Week 4 / Blog 1 – “The Art of Possibility” (Chap. 9 – 12)
"We"
This segment of Chapter 12 caused me to pause and reflect on how selfishness has infiltrated many aspects of society over the decades. Years ago, people genuinely cared about other people, and the concept of humanitarianism wasn’t a concept – it was an embedded character. Nowadays, it’s every man for himself, and the selfishness has made its way into the classroom. A few weeks ago, I showed my students how Evernote can help them take more effective notes in the classes. Later that week, as I lectured on information that would be on an upcoming quiz, I noticed quite a few students were absent. I then stated to the class that perhaps they could share their notes, via Evernote, with students who missed the lecture.
You would think I asked them to share toothbrushes by the response I got.
There was no sense of ‘WE’ or teamwork – “let’s make sure WE all do well on this test” – nothing! I have found that students are initially reluctant to perform in ways that contribute to the sense of community. It’s often “these are MY ideas”, “this is how I will design it”, or “MY work is better than yours!”
Thankfully, one of the benefits of using Edmodo for my classes is that it allows students to share ideas, thoughts and resources. Students get a sense of belonging that empowers them to shift from an ‘I-centric’ mindset to a “WE-centric” mindset. I love the three questions posted by this chapter. My hope is to refer to them as I help my students build the teamwork skills that are essential to the creative industry.
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