WK 2 Reading - The Art of Possibility

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Art of Possibility by Rosamund and Benjamin Zander (2000) is a really good read and offers tools in the way of practices that can provide opportunities for us to make personal evolutions to enhance not only ourselves but the lives we touch as well.  I remember Dr. Bedard stating in an Action Research video that we are the “change agents" for the future of education and I see this book as another valuable resource to help me journey through this change evolution that I have already embarked upon since starting this EMDT program. As I read chapter to chapter I began to understand how the practices outlined in the book could work together to help me realize a vision that perhaps seemed unattainable at first, to improve how I reach my learners through the use of technology, which in itself is a big change from normal practices and comfort levels in my educational environment.

"It's All Invented," remove barriers...

I will relate the principles that I am learning from this book to real application and hope that I too will be able to reorient myself in a universe of possibility.  I work in a Medical Device corporate world where we are always being measured by the ability to be innovative (number of patents) and are asked constantly to think outside of the box without any guidance on how exactly to do this.  I found the example of the nine dot square exercise explained in the chapter Its all Invented as an eye opening analogy and one that I think I will use when I train research and development teams.  I will also encourage them to read the Art of Possibility book to help open their minds and separate themselves from the self imposed boundaries or the catchphrase “Its all invented,” that is explained in the book.  We do tend to spend too much time thinking about what we can’t do versus putting our minds back into our creative childhood mentalities where we had no inhibitions and truly expressed ourselves.  I particularly liked the statement from Zander that the frames our minds create, define – and – confine – what we perceive to be possible.  This really ties well to the nine dot exercise in that if we read the instructions with the self imposed constraint, not written, that the 4 straight lines have to be connected without taking pen from paper within the square formed by the outer dots, there is no solution.  If you remove the “Its all Invented” constraint, within the square formed by the outer dots, you reach the solution as you go outside of this framework to open space on the paper.  A famous quote by Louis Binstock, confirms this analogy, “Very often we are our own worst enemy as we foolishly build stumbling blocks on the path that leads to success and happiness.”  I will share the The Art of Possibility practices with my training audience as it becomes easy to relate this to innovation.  As innovation is not usually a new product or service, it is taking an existing product or service and putting it into a different application or setting, hence thinking outside of all constraints within your mind. 

Wk1 Publishing/Leadership Project Post 1 of 3

Wk1 Publishing/Leadership project part 1 of 2: Project Selection and Where

My Action Research project involved examining the literature to see if High School student’s motivation to learn mathematics is increased through the integration of technology and corporate sponsorship.  In conducting my Action Research project around these aspects, I was able to confirm the validity of the research that stated that a student’s motivation to learn is increased through the integration of technology and corporate sponsorship.  It was also noted that there are benefits for corporations as well.  

Action Research results integrating technology and corporate sponsorship

Given these results, I have been thinking of the best way to get this message out to the groups that can help institutionalize this practice.  Given the choice of publishing an article or giving a presentation at a conference, I feel that a presentation at a national conference would have the biggest impact.  As with technology, the more hands on and visual a message or concept is delivered, the greater the impact to the receiver or the learner.  Articles are good but from my experience searching scholarly databases it can be a tedious and time consuming adventure and you may not find just the perfect article you are looking for depending on search criteria.  I receive professional journals and never seem to find the time to read all the articles so unfortunately they sit for long periods of time and some never get opened.  I would prefer that my message hit 1000 people at one time who are gathered at a meeting with dedicated time to devote to the topic of their interest.  This also gives me the opportunity to discuss my work face to face with people who are interested and may be able to help me spread the need.  Networking is so valuable in getting things done. 

At this time I am thinking of targeting two to three different audiences:  (1) educational institutions (K-12 and undergraduate), (2) corporations, and (3) National Legislation.  The third being premature at this time but the ultimate goal with more data and studies performed which may be accomplished through partnerships with target audiences one and two. As I believe that my initial study can be expanded and improved to demonstrate the reasons why the US needs to offer benefits to corporations who sponsor schools if we are to be the world leader in technology solutions.  

W1-Reading Response 2

Pat Ort says:

May 5, 2011 at 3:39 pm

I think teachers really get squeezed when it comes to copyright because many don’t know where to look for copyright free material that is also cost free. The Internet is a really big place, and resources that seem obvious to some are not all that easy to find for others. FSO has really helped me with that this year. As other students have shared resources, I have finally begun to find places to get music that my students can use and which don’t cost me anything. I still need to broaden that list of resources, though.
The drive to integrate technology into the classroom puts teachers and students in situations where they may need music or images they can’t make themselves. Digital natives resist the idea that they can’t share the things they find on in the Internet freely, and in any way they like. I have spent all year reinforcing the idea that you can’t use someone else’s work without their permission. We are doing better, but often kids have a specific image or piece of music in mind when they think up a project. When they find out they can’t use those things, they have a hard time coming up with alternatives. Actually, sometimes so do I. I needed medieval music for my class movie. I did purchase some music from iStock Photo, but it was a very limited selection. And no. I can’t make that in Garage Band.
I use online videos a lot, embedding them in my school web pages or blog. I could never create all of that myself. The rules about copyright can be a little slippery, too. Colleges, for example, can do some things that K-12 can’t, and vice-versa. And the rules change. I have required my students to use copyright free sources and to document their sources. However, it is still hard to be sure every item is safe and to check every student’s sources.

Laurie Kish says:

May 8, 2011 at 7:07 am

Pat,
I am not a K-12 teacher or University teacher, only a corporate educator in a global environment which has allowed me to see things outside of just the US perspectiv and talk about slippery. This week we have been viewing and reading about U.S. Copyright laws and one thing I found very interesting was a point that was made in the article, Copyright Basics by the U.S. Copyright Office, Circular 1 Rev:07/2008 about how there is no such thing as an “international copyright” that automatically protects an author’s writings, etc. throughout the entire world. They stated that protection against unauthorized use in a particular country depends on the national laws of that country. I mention this because we all know that the Internet is worldwide and you will find sources from outside the US. It is just an idea that we could consider is what about sources that do not originate from the US and do not have US copyright? Is it acceptable to use these as possibilities or not? Do we need to be educated in more than just US laws related to copyrights when using the world wide web? It would be interesting to get our instructors thoughts on this one.

W1-Reading Response 1

Dennis Dill says:

May 7, 2011 at 9:57 am

WK 1 Reading – Copyright can be found on my blog at http://boxbreakout.blogspot.com/2011/05/wk1-reading-copyright-issues-part-1.html
Copyright is a perplexing topic because at first glance it appears to be black and white, but in reality there are so many shades of gray in copyright law that I am surprised that every person is not hauled off to jail for a copyright violation. In a traditional learning environment most teachers worry about plagiarism, that is, students copying the work of someone else and calling it their own in a written document. However, as we progress into the 21st century written work is not the only work we need to worry about when it comes to plagiarism or copyright violation.
What a teacher uses in class or students turn in as an assignment copyright plays a major issue, especially when using multimedia. The use of YouTube can be a great tool, but how do we know we are safe from copyright violation. Just because some one places a movie clip on YouTube does not mean we are free use it at will. What about the playing of music? If we are playing music at a basketball game with paid attendance is this the same as playing music for our class who does not pay to be there. Would this answer be the same if the school was a private school in which students paid to attend?
All of these issues need to be understood to ensure that teachers and students do not violate copyright laws. Although, we could throw cation to the wind and run the risk of being sued for $250,000.00 and up to five years in jail…no…I think I will adhere to copyright laws.

Laurie Kish says:

May 8, 2011 at 6:43 am

Dennis,
It is my opinion that teachers are the transmitters of information, it is our profession to pass on knowledge of the world and famous people to our learners. However, as teachers are also role models for our students, we must lead by example. To do this I believe that all school districts need to invest in their teachers and ensure that they have the proper education and coaching on the laws related to copyrights. I think it is up to us to work with our school districts to provide ideas and possible solutions to get the Copyright education teachers need to protect ourselves as well as the districts. I like you am not a risk taker in this area and take the laws seriously.

Wk1 Reading: Copyright Issues Part 1

© Copyright 

I work for a Medical Device Manufacturer and we employ patent, copyright, and trademark attorneys full time to determine how to classify and file our Intellectual properties as well as to ensure they stay protected under the laws.  Sometimes it is not always so clear between patents and copyrights.  For example I have two patents for the invention of a medical device for the identification and susceptibility testing of microorganisms in humans.  These patents are owned however by the company I work for, and follow some of the same criteria as for copyrights in that these were works made for hire.  This means the employer and not the employee is considered to be the author. Section 101 of the copyright law defines a “work made for hire” as a work prepared by an employee within the scope of his or her employment.  So, you can see some similarities.  However, a patent is only good for 20 years from the data of application and a copyright is good for 100 years for companies.  This is where you see a big difference, less protection with patents vs. copyrights.  

What has always been unclear to me is that copyright protects original works that fall under literature, musical, artistic, and intellectual.  Patents also protect intellectual, so a fine line here and hence the reason why we need these lawyers.  I am currently working with my company to determine if another idea of mine is going to be a copyright or a patent that has to do with developing a process for product development.  This process is unique and it may come down to the media selection of its delivery.  Reference: Copyright Basics by the U.S. Copyright Office, Circular 1 Rev:07/2008.

WK1-2 DB Quickies: DIY Classroom/Presentation Solutions

Topic #2: Tech in your workplace: How has your workplace kept up with tech or not kept up with tech? What kinds of tech things have you bought to use in your classroom/presentation? Please give examples (and have a little fun with the idea…).

I do not teach K-12, I teach adults from around the world in a corporate environment.  Regardless of the learners, I am trying to introduce more technology for educational purposes as our company is really behind in this area.  I teach in both virtual and real classroom settings through the use of the following technologies:

• CISCO WebEx conferencing capabilities that enable me to share my training material via our PC's regardless of where we are in the world.

• CISCO TelePrecence equipment which allows for face to face capabilities from another location with the same equipment installed and it appears as though we are live and facing one another even if we are miles apart.  It also allows us to talk and share presentations.

I have included a short video I taped during one of my training sessions so you can see how it works. Note:  I have permission from the participants to use this for my EMDT program.

    

• Adobe Captivate for e-Learning modules that I have created with voice and animation that I make available via our companies intranet site.

 

WK1-1 DB Quickies: DIY Classroom/Presentation Solutions

Topic #1: Briefly share an experience about using media (visual and/or auditory) in class or during a presentation, focus your comment on any work-arounds or solutions you used when the tech wasn’t quite working or when the tech wasn’t adequate to do what you had originally planned.

I recently created an iMovie presentation to be used in France at a corporate training event in which I was presenting.  In preparation, I saved my file to a key as well as uploaded it to a Viddler account just in case.  As I work everyday with Medical Devices that save peoples lives, I understand the importance of having contingency plans and appropriate backups like UPS’s, emergency generators, and dedicated power outlets.   I train on Project Management best practices and one aspect of good project management is controlling project risks.  I treat each training event as a project and as such I perform risk analysis, what if x and y and all the stars are not in alignment, what would I do?  

This picture is from my Project Management Training Material that speaks to Protecting the Plan

I arrived at the training class and was next in line to present.  I gave the coordinator my Mac and he proceeded to hook it up.  Guess what, they did not have the right connectors to connect my Mac to the projector, even though I had previously communicated to them that I would be using a Mac.   I was still calm and told the coordinator that I had my presentation on a stick and he could install it on the PC that was there and that it was a .mov file.  He proceeded to install it and then realized that the PC was not equipped with the software to display .mov files.  By this time the audience was getting a bit upset.  So, my last contingency plan was put into action.  I asked him if the room had Internet and he said “Oui,” yes in French, this French word never sounded better!  A few moments later I had captured my audience with my multimedia presentation using Viddler.   I love technology but you have to love contingency plans just as much.