EDM613 Wk4, post 4: Free Write - And Then There Were None

And Then There Were None...



Photo by Jason Peglow

 Well... after this post I will officially be able to click on my final "I have completed this assignment" tab for the month 11 - Media Asset Creation class of our Full Sail University master's degree program. I must say that I am starting to feel a bit melancholy about this whole experience being nearly over. Having completed three masters degrees (counting this one) I know I am always so relieved immediately following graduation and ecstatic that I will have all this free time to catch up on my neglected household chores. But, soon after I begin going through withdrawal and I find I am looking through degree programs and course books to get my next fix. I think the yearning comes from my worry that I may end up old and outdated and ineffective in my profession and wind up like all these closed minded, closed doors crabs that speckle the hallways of my school. I never want to lose the passion for this job and always worry about the "burnout" syndrome everyone warns me about when I get here so early and/or leave so late. But, I love my chosen profession and plan to keep my spark alive for as long as I can.

I want to thank everyone that I have had the pleasure of meeting during my time at Full Sail. You are all inspiring teachers and you are all the reasons why we have hope for the future of quality and effective education. Good luck in month 12 and beyond!  

EDM613 Wk4, post 3: Response to Bruchetta Jones

@ Bruchetta Jones EMD Blog - Week 4 Reading: Art of Possibility Ch 9-12 (original post by Bruchetta Jones on April 18, 2011)



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Bruchetta: The Zanders' do such a good job making these practices sound so easy and effortless don't they? I imagine meeting them must be like taking a whole bunch of happy, “lovey” pills. They must be a fantastic to be around. Taking an event like infidelity and spinning it as an optimistic opportunity just seems impossible to me despite any angle I look at it from. I couldn't (and never want to) imagine how life could be better without my wife. But, I understand what they are saying and I completely agree with you that it would be hard and boy would I have a hard time looking at it as an obstacle rather than a betrayal. Guess I need to do some more soul searching I suppose. Thanks for your post.



 

Week 4 Reading: Art of Possibility Ch 9-12 (Posted by Bruchetta Jones on Monday, April 18, 2011)

This was an interesting book to read, seeing that most of the other books we read were geared towards that specific class.  This book, overall was to inspire us as we continue our journey after the EMDT program ends.  I can respect that.


Chapters 9-12 reflect on being optimistic despite our circumstances.  One of the examples of this is in Chapter 10.  A man finds that his wife is having an affair.  Some of us will let the situation consume us and and the Zanders' state "things move ahead, and life passes him by."   They speak of the notion of "being on board", where he would take this situation and be empowered by it and view it differently.  You can use it not as the fault of who betrayed you, but as something that you personally need to overcome.


This concept can easily be put in place in our classrooms.  Instead of blaming the students for their poor test scores, behavior, and other thing we complain about, turn it around to yourself. What could have you done differently?  Did you take in account the different learners in your classroom?  Did you exhaust every possible resource?  I know that we are underworked and underpaid, but that is what we signed up for!  Yes, it may be hard to do, but in the end, it will make you a better, more effective teacher.

EDM613 Wk4, post 2: Response to Mike Coletti

@ Mike Coletti's Musings -Wk 4 Reading: Art of Possibility, Chapters 9–12 (original post by Mike Coletti on April 17, 2011)

Photo by Jason Peglow

Mike: I absolutely agree with your comment that the most challenging part of lighting a spark in the student is maintaining it throughout the year. I remember during my student teaching days that my coordinating teacher told me that our job as teachers was to leave our lives inside the car when we got out to go into school for the day. If we can be there for the kids who bring so much of their own lives to school, they see that we are there for them and the return on that investment is always incredible. Leaving my life at the car is very difficult to do, but it is a sacrifice that I am willing to take for my students. Thanks for the post and the bringing up of such a valuable memory.

Wk 4 Reading: Art of Possibility, Chapters 9–12 (posted by Mike Coletti on April 17, 2011)

As I have mentioned in my previous posts regarding this book, the insight offered by the Zanders transcends the fields of music and psychology and applies to all human relationships.  The concluding five chapters neatly tie it all together.  Each of these sections builds a case for creating a world that could be free of conflict and full of compassion.

How could Lighting a Spark not speak to all of us in education.  It is our goal to create the spark in the minds and eyes of our students, which in turn will enroll us deeper into the process, and creating a cycle of success.  We attempt this by Being the Board on which our lessons are played out on, being rigid but also flexible based on the needs of our students.

The deepest challenge is sustaining this throughout the school year, day after day.  Face it, we all have off days, but we need to minimize those, or at least the effect those have on the kids.  Finally, if we look at our students and the gifts they bring to the classroom, Telling the WE Story will engage both the children and us so we achieve the most success possible.  It is what the Art of Possibility is all about.

Like Presentation Zen, I have purchased a shelf copy of The Art of Possibility to be a permanent part of my personal library.  I am sure I will revisit parts of this book as I move through the rest of my career. 

EDM613 Wk4, post 1: Reading - Art of Possibility chp 9-12

Photo by Jason Peglow

Yet again, I was tremendously inspired by The Zanders' Art of Possibility and the last five chapters. Each brought up so many ideas and comments as I read through them, but chapter nine - Lighting a Spark - resonated the most with me. After completing my Action Research Project on motivating students to write I really connected with the idea of sparking interest in something is the first step to convincing those same people to try something new and/or to try harder as well. My ARP introduced a bunch of unmotivated student writers, who had expressed much displeasure in traditional writing instruction, to new forms of writing like blogging, glogging, etc., and they were writing up a storm with little if any acknowledgment of the amount of writing they were actually doing. Here were kids who said at the start that they hated writing, and many of them were now going home and writing at night or writing more than the required length, or asking when they could go down to the computer lab so they could write again. All that it takes is a spark and some encouragement and you'll get a full blown fire!

EDM613 Wk3, post 4: Free Write - ARP Conclusion Pgph

The following is the concluding paragraph for my final paper for the Full Sail EMDT ARP. I welcome any and all comments and critiques:

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Conclusion
There are many poignant opinions about high-stakes testing and whether or not it has done more harm than good for the students who are subjected to these testing situations. But, no matter what the opinions are, for teachers and students in today’s educational system, standardized and quantitative testing are a reality that cannot be ignored, circumvented, or avoided. For this reason the research conducted in this project focused on two areas of concern in assessment of state writing tests. The first area of concern was in the shortcomings of the many students at the Middle School level who are failing to achieve a proficient score on state writing tests. "Why are our students scoring so poorly? Certainly there are a number of factors out of our immediate control (e.g., second language issues, poverty, lack of parental involvement). Dwelling on these issues, however, is counterproductive and a waste of time and energy. We are better served by focusing on what we can control—namely, our teaching" (Gallagher, 2003, p. 26).

Despite a high proficiency rating, one of my biggest problems with these scores is that they are proficient, but not advanced. The original goal of this Action Research Project was to flush out ways to increase motivation and improve writing proficiency, but also to find ways to make students who were already proficient want to achieve advanced. Alber-Morgan, Hessler, and Konrad (2007) wrote that “written expression is difficult to teach because it is the most complex form of communication; however, it is critical because it is a common mode of communication” (p.124). This is what I feel the next step is for this project. Helping the students write proficiently requires motivation and a formula like the formal outline, but obtaining advanced is more trivial as it requires a passion for writing and an evident voice from the writer. 

Works Cited:

Alber-Morgan, S., Hessler, T., & Konrad, M. (2007). Teaching writing for keeps. Education and Treatment of Children, 30(3), 107-128. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database. 

Gallagher, K. (2003). Righting our writing wrongs: Ten concerns about writing instruction. California English, 8(5), 26-28. Retrieved from Education Research Complete database.

 

EDM 613 Wk 4 Publishing Leadership Project

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Introduction:

I have elected to submit applications for publication of my Action Research paper to the following resources:  The National Middle School Association's Middle School Journal (site link) and The National Council of Teachers of English's (NCTE) Language Arts Journal (site link) I chose these two journals primarily because I am a member of both of these associations, but also because the content of these two journals deals directly with the age group and the context of my action research project. Now, I get to begin the process of applying and submitting requests for publication.

Link to Publishing/Leadership Project part 1 of 2: Paper vs.  Project

Link to Publishing/Leadership Project part 2 of 2: Where to Present & Why

Link to Puplishing/Leadership Project Paper: ARP Google Doc

EDM613 Wk3 Publishing/Leadership project part 2 of 2: Where to Present & Why

Photo by Jason Peglow

Now that I have decided to write a paper instead of a presentation, for this post, which is the second in a two-part series, I am to consider which publication(s) I would like to submit my research to in order to try to get it published. There are three that I am interested in pursuing due to my membership or just general relationship to my action research project.

NMSA

The National Middle School Association's Middle School Journal (site link)

Website Write-up: Middle School Journal, a refereed journal, is an official publication and membership benefit of National Middle School Association. Published five times per year in September, November, January, March, and May, the journal offers articles that promote quality middle level education and contribute to an understanding of the educational and developmental needs of youth between the ages of 10 and 15.

Guidelines for NMSA's MSJ submissions (site link)

NCTE - LAJ

The National Council of Teachers of English's (NCTE) Language Arts Journal (site link)

Website Write-up: Language Arts is a professional journal for elementary and middle school teachers and teacher educators. It provides a forum for discussions on all aspects of language arts learning and teaching, primarily as they relate to children in pre-kindergarten through the eighth grade. Issues discuss both theory and classroom practice, highlight current research, and review children's and young adolescent literature, as well as classroom and professional materials of interest to language arts educators. (Published September, November, January, March, May, and July)

Guidelines for NCTE's LAJ submissions (site link)

NCTE - VM

The National Council of Teachers of English's (NCTE) Voices from the Middle (site link)

Website Write-up: Voices from the Middle (VM) is the peer-reviewed journal of the Middle Level Section of the National Council of Teachers of English. VM publishes original contributions on all facets of language arts learning, teaching, and research focusing on young adolescents. VM offers middle level educators a practical guide to best practices in middle schools.

Guidelines for NCTE's VM submissions (site link)

EDM613 Wk3 Publishing/Leadership project part 1 of 2: Paper vs. Project

Captain Educator by J. Peglow

For this post, which is the first in a two-part series, I am to consider how I want to go about publishing my Action Research Project be it in a paper or a presentation format. 

First, (since this is a think aloud) I must say that I am more than intimidated and anxious about doing either of these options. I am very proud of what I have accomplished over the course of this degree program, but putting it "out there" for all to see, critique, and analyze is a bit nerve-racking for me. Hopefully as I go through this process over the next two months the anxiety will lesson a bit...hopefully!

Anyhow, I didn't really have to think much about which of these two options I wanted to do. To me it seems that writing this project our as a paper/article for a publication is the most practical way to present the information I have gathered. Since the majority of my discovery and research is based on data, the paper would provide the best medium to present this material to others. It is all about writing and motivation and there is very little in the way of graphics or visuals to offer. So, based on what I see in my research, I feel the paper is the best way to go.  

EDM613 Wk3, post 2: Response to Mike Coletti

@ Mike Coletti's Musings - Wk 3 Reading: Art of Possibility, Chapters 5-8 (original post by Mike Coletti on April 12, 2011)

Photo by Jason Peglow

Mike: I absolutely agree with your comment about taking the time to "relax and lighten up a little." As a teacher and as a coach I too have found that I am more connected with the students who I have had the opportunity to talk to or joke around with in a less formal atmosphere. You and the Zanders are absolutely correct that those kids always seem to be willing to give that much more of themselves because they know you know who they are. Unfortunately though I know that there are a lot of kids that I have had the fortune of teaching that I did not make the effort to "get to know" and wonder what would they have been capable of if I had. This book does a very good job of making it clear that making the effort to have this kind of rapport with our colleagues, administrators, parents, and students would advance everyone's capabilities just that much more. It could change the world. 


Thanks for your post.

Wk 3 Reading: Art of Possibility, Chapters 5-8

(Posted by Mike Coletti on Tuesday, April 12, 2011) 

I continue to enjoy this book.  The Zander’s continue to present a common sense  approach to living and leading.  I could relate to Chapter 5, Leading from Any Chair.  When I read some of the stories relayed to us, I had to smile.  I am a coach, and I have always tried to allow the students I work with the chance to tell me what they feel they need to work on.  My most successful competitors have taken to this approach and we have productive practice sessions, which translates into success in rounds of debate and speech.  I believe the more ownership the child has with her practice and performance sessions, the better she feels.

As part of this approach, I also have sessions where we don’t work on specific pieces to perform.  Sometimes, just sitting and talking about school or life or almost anything is more effective than going over a performance selection for the umpteenth time.  Being able to relax, and lighten up a little, is following Rule Number Six.  In the scheme of things, speech competition is minor to some of the other things my kids deal with every day, and by showing an interest in the rest of their lives, it allows me to then be able to ask for more of them when it really counts, in competition. 

I think I have had this approach for most of my career.  It is nice when respected individuals like the Zanders validate what I have been doing.

EDM613 Wk3, post 3: Response to Everett Jones

@ Follow me and learn - Wk3 Reading: Art of Possibilities Chapters 5 – 8 (original post by Everett Jones on April 11, 2011)

Photo by Jason Peglow

Everett: Your awareness that you want to restructure your life and relationships for the better is always a great step in the right direction. These kinds of books that inspire people to become more aware of their surroundings and to veer from their current negative actions and directions are fantastic. I wish you all the best in staying on the path to positivity. It is a hard path to follow and is often obscured by a lot life's challenges and other people's negativity. 

You comment about chapter 5 and the conductor who is so far removed from the orchestra that he doesn't hear the questions from people directly, but rather through others is one I find many teachers can relate to. How often do teachers stand at the front of the room and lecture and instruct for months and never really know who his or her students are or hears what they have to say? I know there are times I have been so caught up in the politics of education or my own life dramas that I forget that these kids have just as many (if not more) issues that impact their learning and involvement in my room. If we take the time to get to know them, often times their productivity blossoms because they know that we know who they really are. 

Thanks for your post. 

Wk3 Reading: Art of Possibilities Chapters 5 – 8 (Posted by Everett Jones on Monday, April 11, 2011) 

These chapters are really geared towards myself and friendships that I have.  The example in chapter 5 about the conductor that doesn't know his members of the orchestra personally, but would like to.  The members hold him in such a high esteem that they send messages to him through those in the hierarchy.  He receives all praise for how the orchestra sounds, yet he does not perform and instrument at the concert.  I think it is important to acknowledge all that are part of the larger picture.  Especially if they are all working towards a common goal.  The results tend to have a better outcome.  When people are acknowledge, they tend to have a personal stake in the goal and perform better.


Chapter 6 gave an example of how when we lift away our personal judgements of people, that we may see them in a more positive manner.  I honestly think that each person no matter how evil some may seem to be, possess at least one thing that is positive.  Sometimes focusing on that, brings out a person that we never thought we'd see.


I learned from reading these chapters that I have to set up my life and relationships so that positivity embraces them both.  My daily decisions and choices not only effect myself but those around me.  Focusing on those things that make me happy in life, can hopefully overshadow those obstacles that do not.

EDM613 Wk3, post 1: Reading - Art of Possibility chp 5-8

Photo by Jason Peglow

Although all of these chapters provided me with numerous quotes of wisdom that I have written down to be blown up later and placed on my walls at school, for this week’s reading it is chapter five (Leading from Any Chair) that resonated with me the most. Throughout this entire chapter, although the words on the page were the Zanders, I kept hearing my own. With all humility I can say that I know I am very good at my job. Ever since my days as a student teacher I have found ways to engage my students in the material and enjoy coming to my class. But, I have also always known that not every unit is spectacular and there are times when the class drags and is dull and useless for both the students and myself.  This has always bothered me. “Who am I being that they are not shining?” (p. 74).  This question from the book is the reason I am now in the process of completing my third master’s degree. I have always been in pursuit of what I can do to be better to make my kids and my lessons dynamic. In my first master’s degree my capstone project was on what makes an effective teacher effective. “Who am I being that they are not shining?” (p. 74).  My second master’s degree was on streamlining and improving curriculum. “I began to shift my attention to how effective I was at enabling the musicians to play each phrase as beautifully as they were capable” (p. 69). Now, at Full Sail, I have focused my Action Research on the motivating factors of students and how to get them more engaged in the material. “I began to ask myself questions like “What makes a group lively and engaged? Instead of  “How good am I?” (p. 68). As this current degree begins to come to an end, I am so excited to know that I will have the time now to look at all this knowledge I have acquired and finally be able to piece it all together in an effort to reassess my teaching, my lessons, and my students. “A monumental question for leaders in any organization to consider is: How much greatness are we willing to grant people?” (p. 73). On a side note I must say that I am REALLY enjoying this book.

Zander, B. & Zander, R. (2000). The art of possibility: Transforming professional and personal life. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press. 

EDM613 Wk2, post 4: Free Write - ARP Pgph 2

 The following was the opening of my cycle 1 plan and also is intended to be my second paragraph for my final paper for the Full Sail EMDT ARP. I welcome any and all comments and critiques:

 

     There are many poignant opinions about high-stakes testing and whether or not it has done more harm than good for the students who are subjected to these testing situations. But, no matter what the opinions are, for teachers and students in today’s educational system, standardized and quantitative testing are a reality that cannot be ignored, circumvented, or avoided. For this reason the research conducted in this project focuses on two areas of concern in assessment of state writing tests. The first area of concern is in the shortcomings of the many students at the Middle School level who are failing to achieve a proficient score on state writing tests. "Why are our students scoring so poorly? Certainly there are a number of factors out of our immediate control (e.g., second language issues, poverty, lack of parental involvement). Dwelling on these issues, however, is counterproductive and a waste of time and energy. We are better served by focusing on what we can control—namely, our teaching" (Gallagher, 2003, p. 26).
     This ARP investigated the root causes of students performing at basic or below basic writing proficiencies at the middle school level and what teaching practices could be utilized to enhance student writing skills, motivation, and interest. "Writing is an activity that is as much emotional as cognitive. Affective factors influence all phases of the writing process. A strong need exists for researchers and educators to explore the affective factors that contribute to students' writing performance. Motivation, with its conspicuous influences, is important among those affective factors" (Lam & Law, 2007).   
     Secondly this ARP  investigated those students who were capable of providing proficient standardized responses in response to writing prompts, but consistently fall short in achieving the advanced writing scores. 

 - - - - - - - 

Gallagher, K. (2003). Righting our writing wrongs: Ten concerns about writing instruction. California English, 8(5), 26-28. Retrieved from Education Research Complete database.

Lam, S., & Law, Y. (2007). The roles of instructional practices and motivation in writing performance. Journal of Experimental Education, 75(2), 145-164. Retrieved from ERIC database.

EDM613 Wk2, post 3: Response to Sarah Baker-Dykes

Photo by Jason Peglow

@ Sarah Baker-Dykes (original post by Sarah Baker-Dykes on April 8, 2011)

Sarah: My head was also spinning after reading these chapters. Like you, I felt there was so much inspirational wisdom and I immediately wanted to go upgrade all of my current teaching practices and fill my class with the essence of perfection the Zanders put forward. It is wonderful to hear that you are so anxious to apply these lessons to your classroom as well and I wish all the best on doing so. However, remember what they explained in their forward, that it takes time and lots and lots of practice. I think just by trying to apply some of the Zanders' ideas to your practice is a "contribution" in itself.    

Sarah Baker-Dykes Blog: Week 2 Blog 1 Response to Reading

(Posted by Sarah Baker-Dykes on Friday, April 8, 2011) I have really enjoyed reading the first four chapters of The Art of Possibility.  Chapters 3 and 4 really struck a chord with me. The ideas of “giving yourself an A” and “being contribution” are so inspiring.  When I was finished reading, my brain was spinning with new ideas to bring to my own classroom.

Zander so clearly showed how one’s outlook on people and situations can change the outcomes and our emotions.  By beginning each situation or each relationship by giving an A, we automatically treat it with so much more respect.  Because of the invented game and what an A stands for in our minds, when we start off a relationship by giving the other person an A, we are opening up a world of possibilities.  Rather than focusing on the negatives and picking things apart, we can view others as a masterpiece.  Zander likened this to Michelangelo and how he described a block of stone that has a beautiful statue dwelling inside.  The excess material must be removed to reveal the beauty inside.  I found this to be such a wonderful illustration for how teachers approach students.  Zander quite perfectly stated that, “this A is not an expectation to live up to, but a possibility to live into.”

The most intriguing idea I’ve gained so far is that of being a contribution.  This idea of trying to make a difference each day is very inspiring.  In the book, Mr. Zander had his students tell a way they made a contribution each week in any avenue of life.  What a great idea! I think it’s the goal of most educators that we see our students grow into responsible and caring citizens.  By embracing this idea and showing students how they can make a difference just by one small thing they do, can have a huge impact on their lives.

This idea can be adapted by anyone at any age. I’m quite confident that my third grade students would take hold of this idea and run with it.  I can’t wait to introduce this to my class.  Likewise, applying this principle to my personal life can have a great effect. If I greeted every relationship and circumstance with the question, “What contribution can I make and how can I make a difference today?” my life may be very different.  Even now as I type this, I’m still inspired by these questions.  My hope is that I’ll be able to apply this idea to my students.  To look at them and think, “what can I do to make a difference in your life?”  It’s such a powerful thought.  The idea that this question could be embraced by my students is exciting.  I would love for them to look at their classmates and community and think, “what contribution can I make?”

Zander, R. S., & Zander, B. (2000). The art of possibility. Boston, MA:  Harvard Business School Press 

EDM613 Wk2, post 1: Reading - Art of Possibility chp 1-4

Caesar's Palace - Photo by Jason Peglow

I really do love books like this although I always have such a hard time applying any of it to my actual life practice. For example, in the chapter on giving an A to others and to your self, all I could think about here was how could I give an A to my students? Every time the idea came into my mind while reading this chapter I thought of so many reasons why it wouldn't work, or the negatives that could result. It is funny how quick one's mind admonishes the self into thinking something new or risky is impossible. But, I have made it my goal that all summer long I am going to try to make this happen in my classes for next year. I mean...who am I to tell a student they are only a C? I will simply do my best to chip away at the marble to reveal the statue. My classes are enjoyable and the kids always seem to show growth in their writing while they are with me, but I always come away at the end of the year feeling like I wasted so much time doing things that were unnecessary or irrelevant for them. I am hoping I can find a way to change that for next year. I guess I am chipping way at my own block of marble as well. 

EDM613 Wk2, post 2: Response to Curt Isakson

Photo by Jason Peglow (2008)

@ Curt Isakson's AR Project blog (original post by Curt Isakson on April 5, 2011) 
Curt, before responding to your post I must admit that I felt this book would speak to you personally since you are a music teacher an one of the authors is a conductor and uses a lot of musical tales to help explain the meaning of the concepts presented in the book. In your response it seems that a lot of what was said resonated with you for just that reason. I wonder if you have seen a similar reaction in your students when the grades are not an issue and they are free and comfortable to make the mistakes? As a teacher, I too was most intrigued by the giving an 'A' chapter. But, I have a lot of trepidation in doing this in my classes. I think it is mostly out of fear that at the middle school level there would be less motivation to try like these authors had in college level courses. Maybe it is a control issue on my part,  Thanks for your post.

Curt Isakson's AR Project Blog: Week Two Reading - The Art of Possibilities

(Posted by Curt Isakson on Tuesday, April 5, 2011) One of the most compelling points bought across in this book, and what has stuck with me the longest, was the concept of giving an ‘A’ for a particular project to free one-self of the grade, and to let a person fully experiment, fail, or succeed without the worry of getting a bad grade.  I believe this can be a wonderful way of letting loose the chains that bind us creatively.

I find myself in this course having to make decisions about whether I do what I really want to do (which usually is more involved), or just make sure I fit the criteria for the grade.  Many times I have made the conclusion that I want the grade and have not taken it as far as I wanted to.  The projects I am most proud of though are the ones that I really didn’t care about the grade and did what I felt was right in my mind.

This course has used this concept many times, and I use this same idea in the classes I teach.  A ‘no-fail’ approach to some of my learning environments really brings out the best in my students. 

EDM613 Wk1, post 4: Free Write - ARP Intro

The following was the opening of my literature review and also is intended to be my introductory paragraph for my final paper for the Full Sail EMDT ARP. I welcome any and all comments and critiques:

Photo by Jason Peglow (2010)

In 2007, the Department of Education and its affiliates released a national report card detailing the results of student writing proficiencies in eighth and twelfth grades. Eighty-eight percent of students at the eighth grade level performed at or above the basic writing proficiency level, thirty-three percent scored at or above proficient, and only two percent achieved advanced in their writing proficiency (National Assessment of Educational Progress, 2007). Between the 2002 assessment and the 2007 assessment, the proficiency score had only increased one percentage point from thirty-two percent at or above proficient to thirty-three percent at or above proficient, and it remained fixed at two percent advanced.

The Department of Education noted that by 2014 every student must achieve academic proficiency (NCLB, 2001). With the demand for one hundred percent proficiency slated for 2014 and with sixty-seven percent of the nation’s students currently scoring below proficient in writing, there has been a pedagogical need to find effective techniques to implement in lessons and curricula to boost writing scores and raise student proficiencies. Lam and Law (2007) identified a direct correlation between low student interest towards the traditional writing process and poor writing performance. Clayton, Blumberg, & Auld (2010) explained that although the lack of student motivation negatively effecting student performance in academics was not entirely a new revelation, it did raise the question as to what factors were needed in the 21st century classroom to raise student interest in writing which would correlate to raising academic writing proficiencies as well.

Works Cited:

Clayton, K., Blumberg, F., & Auld, D. P. (2010). The relationship between motivation, learning strategies and choice of environment whether traditional or including an online component. British Journal of Educational Technology, 41(3), 349-364. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?hid=113&sid=15efb7c7-4949-44f9-b518-9cc9b47b59fa%40sessionmgr110&vid=42

Lam, S., & Law, Y. (2007). The roles of instructional practices and motivation in writing performance. Journal of Experimental Education, 75(2), 145-164. doi: 10.3200/JEXE.75.2.145-164

National Assessment of Educational Progress. (2007). Writing report card. The Nation’s Report Card. Retrieved from http://nationsreportcard.gov/writing_2007/w0003.asp?tab_id=tab1subtab_id=Tab_1#chart

NCLB. (2001). No child left behind act. Retrieved from http://www2.ed.gov/nclb/landing.jhtml

EDM613 Wk1, post 3: Response to Angela Alipour

Photo by Jason Peglow (2004)

@ Media Asset Creation Blog (original post by Angela Alipour on March 31, 2011)

The more I hear about copyright and people's opinions the more I begin to think about other reasons besides money. Don't get me wrong, I totally think money has A LOT to do with most people's reasoning for taking someone to court over illegal use of their work. However, not ALL cases are about the money. For example, someone who designs something in memory of their loved one and then sees that design being used as a death metal band's symbol on an album might cause a copyright dispute. I guess what I mean to say is money has a lot to do with it, but sometimes people want their creations or expressions to mean something and protect it from meaning something else. The only way to protect it is to copyright it. 

Media Asset Creation Blog: Wk 1 Reading

(Posted by Angela Alipour on Thursday, March 31, 2011)

When push comes to shove the copy write laws are all about the money. Who can get the most money and how. What’s wrong with someone taking your work and creating something else out of it as long as they give you the credit for being the inspiration of their creation? Especially when they can make it better. If we can do this with text why not film and music? Don’t those people get paid enough? Actually I think that many of them get overpaid.

One of the people that spoke in the video said that an artist needs copy write laws as an incentive to create. Yeah, right! When someone is creating they are not thinking about copy write laws. They are creating.

With the Fair Use law it’s good to know that there is a law that can cover your behind if you need it too. Of course it has to meet the criteria of critical comment, teaching, parody, and news reporting. Even under these circumstances one needs to be careful.

I was happy to know that Creative Commons is available for creators. The saying two brains are better than one is what came to mind when I saw this video. Sharing a personal idea or creation with another person can sometimes cause the other person to elaborate on that idea and the final result can be spectacular.

As I’ve been watching more and more videos about this I find that the music industry seems to have a real issue about copy writing. Wish I would have known about Creative Commons during the FSO music class.

EDM613 Wk1, post 2: Response to Klytia Burcham

Photo by Jason Peglow

@ Copyright, Copyright, What art thou copyright? (original post by Klytia Burcham on Wed, 3/30/11)
I absolutely agree that one of the roots of the copyright argument is the money. Whether it be greed or sustainability, money is one of the reasons why there is a copyright law. However, I think your question about the purpose of sharing one's art, "But isn't there goal of sharing their art to have it influence others?", is the other root of the law. People express themselves for a variety of reasons, but self expression is a very personal thing. To have your thoughts, beliefs, or feelings altered and possibly in a way that goes against your own is hard to accept. Protecting your expression allows you to determine who and how it they can be manipulated. But, I also think that the latter reason for the copyright law is far less predominant that the money reason...unfortunately.
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Blogging with Burcham: Copyright, Copyright, What art thou copyright?

(Posted by Klytia Burcham on Wednesday, March 30, 2011) When I think of copyright issues, I think of the I-tunes vs. Napster issue.  However, it all boils down to whether or not you can completely own intellectual content.  I like the professor who wrote books in the video Good Copy, Bad Copy that stated he knew that students would be processing information  and therefore using some of what his content was.  That copyright was there to protect another author from publishing the same book.  Why then are the other arts so different?

The intention of copyright is to protect the artist from someone stealing their art.  Some would argue that copyright actually inhibits creativity because an artist is not allowed to alter something else he/she sees in their environment and more importantly can not be influenced from a fellow artist to be inspired by it.  This idea is called sampling and a couple of recent genres of music are based on it.  It seems to me that sampling and the concept of fair use are directly opposite from one another.  Fair Use states that you may use a small part or idea from a piece, but not enough to take away from the whole; the article said 5%.  Yet sampling says that you may not take any part or small section from a song, even if it is then distorted, without breaking copyright law.

So why is copyright law different for text compared with video and audio?  Could it be because very few are making money from the information that is synthesized and used from the text book?  Yet, the video and audio that may be altered, slightly used to influence a different piece of audio or video can make a lot of money.  I believe that it all boils down to money.  I believe that there is a need for copyright law.  That artist need to have a way to protect their product from being taken from them.  But isn't there goal of sharing their art to have it influence others?  So again, as in so many issues that polarize our nation, America needs to find a balance between these two extreme camps on copyright.

EDM613 Wk1, post 1: Reading - Copyright Issues

Photo by Jason Peglow (2011)

After viewing all the videos for this week's copyright issues assignment, I am still very confused by all the aspects of copyright even in the black and white areas. I can see both sides of the issue and find my self getting angry and sympathetic about copyright. At one point people enforcing copyright are money-grubbing tyrants, but then I quickly chastise myself thinking it was their creation so they deserve some credit and if not it really is stealing. I even tried to understand Bush's 2002 TEACH law to see how it protected teachers and couldn't really decipher that one either.

Also, as simplistic as Creative Commons makes it to share and use each others' works, I find it is still hard to navigate around the site to find what the actual requirements are to use something. For this reason I find myself shying away from even trying to use anything that is not created by me. I try to take my own photos, mix my own music with loop software, and refuse to post anything suspect.

There were a lot of videos in this lesson that I enjoyed, but Larry Lessing's TED video really stood out for me. His comment about the growing extremism about copyright - with the youth (the copyright abolitionists) on one side and the law (stringent auto-takedowns) on the other - was the depiction of every generational conflict. The youth revolt against the machine so that they can build a bigger and better machine that will be revolted against by the generation after theirs. It is the nature of youth to fight "the man." Youth revolts are how societies change stagnant old culture. I just hope this revolt is more peaceful than some others in our history.

As this copyright war rages on, I think I will go back and see if I can scrounge up some of those old cassette tapes I made when I was a kid where I pirated music off the radio and then strap on my eye patch from my Halloween costume last year ... Arrgh! Hoist the Jolly Roger me matey!