Carcano_Diana_Publishing/Presentation_3_of_3

In narrowing my choices for my presentation venue I am still wanting to create my own opportunity. I would love to be a part of a Student/Parent conference modeled after a similar one hosted by the Madison Metropolitan School District in 2008. The theme of the conference was "Futuro de la Juventud: Laying Foundation - Affirming Our Identity-Building Relationships". Several sessions dealt with problems affecting the disengaged student. Issues from differentiated instruction to multiple intelligences to Advanced Academics. The conference allowed for dialogue between parents, students, and teachers on the issues affecting this mislabeled group of students.

It is my desire to present my project at such a conference. With dialogue comes understanding and with understanding comes collaboration to find solutions to the problems affecting our classrooms. It would be wonderful to be a recognized speaker at a national conference, but my first and immediate concern is in helping those in need and so my choice to create my own conference, in my own district, is where my dream lies.

Carcano_Diana_Publishing/Presentation_2_of_3

I have tried to narrow my search for a forum at which I could present my research project. We have 21st Century Program, which strives to encourage parents to become a bigger part of their children's education. The program also works to raise the self-esteem and school participation among at-risk students. We have had our first parent meeting and will have the meeting with students in the next couple of weeks.

In addition to activities designed to raise interest among students we are planning a Parent/Student Conference at which we will share topics such as parenting skills, study strategies, credit recovery, and paths to graduation. I believe this would be a wonderful opportunity for me to present my Action Research on the Disengaged Student.

I am still exploring larger venues to present my project, but my preference still lies in equipping those it is most affecting; the local teachers, parents, and students.

Carcano_Diana_Publishing/Presentation_1_of_3

In trying to determine where I would like to present my Action Research I thought of those in immediate need of the information discovered during my time examining the Disengaged Student. The audiences I plan to target are the teachers, parents and students.

I understand that the object of this project would likely be to present at a conference, but as a classroom teacher, dealing with the problem first hand, I see the need to be immediate with my fellow teachers. It is unlikely that many of these teachers would get the opportunity to attend one of these conference and so I would love to share my findings with them at a local level.

Another group that would benefit from the study would be the parents. Parents are at their wit's end when dealing with "discipline" issues concerning their children and so it would be a wonderful opportunity to get their input on the matter and discuss the issues contributing to the problems, as well as sharing solutions.

A third group that would find the study of interest are the ones directly affected by the study; the students. After years of being labeled as troublemakers, lazy, and discipline problems, I am sure these students would be interested to find that the problem may not be what they have told.

Carcano_Diana_Wk_3_Art_of_Possibilities

I continue to find this book intriguing and transforming. I believed that I was the type of individual who got things done, but I realized that I did look at the negatives more than the positives. After reading the text the realization hit me and I re-examined my approach to life. My goal is to take the good from what seems to be bad, learn from experiences and not look at them as mistakes, but rather learning opportunities.

No longer will I sit back and wait for the world to come to me, but rather through caution to the wind and take the opportunities wherever and whenever they may come. As the authors discussed, if I never take a risk I have no cause to complain that I had no opportunities. I must make my opportunities.

Carcano_Diana_Wk_3_Comments_Regina_Cain's_Blog

http://macfs.blogspot.com/2010/08/cainregina-wk-3-free-cho
Regina, I find this very interesting. Do I understand this correctly, do you have to possess a licensure or endorsement to "teach" technology? Does this mean even using technology in a content based classroom? I see how this would better equip teachers in using and integrating technology in the classroom, but I do not see that occuring in Texas. Technology is encouraging and event made it a part of our teacher evaluation, but not yet required to have an endorsement.

Carcano_Diana_Wk_3_Comments_Nyssa_Arcos'_Blog

http://nyssasthinkspace.blogspot.com/2010/08/arcosnyssaweek3reading-way-thing-are.html

It is fear of the unknown that many times keeps us from truly achieving our potential. We tend to question why things don't go our way when it is dependent upon what we failed to do. Nothing is a sure thing and in order to achieve there are times when we must take that risk even if it their is the risk of failure. How will we ever know if opportunities are out there for us if we don't seek them out.

A friend of my had an opportunity to tryout for a professional baseball team and he almost didn't because of the fear of failure. My response to him was that he may live to regret the decision. He wouldn't want to look back 20 years from now and say, "I once had a chance to be a pro baller". He took the risk and played professional ball for 11 years.

Week_2_Wimba

Although I was unable to view the archive in Wimba Sharyn Gabriel I did view the Youtube video and thought it was outstanding. Just getting the entire school, both students and teachers to buy into the concept and video was incredible. It made me want to get up and start something like this at my own school. The enthusiasm and outright fun in creating something like this makes one want to be in education.

The motivation it created was something that should be emulated by schools everywhere. I am sending this video to my own superintendent and see what he thinks about it and see if he will support us in a similar project.

Our school is wanting to change the school climate among both teachers and students and I think this video would be a great way of showing our staff and students that school can be fun and adventuresome.

Week _2_Art_of_Possibility

Our perception of things can and many times does contribute to the way we live our lives. If one perceives life as a series of wins and lossess instead of experiences to learn from an individual can go through life feeling that they have failed. I remember, as a child, going up to my father and saying that I had failed at something. His response was that I had not failed but rather that I had gained a valuable experience. My father, very much like Zander, believed that life should not be looked as a win or a loss, but the things we learned from each experience. He believed everything brought forth something that helped us grow. The people we encountered, the places we visited, and the things we shared was what we should be thankful for.

I remember going on a vacation and my father losing his wallet. We were left with no money and no way to contact family. A man coming into the store noticed our downcast faces and asked my father what was the matter. My father relayed the story and before we knew it the man was offering us a place to stay for the night and gas money to get home the next day. We ended up staying for four days and had the best time on this man's ranch. My father, again reminded us that we should look at this experience as gaining a lifelong friend rather than cutting our vacation short. We didn't get to see the Horse's Tail waterfall, but we had the best vacation ever.

Zander makes his point in reiterating that we should look at life as one to be enjoyed, relished and lived to the fullest.

Month_11_Wk_1_WIMBA

While viewing the archived Wimba session I was able to better understand the assignments on the dashboard. I was a bit confused with the multiple assignments within the assignment post. I was clicking on the completed button when, in I had actually not completed all of the assignments. I had possibly commented on one discussion but not on another.

With regards to the Literature Review, I have emailed Roxanne because I have gone off track because of a medical leave and am a bit lost. I am actually in month 9, taking a month 11 class. I am scrabbling to complete my Action Research. I have yet to have my action research reviewed and am trying to get that done.

I am recycling my blog for use in this class and making sure to edit my blog entries to identify them as a Month 11 entries.

I am a bit anxious about the Publishing/Leadership Project. You have made it seem easy, "Bam, 2000 word paper and done". I am hoping to narrow down the publishing site. I have a month to brainstorm...argh

Month_11_Wk_1_Reading_Art_of_Possibility_Ch_1-3

The authors of text brought to light several issues plaguing today's society. The commentary on how one perceives things is interesting when relating how we are conditioned to view things versus how others, in different environments, view things. The photo taken by an individual and sniffed, rubbed, and crumpled seemed strange to me but when I thought of someone not exposed to photos it would seem strange and foreign. I remember a student new to the country could not believe the volumes of food that was thrown away during lunch. I had witnessed this and had voiced my disapproval, but my student wanted to launch a protest. I had become accustomed to the way things were done.

The manner in which one approaches life was another interesting point. The authors proposed that one who views life and business as enjoyable, supplying a need and truly enjoying what one was doing and accomplishing would find more success than one who viewed life as a win or a loss. Life should be viewed as a wealth of possibilities and endlessness of what one could accomplish with the positive outlook.

This leads to perhaps the most interesting portion of the reading for a teacher by trade. Awarding of grades has always been a sore point with me and assessing work of my students inevitably involves the comparison of one to the other. Giving students an A before they actually completed the work and had them reflect on the possibility of how they earned that A was a brilliant idea, in my opinion. I could see students, especially highly competitive students, working even harder knowing that they were being awarded the A beforehand. I believe this may remove the stressors and students would be free to take risks with their work.

Month_11_Wk1_Comments_Jordan_Culver

http://web.me.com/noel2/MAC/Welcome.html

With regards to your comment on survivalist instinct, I am reminded of the constant competition among my students. Their conversations revolve, not around the content of the information they have attained but, around the grade and how that will affect their standing in class rank. It is a society, which promotes one's status that greatly disturbs me. I wonder if, subconsciously, I grade with this in mind. I don't believe I do, but do I fear that a deserving student will fall in the ranking because of a grade in my class? I wonder.

The author's examples had me re-thinking the manner in which I approach things. The example, which caught my attention was the artistic view. I just attended a gallery in which my students created works of art. There were two products which used a photo media and the rest were paintings. The crowd seemed to gravitate towards the photos and I overheard the patrons saying that they seemed "more real" . I thought to myself how the children who had taken the time to create their art piece had seemed to put so much more into their pieces, yet they were not as appreciated.

Month_11_Wk1_Comments_Carolyn_Chew

Monhttp://web.me.com/carolyn.chew/LMO_Month_10/Wk_1_mon._11/Entries/2010/8/3_Week_4B.l

Carolyn,

I agree that many times we measure success, accomplishment, and understanding through the amount of money, which sits in our bank accounts, the lining of plaques on our walls, or the earning of letter grades in the classroom.

It is interesting to note that I had a conversation with my college age daughter about the cost of items and discussed the possibility of a society in which we would barter for items that we needed. She told me that there are communities popping up in which this is being done. In a society in which success is measured by the amount of our paycheck and in an economy that is struggling to keep us afloat I tend to favor a society in which we can share our talents to promote our lives and success thereof.

On the subject of grades in the classroom I also find it difficult to award letter grades and allow that to be the determining factor in a student's education. In Texas the TAKS exam is the determining factor of whether or not a student receives a diploma. It does not matter whether a student completed and passed every course during their 12 years of public education. If a student does not pass an EXIT TAKS exam in the 11th grade a student cannot receive that diploma. It is difficult for me to understand this concept and I wholeheartedly disagree with a single assessment determining pass or fail.

Month_11_Wk 1 - MACblog/Week_1

Students participated in a summer program, which promoted arts in education. The project offered students the opportunity to create projects that addressed social issues and concerns in their communities. The options of interpretation varied and included multimedia, acrylic and pastel paintings and what we like to call junk art. Junk art required students to search through trash bins and junkyards in search of that object to convey their message of social awareness.

The project allowed students an alternative outlet to the traditional pencil and paper instructional means. Students who had once sat in a class bored to death were now actively engaged and enjoying themselves.