Poetry Turing Test
1 year ago
Monday, June 28, 2010
ISTE2010 in Denver
Today is the first full day of regular sessions at ISTE in Denver. I am thrilled to find that many of the sessions will either be live-streamed or available on demand via ISTEVision.
I never was afforded the opportunity to attend too many of these types of events – the closest I ever came was the Ohio eTech Conference , previously known as Ohio Schoolnet. These gatherings are primarily a venue for Ohio teachers who are technology enthusiasts to share what they are doing with the tools and resources to enhance their classroom experiences. The ISTE conferences are so much more than this, although the educators there are definitely technology enthusiasts.
Right now there is an event streaming – and if I wanted to participate by asking questions or making comments, I could create a profile. The presentation I am listening to is about using and embracing the connectedness of students – how to leverage it, and how to best encourage it. Fascinating – amazing- and so counter to what was going on in classrooms only a few years ago. It has become accepted that technology pervades a student’s life – now it is the job of educators to use this fact to the best advantage of education.
I will post more as I virtually participate through the end of the event on Wednesday. It will be a very engaging and enlighting several days.
Until later, all the best to you
v
I never was afforded the opportunity to attend too many of these types of events – the closest I ever came was the Ohio eTech Conference , previously known as Ohio Schoolnet. These gatherings are primarily a venue for Ohio teachers who are technology enthusiasts to share what they are doing with the tools and resources to enhance their classroom experiences. The ISTE conferences are so much more than this, although the educators there are definitely technology enthusiasts.
Right now there is an event streaming – and if I wanted to participate by asking questions or making comments, I could create a profile. The presentation I am listening to is about using and embracing the connectedness of students – how to leverage it, and how to best encourage it. Fascinating – amazing- and so counter to what was going on in classrooms only a few years ago. It has become accepted that technology pervades a student’s life – now it is the job of educators to use this fact to the best advantage of education.
I will post more as I virtually participate through the end of the event on Wednesday. It will be a very engaging and enlighting several days.
Until later, all the best to you
v
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Friday, June 25, 2010
Positive Language – Negative Language: The Slippery Slope
I just eavesdropped on a conversation in the common kitchen area in the office where I work. Two co-workers greeted each other as they both entered the area to make use of the facilities, and the female said to the male “How are you doing? Are you doing anything fun over the weekend?” Seems like a very positive and upbeat beginning to a short pleasant and superficial conversation, right? Well, here is how it progressed:
Male: “Well, we’re not doing much of anything this weekend, but NEXT weekend we are going camping.”
Female: “Oh, camping – and next weekend – that will be over Fourth of July. That will be a long weekend! Are you an avid camper?
Male: “Yes – we are looking forward to it – and the long weekend. Yes, since I was a little kid, my family have been very active campers. How about you – do you camp at all?”
Female: “Yes – my husband and I used to camp. We had a camper, and my husband was the one who did all the set up and such. It was always such a chore for him and it took hours to get everything set up before he could even enjoy any of it. We only did it for a short while – it was just too much work.”
Male: “Yes – I can totally understand that.”
Female: “ ...and it is such a pain to set up or tear down everything when it is hot or is raining....”
Male: “Yep – you’re sure right about that. Well, have a good day.” (Leaves with coffee)
I didn’t look at the people during the exchange, and didn’t have to. You can look at the words on the page and tell where the faces of the people changed from pleasantly smiling and conversational to sullen, serious and opinionated. The effort that the female felt compelled to make to engage a fellow employee in polite conversation quickly deteriorated to a negatively-toned conversation about the downfalls of an activity that the male was obviously enthusiastic and excited about. Needless to say, were I the male, I would store the information I learned away for future reference – no sharing camping stories with this female co-worker.
This is a story that generously supports a strategy that I whole-heartedly agree with and try very hard to practice in my daily life. Use positive words. If you use positive words, your INSIDES will FEEL positive – your mind will feel calmer and more clear, your heart will feel more full and your attitude will be more kind and generous.
I came to this after a very good discussion with a person I know who illustrated how NEGATIVITY comes to manifest in people...anger inside becomes a physical stance of negativity (slouched shoulders, clenched fists, frowns and the physical feeling of hot anger in your stomach or tightness in your chest). The physical manifestation of negativity causes physical actions and reactions to situations that are negative (a guy pulls in front of you in traffic, you flip him the “bird”) and also causes you to use negative words (when you curse the guy out while you flip him the bird). By interrupting these things and making the conscious decision to change to a positive approach(breathe deep and calm yourself, allow others to make mistakes and don’t make them a personal affront to you, and THINK about the words you use), you can keep yourself from falling into the negativity trap and ending up being the Eeyore or “Debbie Downer” in your conversations and encounters. I know from my own experiences that now that I am really thinking about this, I am more sensitive to when conversations are heading in that direction, and I now proactively try to use positive language to “lift” myself and the person I am talking to, so that we don’t head down that very slippery negativity slope.
Well, that’s it for now...think happy, think positive and so you shall be.
Lots of love to you
v
Male: “Well, we’re not doing much of anything this weekend, but NEXT weekend we are going camping.”
Female: “Oh, camping – and next weekend – that will be over Fourth of July. That will be a long weekend! Are you an avid camper?
Male: “Yes – we are looking forward to it – and the long weekend. Yes, since I was a little kid, my family have been very active campers. How about you – do you camp at all?”
Female: “Yes – my husband and I used to camp. We had a camper, and my husband was the one who did all the set up and such. It was always such a chore for him and it took hours to get everything set up before he could even enjoy any of it. We only did it for a short while – it was just too much work.”
Male: “Yes – I can totally understand that.”
Female: “ ...and it is such a pain to set up or tear down everything when it is hot or is raining....”
Male: “Yep – you’re sure right about that. Well, have a good day.” (Leaves with coffee)
I didn’t look at the people during the exchange, and didn’t have to. You can look at the words on the page and tell where the faces of the people changed from pleasantly smiling and conversational to sullen, serious and opinionated. The effort that the female felt compelled to make to engage a fellow employee in polite conversation quickly deteriorated to a negatively-toned conversation about the downfalls of an activity that the male was obviously enthusiastic and excited about. Needless to say, were I the male, I would store the information I learned away for future reference – no sharing camping stories with this female co-worker.
This is a story that generously supports a strategy that I whole-heartedly agree with and try very hard to practice in my daily life. Use positive words. If you use positive words, your INSIDES will FEEL positive – your mind will feel calmer and more clear, your heart will feel more full and your attitude will be more kind and generous.
I came to this after a very good discussion with a person I know who illustrated how NEGATIVITY comes to manifest in people...anger inside becomes a physical stance of negativity (slouched shoulders, clenched fists, frowns and the physical feeling of hot anger in your stomach or tightness in your chest). The physical manifestation of negativity causes physical actions and reactions to situations that are negative (a guy pulls in front of you in traffic, you flip him the “bird”) and also causes you to use negative words (when you curse the guy out while you flip him the bird). By interrupting these things and making the conscious decision to change to a positive approach(breathe deep and calm yourself, allow others to make mistakes and don’t make them a personal affront to you, and THINK about the words you use), you can keep yourself from falling into the negativity trap and ending up being the Eeyore or “Debbie Downer” in your conversations and encounters. I know from my own experiences that now that I am really thinking about this, I am more sensitive to when conversations are heading in that direction, and I now proactively try to use positive language to “lift” myself and the person I am talking to, so that we don’t head down that very slippery negativity slope.
Well, that’s it for now...think happy, think positive and so you shall be.
Lots of love to you
v
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Been taking the "whimpy way out"?
OK - so I have been looking back at several blogs that I have had in past years and have come to feel pretty disappointed in myself for taking the easy way out on blogging by making this an almost entirely photo blog. Although I do dearly love taking and posting photos from my beloved BlackBerry, it definitely could be construed as a less than optimal way to connect with possible readers and create content that piques interest and starts conversations. I HAVE been able to rationalize this process however as a suitable substitute for writing about what I am doing, as it is about as unbiased as it could possibly be...pretty much "I am here", "I see this". The day-to-day stuff is probably not nearly as engaging or exciting, unless I were to win the lottery or something (and I would be a moron to write about it on a blog!) The days come and go, melting one into the other, but in a few precious moments every now and then, I see something that makes me smile or go "OH, my!" and brings me back to the moment, stopping the ever-quickening passage of time.
So, from time to time I think I will probably feel guilty enough to post a regular blog article about something if it really seems important to me, otherwise my BB will do the talkin' for me, and you will be able to go where I go, as long as there is cell service or a free Wifi spot.
till later -
"May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back,
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon your fields,
And until we meet again,
May God hold you
In the palm of his hand."
v
So, from time to time I think I will probably feel guilty enough to post a regular blog article about something if it really seems important to me, otherwise my BB will do the talkin' for me, and you will be able to go where I go, as long as there is cell service or a free Wifi spot.
till later -
"May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back,
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon your fields,
And until we meet again,
May God hold you
In the palm of his hand."
v
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