Vignette. I wonder . . .Design: Frode Inge Helland, 1978.

THINGS I WONDER ABOUT…..

How often are we really working in teams – and how it that going?

Sometimes just through the use of the word team, our minds immediately picture a small to medium-sized group of people sitting around a table or gathered in clusters, meeting on some project or task.  Just Google the word team and you will discover that these are the most common images that arise.


But today I just viewed a video sent to me by my best friend and fellow animal lover – which at first seemed unrelated to anything remotely connected to work – when it hit me that we often find ourselves working in ever-changing “teams” as we navigate through our daily routines.  And this seems to most often take the shape of getting with just one other person at a time for this, that and the other thing.

And it got me to wondering….

What might the implications be of such 2-member teams (or interactions) taking shape and occurring at break-net speed throughout an organization, over and over again, on a daily basis?  How might our present understanding of dyadic communication, network theory and even relationship theories help us in our understanding of how differences of ideas and opinions come into play and impact on an organization’s ability to change, develop and transform?

These questions and others of course, seem extremely important and perhaps even daunting on some level, in the overwhelming complexity they reveal as it relates to exploring, identifying and understanding on a deeper level what factors contribute to organizational effectiveness and performance.

But putting aside if only for a moment, what might seem to be complex research questions more appropriate for the serious student or academic world, at the very least I believe the best place to start off any search for new learning is with the simplest of clues available. And so it is in this spirit of keeping things simple that I share forward the video that was shared with me and which got me a-wondering in the first place!

I think it can trigger key insights into 2-way communications (along with some hearty laughter), by showing us how several “couples” with seemingly disparate backgrounds go about tackling a common disagreement in a host of different and creative ways.

As you watch, you might also consider – or wonder about -- the following questions: 

1. What ways do you yourself commonly use to settle a difference of viewpoint when trying to work towards an agreed-upon direction or solution for a particularly challenging task?
2. How do most of your 2-way didactic interactions with other team members and stakeholders end up?

If the video playback is less than ideal when viewing

from this blog, here is the direct link:

 http://youtu.be/G2vfq-KTx8Q

Sharing forward what hopefully will be a few chuckles and some reflection-provoking vibes...

Anna

Caring for Our Culture
edtec central Founder

 

Suddenly Summer: How the best time of the school year is now upon us!

It seems like only days ago that we were bundling ourselves up in winter coats, hats and scarves - at least in the very seasonable state of Michigan.  But at the time, it also seemed like we would never get to the sun and warmth of our state's fabulous summer time period.  Now already into July, and only a few short weeks after the high points and exhilaration of graduation and promotion celebrations, the edtec Team is already preparing for engaging and enlightening summer school "journeys" across all of our school sites

This summer will be one of high intensity learning explorations for all students and creative collaborations between teachers, staff and specialized service providers made possible in part through our 21st Century Community Learning Centers federal grant. For what lies ahead, I asked Cathy Nowosatko, our Project Director for the MetroConnect-YMAC project, to fill us in on some of the exciting things in store for students. Here is what she shared...

Spring Thinking

The Incredible Capability of Self-Renewal

It’s hard to believe we are halfway through March and spring break is just around the corner!

My thought for today -- as we close out another week -- comes from a place deep within.  And it seems to “spring” forth about the same time each year when most all of the snow and ice has melted away and the air smells faintly of the mixture between the spring to come and the departing winter.  And the thought is this…

Nurturing

This past weekend I made a stop in the Dollar Tree and purchased Shamrock Garland for our office Poinsettia. (Yes, you read that correctly we have a Poinsettia that is still alive in March!) While searching for garland for the now “St. Patty’s Day Poinsettia," I was struck with a thought. Typically most poinsettias are dead or dying by January first and are in the trash no later than the fifth. I thought what was different about our office poinsettia? It wasn’t expensive; I purchased it for two dollars at Aldi’s. It wasn’t a new hybrid poinsettia; it was just your average run of the mill Christmas plant, why hadn’t it died yet? The answer hit me as I was checking out. No one had dismissed it as unimportant or not worthy of care because the holiday was over. It had sat on the counter in the sun and it had been watered and cared for daily. Our office staff had not given up on it because a date had passed.

Innovation at work



It is always important to applaud the efforts of our team members. Effective teams build each other up, celebrate success, and support during setbacks. We would like to take this opportunity to recognize and applaud a success of one of our valued team members.

Amy Cole has been with edtec central since 2008. She is the Assessment and Achievement Coordinator for all school sites, overseeing all assessment efforts, data gathering, and training. Her ability to successfully complete her tasks while offering top notch support to both staff and students makes her an invaluable member of our team.

Minute Meditation 2013

I would like to extend a warm welcome back to the entire edtec family.  I hope you each had an enriching holiday and work break, enjoying whatever you chose to spend your time on: whether that be with family, friends or even some “just-for-you” time recharging your battery.

To help kick off the new year, I would like to share a thoughtful verse -- from an anonymous source -- but which recently came to me as part of a daily meditation email I get by virtue of being a student at Benedictine University.  The suggestions provided aptly convey my own hopes and thoughts as we start afresh for 2013.

Minute Meditation

I am inspired and gently coached, several days each month, by virtue of being a student at Benedictine University 

I thought this particular “Minute Meditation,” was especially a propos for this time of the year, and wanted to share with everyone.

I sincerely hope that in some small way, it might

21st Century Students

With the shift coming up to incorporating the Common Core State Standards and teaching 21st Century skills to 21st Century students, it's becoming quite clear that there is a learning curve for educators. I found this short video conceptualized by students in Birmingham, UK, that captures the educational needs of 21st Century students.

- Karen

The A-Ha Moment

The aha moment has been described as a "magical" and "insightful" experience. Whether it is happening to you or someone else, that moment of clarity is motivating. It is a defining instance, often used to gain wisdom and inspire change.

SmartEd Services™ reveals aha moments large and small in this thoughtful video. Share this short film to help turn others' aha moments into teachable moments in 2012.

- Karen

Bring on the Revolution

In this poignant, funny follow-up to his fabled 2006 talk, Sir Ken Robinson makes the case for a radical shift from standardized schools to personalized learning -- creating conditions where kids' natural talents can flourish.

- Karen

Go Team!

I have been a UofM Football fan since I was old enough to hold a football. Although we lived in Spartan country, growing up we were a maize and blue house. One of the people I admire is legendary coach, Bo Schembechler. As a coach, he led the Wolverines to 13 Big Ten titles and 10 Rose Bowl appearances through his intensity, drive, and dedication to the game and the team.

One thing I remember most about Bo was his famous "Team" speech. It is this speech that defines, for me, what it takes to be a part of a team. In his speech, he drives home the point that one person does not make a team. No one on the team is more important than another. Everyone's job is important. In a team, you don't criticize, back stab, or cut each other down. You build each other up and support each other.

We did some of that and will continue to do on our team as we fill each other's buckets, but there is even more to it than that. To be a part of a team,

Bucket Filling

There’s a concept I was first introduced to at one of our schools called “bucket-filling”. I thought the idea was clever, though I was not sure if it was an idea used by that particular teacher or if it was widely used. I did some research and found out that it is not only a method commonly used in schools, but it also is a pretty large trend. Bucket-filling, basically, is showing kindness to others. You can read the story here. Stephen Covey calls this same idea “filling the emotional bank account”. People have emotional bank accounts that others can fill through kind and encouraging words and actions. On the flip side, “bucket-dipping”, or making withdrawals from the account, are negative words or actions to others.

I was doing a lesson in my Sunday preschool class that I teach on kindness, and this seemed like a great way to get the idea across to the 2, 3, and 4 year olds. Let me tell you, they are crazy about bucket-filling. It’s amazing how when you present someone with a concept in a way that is fun and that they can understand how it takes off.

That got me thinking. What if

Renewal

If you live in a place like Michigan, you either love the winter, or you tolerate it. Regardless, by the month of February, most people have experienced at least some level of the winter blahs. Snow piles up, the sun doesn’t shine for days, and the cold starts seeping into your bones. These things piled up with the daily grind of work and everyday frustrations can drag you down. This is the time when effectiveness takes a backseat to survival mode. You see people going about their day-to-day business just trying to survive the winter and whatever cold or flu bug has been passed around for the umpteenth time.

February is the perfect time for “sharpening the saw”. Sharpening the saw means taking time to renew ourselves: body, spirit, heart, and mind. Without taking time to care for ourselves and get refreshed, we begin to lose our effectiveness. We become disillusioned, depressed, and apathetic.

Take time to think about what you can do right now to

A New Energy

Do you ever notice how a group of people have a certain energy? You can walk into a room full of people and feel it. Sometimes it is negative energy. You can feel the tension, discontent, or unease. The larger the group, the bigger the feeling. People feed off of each other, increasing the positive or negative feelings.

This being said, imagine for a moment a group of people gathered that have the same purpose, the same vision, the same passion. People with a common goal and a strong, visionary leader to guide them. Imagine the energy when you walk into that room. The positive vibes, the sense of community and purpose. When a group such as this begins working together, it’s called Synergy. I like to think of it as a

Listen With Your Heart

Listening is about putting others first. I truly believe that being heard is a basic need that we all share. When we do not feel like we are heard, we get frustrated. We do not want to listen to anyone else, because no one is listening to us. We believe that what we have to say is so important, that even when others are speaking, we aren’t really listening but instead are simply waiting our turn to talk. This kind of “fake” listening is not effective for a number of reasons. It damages relationships instead of building them, and no one really gets heard. There is no “win-win”.

I’m reminded of a time when my grandparents were arguing. Each was desperately trying to say something that they thought was important, and they kept getting louder and louder, trying to out-shout the other. What they didn’t realize is that they weren’t really arguing, because they were talking about two completely

A One-Woman Show

One of edtec's multi-talented employees recently had a performance of a lifetime. She shared her reflections on that experience with our team, and so we share them with you. Enjoy.

"I recently performed my one woman show “Bag Lady” at the YMCA on November 20. I told my story through the purses that I’ve carried throughout my lifetime. It’s not easy putting yourself out there to the world sharing my secrets and my joys with others. I was very nervous, although I’ve done this twice already. Yet I wanted people to know that we can heal our emotional wounds. I was so grateful that the staff of edtec Central was there right in the front row of the show supporting me. I would like to thank you all for first of all taking time to spend an evening with me and second for just being such warm, supportive and dynamic people. May this holiday be filled with love as you look at your life and the blessings you’ve received over the years. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart, thank you.

Kim Kelsey"

If you would like more information about Kim's show "Bag Lady" or just about Kim, you can visit her blog at http://www.kimkelsey.blogspot.com

- Karen

Can You See Like This?

It's so important to take a step back at times and think about the things we don't take the time to see. Shifting your paradigm, the way you see the world, can make such a difference in your life. Attitudes can change, your mood can change, and the way you treat others can change.


In a blog I ran across recently, there was a great commentary about making a paradigm shift in your life. The video that accompanies it is truly powerful. Please take a moment to read the blog and view the short video. It will change the way you see the world and the people around you.


You can read the blog here.

- Karen

A Winning Attitude

November is the perfect time to be putting some extra thought into habit 4: Think Win-Win. It was the recent election that got me thinking about the power of positive thinking and a win-win attitude. I stopped at my usual coffee shop on my way to work the morning after the election, and in front of me in line, a lady was ranting and raving about the election results. This woman was fired up and extremely angry, letting anyone and everyone in the store know about how she felt about the fact that nothing is going to be accomplished (in her mind) that will be good for Michigan. Being the habit-minded person I am, I could have noted to the lady that she was not being very proactive by venting her politically-induced frustration on a store full of strangers.

Instead, I thought about the common belief that so many Americans have that nothing much gets accomplished in government when party control shifts so much and the balance of power so often holds up new legislation and forward progress.

Wouldn’t it be great, I thought, if politicians had more of a “win-win” attitude? Thinking win-win isn’t about

Changing Education Paradigms

Take a look at this video about changing education paradigms. This insightful video will change the way you look at education.

- Karen

Put First Things First

It is easy to recall what your priorities are when someone asks, but how often do we consciously think about our priorities and put them front and center in our daily lives? In the daily race to get things done, we often hear the complaint that there isn’t time for the important things we want to do. By the time the little yet time-consuming tasks are completed, there is no time left for the things on which we would really like to spend our time.

There is a solution to this frustrating cycle: put first things first. When we focus first on our main priorities, we find that not only do we have more time left to fit in the smaller tasks, but we also feel more fulfilled. This sense of satisfaction makes perfect sense. The things that we identify as our main priorities, those that we want to focus on, are the things that

Begin With the End in Mind

Beginnings are scary sometimes. They can be filled with uncertainty and questions. What is going to happen next? Where do we begin? Who is going to handle what tasks and when and how? Questions like this need to be answered, that is for sure, but there are other, more important questions that can remove some of the doubt and uncertainty and lead to efficiency and goal attainment.

Coming into a new situation or looking in from the outside, sometimes things appear disorganized, as if there is no direction. Remember that old saying about the chicken running around with its head cut off? Does your

Be Proactive

How often do we come home after a long day of working and feel exhausted? Maybe the day began badly and just spiraled out of control from there. It was one thing after another and soon we felt irritable, frustrated, and just plain in a bad mood. That bad mood then spilled over into our personal life at home, affecting our families and others around us.

The key to preventing this kind of scenario can be summed up in one simple word: choice. We have the freedom to choose how we will respond in any given situation. We can take the time to pause and think about our response. We can be proactive instead of reactive.

When we are reactive, we blame; we make excuses; we are the victim.

When we are proactive, we choose; we are in control; we are positive.

Being proactive is about changing your attitude, your language, and your focus. When you focus on what you can control, you have more chance of success and less chance of frustration taking over. As you become

The Paradoxical Commandments

I found this by accident while reading a Detroit News blog -- "Going Home. A Journal About Detroit's Neighborhoods." Michael Happy is a regular contributor and also involved in a group dedicated to revitalizing Fletcher Field, a park in the neighborhood in which he himself grew up. You can find the blog here:

While reading through Michael's posts, I came across the following (which someone had mailed to him anonymously) just at the right time:

"The Paradoxical Commandments"

1. People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.

    Love them anyway.

2. If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.

    Do good anyway.

3. If you are successful, you win false friends and true enemies.

    Succeed anyway.

4. The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.

    Do good anyway.

5. Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.

    Be honest and frank anyway.

6. The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.

    Think big anyway.

7. People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.

    Fight for a few underdogs anyway.

8. What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.

    Build anyway.

9. People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.

    Help people anyway.

10. Give the world the best you have an you'll get kicked in the teeth.

    Give the world the best you have anyway.

According to Michael's post, the Paradoxical Ten Commandments was penned by Dr. Kent M. Keith, in 1968.  Many others attribute these time-honored principles to Mother Theresa. No matter the original source, they offer us plenty to think about as we go about our daily lives.

Anna Amato

President & CEO

edtec central