Dear College of Teachers,

Please find attached my Portfolio in Word Press and a short video documenting my profession and interests.

I am responding to your advertisement in the Sydney Morning Herald.

There are many reasons why I think I would be of value in your school.

According to the professional teaching standards I fulfill all 7 aspects of the key areas.

I have a deeply imbedded knowledge of the subject content. I have completed the ED 4236 Planning Pedagogy and Assessment subject and have been teaching since 1986 in Europe and here in Australia at both primary and secondary levels. I have an excellent overview of the NSW curriculum requirements and I have satisfying knowledge of ICT skills.

My knowledge of and respect for the diverse social, cultural ethnic and religious backgrounds of students and the effects of these factors on learning were enriched by my further studies on Aboriginal culture. I have worked for many years as a therapist in a home for people with physically and mentally disabled children and teenagers here in Sydney and also in Germany.

My communication and classroom management skills were enhanced by the study of the different learning theorists such as Glasser , Gardner and Hattie.

My classes are created in an environment of respect and rapport with and for the students. I assure the safety of students and am trained as a manager of OH&S.

I like to work with my colleages together in a spirit of continuous growth with constructive feedback. I always enjoy stimulating professional development opportunities for refining my teaching practice, and have been actively engaged myself in the field of teacher training for many years now.

Communication with parents and caregivers is an important issue and I strongly believe in good home–school links and open communication with parents. My professional habitus over the years has become smooth and professional with integrity.

The performances I have directed with the students have provided excellent public relations for the school and contributed to the wider community well-being.

Assignment 2
Reflect on how one relates to students in light of the professional requirements of the position of teaching. How does one manage student lifestyle issues, do some initial counseling of students and involve parents in discussion?

In the early years of the 21^st century, people are looking to have the right values in life with the need to restore balance. In a world of uncertainties and overwhelming national and international problems, such as environmental issues, aboriginal reconciliation, the increasing overload of information technology and the shrinking household of one parent families, one needs to revalidate activities such as book clubs, community group activities and any other initiative that satisfies the need for connectedness in us.

This following link shows an interesting and passionate speech given at the UN conference by a 13 year old girl who demands from the adults that they bring more awareness towards the world. It is worthwhile listening to. She speaks for the ‘Environments Children Organization’. She demands that adults must change their ways otherwise WE children lose our future: “You are what you do, not what you say”:

http://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=1&realattid=0.1&attid=0.1&disp=attd&view=att&th=115fa77f2c215e07

This century has also seen the rise of cultural and social fundamentalists who want to introduce more laws to restore our sense of security. Those groups of people think that everything that moves needs to be governed by rules and regulations for the common good. This also restricts those individuals who want to act out of moral choices.

Another factor for consideration comes from our young rising generation of Australians who come with an open mind to incorporate all uncertainties into their world view with a quest for spirituality. They realise that the most precious resource is each other- an attitude with the potential to foster future community development.

The following link shows a paper work titled:’ Australians at a Turning Point’ by Hugh Mackay :

http://www.fola.org.au/news/papers/hughmackay.htm

Considering all these aspects as a professional teacher, one needs to act out of one’s own individual authentic relationship with the social environment. The most essential part- besides knowing and being passionate about the subject one teaches- is to connect with the students and build up a relationship to the needs of the students.

If the teacher wants to make a fruitful connection with students and parents, he/ she needs to know and understand their cultural environment. It is advisable to know “what is driving them” and what they want as a result of an encounter with the teacher.

When having a conversation with parents or students, it is important to keep an open mind, listen, maintain eye contact, ease into an open mode, and let them pour out their hearts before suggesting and advising anything.

Turkish Proverb: Quotes on Communication

If speaking is silver, then listening is gold.

These are the three main points to be considered in relation to students’ circumstances, their needs and complexity while solving issues:

1. General Lifestyle issues

2. Extra Curriculum

3 Social developments

30% of families today live separately with the mothers working part time, doing the chores of the household and bringing children to and from school, hiring babysitters while working and taking care of clothing, food, coping with different houses and so on. The children are often not the focus of the house as such. Besides her part- time work, mum has to be an all-round manager!

As a teacher, one has to provide a caring environment to keep out these hectic, busy and maybe disharmonized lifestyles whilst seeing a bigger vision behind the daily difficulties.

The teacher needs to be aware of the circumstances of each child and it is better to act with understanding rather than being too strict with the rules in the classroom.

The second point raises the issue of activities that happen after school. Students and parents put themselves under a lot of pressure with extra activities like sport, artistic lessons such as playing piano or violin ….or taking up extra lessons in any of the school subjects to achieve higher marks to qualify for University studies.

In the classroom, the teacher needs to create a strong interactive structure. The teacher needs to give students reasons to feel part of a whole team in celebrating with them birthdays and social events and show them that it is worthwhile coming to school by setting up interesting constructivism- orientated lessons. A good teacher will provide an environment of inclusion through activities which embrace the young adults.

The third point gives an insight into student’s social network through their mobile phones, i-pods, internet activities (my space/ facebook etc.). Most students long to belong to a social environment. The teacher needs to take into account the social structure at home, relationship breakups, suffering from being bullied and so on.

Being aware of a change of habit in the student’s behaviour and taking interactive steps is essential. A teacher needs to take the initiative to ring the parents and let them know about changes of behaviour in their child. The teacher needs to show understanding to the situation if the student can’t come on time to class because of training schedules etc. and provide a workable a framework for the situation.

Sometimes the drive of being connected to a group can override the positive qualities for one self. Students are pressured to perform beyond their boundaries to keep up with the ethos of the group. Student behaviour can escalate into extreme actions such as substance abuse, various eating disorders, self-harm and other psychological illnesses.

It is of great necessity to provide a supportive environment in the classroom and sort out problems with the involvement of the students themselves.

The following is good practice for a teacher: apply the 80: 20 rule and find out what the main problems are in the class which fall into the 20% category. Find the 10 main problems and choose the two man issues. Give the students the right to vote so that they have control over the situation. With this kind of involvement, students will solve problems effectively, will feel included and the positive outcome will permeate beyond the classroom environment.

Assignment Three

What is your emerging model of classroom management?
Prepare a written description of your beliefs about classroom management. Include reference to the nature of human beings and how they develop, students’ capacity for self direction, how children and young people react to different situations and treatments , they degree of control or coercion that should be used by a teacher, the degree of choice students are permitted and the role of the teacher. Provide a description of the principles on which you have based your module.

The affairs of the heart are directly connected to the brain and it's the heart's natural intelligence that must be unfolded for the brain to operate with greater efficiency.
Joseph Chilton Pearce, Evolution's End
http://thewellspring.com/TWO/32intellectual_love.html

It is of importance to establish a rhythmical structure and clear sequencing in the life of the school. This will reflect significantly on the behaviour of the students in each class. Rhythm contributes to the wellbeing of students.
A physics example that strikes me most to explain the harmonizing effect of structure is the following: when we sprinkle lead particles on a flat glass plate and strike a violin bow vertically along one edge of the glass plate, the particles will form into a beautiful pattern. This kind of “fine-tuning” should happen for the teacher and the students in each lesson. Even with my year 12 students, I begin and end the lesson in such a way that we gather together in a focused circle and concentrate through speaking a verse. This creates an enormous strength which carries the mood of the lesson and is a classroom management tool that I use consistently. This kind of focused circle happens also at the beginning of the day for all students with the guardian of the class. It is embedded into the whole school and weaves through as a habitus (Durkheim), a strengthening structure for each day.
Another aspect contributing to good classroom management is the inner attitude of the teacher. My belief lies in creating a genuine love for learning, based on my understanding of the various phases of human development.( Piaget and Steiner philosophy) The work lies in: when to learn, what to learn and how to learn. The aim is that the student becomes a clear, independent and creative thinker and a sensitive and well-centered adult. I experience that the Steiner Curriculum is designed to be highly responsive to the various phases of development. The needs of the students are more important to cater for than the demands of the government or economic forces.
An example for being aware of the physical and emotional development within the learning task can be given for year 9. This is a phase where the students are strongly experiencing polarities- happy-sad, passive-aggressive. The curriculum allows the student to explore the polarities in a healthy way -in Art with black and white charcoal work, in English with study of Comedy and Tragedy, in Geography polarities of climate and economy, in my subject Eurythmy, exploring the different emotions through poetry and music, working intensively with the major and minor moods. The curriculum should be the connecting point with the human being to him/herself, to others, to the natural world and the cultural heritage. It connects the past, the present and the future, so that the human being can stand in the centre of the curriculum in the Steiner schools.
As a teacher, I have to be deeply immersed in my subject and my area of expertise. My enthusiasm for my subject will spark over to the students. If I apply the right tools to deliver my subject, with the accelerated learning skills for example, then I set the mood for a happy learning environment and will achieve good outcomes.

There are always one or two students in each class who are very self motivated and talented. They stand out of the crowd and they solve task- oriented problems in no time. They contribute lots of new ideas and creativity to the lessons.
A few years ago I had a student who was very distracted and unconstructive. He did not think very highly of Steiner schools and had such rude manners that it got to a point that it was not possible to teach him any more. He also treated his parents with very little respect. We had no other choice than to take him out of school after all sort disciplinary measures did not help. He also got thrown out of his parents’ house for a while. After one year he came back begging to be accepted again. We put very strict guidelines on him. If he did not keep within those confinements, he was to be expelled immediately. The miracle happened that this young man became interested and engaged in every single lesson. I could hardly recognize him anymore. He made suggestions, often very good ones, and started to move and talk in a respectful way. After he finished year 12, he passionately took part in study groups about the Steiner philosophy. It seems that this young man really needed to be “woken up.” In this particular case, the authoritarian style was the only right way to make him realize what he was doing to himself and to his environment.
The teacher has to take a leading role. If he leads by example then he includes all the factors that are necessary to motivate the students to learn. He will have embraced the culture of the school “habitus” (Durkheim/Bourdiev) in his planning of the lesson. It is vital to bring the students into social interaction, and the appropriate Zone of Proximal Development, so that they can achieve, through working with each other, the highest outcome possible ( Vygotsky).
The teacher needs to be the leader in managing and facilitating the constructed knowledge which includes the integration of the five reference points from Glasser. When they are intrinsically motivated, students are able to learn through the teacher’s understanding of Gardner’s multiple intelligences. Constant encouragement and the affirmation of the student’s effort and achievement are vital. The inclusion of all gifts from every individual student makes it possible to heighten the ultimate knowledge, skills and values of the group.


Primarily, what I like to see in students is transformation and development. For life is all about changes. We continually change and never stay still in our growing inside or outside of our self. The more we contribute actively to our transformation in life the more we become harmonized human beings of the head, heart and hand. Mahatma Gandhi describes it so clearly in the following quote:

"Carefully watch your THOUGHTS, for they become your WORDS. Manage and watch your WORDS, for they will become your ACTIONS. Consider and judge your ACTIONS, for they have become your HABITS. Acknowledge and watch your HABITS, for they shall become your VALUES. Understand and embrace your VALUES, for they become YOUR DESTINY."--Mahatma Gandhi

Assignment Two
2.1 Gardner and others have emphasized the different learning styles of students. How would you use the theory of one Psychologist to effectively engage a particular preferred learning style?

I strongly believe that Howard Gardner’s theories’ regarding multiple intelligences is for my teaching the most valid one. It is of great help to assimilate this knowledge into strategies for helping children to learn. It is ideal for my subject to teach each student to their orientation towards their viewpoint of the world. Gardner points out that if a student tends to express strongly one or the other intelligence he/she should be encouraged to develop these abilities. Also, all assessments of abilities should measure the different forms of intelligences besides the linguistic and mathematical intelligences. Another point I would like to emphasize is that we are of international diversity in the classrooms these days and the people of different nationalities even within one country have different intelligences and learning modalities.

My subject almost demands of me to include different intelligences. In the course of many years of teaching Eurythmy I have been fascinated with all the different learning methods and seeing when a student really understands what the task is and in which way it needs to be presented before the “penny drops”.
Eurythmy is a subject which embraces through movement many of the intelligences Gardner identified. So for example, if in secondary school one learns about the curve of Cassini, it is a great experience to make it visible in three dimensional space. For that we need to have a clear picture and an imagination in our thinking of the curve. Now we will explore how we can make it visible and how we make the three stages of the curve flow from one to the next. We can create it in the space by using an even number of people. Once we have figured out how to walk it without bumping into each other, we can then superimpose a second Cassini curve in a 90 degree angle to it. So we have one curve in the direction North / South and the other in the direction East/ West. It is a great experience for the students to be able to move -with 20 people- a form which is normally abstract and see the development from the oval shaped form at the beginning, then changing into a figure of eight and at the end into the circles. The mathematical formula turns into a social activity, which needs absolute concentration from everybody to move in the correct way and make a harmonious form out of it. One also could continue to create it so that the newly found circles start to begin again and end up in another two circles. And afterwards one could take it even further to discuss in groups what this form has to do with us and if there is something in us that does the same. Maybe one could briefly enter the content of Biology to discover that every cell in us is created out of one into two. So it might end up to be a picture of growth as a whole.

For some students the Cassini curve in the math’s lesson makes no sense at all, so in doing it through movement, it creates a living picture and sparks enough interest to encourage students to look for other abstract forms they could imagine to move with a group. The mathematical intelligence is experienced through the visual/spatial intelligence and if one accompanies the movement with music we also nurture the musical/rhythmical intelligence. To do the form harmoniously and correctly, one needs the bodily/ kinesthetic intelligence. To be able to understand how to move the form correctly, one creates groups who discuss how to move it or one draws it on the blackboard or puts marks on the floor where to go or not to go.
The task described above shows a social, democratic and goal- centered aspect. It links together with Dreikurs’ theory about the ‘Preventive Strategy’ in all eight points. It develops in young people a deeper understanding in education for their learning.






Part two
You were provided with a one page overview indicating the relative control level of teachers in the classroom. Do you agree with this overview? Does it provide a means to manage the diversity in your classroom? Is it implying that you should use different methods of management with different students?

The provided page gives a good overview of the different discipline models. The theory by Skinner and Lee Canter shows a simple solution to a complex problem. It puts the teacher into an authoritarian position with a hierarchical structure. The management discipline theory gives instruction and as much information as possible to the students which does not leave a harmonious balance between learning and teaching. I would use this theory rarely. In case of an extreme situation, or an emergency, I may need to be absolutely authoritarian for a short time, as a strictly temporary measure.
My aim is to have a fantastic relationship with the students and to engage them in the subject. It is important for me to establish a leader role with the students and form a relationship with them. I aim to bring a wealth of understanding about how to empower students and establish connecting habits. Choice Theory and Reality Therapy bring a good framework for meeting the needs of pupils. The five needs of Reality Therapy are essential to consider.

Of great importance is what is happening in the classroom environment. It will effect as much of the cognitive as the affective domain. Positive feedback from students in a friendly classroom environment shows how important it is to establish positive teacher-student interaction.
For example if the students give feedback like this:
This teacher talks with me.
I do additional work and enjoy the class.
I know what has to be done
I know what has to be done in this class.
I cooperate with other students when doing assignment work.
I get to use the equipment as much as other students.

http://www.channelviewpublications.net/erie/014/0003/erie0140003.pdf


A positive environment creates an atmosphere conducive to empowering the student to learn faster, more effectively and lets him/her have more fun. The core elements and tools one can use to enhance this are described by Bobbi DePorter through “Accelerated Learning”.

http://www.newhorizons.org/strategies/accelerated/deporter.htm



The increasingly difficult part of teaching concerns the students with different behavioral problems. The pain module, shown by Carl Rogers, gives a clear insight into the challenge. It is of absolute importance to face problematic matters and to help relieve those students of the emotional pain in order to nurture positive further development, meaning and direction in their present lives.
The most important task for the teacher is to build up a consistent plan developed out of the different views, for example from Bloom, Gardner, Glasser and Dreikurs and then tailor it to the needs of the class and the environment of the school. The strength of education lies in the flexibility of taking different approaches and merging them with the needs and personalities of each student.
Education is an awakening process of what is already in the learner, rather then impressing concepts and facts onto the mind from outside. This is a path that needs guidance and practice. An experienced teacher will take the time to build up a relationship (Dreikurs) with the student, to develop mutual respect to be able to guide the student along the path to becoming a free thinking human being.

Assignment One 2007

Part I
Write a “Code of conduct “for parents and caregivers who wish to create a positive family environment for their children.

It is important to lead teenagers to an understanding of authentic well-being in all parts of their lives. The following principles could be applied to create a positive family environment:
Let the family have a meal together at least once a day. Exchange and share the events of your day, your ideas and interests.
Respect their privacy, be patient, learn to listen.
Be a role model in your behavior in relation to tobacco, alcohol, drugs and medication.
Spend time with your children before they start to become teenagers.
Show genuine interest in their lives, hobbies and friends.
Show them what responsible behaviour is. Give them plenty of practice of making choices and an understanding of responsible choices. With time they are able to make their own decisions.
Make sure your children are aware of a balance of their rights and responsibilities. With time they will realize that responsibilities come with rights. For example: They tell us to which party they are going to go. Let them pick a time when they want to come home.
Have things planned for weekends. Suggest projects and entertainments. So everyone is looking forward to it.
Teenagers who have interest in sport, music, dance, all sorts of activities, are not at such a high risk of falling into drug dependence as others. These activities boost self-esteem and create healthy social networks.
Support your child's self esteem and make them aware of all the good things they do.
Keep the communication open and honest. Be approachable and let them come with their troubles. Let them express their opinion even if you don't agree.
Give them rewards if they behavior is responsible and exceptional.
If in doubt, admit that you don't know all the answers. . You don't need to handle this by yourself. Get some help.

Part 2
What are the essential elements of an adequate discipline module?

We are finding a great deal of constructive Classroom management strategies in Gasser’s descriptions of his Reality Therapy, Control Theory and Choice Theory. A more recent term for Glasser’s approach to management of students’ behaviour is NONCOERCIVE DISCIPLINE. It involves the process of review and revision, and assists in dealing to the needs of each individual student. We are focusing here on teachers helping the students become more responsible for their own behavior.

The implementation of an essential management plan would require the following for the teacher:
# know the students, their needs and interests
# engage students in planning meaningful and need satisfying learning experiences;
# involve students in decision making about classroom routines, procedures, fair rules and logical consequences;
# conduct regular forums with students to review and monitor the learning progress and environment;
# reflect with students, on instances of misbehaviour or conflict, and assist in identifying causes and possible solutions and
# facilitate and monitor plans for eliminating problems behaviours.


Furthermore we need to have an underpinning teacher plan intervention to help with the classroom management difficulties.

# Punishment should be applied without anger and
# It should be a logical outcome of the agreement they made with the teacher in the social group discussion.
# Punishment should be fair and known in advance
# Challenging behavior, should be clarified, described by the student and discussed with the teacher and the student.
# Clarifying the appropriateness and effectiveness of the misbehaviours in relationship in helping for learning and supporting the other students and seeing if it breaks the rules which were established in the Class environment.




Any effective discipline model must be based on a well- understood system of beliefs.
An adequate discipline model is, in my opinion, one which expresses a fundamental respect for the human individual.
In a democratic society, this will be a model which assists the student in processes of self-regulation. The ideas of both Glasser and Deikurs address this fundamental issue.

Part 3

Critically reflect on the theories of at least two Psychologists and apply their theories to techniques for improving student motivation.

With human society evolving so fast, bringing about constant changes in young people, educators need to look towards a diverse and flexible theory of classroom management which has to center around the integrated student who becomes an active student and strives towards higher thinking. We have to engage the student into creative activities which engage and connect them with the learning material. The student centered learning is all about an active learning.
Glasser’s “Choice theory” is one of the very important theories contributing towards a modern approach to classroom management with the focus on teachers helping the student to take responsibility for their own behaviours. Glasser introduced the concept of a teacher who is a leader, not a boss. To be a leader teacher means to become conscious of creating an environment with major focus on the relationship between student and teacher and to develop trust and respect for each other. In that kind of environment the student also sees that every person can only control their own behaviour.
Rudolf Dreikurs added another more pragmatic and, for my taste, more profound side to Glasser’s theory in claiming that people are basically of a social nature and want to belong to a social group. Student’s misbehaviour, according to Dreikurs, is associated with the four following goals: attention, power, revenge and inadequacy. The cause and effect of students misbehaviour is been met by logical consequences which are imposed by a higher authority.
I think it is most important for the student’s welfare to let the student be part of creating the rules for the classroom order so they are later been met by logical consequences. The classroom should be a happy and engaging place to be in. Instead of delivering everything to the young people, I make sure that the students will create together the material whilst working in groups. The lesson plans should be laid out in attainable goals and Glasser’s five needs should be met in the lesson with love, power, survival, freedom, fun and learning. Another big motivation for the student is his/her self- concept of how much can be achieved from each individual.

An educator who takes these approaches is likely to be one who believes in the potential success of each student. This is of the greatest importance. A teacher who communicates to the students that they all are on a journey which will lead to achievement is likely to achieve great results and to minimize disruptive behaviour in the classroom. This is the attitude which is embodied in the educational theories of Rudolf Steiner. He advocated a respect for the individual gifts of each child, and a reverence for the individual path of each. This is met by creative and artistic teaching methods, and compatible with Gardner’s theories of multiple intelligence:


“Reverence, enthusiasm and a sense of guardianship, there three are actually the panacea, the magic remedy, in the soul of the educator and teacher.” Rudolf Steiner

hey hey From Vanessa

Hey Hey, we are connected

Link to Glasser reality therapy


http://web.ebscohost.com.ipacez.nd.edu.au/ehost/results?vid=9&hid=6&sid=a1fb0cab-a305-4a69-a9c0-88e7715095bf%40sessionmgr2

Good link for Goals and Assessments

http://fp.dl.kent.edu/fcubed/modules/modules/goalsassessment/content.html

Good link for Goals and Assessments

http://fp.dl.kent.edu/fcubed/modules/modules/goalsassessment/content.html

A link for Classroom management:

http://web.utk.edu/~mccay/apdm/classmgt/classmgt_d.htm

http://www.angelfire.com/ab/brightminds/tNeeds.html
NEEDS, WANTS AND BEHAVIOUR
Basic human needsTotal behaviourChanging how I feel
BASIC HUMAN NEEDS
As human beings we have many needs, which can be grouped under five headings:
Belonging and Love.
Power.
Freedom.
Enjoyment, appreciation, fun.
Safety and Survival.
When our life is out of balance we can look at these needs and assess whether one or more of them is being frustrated. If so, we can focus on things we can do, that are within our control, to bring about a better balance. These do not have to be major things. Here is a list of the major needs and examples of how we might meet them:
BELONGING & LOVE
Giving & receiving love; being part of something; belonging to groups; someone to talk to; receiving attention; sharing experiences; supporting teams, political parties; work; chatting; greeting.
POWER & ESTEEM
Self-esteem; esteem by others; power; achievement; worthwhileness; competing; confidence; winning.
FREEDOM
Space; spreading my wings; elbow room; time to myself; independence; autonomy.
ENJOYMENT
Fun; pleasure; appreciation; laughter; games, learning.
SAFETY & SURVIVAL
Food; shelter; health; sex.

DIFFERENCES
As you can see from the list, there are many ways to meet our needs. We can think of the things we want as ways of meeting our needs, effectively or ineffectively. We all need to eat but I want a steak and you want a pizza. Not only do our wants often differ but the details of our wants are very specific. I want a sirloin steak, medium, in a black pepper sauce; you want a deep-filled ham and mushroom pizza with no peppers. I want a socialist government which will pay for social services for people on low incomes; you want a capitalist government which will cut welfare and taxes. To the extent that we can respect the fact that other people - including those nearest and dearest to us - want different things than we want, we can live in harmony. If we cannot respect these differences, then we must live in conflict.
To get what we want, we behave. We are engaging in one behaviour or another from the time we are born to the time we die. But this behaviour has components and when these are put together we can think of them as constituting Total Behaviour.
BACK TO TOP
TOTAL BEHAVIOUR
At any time, four things are happening for us: what we are doing, what we are thinking, what we are feeling and what is going on in our bodies.
Sometimes these activities work in harmony. For instance, if we are pleased we may be smiling (doing), thinking positive thoughts, feeling content and physically relaxed. If we are angry we may be shouting (doing), thinking angry thoughts, feel that we are in a rage and have our hearts beating quickly and our muscles tensed up.
Often, the four activities are going in different directions. If you are sitting in a dentist’s waiting room and you hear the drill starting up, your feelings may tell you to run but your thinking may tell you to stay. Your body may be tensed up with heart racing and adrenaline pumping. And what you are doing may be thumbing idly through an out of date copy of Hello! magazine.
You could say that at any one time we are behaving in each of these four ways: feeling, thinking, doing, physiology. We can call this combination our Total Behaviour. If we can change one of these, then we have a good chance of changing the others.
It is hard to change our feelings directly. It is easier to change what we are thinking and easiest of all to change what we are doing.
So the golden rule is: if you want to change how you feel, begin by changing what you are doing or what you are thinking.
Easy to say and hard to do? Yes! Let's look at it a little more closely.
BACK TO TOP
CHANGING HOW I FEEL

Consider the four components of behaviour: Doing, Thinking, Feeling, Physiology.
Which do I focus on moment-to-moment?
I always know how I feel but if feelings are my moment to moment guide to what to do next I may be in difficulty: if I feel angry I may lash out at someone or I may become depressed to suppress the anger.
Moreover, if there is something I need to do, I may make the mistake of waiting until I feel right about it before I do it. Suppose there's an important phone call I have to make but which I never actually feel like making when the time comes to do it. If I am led, on a moment-to-moment basis, by how I feel, there is a good chance I will never make the call, or that I will postpone it until I am in trouble and cannot put it off any longer.
But I can change my focus so that I am purpose-led instead of feelings-led. I am still very aware of my feelings - they are the warm, beating heart of my life - but my purpose is my moment to moment guide and my orientation is towards doing.
So now I make my telephone call, even though I don't feel like making it at this particular moment. With the phone call made, I - hopefully - feel relief, a return of energy, perhaps even a litttle elation.
Paradoxically, by focussing on what I can do rather than on what I feel, I arrive at a point where my feelings become pleasant and positive.
Another example: if I feel tired and tense and stressed and I go for a brisk, ten minute walk, even though I don't feel like it, I am like to have more energy and to be in a better mood afterwards. Here I have done something (gone for a walk) which has changed my physiology (increased energy) and now I feel better.
Sometimes the good feeling takes longer to arrive. If I am grieving over the end of a relationship or over a death, I will, hopefully, get to the point where I am doing things I want to do - seeing friends, taking a break and so on - but it may be a long time before this "feels" right and before I start to feel good. But I will get there, if I have the courage to keep working at it - and it will help greatly if I have friends to help me along the way.
This raises an important point about the things we want. Sometimes I cannot move ahead unless I change what I want.
Suppose I want the renewal of a relationship and that I want this more than anything else, but that I know it simply isn't going to happen.
For a time, part of the pain I am in comes from wanting something I can never have or can never have again. This wanting and this pain is part of grieving. In time, I must come to wanting somebody or something else in place of what I have lost. If I persist in wanting the person I have lost, I must be prepared to reduce the importance of that want to me - I must allow other wants to take priority.
So in order to bring about change in our lives, we must do something different or change what we want. If I want to be a good athlete but I spend my mornings in bed, I must change what I do - get up and start running instead of snoozing - or change what I want - perhaps decide that what I really want out of life is to be a couch potato.
Notice that doing something different involves a change in thinking - instead of thinking, "I must have this," I decide (and making the decision is also a form of thinking) that "I will settle for that."
Our thoughts are somewhat under our control. They wander off on their own every few minutes (if not every few seconds!). But often we need to be willing to change what we think in order to change what we do.
Sometimes, however, our emotions are so strong - with grief or depression for instance - that all we can change is what we do, and even our thoughts have to follow afterwards.
BACK

http://www.angelfire.com/ab/brightminds/tReality.html

http://www.wglasser.com/whatisct.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Choice_theory

2. Network Learning

Getting the knowledge from different

sources.

1. A learning Place

Sense of belonging,

security.

Starting point,

place of gathering.

3. Community

Solving problems together,

understanding each other,

having goals together.

4. Reflection

Holding the stillness in self reflecting.

Reflecting about the world,

reflecting things critically.

5. Deep Learning

Different aspects of the same thing will deepen the understanding, knowledge and skills of a person.

6. Gifts and Talents

Everyone will discover their own specialities in life which are hidden as little seeds deep in us. Hopefully everybody will unfold them during their lifetime.

7. Power and Freedom

Knowing what I can do, where I can go.

Feeling enpowered, strong, confident.

8. Creativity

Creativity is a essential quality. It liberates us.

9. Transformation of Individual

When a person is in harmony with him/herself .

10. Tranformation of Community

Working and creating as a group together.

Critical Refletion

In the Article: “Moving to the dark side of the screen, Claims linking video games to murders rattle the powerful industry”, by Deborah Cameron, it is claimed that the two biggest companies in the video game industry- Nintendo and Sony- have earned $ 14 billion in the last year and employ thousands of staff with spending in the billions mainly on marketing. The companies apparantly cultivate influential friends who are either lured in through donations or being actively engaged in the process of video game production. When the Japanese brain surgeon Professor Ryuta Kawashima claimed that video games rendered parts of the brain inert, Nintendo became the No 1 donor to his research institute and let him produce his own game called 'Brain Training'. It sold 4 million copies in the US and is just being released in Australia. From being a obscure scientist, Ryuta became a celebrity within 5 years.

Professor Bruce Bartholow of the University of Missouri says : 'The video game industry is taking the same approach that the tobacco industry took for many years.' For all the power and pervasiveness the game industry prefers the scrutiny. It engages lawyers, advisers and lobbyists to diminish commentators, attacks and to sway public opinion that the research is faulty or findings are inconclusive. Retaining litigation lawyers for court battles in order to protect the main US industry body, the entertainment Software Association, it keeps the upper hand on court cases. For example in a Illinois case, the judge agreed with the pro-industry psychologist, Dr Jeffrey Goldstein, that there was “ no solid causal link between violent video game exposure and aggressive thinking and behaviour”.

The article mentions further that the great future lies in developing better and more varied games for educating trainee soldiers. “It is the fastest way to train troops and the easiest way to save money” says Sergeant Donel Hagelin.

When Kawashima demonstrated and documented his reasearch in 2001 he said, that a subdued prefrontal cortex caused weakness in the neurons, halting brain development. In turn, this affects a child's ability to control anti-social behaviour. This research involved comparing brain scans, involving teenagers playing the Nintendo game: 'The Observer’. Kawashima warned that the importance of this discovery can not be underestimated. Today he calls his research results from 2001 a 'guess', with the suggestion that more research needs to be done. It says further in the report, that neither Kawashima nor the Tohoku University would tell how much money Nintendo donates to the institute.

There seems to be a great push to make people dependent on machines and in particular dependent on video games. Why else is the industry growing in such a big proportion? May it be in form of entertainment or for educational reasons; this enormous industry seems to want to diminish the role of the human being, thereby making huge profits and gaining power over people. Why worry about creating a good teacher if one can do it so much easier, better, more effectively and make more money using a computer? Is that our future? Is the ultimate aim to make a machine out of human beings? The research shows that people show increased conformity in behaviour according to the video game action they've been involved in.

Dr Harald Rau of the Institute of Medical psychology form the University of Tuebingen 2004, wrote a research article about the cross-linkages in the brain that have being reduced. He found that the capacity of stimulus carriers working parallel increased rapidly, with the effect that the brain is not net-working so efficiently any more. Stimuli will neglect certain areas of the brain and go to other parts of the brain with very high speed. The stimuli bypass the emotions which are not developing accordingly. This has disturbing consequences, as the studies carried out by the Rational Psychology Association in Munich show. For example: children can watch horror movies, where people are being torn to pieces, without any emotion of horror or pity, whereas adults feel revolted and refuse to continue watching the movie to the end.

So the more we are in this sort of violence-orientated direct contact with computers, the more it seems our human nature, particularly our feelings of empathy towards human beings is going to change. The networking of our brain is being re-organised the more the computer network gets established. So where does that leave us with our sense of morality? The answer to this question cannot be found in the high–speed moral vacuum created by most computer game industries. I think we need to slow down again, to step back and connect with our inner selves in order to find meaning in our lives.