Week 2 - Art of Possibilities

Wow!  I really enjoyed the reading.  I made so many connections, it was great.

It's All Invented


The first paragraph told me a lot.  It's amazing how we can do or look at the same thing but perceive it differently.  That's what makes individuals unique.  I believe there is possibilities in every situation.  It is like students in our class.  We create possibilities for them regardless of their academic ability, race or gender.  How we perceive things makes the difference.  It also reminds me of how Bermudians complain about traveling from one end of the island to the other.  The island is only 21 square miles long.  It takes an hour at the most to drive from one end of the island to other end.  On the other hand we would travel overseas and drive for hours without complaining.  It is was how you perceive the situation.  


Stepping into the Universe- Possibilities


The way we look at possibilities depend on our situation.  In some instances it a can cause people to be selfish because they want to get as much as they can.  On the other hand they may not even see the possibilities awaiting them. 


Giving


This section of the reading really perked my interest.  Verbal or written feedback is more rewarding and meaningful compared to a grade.  I agree with Michaelangelo's statement, "inside every step of stone or marble dwells a beautiful statue; one needs only to remove the excess material to reveal the work of art within."  Everyone has strengths but we just need to find them.  I enjoyed the letters written to Mr. Zander.  They were great!  It is ok  to make mistakes as long as you learn from them.  Grades are invented.  I found that interesting.  I never looked at it that way but I agree with that statement.  That is the same as attaining degrees.  If you can't do your job effectively, your degree is useless.  It just means that you are paper smart and this has been a big issue here.  People can talk the talk and they get away with things.  Reading this chapter had me reflect on many situations in life.  In Bermuda the focus is on young black males.  It seems to be a connection with this chapter.  It was mentioned that people did not feel valued therefore negative things happened. This could be the same situation with some of the black males.  They may not feel valued therefore negative things happen.  This does not only apply to this situation but that is what I connected with immediately.  


Contribution


Society has programmed us therefore it may seem as if you don't know who you really are because you have to live up to others expectations.  They infringe on you and have you questioning yourself.  Even if you have contributed you are still asking, was that ok etc.  I have done that throughout this course if I am uncertain of the expectation.  I think that is a normal reaction because you want to be successful.  To see yourself as a contibutor is much more rewarding and it seems to alleviate some stress. I think I need to pay more attention to trying to make myself and my students think of ourselves as contributors.







The Art of Possibility talks about things that most adults know already but fail to put into action because we are trying to measure up. Measure up to the things mentioned in the first chapter.  We often think that the things we believe that are possible for us will happen only after we have accomplished certain things in life. It could be a job advancement, money, joining any number of organizations, improved education that will make us measure up to whatever standard we have set for our selves.
The chapters also discuss the things we as teachers try to instill in our students. In addition to the academics we try hard to instill in them the importance of character, helping others and not being selfish. These are things that middle school students have to practice to make it something they do without being encouraged to do so.
Every level of growing up that a child does sets a new standard to measure them selves by. Hopefully what they learn as a result of trying to measure up helps them to free themselves to develop natural abilities not measured by peers or any other standards.
 

Written by christinelhart

Dena Richardson said:

September 11, 2011 at 2:24 am

I agree with your statements made in the first paragraph. As I stated in my blog, the way we perceive things make a difference. This will refer to the comment about some people don’t feel as if their possibilities are for-filled unless certain things are done. This is how we are conditioned to think. I think that Art of Possibilities mentioned that as well in their writing. They talked about how the brain works.

Wk2 - Reading - It's All Invented

I have really enjoyed reading the first four chapters of this book, and I can undoubtedly say that I have learned more about life from those pages than in any other book I have ever read.

While all of the practices in these first four chapters were eye-opening, my favorite was "it's all invented". What a truly remarkable notion, that life is just a game to be played and that I should create possibility myself and others around me. This hit me hard, and I sat at my desk for awhile after reading it to think about how I could do this in my life to help myself and my family and friends. My first thoughts went to finance, and some budgeting difficulties I had been having that were beginning to affect my marriage. It was a bit difficult because it was my first try seeing it in a new light, but it wasn't too long before I came up with quite a few ways to erase my hardships in this area. After this I turned to some other things that had been bothering me (finding time for hobbies and time to help and visit with family, becoming a better teacher), and I tried my new thinking on them as well. In such a relatively short time, I had created so many new possibilities for all of them. It really works! I thought that I had a good grip on reality before, but it turns out I didn't even know what reality was. I wish I had learned this so much earlier on.

Personal Photograph - Schuylkill County Relay for Life 2011

2 comments:

DragonflyLand said...

What an eye opening experience. How empowering it most of felt to feel like you had control, or that the ball was back in your court. I also had some similar thought while reading that chapter. I hope that when I need to use it I am able to step back and analyze how to make things look brighter.

September 10, 2011 10:10 AM

Dena Richardson said...

Yes, I have to agree with you, the first four chapters have been great reading. I see that you made connections from the reading and that is great because it allows you not only to digest the material but understand it easier. I made connections as well and I must agree it was a learning experience for me as well.

September 10, 2011 7:30 PM