The Buccaneers by Edith Wharton and completed by Marion Mainwaring

I have long wanted to read Edith Wharton and finally took the plunge this past summer. Perhaps I shouldn't have begun with an incomplete novel, but the title intrigued me. And Wharton's biographers on Wikipidia included a description of this novel that sounded promising. The plot sounds romantic and interesting and describes life in the upper classes in America in the 1870s. I thought it would help me understand more about this time period. Unfortunately, it did not. The novel focuses almost exclusively on the characters, their conversations, and their actions. But the characters are not seen particularly closely; there's a real distance there. It felt almost like these people were strangers. Their lives were focused on status, position, and money. It was really quite depressing in many ways. I kept wondering, when will they wake up and get real? They never did, and perhaps that's one of the points Wharton was trying to get across. I'm not sure. It was not one of those books I found particularly engaging; however I was able to finish it and say, ho hum. Guess it's over. The supposed wit and irony Wharton is known for was completely lost on me. Will I try this author again? Perhaps...but not anytime soon.

Choose to Learn: Teaching for Success Every Day by Russell T. Osguthorpe and Lolly S. Osguthorpe

These authors are incredible people, so it's not surprising their book is, too! I love the Osguthorpe's, and got to know them when they presided over the Rapid City Mission for three years. Their love and enthusiasm comes across in this "tiny but mighty" book. Russ teaches at BYU and Lolly teaches sixth grade, so they alternate voices and examples in the book, giving plenty of variety in experiences and levels.

They assert that learning and success are inseparable. A powerful idea that has changed my thinking...

They take "The Three D's of Success" (Desire, Decision, and Determination) and illustrate how to use them to achieve success--all kinds of success. I think it's a good template for changing, overcoming addiction, or whatever you want to LEARN.
Here are some of my favorite quotes:
"Do your very best and your best gets better." (page 88)
"...excuse-making is limiting their own power to choose. Each excuse a person makes causes success to be a little farther out of reach...Those who choose to learn choose not to whine. Rather, they find ways to solve the seemingly unsolvable. They work their way to success in spite of any obstacle that confronts them." (page 91)
"We are always moving in the direction of our most dominant thought." (quoting Waitly, on page 9)

I also appreciated Chapter Two that differentiates between PRESSURE and URGENCY. One creates stress and the other creates energy. This is a great dichotomy that has helped my thinking.

The Osguthorpe's gifted us this book in 2009, and I've read it and reread it over and over. It's one of my "go to" books for motivation and direction.

The Art of Possibility by Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander

This book was recommended to me by Lois Zachary, mentoring guru, who was in South Dakota recently advising us on one of our projects. After she recommended this book to our group, she told me, "It reads like buttah!" She was right! It's very insightful in so many ways, and it's a joy to read. Each chapter has a different "practice" that helps transform one's life and thinking. It's very accessible and full of great little stories. I love the music metaphors!
One of the more powerful ideas is, "It's all invented!" The practice goes like this: Ask yourself, "What assumptions am I making, that I am not aware that I'm making, that gives me what I see?" And after you answer that question, you ask this one: "What might I now invent, that I haven't yet invented, that would give me other choices?" This line of thinking opens up all kinds of possibilities!
Something I underlined: In the measurement world, you set a goal and strive for it. In the universe of possibility, you set the context and let life unfold." I'm pondering this one to see how it might apply to my driven self!
Other ideas in this book coincide very nicely with one of my all-time favorite books: Bonds That Make Us Free: Healing Our Relationships, Coming to Ourselves by C. Terry Warner. The me vs. we, the barriers we build, etc., etc. Powerful ideas that have transformative powers if I would live them! When I do, I feel their power!
Rule #6 is also a delight--to take yourself lightly. Remember this one!
A very motivating chapter is called "Giving an A" and would resonate not only with teachers, but with everyone! I liken this idea to unconditional love, and the authors give wonderful examples of how this plays out in individual reactions to being loved and motivated this way. Here are some quotes I underlined in this chapter:

• Standards can help us by defining the range of knowledge a student must master to be competent in his field. It is not in the context of measuring people's performance against standards that we propose giving the A, despite the reference to measurement the A implies. We give the A to finesse the stranglehold of judgment that grades have over our consciousness from our earliest days. The A is an invention that creates possibility for both mentor and student, manager and employee, or for any human interaction. The practice of giving the A allows the teacher to line up with her students in their efforts to produce the outcome, rather than lining up with the standrads against these students. In the first instance, the instructor and the student, or the manager and the employee become a team for accomplishing the extraordinary; in the second, the disparity in power between them can become a distraction and an inhibitor, drawing energy away from productivity and development.

Early in the book, on page 21, this quote stopped me in my tracks: "In the measurement world, you set a goal and strive for it. In the universe of possibility, you set the context and let life unfold." Definitely food for thought for this goal-driven person!!!

One place where I strongly disagree was with Roz when she advised one of her clients to ask her mother for money...although it illustrated her point of opening up possibilities, I don't agree that giving money helps those who don't seem to manage it well. Just had to go on record here about that!

I have really enjoyed picking up this book for an uplift from time to time, and now that it's all marked up, I enjoy it even more. My friend June sent this book to her musician son, who knows Ben, so his reaction will be very intriguing!

Inevitable: Mass Customized Learning by Charles Schwahn and Beatrice McGarvey

My working notes...

Why do schools exist?

Ready for life? What are the spheres of learning?

FIN paper

Know, be able to do, and be like if they are going to lead a successful economic life…

Quality is defined by how this looks…

Organizational effectiveness model – Invevitable is – so business people and leaders “get it” quickly.

Education Research and Organizational Effectiveness – these two entities are synergistic!

Are your children (grandchildren) reaching their fullest potential? – great starting point!

This is cost-neutral. Start-up may be more, but otherwise MCL should be comparable to what we are doing now.

Pyramid of costs – x, 10x, 100x

Cost factor of products when they are in design, in production, and then in distribution—if you need to fix something…compare that to kids!

Strategic design – the work; implementing the design is the heavy lifting. Alignment, etc.

What is my leverage point in building understanding or implementing MCL? What are my next learning targets?

Book studies – next step for school boards…

Adjunct faculty on the internet

Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay

My friend Mary is so generous with her books! She handed me this one on my way to a family reunion, and it was the perfect inflight read. It's the story of how the French police rounded up Jewish families and children during the German occupation of World War II. It is a novel, but it's an accessible way to learn about the tragic events in this dark part of France's history. While it was hard to read of the hardships these people suffered, it doesn't go into these hardships deeply enough... What I mean is, it's a disturbing but somewhat shallow treatment. The author tells two stories, one old and one modern, and then brings the stories together. She has the annoying habit of drawing out and repeating phrases when I wished the story would just move on. One the plus side, the Parisian setting in the modern story was enjoyable and recognizeable. The characters were fairly flat and predictable... that was disappointing. Overall, it helped me learn about some interesting history, but I wouldn't recommend it as being particularly compelling or memorable.

Drive by Daniel Pink

Drive notes – Daniel Pink

Carrots and Sticks: The Seven Deadly Flaws

1.      They can extinguish intrinsic motivation

2.      Then can diminish performance

3.      They can crush creativity

4.      They can crowd out good behavior

5.      They can encourage cheating, shortcuts, and unethical behavior

6.      They can become addictive

7.      They can foster short-term thinking

From the flowchart on page 69:

Concentrate on building a healthy, long-term motivational environment that pays people fairly and that fosters autonomy, mastery, and purpose. Avoid “if-then” rewards in almost all circumstances. Consider unexpected, noncontingent “now that” rewards. And remember that those rewards will be more effective if:

1.      They offer praise and feedback rather than things people can touch or spend

2.      They provide useful information rather than an attempt to control

P. 174: “We’re bribing students into compliance instead of challenging them into engagement.”

P. 178: Offer praise the right way (Carol Dweck):

1.      Praise effort and strategy, not intelligence

2.       Make praise specific

3.      Praise in private – one on one

4.      Offer praise only when there’s a good reason for it

Page 194 – Peter Senge quote:

            “People with a high level of personal mastery are able to consistently realize the results that matter most deeply to them—in effect, they approach life as an artist would approach a work of art. They do that by becoming committed to their own lifelong learning.”

Page 73 – Behavior scientists Deci and Ryan: Human beings have an innate inner drive to:

1.      be autonomous,

2.      self-determined, and

3.       connected to one another.

And when that drive is liberated, people achieve more and live richer lives.

Page 79

Type I behavior is made, not born. These behavioral patterns aren’t fixed traits. They are proclivities that emerge from circumstance, experience, and context. Type I behavior, because it arises in part from universal human needs, does not depend on age, gender, or nationality. The science demonstrates that once people learn the fundamental practices and attitudes—and can exercise them in supportive settings—their motivation, and their ultimate performance, soars. Any Type X (extrinsically motivated) and become a Type I (intrinsically motivated.)

Pink’s 3 elements:

           

1.      Autonomy

2.      Mastery

3.      Purpose

The Motivated Student by Bob Sullo

My notes...

Page 33:

Every time we learn something new, master some difficult concept, or increase our level of competence, we are internally rewarded. When we achieve success, our brains release endorphins…that make us feel good. The natural reward for learning is the good feeling we experience when we accomplish something. Paradoxically, working for external rewards diminishes the power of the internal reward system already wired into us. When we externally reward students in the classroom, we devalue learning and interfere with the body’s natural mechanism for rewarding learning and achievement.

Students thrive on feedback, and letting them know how close they are to achieving individual or group goals is helpful. Because students are naturally driven to achieve, it is helpful for them to see their progress. Keep the charts and posters, but let the excitement of achievement be the reward, rather than contaminating the joy of learning with a movie, pizza party, or even worse, a homework pass… When you recognize and celebrate learning for its own sake rather than providing external rewards, you will support your students’ natural deire to learn.

Monumental difference between rewarding and affirming. Rewarding is externally imposed and unintentionally implies that hard work and learning are not valuable in and of themselves. (p. 34): Affirmation is a very different, powerful way to support the drive to achieve. Ask: How do you feel about that success? Say: You have every reason to be happy and feel proud of yourself. Congratulations. I’m happy for you. This is affirming.

By affirming rather than rewarding, we are helping our students discover that learning feels good and that we are there to celebrate with them. Let them OWN the experience first. Then ensure that they make the connection and support them in their natural desire to become increasingly competent.

Maintain your celebrations, but give up reward programs that diminish the joy and value of learning.

page 38

Quotes Maslow…

All behavior, from birth until death, is purposeful, engaged in so that we can meet five human drives:

1.      To survive and be safe and secure

2.      To connect and belong

3.      To achieve power and competence

4.      To be free and autonomous

5.      To play, enjoy, and have fun

The difference in need strength among our students highlights the importance of differentiated instruction.

Page 39: When we introduce fear into the educational environment, the need for safety and survival dominates the attention of our students, and they are less driven by the need to develop academic competence.

Page 40: Individuals with an especially high need for safety and survival tend to avoid taking risks.

Regardless of the strength of their need to connect, all students have some drive to belong and connect. Since students are driven by a social imperative, effective teachers structure their lessons so students can meet this need while engaging in rigorous academic work. Failure to offer students a chance to interact for long periods only invites off-task behavior that compromises learning.

…you intentionally provide some choice and autonomy within a structure that supports your teaching objectives and the highest academic standards.

Page 48 (summary)

As we live our lives, we encounter people and engage in behaviors that help us satisfy these needs that drive us incessantly. We put need-satisfying people and behaviors, as well as values and beliefs, into our unique internal world, the source of all motivation.

We can move beyond the carrot and stick model of external control psychology and intentionally create environments that will inspire more students to do higher-quality academic work.

Maybe use this process below to brainstorm our project goals with our partners:

Page 155

WDEP – Bob Bubbolding (1989) created this tool:

            W: Identify what you want

D: Determine what you are doing to achieve your goals (both now and in the future (p. 159)

            E: Evaluate your progress

            P: Plan how to maintain your success or improve your performance

Page 160- Remember that effective self-evaluation depends upon both a well-defined picture of what you want and an accurate perception of what is happening. You have to know exactly what you want in order to know if you are being successful. That is why it is necessary that you develop specific goals for yourself. Then, to self-evaluate in a way that promotes growth, you must be completely honest with yourself about how things are going.

What makes the WDEP process such a powerful tool (p. 161) is that it ensures our self-evaluation is conscious. Many people go through life without full awareness of what they want, what they need to do to succeed, if they are being as successful as they would like, and what plans they should make for future action. The WDEP process allows us to bring intentionality and consciousness to our lives.