar formula, I can insert content that touches their hearts and arouses their curiosity…and makes the keep coming back for more.

To keep my job, I’ll be sure to stand every time my boss comes around and CERTAINLY when the content inspires it. To keep my students, I’ll keep making their eyes twinkle.

I followed up with Joanna by commenting on her blog post.  I responded with:

Great story Joanna! Coming from the classroom prior to my administrative role, I agree that a good leader can lead from any chair. I have heard many administrators express exactly what your administration is saying when they want you to be standing more (and not behind the desk).

I think administrators feel that the only way you can “control” a classroom is by hovering over them and pacing up and down the aisles. I personally think that everyone one of us has a different approach to classroom management and the students will adhere as long as there is consistency.

Good luck and keep making their eyes twinkle!

Week 3: Comment #1 - Peter Binskin

Colleague Peter Binskin shares some similar thoughts on Zander's Rule #6.  He writes:

The more I read the book the Art of Possibility by Rosamund and Ben Zander (2000) the more I love it. It’s been a comforting read as well as quite entertaining. Thank goodness for a book that makes me want to read it to see what the next chapter is going to reveal.

For me the major highlight from these four chapters (5-8) was the Rule number 6 focus in chapter 6. Even though I have a tendency to joke around to alleviate tense situations it’s usually a cover-up for the stress I’m bringing into the situation. I tend to think very much using my calculating self even though I think I am using my central self. It would be nice, some time, to actually have the presence of mind that Roz Zander portrays in this book to break things down and find a different, more positive collaborative way to get through a problem. I have now created a little sign of my own for every time I feel myself taking things too seriously.

Another thing I took away from these chapters was the idea of leading from any chair. It really came across as an empowerment piece and I was wondering how often as a teacher I squish students like the overbearing conductor just to get through the day. On Sundays I play guitar at church and afterwards I mentor a few teenagers in their playing. It’s funny how I can be the sort of person Ben Zander talks about, not being judgmental or desirous of credit as the boys get better in their playing, but supportive of them personally as they see themselves through their playing. Maybe I relax more with music than with core subjects.

My response to Peter:

I, too, am enjoying this book.  You and I seem to have a similar take on life as well as a common yearning for adapting to the concept behind Rule #6.  As I mentioned in my post, humor can break the silence of tension but I do know what you mean by allowing it to mask anxiety and stress.  I, too, often will use this tactic to divert attention from my true feelings or even embarrassment.

Your take on leadership was spot on.  Whether in the classroom or even in the home, the most important characteristic of being a leader is being a good supporter!

Week 3 Reading: Art of Possibility Chapters 5 - 8

I'd like to start off by saying that this book should be part of any teacher education program.  Not that the content is limited to teachers only, but the book is excellent in letting you know that not everything we do is worth getting all worked up.

Zander explains "Rule #6" as a depiction of a story he tells when he is trying to take a lighter look at the current situation.  The story goes like this:

Two prime ministers are sitting in a room discussing affairs of state. Suddenly a man bursts in, apoplectic with fury, shouting and stamping and banging his fist on the desk. The resident prime minister admonishes him: “Peter,” he says, “kindly remember Rule Number 6,” whereupon Peter is instantly restored to complete calm, apologizes, and withdraws. The politicians return to their conversation, only to be interrupted yet again twenty minutes later by a hysterical woman gesticulating wildly, her hair flying. Again the intruder is greeted with the words: “Marie, please remember Rule Number 6.” Complete calm descends once more, and she too withdraws with a bow and an apology. When the scene is repeated for a third time, the visiting prime minister addresses his colleague: “My dear friend, I’ve seen many things in my life, but never anything as remarkable as this. Would you be willing to share with me the secret of Rule Number 6?” “Very simple,” replies the resident prime minister. “Rule Number 6 is ‘Don’t take yourself so seriously.’” “Ah,” says his visitor, “that is a fine rule.” After a moment of pondering, he inquires, “And what, may I ask, are the other rules?”

“There aren’t any.” 

Humor is one of the few things that can cheer up a person or break the ice when tension is high.  Having read most of the "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff" books years ago, I have learned to adopt this mantra as well as the Rule #6 to my daily life.

While I am a serious worker, I do feel that serious work can be completed and even enhanced if some humor is interjected periodically.  Fun is contagious and when the brain is happy, good things happen.

The light hearted stories that Zanders used as examples complemented the concept of Rule #6 while I was able to relate to several of the scenarios in my personal life.  Sometimes in our self-centered thinking we forget that our experiences, dilemmas, and decisions are not unique to us.

Week 2: Free Rant (on Copyright)

After watching many videos and reading many articles pertaining to copyright, I have come up with one mixed emotions on the process and adherence to copyright law.

While the internet has been a great resource in research, communication, and even transferring files, it has also brought about much confusion, disbelief, and insecurities concerning originality and who actually owns what.

From my perspective, I see us all in a game where we are not all playing by the same rules when it comes to internet usage and copyright.  In the United States, we essentially own anything that we have said when it has been said or transmitted when in plain view.  As Full Sail instructor Joe Bustillos reminds us, email is similar to sending a post card--while we think we are sending it from one person to another, it in fact is being sent via plain text and can be read by anyone with the right software or know-how.

With this said, anything that I say in an email technically (from copyright perspective) belongs to me.  Now, this does not seem to sit well as if these ideas are not really my own, then I would be guilty of plagiarism.  My big hangup is that I don't feel conversations and such should enforced under copyright law.  If I had published this email string in a book, then I may have a different point of view.

Secondly, we seem to live in a country that upholds the copyright law (mostly) but run into issues where not all countries reciprocate and our copyright protection is deemed useless.  In the video Good Copy, Bad Copy, countries such as Sweden allow piracy and copyright infringers to freely share and distribute copyrighted material.  Likewise, countries such as Nigeria do have copyright laws but they seem to pick and choose as to whether they will enforce it.  If it hurts their economy, they many enforce it, if not, it will likely be overlooked.

When we are playing on this global field where copyrighted material is easily accessible, there needs to be some consistency as to which rules will enforced.

...to be continued.

Week 2: Comment #2 - Jamie Steele

Jamie Steel recently shared how "Giving an A" has related to an incident with one of his high school teachers.  Jamie wrote:

After reading the chapters in “Art of Possibility” this past weekend, I was moved by the third chapter, “Giving an A” and the message it sent to it’s readers. This philosophy falls in line with the effort-based mindset theory that Carol Dweck has been researching over the past ten years. This particular chapter struck a chord deep within me due to my own profession and why I chose to enter into it.

As a school counselor I am charged with ensuring that the social/emotional needs of students are being met so that they can live out their full potential in the classroom arena. The letter that Katrine wrote to Ben brought forth a well of emotion and his explanation on “how seldom we pay attention to, or even look for, the passionate and the extraordinary in children—how seldom we give children an A” (pg. 46).

When I entered the ninth grade I had a teacher named Mr. Leitz. He would drink three Diet Cokes a day, put his feet up on his desk when he lectured, and wrote on the chalkboard in a way that was impossible to decipher. He also taught me the most important lesson in life in terms of my own identity. We were to write an analysis paper on “The Lord of the Flies” for our first assignment. As usual, I procrastinated until the night before and turned in a mediocre effort. Without even looking up from his desk, Mr. Leitz handed the paper back to me and said, “Do it again.” I asked why and he replied with, “I’ve given you an A on this paper and now you need to earn it.” I was irate about having to do the entire paper again but look back on that moment with gratitude and thankfulness. He saw the extraordinary in me even when I could not see it in myself. Reading this chapter made my mind jump back to ninth grade AP Literature and Mr. Leitz.

I often share this story as one of the reasons for becoming a school counselor and having the philosophy that I have. I was so inspired by this chapter that I shared the entire text with my wife who stared at me with a look of confusion and humor. This idea that we remove the barriers of failure and anxiety from kids and allow them to create free from restrictions is spectacular and hopefully adopted by our educational system, in certain cases, in the future. I will wrap up this post with one of my favorite quotes by e.e. cummings.

Once We Believe

In Ourselves

We Can Risk

Curiosity

Wonder

Spontaneous Delight

Or Any Experience

That Reveals The

Human Spirit.

I responded to Jamie's experience:

I think that most of us have at least one teacher in our life who has helped us become the person we are and were an influence for entering the education realm.

Your story with Mr. Leitz was encouraging and hopefully allows you to share this experience in your counseling role.  I think many times we get caught up on performing mediocre work because many teachers accept mediocre work as being good.

Your high school experience sounds similar to mine in that I would often procrastinate and still get good grades.  When I look back, much of the work probably was mediocre.  Why did I get good grades?  Was it because I was a respectful student or did I just perform better than someone else?  While these question will likely never be answered, I do know that I can perform much better and my procrastination still exists but my skills have been sharpened where I can judge how much time I need to do certain tasks now.

Without doubt, today, I give myself an A now with better assurance and confidence.  While I am not graded as I was in high school, I am "graded" by getting a contract renewal every year and pay raises.  Additionally, over time, inner peace and self gratitude has guided me to perform better at whatever I do.

Week 2: Comment #1 - David Hotler

I had just finished up a post on how I gave a scenario about earning a 4.0 while earning a B in Physical Education when I ran across classmate David Hotler's post.  He posted:

In The Art of Possibility by Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander the reader is confronted with an interesting spin on self help for life adjustment. The main story line of the book is actually broken into stories that help support the through line and theme. After reading the introduction and first four practices I have been impressed with the authors’ abilities in sharing moving, eye witness stories about life and the obstacles of human nature. The book is meant to be a guide for practice and each story supports the need for or outcomes of each practice. 

I like that the purpose is to identify in my life the examples shared and then practice ways to see the world differently. I have always been a believer in the notion that the world around me is created by my thoughts and desires. The reality I live in is simply my perception of the world and I have built into me a set of filters that allow me to see things based on my tendencies. I think the first part of the book is hinting at the idea that these filters are many times uncontrollable and learned from family, friends, and the many communities in which we belong. 

The ideas presented by the authors about giving an A are most interesting to me. I work in an environment where students are unmotivated by the success of good grades in school. Parents are less interested in celebrating academic achievements and students in turn take things less serious. This environment presents many challenges that I think this book can help to address. To this point I have been using grades as the only factor of success in my courses. In the reading the authors share ideas about grades by telling a story of a pedagogical technique for motivating students to work hard to earn a grade. The idea is that students write a letter to the instructor as if they had just received an A at the completion of the course. The students are to outline everything they did during the time of the course to earn that A. The instructor then uses that criteria to challenge the students by saying they will earn that grade if they complete their own list. I am moved by this because the student takes control of their education and is motivated by the ability to learn what they want. 

Here is my response to David's post:

I  totally understand your situation.  Before I came to work at my current school, I was in a similar school  environment.  I was teaching business education courses in the coal region of Pennsylvania.  While I enjoyed the teaching aspect and the administration involvement, the parents were the toughest to handle.

Many of the parents were generational coal mining families and while education was somewhat important, the follow through was not.  The families knew that the only way to break the cycle of what many were accustomed (get high school diploma or GED then off to the local mine, pizza shop, bar, etc to work) was to get out of "the valley".

Getting out of "the valley" took more than just showing up to school and this seemed to be a problem for most of them.  Parental follow through and involvement lacked and many of the students reached for C's and D's instead of A's and B's because that was acceptable to them and their parents.

So I do understand that your scenario, where grades are not a motivator, could have no affect on the concept that Zander's presents.  Fortunately, I left that position 12 years ago and am now faced almost with the opposite.  Our school has a very active parents association and the parents are invited (encouraged) to campus to visit with teachers.  All divisions have a "Parents Day" each semester to keep the lines of communication open for the teachers and parents.

Week 2 Reading: Art of Possibility Chapters 1 – 4

Wow!

I have received my bachelor's degree in business education from a pretty respective "teacher" college 18 years ago.  I have worked with many teachers from many other colleges and universities who seemed to struggle with some aspect of teaching.  I have always felt confident that my undergraduate teacher training made me a successful teacher.  I still hold my undergraduate college on a pedestal in terms of its ability to train teachers, but...

Wow!

I wish I had read (or had been forced to read) the Art of Possibility when I was earning my teaching degree.  Better yet, this book could be a great resource for new teacher mentoring programs (which I may recommend to our administration).

The chapter pertaining to Giving an A was a very intriguing chapter.  I was particularly enlightened that by changing the point of view, we can all earn A's.  There are plenty of things in today's education that can deter a student from reaching academic perfection but that should not hold us back from trying our best and giving ourselves an A.  Although we may not have earned a 100% or even a 90% on our school report card, that does not mean that we did not perform our very best.

I have been blessed to work in a true "college prep" school for the past 12 years.  Being a nerd here is actually pretty cool and earning top academic grades is very competitive.  Our Academic Team has won the season long academic tournament for our surrounding counties since its inception and our Math Team has consistently placed in the top two (nationally) for the past six years on the Math Facts Competition while taking top honors this year with a field of 12 countries being represented.  Around here, geek is chic!

The downside of having a bunch of brainiacs running around campus is that we have a large population that only get a 4.0.  Yep, I said it... ONLYa 4.0.  With that said, there many combination of why can kid ONLY gets a 4.0.   Likely this student did not take any Advanced Placement (AP) which does factor into a weighted grade when determining grade point averages (in our case, AP courses are valued at an additional .4) or they may have taken all AP courses but got a B in Physical Education (no stereotyping intended).

Now, getting a B in PE sounds like a heck of a way to see your GPA drop to a 4.0 especially because we know that PE can be a subjective grade at best.  These types of scenarios can cause much heartache because the academics are so competitive and everyone is shooting for the stars in terms of college acceptances in the Ivy League schools and other top notch colleges and universities.

Giving your self an A?  I believe this is a great concept for many students.  Getting a 4.0 with a B in Phys Ed?  I'd give myself an A on that one too!

Week 1: Wimba Review

Being overwhelmed a bit at first glance of this month's dashboard, I was somewhat comforted in the reiteration of what was happening over the next four weeks. What may seem like a ton of work on the surface, the assignments that are due in the coming weeks are actually works that we have been building along the EMDT journey.

I commend Full Sail on the approach that was taken for the AR project and Literature Review. Baby-stepping through the program surely helped alleviate any 11-month jitters about the AR Project as well as the Literature Review paper.

Unfortunately, the month of May is a busy time in our school (equally as busy as August) due to many after-school commitments; however, the EMDT program has strengthened my endurance for staying up late. Having the assignments due on Sunday is especially helpful.

I still worry that the shear number of blog entries are not missed or overlooked. I am still looking for a "master checklist" to keep me organized and sane. If anyone finds one, please drop me a comment.Action Research Project

Week 1: Comment #2 - CK Binkley

Fellow Full Sail student, CK Binkley, has mixed views to copyright law:

I teach a three-class mini unit on copyright, censorship, and the law. I am also, or I was a professional photographer. I can approach copyright from both sides. On the one side, I want to protect my investment. If I spend thousands of dollars to take a series of pictures, I certainly don’t want to give them away and I certainly don’t want someone else taking credit for their creation. If I write and produce music, then I want to gain fame or wealth for their creation. But as an educator, the value of using or showing copyrighted material in the classroom can be a vital addition to my teaching. But budgets being what they are, I cannot pay to use many of these materials. So I break the very laws I teach in order to give my students a more meaningful education. The fair use clause is one of the gray areas of the copyright act. I find myself bending the law to fit my own uses. But I guess I’m not the only one that does this. In the ars technica article, it seems that industry data on financial losses due to copyright infringement could itself be copyrighted under creative fiction. Copyright laws are necessary. They are difficult to enforce. They can also serve as a deterrent in the creation of derivative pieces. It is important for my students to know and understand the law. After that, they must decide what they will do.

We must be thankful for the concept of Fair Use. Without it, we could not use anything that is copyrighted. It is one thing to make money on someone else’s idea, but we should be allowed to share their ideas. The law also kept it a little ambiguous so that each case can be decided on its own merits. I think this keeps copyright holders from suing every time a portion of their material is used. I agree that Fair use has helped prevent private censorship from interfering with freedom of speech.

Another concept that my students can use is creative commons. I think this has become necessary because of the change in the way we use the Internet. People want to share the things they create. They use Face Book, You Tube, and blogs to distribute what they make. Sometimes we use items that are copy righted in these creations. Creative commons allows us to use certain works under specific circumstances that “bends” the copyright laws.

My reply:

You present some very difficult choices. First off, CK, I think you are correct that the ambiguity of Fair Use does prevent the interference of our First Ammendment right to free speech. But, I think this same ambiguity gives us a false sense of safety when we want to bend these copyright laws in our favor.

In our head, we want to do what we want to do and we often justify it by claiming everything "should" fit under Fair Use because we intend to use it in education. While we may not have any intention of making a living from the product or even claiming that it is our own, it comes down to simple permission.

Personally, if I post something on the internet and someone contacts me for permission to reprint or use, I would feel honored or privileged if done in a tasteful manner. I would not feel so enamored if I were to run across an article that had looked very much like my own but was credited by a teacher who simply used my research and discoveries to formulate their own paper.

While Fair Use is a great concept, it is not perfect and is not always used fairly.

Week 1: Comment #1 - Jenn Castro

Full Sail classmate, Jenn Castro, recently blogged about a project where she was presented with a copyright dilemma:

I have recently had a “discussion” with colleagues over copyright. These teachers had written a grant to improve motivation to read through a program they created. Within this program, they wanted to create a video very similar to the one made by Ocoee Middle School and Full Sail using a different song but a similar message. Since I am the music teacher, they asked for my opinion on the song. I asked if they had researched the copyright issues. They told me they did not have to worry about copyright because it was for education. Obviously I argued that this was not correct and that being educators did not stop us from following the law. Needless to say, I was viewed as a dream killer but I know that this project would have run into some major issues if they did not get permission from the song writers/performers. I’m not sure what has actually become of this project but I have not heard anything about it since our discussion about copyright.

My rely:

Thanks for your story Jenn. I sometimes find it hard to believe that we as educators assume that we are exempt if what we do is in the name of "education". We, as educators, should be lifelong learners and as a lifelong learner we will continue to learn even if comes from our "dream killer" colleagues.

I applaud you on your stance and hope that the next project that is in store, your colleagues take a moment to reflect on all the legal issues (even if it is for education).

Week 1: Copyright Issues

Copyright or Copy wrong?

This week's readings and videos have been enlightening in the sense that I have heard nearly every one of the myths that surround copyright law. My role as director of technology for our international boarding school is always challenging when I am trying to explain various tasks that I am responsible for maintaining.

A decade ago, I was introduced to the world of peer to peer applications (P2P). At that time, our network was connected to the internet via a T1 connection and we all thought we were sitting high on our thrones as dialup was the primary source for connecting to the internet at that time. With blazing speeds of 1.5Mb downloads, we were able to surf the web AND send email with attachments at the same time. Downloading was fast and music was free! (or so we thought)

As our network started to expand and the introduction of a 1:1 laptop program was introduced in 2003, I quickly saw how our blazing 1.5Mb downloads seemed to be a thing of the past and a new concern was arising--P2P was rampant and the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) was looking for the culprits.

Napster seemed to be the first to go under the chopping block while others started to appear and thumb their noses at the RIAA. Morpheus and Limewire quickly filled the void for ex-Napster users and it seemed like the attitude among the Generation X crowd was that nothing was going to stop this movement. The use of P2P applications seemed to be a social norm and people were not overly concerned about getting caught even though they knew that it was being deemed illegal.

At our school, it was particularly hard to convince our students that downloading music was illegal. While I had a hidden agenda of regaining our limited bandwidth, I tried to educate our students about the ethical and moral obligation to honor the copyright of this music they were downloading. Since many of our students are international, this task was undaunting and for the most part unsuccessful.

Like the founders of The Pirate Bay, we have students who live in countries where the copyright laws are very lax or are not enforced. I had one student tell me that I was wrong about P2P and downloading because his mother is a lawyer and has either conveyed a loose interpretation of copyright law or practices in a country where copyright was not a legal issue.

In any case, I feel I have armed myself with enough ammunition and understanding that I hope I convince today's youth that without copyright protection, they may never get to be that famed celebrity or businessman that they hope to be. Copyright protects those who have earned their way to the top and protects them from the next person who is trying to steal their ideas or work.