New home for my ARP

Jazmin's Action Research Page

Most of the information is up. I just need to add a few videos and pictures.

Wk 4 "Wimba": Peer review

Here is what Jeri Kennedy said about my article. I really was lost and am grateful for her expertise.

"I liked the ideas you presented but made some changes using Track tools in Word. You are able to see all the comments and changes I thought of when you open the file.

I thought it should have a brief summary of the lit review but focus mainly on the research itself and most of the comments and changes reflect that idea. I think you need a LOT of details when describing your project and results - you are trying to publish a paper based on your research rather than the lit review."

Wk 4 Publishing_Leadership Project

The Language Learning & Technology journal is directly related to my ARP topic. As a refereed journal, I am highly doubtful that my article will be published, but this will be good practice. Their submissions page is pretty straight forward, although I am worried that I do not meet some of the requirements. I am glad that this is a two month project. I definitely will need to fine tune some things to make my article submission worthy.

My Article

Wk 4 Publishing/ Leadership Think out loud blog 2

I really wanted to do Edutopia, but one of their requirements is that you already be published, which I am not. Instead of articles, they invite blogs. Although I have many blogs based on my EMDT course work, I am not sure that they meet Edutopia's requirements. I am therefore organizing my article to send to Language, Learners and Technology. I have never written an article before and feel very lost. I look forward to the feedback from my critical friends.

(Screen shots of banners from 'Language Learning and Technology' and 'Edutopia')


Wk 4 Publishing/Leadership Thinking out loud blog 1: Which one, which one?

(Quote taken from Prof. Bustillos project rationale. Parentheses my two-cents)

"We’ve all attended amazing conferences, staff-development session and courses where fantastic ideas were presented, life changing notions discussed and heart-felt commitments made, only to have the notes and notebooks tossed on a pile when we got home and nothing ever came from these experiences." (Yay!! This is my plan exactly!!) " This project is specifically designed to make ones experience at Full Sail and ones action research work and make it into an ongoing dream-realized -”Real World Education,” indeed. Sharing out your AR project is the final step in this year-long journey- and what better way than through presenting and/or publishing in your chosen field?" (Boo!! I wanted to remain anonymus!!)

Let me start by saying, I have thoroughly enjoyed my Full Sail experience. One of my life goals has always been to be more computer literate, and I feel that I have accomplished said goal. I really enjoyed the hands-on activities that were assigned each month. I was skeptical at first on my abilities to complete some of them, but the teachers were helpful and now I'm a quasi-pro.

However, the boogey-man lurking in the background has always been the ARP. I know, I could have avoided it by just going the certificate route, but I would have regretted all the other information I would have missed. Now, in month 11, 'the boss chapter', the ARP is all that's left. As can be seen in the sudden drop of my grades, we are not really on speaking terms. However, I've come to far to give up now so, Excelsior!

As an ESL teacher, the Language Learning and Technology journal caught my attention. I believe that a few of the sources for my ARP are from that journal. My second choice is Edutopia. I've gone to that sight many times during my research, and enjoy the more relaxed writing style. So which one, LL and T or Edutopia? Probably Edutopia.

Wk 4 Free Blog: One more spoon of peanut butter

I can't believe that the year is almost done. Unfortunately, I can't say that I'm finishing with my strongest efforts. In the first months of the EMDTMS program, we were required to make video summaries of how the class went for us. In one of my summaries, I compared the assigned reading to peanut butter. Let me explain. I really, really don't like homework. I love discussions, and reading for my own education/ enjoyment, but due dates bum me out. In reality, Full Sail was the best MS program for me, because most of the work was hands on activities, things I could apply to my actual working situation instead of just theory. However, in the end, it is a real MS program which means some reading and essay writing was required (yuck!). I compared these requirements to peanut butter. I hate peanut butter. But sometimes, for my students, I have to use it. Likewise with this project. The ARP has been informative, but not my favorite part of the program. Now with it being month 11, it is literally the last thing I need to do, my last spoon of peanut butter. Although I don't like it, I refuse to give up so close to the end so, down the hatch!

Wk 4 Reading: Response to Tricia Atkinson

Tricia's Blog:

Wow, these last chapters were a lot to take in! Just when I thought my personal reaction could not possibly be more profound, the Zander’s prevailed with more stories and more implications of living a life of possibility. Most notably were chapters 10 and 11 when adversity was discussed in more detail, including the analogy of self as a game board (versus the typical interpretation as a participating piece). I will admit, when the idea of mutual responsibility in every situation was introduced, I felt some indignation. I mean, who doesn’t want to ostracize the drunk driver or the blatantly rude reaction or the frequent absentee. But how fascinating to think about their perspective and how it will not improve attitude and happiness by being upset and throwing blame.


As easy as it is to get into a downward negative spiral towards my students, blaming them for their negative, rude, and apathetic actions. But what about what I have done to contribute? What about my negative sarcasm or mediocre effort? Not to mention what they have eaten lately or when the last time is that they got a hug or “good job” from a parent? Trying to remember myself in each other person’s shoes will help me to react with a more enlightened attitude, just as Ben did when his students partied in South America. What would it have helped to “go off” like so many of us teachers are expected to do. Instead, the kids understood, felt enabled, apologetic, regretful, and still valued. Amazing. This Art of Possibility stuff is definitely not second nature in the world of modern education, but I feel like a breath of fresh air, a reminder of options and how to go with the flow, giving students and others in my life the benefit of the doubt, has been given to me…I am inspired and grateful.

My Response:

I totally agree. The chapter on being the board put into clearer focus something we are encouraged to think about as ESL teachers. Sometimes you get classes that just seem completely disinterested. They don't want to put in even the tiniest bit of effort. It can be tempting to just blame the students' attitudes and give up. However, a class can be saved if you think "What am I doing wrong? How can I change this so that they become interested?" "Being the board" can sometimes be the difference between a class bombing and a class being a huge success.

Wk 4 Reading: Response to Jerusha Hufstetler


Jerusha's Blog:

Vision is a word used to explain what people would like to see happen in a particular area for the future. Before reading the Art of Possibility I believed myself to be a visionary. It isn’t hard to look at situations on imagine what could happen, or how to get from one point to the next. Perhaps my understanding of vision is not fully correct. Zander describes the idea of having a vision to be a framework for possibility (p. 168). However, within this framework a certain criteria must be met (p. 168). One criterion made me challenge my own personal visions for my life. A vision with possibility, Zander explains, is “stated as a picture for all time…no specific of time, place, audience, or product.” There should be a openness to allowing a dream/vision to grow into new stages, and not be kept in a box. This is someone I would like to grow into for my own personal life.


My Response:

I agree with both you and Joanna. Zander really does try to get you to expand your horizons. The idea of a vision that is 'elastic' was new to me as well. Normally when you think of visions you have plan A, where the situation is one way, plan B if something changes, plan C etc. I think Zander's view point is something more along the lines of plan A-infinity. Instead of having separate visions for separate contingencies, to have one main vision that has the ability to expand, change and grow as we do.

Wk 4 Reading: The Framework for the Board

I really enjoyed "A New Children's Story" in ch 11. I also think that it was no coincidence that it was the chapter following "Being a Board. When I was in middle school, we learned about using 'I' language in situations of conflict. For example, instead of saying "you are mean" you would say "I feel hurt when...". Ch 10 brought that back for me. In both cases, it is about owing your situation instead of allowing others to control it. Using 'I' language, or being the board, makes you feel less helpless. So, how does that relate to ch 11? Well, being the board is something that comes with age and practice. Most second graders are not ready to be the board. The teacher, understanding the situation, created the framework that her students needed. Instead of seeing the baldness as something to fear, it was just another possibility, as the book stated. Had the students been older, the girl most likely could have conveyed this on her own. Instead, the teacher used it as a teaching moment, something that would benefit the students both then and in the future.

Wk 3 Reading: Response to Ashlee Park

Ashlee’s Blog:

While reading chapters 5-8 this week I enjoyed reading about the “silent conductor” and how you don’t have to have a special chair or podium to be a leader. Chapter 5 said that anyone can be a leader.

These words reminded me of a little girl in my classroom. This particular little girl is very small and soft spoken. She is 7 years old and weighs approximately 35 pounds. She is very sweet and everyone loves her. She struggles with class work and with reading especially, but she always tries her best and her classmates are always willing and ready to help her complete any given task.

At the end of the year in my class 1st graders learn how to do String Art. String Art is difficult but once you get the hang of it, it is fun. Typically I have several students who catch on quickly and typically these are students who are higher achieving.

This year this wasn’t the case. Most of my high achieving students struggled with learning String Art, and I had a “silent conductor” step up to help these students. My “silent conductor” was the little girl who typically relied on others to help her. I have seen this little girl struggle for a whole year with almost everything we have done, and now she was coaching and encouraging students who rarely ever need help with anything. Needless to say she was doing this with a huge smile on her face!!! I have never seen her be so proud of herself. I watched several students praise her and ask her for help and the look on her face brought tears to my eyes.

This story goes back to Multiple Intelligences and the importance of teachers being aware and providing ample opportunities for students to thrive and have the chance to be a leader. I’m so glad I was able to see this little girl thrive on being able to give back to others and be a leader.


My Response:

It’s moments like these that remind us why we teach. Sometimes a fellow student can explain a concept better than the teacher ever could. As an ESL teacher, I really like the concept of the ‘silent conductor’. One of the biggest hurdles in an ESL classroom is getting students to speak. They are so shy and afraid of making mistakes that they prefer to say nothing. In an orchestra, the job of the conductor is to get the best sound possible out of the group. Likewise in an ESL classroom, the teacher uses as many tactics as possible to get the students to ‘fail their way to success’. Sometimes, however, it’s the ‘silent conductor’ that one student who’s equally terrified but makes the leap anyway, that turns into the inspiration for the rest of the class.

Wk 3 Reading: Response to Heather Anderson

Heather’s Blog:

After reading about the rule #6, I found myself completely agreeing with every aspect of it. I grew up an honest person, but never as honest as to help someone else realize their true ideals and personality. And I was never honest enough with myself to find the humor in it all. This chapter reminded me of the chapter on giving an A. You need to allow yourself to make mistakes and learn from them in a positive way. In the Giving an A chapter, if you made a mistake, your just announce how fascinating it is. In this chapter, you discover your own faults and find the humorous way to acknowledge it, bring it to the surface and fix it.

I enjoyed reading about the argument between the senior and junior partners at the company. Clearly, they both had their ideas and they both thought that the other was in the wrong. They let their egos, pride and selves get in the way. I wonder if they had thought about what is best for the company first instead of thinking of themselves, would they have had this argument? Bringing out the honesty in both of them, the kind of honesty that addresses the company and their values and abilities that correspond to the company, was highly valuable and helped them resolve their issues quickly.

Occasionally, my mother and I have arguments on a level like this. But I have discovered that honesty in the situation can resolve things quickly. The honesty may hurt, but when I receive the feedback from her from now on, I will know to try and find a humorous way to look at it instead of focus on how it hurts my image. I just need to teach her the same thing so that we can always have an honest conversation, resolve our issues quickly and improve our relationship every time we talk!

My final thought on this issue is that I wish more people would let their images go and be honest with themselves. I highly dislike parent teacher conferences because I can never be as honest with them as I would like to be. Many parents hold up their guard for themselves and their children, but sometimes that guard is so thick that they are doing more harm than good. If we teachers could get through that barrier with a higher degree of ease and humor, than I think children could benefit from the home-school connection quicker and more successfully. Until then, I will have to keep sugar-coating everything!

My Response:

I completely agree with you about parent/ teacher conferences. In my job, we do not have parent teacher conferences, something I am very thankful for. In South Korea, the sugarcoating is taken to an even higher level than in the States. For example, one of the projects our ESL students do for the week is a Self- introduction. They write a paragraph about themselves on Monday, then present to the class on Wednesday. Although this was technically a graded assignment, we were never allowed to give students lower than a B, even if their skills were not at that level. In the end, the paper was changes so that grades were taken out all together. Nobody likes to hear negative things about their kids. However, we’re not really helping our students if we pretend that they are perfect. If they really were so perfect, they wouldn’t need teachers! ☺ If more of us, both parents and teachers, were able to realize that imperfection is not the end of the world, just space to grow, conferences would probably be a lot more productive.

Wk 3 reading: The Art of Possibility

The Art of Possibility reminds me a lot of another book, The Zen of Pooh. Both books served to expand your thinking. They try to help you 'realize your true greatness' without being too cliche. In the reading, I related most to chapters 6 and 7. As a teacher, the sooner you learn not to take yourself too seriously, the better and more fulfilling your work becomes. When new teachers come to the Village and ask about tips for planning classes, I always give the same advice. Think about what you would like to do for 90 minutes, then make a lesson about that. If it will keep you engaged and entertained, your students will also enjoy and learn from it. As for 'the way things are', I liked the distinction that was made between lowering expectations and making a starting point for improvement. For me, accepting the way things are does not mean settling for less than. It just means acknowledging what the situation is and working with what you have. A long time ago, one of my mom's co-workers said something that has stayed with me. "Grow where you are planted". I think that if you keep this in mind, 'the way things are' turns into a challenge for greatness rather than a restraint.

Week 1 Reading: Response to Jim Farmer's post

Jim's Post:

I was really intrigued by the documentary when they spoke about the Brazilian, Nigerian, and Swedish laws and how they were almost trendsetters. Laurence Lessig and many of the other interviewees spoke very well about the need to adapt our current laws to the new technologies that so many people have access to. We are no longer protecting printed materials that were produced on a printing press. Everyone has the capability to be a producer and I think this is a fundamental change in all societies and how they handle copyright laws. Many of these laws, were conceived before the ease of file sharing and collaborating became the norm for many. I think the point that Mr. Lessig made about being more open with sharing would increase the revenue for many artists that do not see a dime from their works being distributed was right on target.

The idea that suing your customer base to keep pirates at bay (pun intended) is ridiculous. Sending someone to jail and fining them tens of thousands of dollars is not a way to endear yourself to the public that you want as paying customers. There are lots of examples of artists trying new methods and being quite successful. Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails started his own record label, The Null Corporation, in which he released his album as a free download with options for purchasing extras. The Grateful Dead toured for decades and encouraged recording and sharing of their music. There are many examples of musicians that have done well in the new economy of the information age.

I am not arguing for pirating and the blatant disrespect for others hard work, but I do feel that times have changed and we must adapt to the new methods of distribution and sharing or we will stifle the artistic possibilities that these new technologies afford us. Just as education is dealing with how to handle smart phones, tablets, and mp3 players that have more computing power than the Apollo spacecraft, so to must society adjust to this new world.

P.S. I am not a Nine Inch Nails fan, just a fan of Trent Reznor's willingness to try something different and put his fans first.



My Response:

Those were some good points you covered, especially about the need to change copyright law to match the needs of the times. With technology becoming more and more widely available sharing of all kinds is at an all time high. Especially with the economy as it is now, people are less and less willing to pay $20 for a CD when they can just get it from a torrent. Artists are indeed entitled to their due, we just need to figure out a new way for them to get it. The old copyright was fine when it was just paper copies, but now that ideas can be created and shared in so many forms, a new kind of law needs to be set up to accomodate them. If companies spent more time trying to create this new system instead of suing 'piraters' for outrageous sums, things would definitely be better for both consumer and creator.

Week 1 Reading: Copyright issues.

The videos were very informative. One of the things Full Sail stressed from the very beginning was to avoid using copyrighted work illegally. We were strongly encouraged to create our own music and visuals when possible. By now (month 11) we all have tons of original work that we have created. It will be interesting to learn how to go about copyrighting it if we so choose. I did not realize that the list for things that cannot be covered by copyright would be so short. Nor did I realize that a dance was something that could be covered. As an ESL teacher, I have taught the 'Chicken Dance' and the 'Electric Slide' to my students. As I was looking for a video with music for the 'Electric Slide', I came across articles about a man (I don't remember his name) who was claiming to have created this dance and suing others for using it without his permission. I thought it was silly, but apparently he may actually have a case. As teachers, we use so many things and so many sources to create classes that are 'edutainment'. For that reason, we have to be especially careful of copyright issues.

My hopes for EMDT month 5

ADDIE-cadabra! by cocobook

FV_ProProfs Upgrade

My AR project is using quizzes to improve vocabulary retention in ESL students. I chose to do a short pitch encouraging my employers to by the education version of ProProfs to achieve this goal.

WK4_Reading

This is a mind map of my resources, sorted by topic. As I write my review, I hope this will make it easier to find the information I need.

PE6_GarageBand Guitar Lessons

This is Tim, my guitar instructor in GarageBand. This program is amazing. Your Mac comes with 9 lessons on basic piano and basic guitar. I chose guitar because I happen to have one in my room. The pacing of the lesson was perfect. These lessons are really designed with the beginner in mind. There are also lots of visuals. My favorite part of the program is that each lesson includes a song that you can play along with at the end, so you can practice what you have learned. I only did the first lesson, but look forward to the rest. They are long enough to be educational, but not so long that they become boring. I took guitar lessons a few years ago and loved it. The lessons offered here are a great way to brush up on my skills. If you want to try the piano lessons, you will have to have a piano with a plug to plug it into your Mac. The good thing about this is that you are then able to record songs as well as see directly on the screen what mistakes you are making and how to change them. Over all, the GarageBand suite is a great tool for newbies and advanced users alike.

PE5_Magic GarageBand

While fiddling around in GarageBand, I saw a button that said Magic GarageBand. (Cue Dexter's sister "ooo! What does this button do!) Magic GarageBand consists of 9 present genres, like latin or rock, that you can play around with to create your own song. The song is already recorded, but you can change the instruments used and even add your own instrument to make it unique. I chose Jazz for my song. The pictures included show the preset band provided in Jazz, then what the band looked like after I changed it. For people new to GarageBand, I recommend this tutorial.