Week 2 Comment 1 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.

@Sheri

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.

Week2 Free Choice: Fear

Fear can mean many things to different people. My brother is a burly man. He measures 5 feet 10 inches and weighs about 250 pounds. You show him a spider that measures 3 inches and he will go running in the other direction. Sometime we are so consumed by fear that we lose all rational thought and either run or become paralyzed. We forget where we are and what needs to be done. We just know that we do not want to be there anymore.

A parent receives a call saying that their child has been in an accident and that they do not know whether their child will make it or not. In this case fear comes into their life because they do not want to imagine what life would be like without that child. This time fear does not paralyze them. On the contrary, it motivates them. They rush out to wherever their child is and begin frantically searching for answers. They will literally move mountains to make sure that their child is all right.

Fear has two ways of affecting our lives. Either it paralyzes you or it motivates you. It all depends on our attitude and our outlook on life. No situation is too great that it cannot be resolved with some help. Many times it is fear that causes us to not ask for help because we do not want to feel rejected. If we could understand and conquer our fears then we would be better off because the fear would not control our life, we would control it.

Image by Phil Ashley obtained at http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/82399225/Lifesize

Week 2 Reading: Chapters 1 – 4 The Art of Possibility

Many times our minds can only work at the capacity in which it has been trained. It is our obligation to expand the possibilities and go beyond what our minds are capable of. Many times when faced with an impossible situation we here somebody tell us to leave it for a moment and come back to it with a fresh set of eyes and a new mindset. This means that we become so wrapped up in what we are doing that we cannot fathom another alternative, but if we do take the time to take a new perspective then the possibilities we invent can become endless.

The possibilities before us are endless. It all depends on our own attitudes and perception. If we feel defeated and hopeless, we see life in the same way. If we feel exuberant and expectant then we will look at life in this way. Our outlook also determines what we expect and henceforth will receive in our life. if we are mediocre in what we do we cannot expect to get an abundance of anything. What we receive will always be directly proportionate to the effort we put into anything we do. Like the Bible state in Galatians 6:7, “… for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap” (KJV).

As teachers it is our task to show our students the possibilities and potential that resides in them. Many times students are classified by their social status, race or appearance. Every school is divided by unseen barriers, which can make a student thrive or deter them from even trying. We as educators are called to stimulate not only an academic environment conducive to learning but also an environment that allows the students to spread their wings and accomplish goals they had before thought impossible. Many times students feel pressure to perform certain tasks or be somebody they think they should be instead of who they truly are. We as educators are called to ease the pain of these students and create a place in which they feel comfortable, calm and peace. This way they can concentrate on what truly matters, becoming a contribution.

When we become a contribution we stop thinking about ourselves and start thinking about others. Society has taught us that survival of the fittest is the only way to ensure that we will live on. This mindset has caused us to be egotistical, selfish and self-centered. On the contrary, if we think of ourselves as a contribution we become humble, giving and place others before ourselves. In this way we make a conscious decision to put our needs aside for a moment and try to help others. This is what a Utopian Society is based on and this principle, though far-fetched for many, is what makes life worth waking up to each day in my opinion.

Image by Digital Vision obtained at http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/dv740120/Digital-Vision