Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Wk 2 Reading
Image by Sheri Brinkerhoff
All of the structure and ideals we use to bind ourselves into our lives are invented. Only looking beyond the proverbial box can help us see beyond our immediate world. I have often thought about how we create our own world based on our experiences. “The Art of Possibility” by Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander is one of the most amazing book I have ever read. Unleashing the possibilities within should be the goal of every person. It really is all invented. Someone created the ideas we use to guide our lives. What could we accomplish if we did not know fear? Assumptions are the biggest hindrance for me in opening up to the realm of possibility. It is so easy to make a judgment about someone or a situation.
During the last week, I have focused on trying to stop making assumptions about situations. I find that when I do this I have an easier time giving someone an ”A.” I have found that I have more patience with people because I try not to make assumptions or judgments about behaviors and actions. It helps to think about how you are contributing on a daily basis. I loved that the idea of being a contribution releases one from the cycle of success versus failure. The chapter where the author describes his class after giving everyone an “A” is very intriguing. I have toyed with the notion of presenting this idea to my students. Though I do not think my administration would be receptive to the idea, I like the affect on the students. It releases them from the cycle of success versus failure and brings them to a place where they can focus on their personal journey.
An excellent education teaches students how to live beyond the course material. This class is an excellent example of the concept. Though the course is titled “Media Asset Creation,” I feel as though I have learned more about how I want to live my life. Lessons taken from this week’s reading have affected my personal thinking in ways that will extend beyond the course itself.
2 comments:
- Marcos Alvarez said...
- First of all I want to say that that picture you took is beautiful. Assumptions truly can hinder a person and it can even make them prejudice. When I was doing my practice in education I was warned by a couple of “professionals” to be careful because the school that I was going to was right between two residential housings for underprivileged people. They would have comments like, “you know how those people are with their addictions” or “keep your wallet close at all times” and “you can never be too careful around those people”. Once I got there I found that those kids were the most loving and kindhearted kids I had ever met. They would spend there lunch hour with me and tell me all sorts of stories. Sometimes we are too quick to judge and never really give the others an opportunity.
- August 10, 2011 6:59 PM
- Cheryl McGovern-BookWorm said...
- Sheri: I agree with you that a teacher takes their students beyond classroom learning. I can also see where administration would frown upon giving all students an "A" to start out with! Could you just see their faces, and the faces of parents? If you could film those reactions, you could make millions off of that video! Creating our own lives through experiences would really put a new perspective on things for many people. I have long believed that life is what we make of it! Cheryl
- August 10, 2011 7:13 PM
