8/14/2019 What is Strength?

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What isstrength? A strength? How do you get stronger?.

We assume that because we call them ‘strengths’ by definition theyare ‘enough’. I hardly think so, especially in leadership positions. As aleader I am called to be a constant learner who seeks ever more

refined and potent inputs , ideas for my intellection , that I put intopractice through empathy toward my colleagues, student and teacheralike. The bold words above are my five strengths according to

By using your existing strength to lift heavier loads. I, too, will getstronger by using these strengths. Here is how I will develop these intoa pedagogy of strengths.

Input : I yearn to create a satisfying and creative personal learningenvironment. Productivity gurus like David Allen with his GettingThings Done system are my ultimate aim, but I seek to use my

dissertation as a focus forthe input. Since my interests center ontechnology use it makes sense for my inputs to be gathered within atechnology net. I am doing this with a blog ( http://tex2all.com/EdDoc ),a wiki ( http://tex2all.com/wkueddoc/ ), a browser-based bibliographicand research tool ( http://www.zotero.org/ ), a social bookmarking tool(http://www.diigo.com/profile/tellio ), and an information aggregator(http://www.google.com/reader/shared/07325911530332758494 ).

Intellection: I seek to establish networks of like-minded (pun intended)folks to share my interests in Web tools and ideas. I have started towork with K-12 writing teachers ( http://wku-wp.ning.com/ ) while at the

same time reflecting on the community of practice that is developingthere. This is a way to combine my desire for sharing ideas with aneed to think deeply about them by myself. I am sponsoring within myuniversity’s distance learning division a series of technologypresentations that focus on online pedagogy(http://www.wku.edu.libsrv.wku.edu/tsonline/facultyLiaisonSeries.html ) as well as asimilar one for my doctoral cohort whose focus is on using socialnetworking tools for writing the dissertation. I need to push thisstrength out into the wider realm of online pedagogy by becoming apart of the larger world of those who think about and ask questionsabout how we can best use Web tools in higher education. I have

already started this by auditing a massively online course sponsoredby two leaders in the field, George Siemens and Stephen Downes(http://ltc.umanitoba.ca/wiki/Connectivism ). I need to do more. Thisincludes joining a few organizations of interest including systems thinking(http://www.solonline.org/ ) and communities of practice ( http://cpsquare.org/ )groups.

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Empathy: This strength is double edged. It tends to be a face-to-faceability. Extending that skill to peers and students online is my next bigchallenge. Success in my online work with K-12 teachers involved inthe WKU Writing Project’s new web presence will depend upon megrowing this skill as will work in their Leadership Council. How do you

create empathy over a distance? I am currently studying this. In factit will probably be the basis for much of my dissertation work—a studyof effective online communities of practice. It is clear that I need topartner with someone who has strong command skills (my programadviser, Dr. John Hagamanserves as such a one) and another withactivator skills (I am on a quest to find such a person now to help memanage the Writing Project’s website). I also need to put myself in amentoring position to those who might be interested in doing what Iam doing in educational leadership technology.

Learner: I believe humans are defined (or at least this human is) by

the desire to bring in what the poet Ezra Pound called “the news thatstays news”. This is my prime credo in the classroom right next to E.M.Forster’s command to “always connect”. I am always trying to findbetter ways to bring in and redirect input. The new learner is at thecenter of a connected, ‘always on’ universe and, most importantlylearns by making more connections within and outside of the mind.

This insight that our brains exist as much outside of ourselves as withinis the central of connectivismand systems thinking. I seek to be thissituated learner, one who is more and more consciously embedded ina jungle of knowing, what Marvin Minskycalled “a society of mind”. Mygoal is create a system that actively charts my progress in the areas of

systems thinking and social networking systems. I also need to workon creating ‘islands’ of time for intellectual work since I do best when Ican both follow the breadcrumbs of others as well as blaze new trails.

Ideation: I yearn to create new ideas or new combinations of old ideas.I need to create a personal learning environment that is a spawningground for this action. I think that means studying creative people andtrying out their ideas. I am reading Robert Fritz and George Leonard aswell as practicing mindfulness meditation as part of my goal of creating an environment for new ideas to develop.