The Art of Possibility

In LATI we were asked to read The Art of Possibility by Benjamin and Rosamond Zandler. I usually don't choose motivational books to read, but I enjoyed this one. You have to love Rule 6: Don't Take Yourself So Seriously. They had me when they were quoting from the movie Babe. He's a world known conductor and she's a family therapist so I wasn't expecting them to be so down-to-earth. I found the quote from Marianne Williams about light and dark to be very thought provoking. If you haven't checked this title out you may want to.

Happy Birthday George!

Yesterday was my first face-to-face meeting with my LATI group. I've got to wonder if the first congressional congress members were as confused as the folks in our room. I found Honore to be very interesting and met a very nice variety of new LAs. I think we have a great smaller group and I look forward to our Discussion Board. Our first assignment for the week was on reference materials. I love the Almanac and it never ceases to amaze me with the number of facts it has. The Almanac may hurry along my need for reading glasses.

Winter vs. Spring

Back in the beginning of the summer I didn't feel like the spring photo was "good enough" to put on my blog. A little snow can go along way to changing a girl's mind!

I'm Just Happy With Green

In February you've got to be grateful for what ever bloom you get. The sun is shining now, but it sounds like we can expect some more bad weather just for the long weekend. If you're wondering the flower is a Hellebore, commonly known as a bearbritches.

Happy Valentines Day!

Yes, I know its a sappy holiday, but its sweet when my 9 year-old son gives me a painted box with hearts glued on and is filled with a pink frosted cupcake. He also gave me a PPT he made. I asked "Is it about how much you love me?" He said "no, its on fungus." I'm afraid any girl he has in the future is going to have to just recognize what they're getting!

Thing 8

Just a post on thing 8--online production tools. I found the idea to be very useful especially in a group setting where multiple people are contributing to one project. Contributors from different sites could create a cohesive project. I don't know if Microsoft is doomed but free products, you've got to love them! I accomplished downloading a book. It was fairly simple and I can't wait to see what my son thinks.

Confession Time

Download an audio book?!? I have had my mp3 player for more than 6 months now and I still haven't downloaded a book. Time to head to the digital consortium and check out a book. I am not inclined to listen to books but I'll give it a try. That warm snap last week forced these snowdrops to emerge. A sign that spring is on the way.

Beginning Blogging

As I review the 21 Things I learned this past summer I checked out my first learning entry. Here is the url to paste--http://beardblog2.blogspot.com/2007/06/habits-can-be-good-things_08.html.

"To learn it, do it!"

As I search for a learning quote that would be most precsient and qualify as "appropriate" for LATI I wander on both sides of the fence of practical and abstract. Here are a few more-

"Vertical thinking is digging the same hole deeper. Lateral thinking is trying again elsewhere." Edward de Bono.

"To learn it, do it!" - Roger Schank.

Marvin Phillips:
The difference between try and triumph is just a little umph!

The task of the excellent teacher is to stimulate "aparently ordinary" people to unusual effort. The tough proplem is not in identifying winners: it is in making winners out of ordinary people.
K. Patricia Cross

What is important is to keep learning, to enjoy challenge, and to tolerate ambiguity. In the end there are no certain answers.
Martina Horner, President of Radcliffe College

As far as the last quote there have been several times in my life when I thought I knew without question answers but as I change and hopefully grow it is clear life is always in flux.

Learning Quotes

I sure wish it were sunny and summery rather than rainy and icy! I've been on the search for a learning quote. Here are a few I'm partial to--

Personally, I am always ready to learn, although I do not always like being taught. - Winston Churchill

The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing." - John Powell

Training is everything. The peach was once a bitter almond; cauliflower is nothing but cabbage with a college education. - Mark Twain ìPudd'nhead Wilsonî