Week 3: Comment

Week 3 - Post 3 - Personal 20-Percent Time

Posted by Bianca at 7:40 PM

Lifehacker did another posting on Google's 20-percent time. For those of you unfamiliar with the concept, at Google employees are given one day a week to work on whatever projects they feel like. It's basically structured experimentation time and it's worked exceptionally well for Google. Some of Google's best-loved offerings (including Gmail) came initially from the experimentation done in this 20-percent time. In the Lifehacker article today they discussed creating your own personal 20-percent time so as to increase creativity and innovation.

Now that we're coming closer to the end of our program I'm starting to think about what I'm going to use all my spare time for, and some 20-percent time style personal development sounds just about right. The last few years I've been in and out of classes both for my Canadian teaching certification (my original Florida certification didn't transfer over completely) and now for training for my new career in instructional design. I love learning, but I'm getting a bit tired of taking classes mostly for career growth. I'm also a bit sick of grades altogether. I'm thinking of following up Full Sail with some fun non-graded classes just for me. I'm also thinking of working on some fun projects on my own.

Here's a short list of the things I'm planning to work on and learn in the year or so after graduation:

• I promised myself I could take a glassblowing workshop after I finished grad school. I've wanted to do this for years but it's not cheap so I kept putting it off. I deserve a treat after finishing grad school though.
• Nate mentioned a PowerPoint alternative called Prezi that is ridiculously pretty. I'm going to play around with it a lot I think. I also picked up a spiffy program called Timeline 3D in a Mac software bundle I bought up this week. I don't have a need to create timelines for anything right now... but the program is just so spectacular I think I'm just going to have to make things with it anyway just for fun.
• I've been working on a home decorating project as part of my New Year's resolution (shameless plug: here's my blog for it) . I've done a few small projects for it, but once school finishes it's time for the big projects like refinishing a cool (but banged up) vintage vanity, drafting and sewing a slip cover for my currently boring black office chair, and finally matting and framing all the great prints I've bought in the last few years (most of them are from Imaginism Studios, whose work I adore).
• I've gotten a lot more into graphic design since I started at Full Sail. Because of this I just need to bite the bullet and become friends with Adobe Illustrator already.
• Language class time. Which will it be: Spanish (which would make my Abuelita delighted and be useful on Caribbean vacations) or Japanese (which would make readining manga and watching anime easier and would be useful for when I FINALLY go to Japan... and likely blow my life savings in Akihabara)

What I suppose I'm hoping is that these side projects will function to keep me creatively invigorated, which will lead to more innovation both in my personal life as well as my professional work. I'm also hoping some of the side projects I do might have parts that will transfer to other areas of my life as well. It's surprising how this can work sometimes. For example, back in one of our early classes at Full Sail I made a video that was an introduction to Twitter and blogging. Just recently I showed it to my boss as an example of what we could do on our company website, and she pitched the idea to a client of ours who has now contracted us to create a similar video to promote a training program she's leading. Who would have guessed that what I thought was a one-off class assignment would have turned into the opportunity for me to create a promotional video? If I do even more personal creative exploration, who knows what opportunities I'll be able to take advantage of in the future.

1 comments:

Deborah Panttaja said...

Bravo! I am so happy that you were able to take a project you completed here at Full Sail and then by showing it to your boss, you are now creating a promotional video for a client. I know that you will do amazing things in the future. I have always enjoyed watching glass blowers in action. When you do take classes I would love to see the creations you make! With our blogs and Facebook accounts we will all be able to keep in touch and see what amazing things we will contribute to the future.

March 20, 2010 11:08 AM

Week 3: Reading (ch 7)

This chapter was about being present in the moment, despite obstacles or annoyances that exist.  To be present in what is, and instead of complaining about the obstacles in life, recognize that those obstacles are there.  When we recognize obstacles and don't fight them, we then can better understand how to work around or with those obstacles to reach our goal.  If we see an obstacle in the way of our dream and then concentrate on how that obstacle has ruined everything and put a roadblock in the path to our goals, then essentially we give up.  We need to recognize obstacles, and work through them with a positive "can do" attitude in order to reach our goals in life.

Week 3: The Education Network (Media Project)

http://educationnetwork.ning.com/

My media project is still in progress however I am posting this link in case anyone wants to take a peek!

I am creating an educational e-learning network for CA 4th grade students.  Within the network there are groups for Math, Language Arts, Science, and Social Studies.  It will take a lot of time to fully create my educational network, but when finished I would like the network to include all grades, K - 12.

To create my media project, I am using Ning.com, Udutu, and most of the media projects I have created throughout the Master's Degree program.

Week 2 Reading: Being a Contribution

It is such a pity that children grow up trying to meet the expectations of others and feel that they need to succeed in order to be good enough.  Not only do parents sometimes put this idea into the minds of children, but the state tests that loom overhead every year put tremendous stress on children as well.  As a teacher I have had students who were quite upset when receiving anything less than an A+, and that is in elementary school.  They were afraid that they would be a disappointment to their parents.  We need to take the stress off of the children and show them how that in being themselves, and contributing to life in a way that makes their life better, they will be a success.

Week 2 Comment

Ch 6: Rule Number 6.

This is the perfect time to read this chapter! On the verge of finishing the degree, cramming in the thesis, creating a media project, and inventing a final presentation that I’m not quite clear on, which is ok, because I have much to do before then. Zander’s advice? Lighten up. What a relieve. What an idea. I teach high school choir, the queen of drama, topped only by 4^th and 5^th grade choir drama, which I also teach. I am playing out scenarios in my head…how would my students react to this philosophy? Could the drama actually stop? Ah, the possibilities…

It’s sad that the calculating self has so much power and influence in the development of a child’s personality. A personality shouldn’t be developed from a survival mechanism, but through a well-nurtured childhood. What an interesting solution though – to ask oneself what you would need to change in order to be completely fulfilled? This is empowering in that it puts the ball in our court, not other people. We have the con

Publish Post

trol, no one else. What can I change to improve MY life?

Reference:

Zander, B., & Zander, R. S. (2002). The Art of Possibility: Transforming Professional and Personal Life. Boston: Penguin (Non-Classics). (Original work published 1942)

1 comments:

Deborah Panttaja said...

I found this chapter refreshing as well. We are under such pressure now, especially with the Thesis due next week and the Media Project close behind it. I need to remind myself to relax too!

March 13, 2010 8:35 PM

Week 2 Content Proposal

I wish I would have watched the archive before submitting my Content Proposal.  I ended up indenting the paragraphs in the body of the paper.  At least I didn't indent in the Abstract!

Week 2 Wimba Archive

I enjoyed the Wimba session.  There was a lot of good information as to the Content Proposal and the Media Project, as well as what to expect in the rest of this class.