MAC Wk 4 Pub/ Leadership Part 2

Publishing and Leadership MAC Blog Part 2

As I've done some further research over the last few days, I am growing more excited to apply for an opportunity to present at next year's MEIEA annual conference.

First, the conference is in California. In April. As a Minnesota resident, the need to escape the snow, ice, and sub-zero temperatures by April of every year is beyond description.

Secondly, I think I've found a valuable angle and niche from which to approach my application. While the bulk of my Action Research was very reflective and personal in nature, my experience with the South by Southwest Music Conference could be presented as a "new models for off campus studies" topic which would have a much larger potential audience or application.

As it stands, my SXSW experience was almost a Cycle 1.5 type of activity. Throughout my whole project, I've been researching methods by which to improve student engagement in large group environments. Midway through my cycles, I had the opportunity to lead an off-campus studies trip, and almost simply due to the timing of the experience, I was able to use the trip as another "case study" or data cycle for leveraging technology in order to increase engagement in the classroom. Granted, in this case, the classroom happened to be an open environment (the city of Austin, Texas), but many of the same considerations applied.

Since so many colleges and universities offer off-campus activities, I believe my experience using technology in order to maintain academic rigor, monitor student well being, and encourage learning goals through the development of multimedia while at last year's SXSW event might be of value to others who are thinking of leading such excursions.

In the near term, I'm going to work on collecting my notes and data from that experience and formulate what we learned into a presentation application. With fingers crossed, I hope to share the results with all of you next spring. From California. Where it is warm.

MAC Wk 4 Blog 3

In a post this week, Sharon Jones was responding to the very powerful perspective of "WE" in our book this week. Her comments can be found here and my response is below.

Sharon,

I too have to admit that I found the "WE" perspective from the Art of Possibility extremely valuable to reflect upon. Not just for myself, but for my students as well.

One of my favorite quotes that I've used in the classroom almost every semester is an old joke from Roy Rogers which runs along the lines of, "I couldn't last a day without everyone".

Its true. When we think about it, especially in a developed economy such as ours, our communities are so intertwined with the lives and work of thousands of others. From those at the electric company, to those maintaining our roads, our society is certainly one created, supported, and stabilized through the collective efforts of a "WE" majority.

Not only is this concept of value, but I've also learned to appreciate a derivative version of "I" as well. Every moment, our bodies, lives, and minds and in motion. We learn, perceive, and react differently with each passing moment as both memory and stimuli shape our conscious environment. When examined from this angle, how much of a concrete identity does a single individual hold in a life that by its nature is dynamic? Thus, I try to remind my students that they are not children anymore, nor do I judge them or harbor ill will from a classroom misstep that might have happened a week ago.

While I'm not espousing a blind and unaware life path, we should not be held back by our historic choices or place in life, nor should we ignore that our world is one of a collective and much is owed to those who support and nurture us and many can conversely benefit from our reciprocal efforts as well.

This was indeed a fun book for the semester. Its been great to share it and explore with you and the rest of the class.

Thanks.

-Scott

MAC Wk 4 Blog 4: Publishing and Leadership

I have a confession to make.

Hello, my name is Scott LeGere, and I am a conference addict.


South by Southwest, MEIEA, the Billboard Music and Money Symposium, the Americana Music Conference, AES, Digital Music Forum East… The list goes on. I have attended many. I love flying to national conferences and having the opportunity to learn and engage with other motivated professionals and educators. You never know who you might be sitting next to in the conference center or lobby, and the excitement and energy of collaborative learning and sharing is quite significant.

However, only recently have I discovered an important trick in conference attendance: if you can finagle your way into a panel discussion or speaking opportunity, the registration badge is often complimentary!~

As such, I'm excited to try and register for next year's MEIEA National Conference as a presenter to speak on my Action Research Project. In the past, I've really enjoyed attending the MEIEA (Music and Entertainment Industry Educators Association) National Conference as the main subject themes of the event correlate directly with the subject areas in which I teach at the McNally Smith College of Music.

Comprised mostly of teachers and instructors from media related institutions, this conference focuses on education within the music and entertainment industry. While not nearly as large as some other national events like SXSW, the attendees are generally very passionate about this subject area and throughout the last few years, I've been able to develop real and lasting relationships with colleagues around the country.

Later this month, I will begin reviewing my AR work to find the most appropriate and compelling angle from which to address my work and build potential interest for attendees. I'm looking forward to the challenge, and I'm excited for the opportunity should it arise.

MAC Wk 4 Blog 2: Comments

Jeff Kohls published a piece in his blog this week that addressed his time here at Full Sail and the relationships we've all built with our classmates. Much appreciate Jeff. Check out his post here, and my comments below:

Jeff,

It is very hard not to comment on such a post when you call out half of your classmates by name. Thank you, and let me respond.

Almost daily, someone asks me about my Masters program here at Full Sail. How's it going? Are you done yet? When will you have any free time again? All of these are constant questions that I field throughout the day. Matter of fact, one colleague is thinking about enrolling in EMDT next fall.

(If I encourage him, do I get a finder's fee?)

And as such, whenever I describe the program, I'm led into the deeper conversation of why I chose to pursue a degree to begin within. While it is difficult to pinpoint the specific inspiration of a moment that was easily 20 months ago, I invariably respond to such inquiries that I was looking to add more concrete knowledge and pedagogy to my own classroom practice.

Furthermore, as I researched a slew of programs, Full Sail's EMDT degree really stood out as it seemed to address educational psychology and curricula design with a technological emphasis. In all honesty, this seemed like an amazing combination that would perfectly fulfill the gaps in my own personal knowledge base around education that I was hoping to develop.

Now, nearing completion of the course, I've learned quite a few things:

1. Online education can be amazingly affective
2. Programs like this are very time consuming
3. "Working around your own schedule" (as so many institutional literature pieces purport is possible) is a misnomer
4. There is an unprecedented amount of resources available in today's modern communication tools to make real and lasting impacts in both analog and digital classrooms

Additionally, my Action Research project has been dealing specifically with technology based learning mechanisms in order to boost student engagement. And as I've worked through the literature, I've discovered that the most crucial element for success of any digitally supported educational initiative is careful and deliberate implementation of those resources. In order to create a portal or interface that really supports the needs of learners, an institution should:

1. Encourage group work
2. Allow participants to share historical and biographical information
3. Foster regular large and small group discussion opportunities
4. Distribute media through a variety of formats
5. Focus on project and media based assignments to complement the program's nature rather than rely on writing assignments alone

In short, the literature suggests that administrations and educators looking to develop a quality digital or distance program would mirror much of what we've experienced here at Full Sail.

It can work. This program has been so personally rewarding (and yes, challenging) that I feel absolutely blessed to have been able to participate and learn in such an environment. And to your post Jeff, without question, this learning and personal growth is directly related to the support, encouragement, and integrity of my classmates.

Collaborative learning doesn't work very well without collaborators. This cohort is truly a talented and passionate bunch who will only continue to make lasting and powerful changes in the lives of their students and coworkers.

Thank you all.

MAC Wk 4 Blog 1: Reading

MAC Wk 4 Blog 1: Reading


I now ride the bus. Every day, I walk 7 blocks to the Downtown Minneapolis 5th Street Station. From there, I catch the 94Express and ride into downtown St. Paul. If I'm a little early (a rare feat), I'm able to grab a seat by the window and sit relatively distraction free from the chaos that can be indicative of public transportation in a major metropolitan area.

I wasn't excited about being a commuter. For the last few years, I've tried to maintain a strict rule of living within a short bike ride or walk from the workplace. Still, when I received an invitation to teach Media Economics at the McNally Smith College of Music, I couldn't refuse the offer.

And so I commute. Initially, I was pretty against the idea. It was going to be inconvenient and take too long. On good days, the trip usually takes about 30 minutes. Yet, come January, I can only assume that a brief snow flurry will easily extend the trip to over an hour making the ordeal even more excruciating.

Yet what I've learned to do is to take this unique opportunity and reframe the experience into an opportunity. This new daily ritual is a break. A breath. And even a chance to read, prep for class, and watch the world go by. As it stands, only two weeks into the school year, I'm enjoying the bus.

In some ways, this process is akin to what the Zanders describe as "being the board"- readjusting your perspective regarding the systems of cause and effect that create specific situations. In this simple case, I've found that over time, this strategy (and the others already prescribed in the Art of Possibility) is real. We can pause, reflect on a situation, and draw from it a more positive conclusion or perspective than we had first held.

In one brief paragraph of analysis, the Zanders spoke of the strong reactionary powers that we have adopted as human beings. It is true, biologically and physiologically we have developed an extremely perceptive ability to sense potential danger. Clearly, this adaptation was instrumental in escaping predators and protecting early communities from danger. However, today, these same powers are likely a contributor to the negative feelings we can harbor towards new situations and events.

Without question, it is imperative that we avoid letting these receptive powers lead us towards a "downward spiral" of behavior or attitude. And, if we take a broader view towards the seemingly seismic changes happening in our schools, workplace, country, and world, our students especially need to be reminded of this concern.

Honestly, I think an excellent title for a teacher today could be that of one who "creates frameworks for possibility". I can see no greater nobility to extend to our young learners. The world is complicated. It is scary. And, being left to one's own devices without a roadmap, support, or self confidence building feedback, I'm sure today's students could develop severely negative opinions of the future and their place in it.

I'm really enjoying reading the Art of Possibility. It is refreshing, and I'm able to bring ideas and quotes straight from my reading into the classroom minutes later… after getting off the bus.

MAC Wk 3 Blog 3

Sharon Jones posted a very poignant blog that I had to respond to this week. Her post can be found here and my comments are below:

Sharon,

You couldn't be more right.

In many ways, I think our country has lost its middle ground. And by that, I mean our space for debate, discussion, and compromise. We seemed to have moved from an era or place of discourse to a populace filled with rebuke and judgement.

I fall into this trap quite easily also. All to often, many conversations with friends and family alike end in my exclamation that, "well yeah, they are idiots!".

As our schools, communities, and country alike are faced with a myriad of challenges, sometimes administrations of all ilk are forced to make specific dogmatic or pragmatic decisions. Within these scenarios, many of us are left out of the decision making process.

For educators, I think being left out of the conversation is exceedingly difficult. The decision to teach is not one borne out of fiscal gain. We teach because we care. Correspondingly, I've found that teachers generally care about a whole host of issues throughout their institutions that they might not have any direct control or responsibility over. This reality only further frustrates those of us that my girlfriend Kelly refers to as "heart" people. It is these very situations that contribute to the "well if I were the boss…" perceptions.

However, Sharon, your closing observations are absolutely spot on. In order to avoid this constant circular behavior and frustration, we need to focus on the small but immensely valuable impact and change that we can create in the classroom every day. Once the bell rings, the room is only occupied by us, and our students. Those small changes, approaches to curricula, perspectives in lesson planning, and technology resources we leverage build upon themselves to create real and lasting impacts for our students.

We can make a difference even if we aren't the boss. Step by step, student by student. Innovative web stream by innovative web stream. Or at least student by student...

MAC Wk 3 Blog 2

John Harvey had a very honest and open post about how difficult rejections and expectations can be. Check his post out here, and see my comments below. Thanks John.


John,

I agree, on several levels.

First, we are faced with rejection from an assortment of daily sources. I have a whole cadre of friends like you: artists, filmmakers, musicians, and other creatives of one ilk or another who are continuously faced with criticism.

However, it seems that despite this barrage of feedback, many of these same keep creating. My guess is that the initial motivation for creating in the first place had nothing to do with feedback or professional acclaim, but a need to share an idea, concept, feeling, or even message.

Your blog post is a perfect example therein. An initial project idea didn't work out, but you went ahead and created something. Not only did you create something, you shared it with all of us while discounting some of the aesthetic and technical aspects. Clearly, the message, not the F-Stop, focus or other technical minutia was the central element you wanted to share.

Personally, I think that when a creative develops some content irregardless of inevitable negative feedback, that creative piece is often the most honest and welcomed by others.

And, to your point that now is the time to start something, I've found that often, "starting" is never easy. Its the most inhibiting process of any project. Our inner voice questions whether anyone will like it, whether we'll be able to repeat an earlier success, or whether we'll never get another gig again.

Yet if we never start, or try once again, we'll never know will we? Trying is difficult. Starting is difficult. But, it can be immensely rewarding, and generally, I've generally found that once I started something, I usually wondered, "what was I so worried about?"

Well done. Thanks for the post.