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Mike Wagner
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2 months ago
in Article 16: John Wayne and St. Ignatius on Dan Kenney
Great post Dan.
I even see what you call the "longing" to be a hero or act heroically in the world of tech start ups.
There usually is a lot of talk about "changing the world" and corresponding idealism.
The social media world is full of this heroic idealism cooping terms like "conversation" and "community" in service of a vision of a better, safer, more human marketplace.
Thanks for stirring my thinking with these thoughtful words.
Keep creating...a story worth repeating,
Mike
I even see what you call the "longing" to be a hero or act heroically in the world of tech start ups.
There usually is a lot of talk about "changing the world" and corresponding idealism.
The social media world is full of this heroic idealism cooping terms like "conversation" and "community" in service of a vision of a better, safer, more human marketplace.
Thanks for stirring my thinking with these thoughtful words.
Keep creating...a story worth repeating,
Mike
1 reply
2 months ago
in Mini-Lesson: Finding the Main Idea in Nonfiction Text on Angela Maiers Educational Svcs
I was trained to always start by reading with the writer in mind. The technical term used in grad school for this was "authorial intent".
We often referred to the writer's "most important idea" as "The Big Idea" of the author.
Our goal was to state the Big Idea in a subject/complement form.
Glad to see your students don't have to wait till grad school to gain powerful reading strategies!
Keep creating...practical surprise,
Mike
We often referred to the writer's "most important idea" as "The Big Idea" of the author.
Our goal was to state the Big Idea in a subject/complement form.
Glad to see your students don't have to wait till grad school to gain powerful reading strategies!
Keep creating...practical surprise,
Mike
1 reply
AngelaMaiers
Mike-
That is so interesting. I never was taught to read this way in school, especially with informational texts. I read to memorized and remember the "facts" never once considering the intent of the author who selected and organized those facts to make a point.
I love the possibilities of helping students from a young age consider and respond to the "authorial intent"- think how smart they will be by grad school!
That is so interesting. I never was taught to read this way in school, especially with informational texts. I read to memorized and remember the "facts" never once considering the intent of the author who selected and organized those facts to make a point.
I love the possibilities of helping students from a young age consider and respond to the "authorial intent"- think how smart they will be by grad school!
10 months ago
in Lessons for Critical Reading on Angela Maiers Educational Svcs
This lesson reminds me a great deal of the writings of E.D. Hirsch.
His distinctions between authorial meaning and the significance a reader takes away from the author's text informed a great deal of the translation theory I was taught when working with Hebrew and Greek texts.
In other words, I really groove on this!
Plus, I really liked your "rabbit" illustration in the slide show.
Keep creating...words that matter,
Mike
His distinctions between authorial meaning and the significance a reader takes away from the author's text informed a great deal of the translation theory I was taught when working with Hebrew and Greek texts.
In other words, I really groove on this!
Plus, I really liked your "rabbit" illustration in the slide show.
Keep creating...words that matter,
Mike
1 reply
AngelaMaiers
Mike-
Wow- that comment took some critical reading-see it's a life skill! With these lessons we can begin to help even our youngest students begin to differentiate between the authorial meaning in text and what each reader brings as we grapple with what is most important.
Keep commenting-you always make me smarter!
Wow- that comment took some critical reading-see it's a life skill! With these lessons we can begin to help even our youngest students begin to differentiate between the authorial meaning in text and what each reader brings as we grapple with what is most important.
Keep commenting-you always make me smarter!
1 year ago
in The "Be Unique and Get With The Program" Dilemma on All Things Workplace
I have a friend who would refer to his fellow students from a well known radical campus as "800 students all non-conforming in exactly the same way."
My thinking is that we can unite around shared outcomes or we can unite around behavior.
It's amazing to see how often we unite around behavior forfeiting the"what and how" innovations we all would prize should they be offered.
Why do we do that?
Keep creating...your unique "what and how",
Mike
My thinking is that we can unite around shared outcomes or we can unite around behavior.
It's amazing to see how often we unite around behavior forfeiting the"what and how" innovations we all would prize should they be offered.
Why do we do that?
Keep creating...your unique "what and how",
Mike
1 reply
Steve Roesler
Mike,
Wouldn't it be unbelievably useful to find the answer to that question?
At minimum, it has been my observation that the human condition prefers to caste blame before finding "cause." And blame is often tied to a sort of scapegoating using people we "don't like." Why we don't like them is very individual.
Yet, as you point out, when we're working on something we're supposedly focused on a shared outcome of "what" and "how." It looks as if "who" often plays much more of a role than it should.
Wouldn't it be unbelievably useful to find the answer to that question?
At minimum, it has been my observation that the human condition prefers to caste blame before finding "cause." And blame is often tied to a sort of scapegoating using people we "don't like." Why we don't like them is very individual.
Yet, as you point out, when we're working on something we're supposedly focused on a shared outcome of "what" and "how." It looks as if "who" often plays much more of a role than it should.
1 year ago
in A Very Smart Obama Supporter on The TrueTalk Blog
"to learn NOT to be who they already are..."
The challenge that faced Saturn in its early days of becoming a "different kind of car company" was similar. And it is the reason I was given a chance within that organization --- I had no experience in the dysfunctional side of auto industry sales and marketing. There was nothing for me to unlearn.
Saturn was was not willing to take a chance on people being able to unlearn who they were!
But Tom, can't "hardening of the categories" happen at any age? I hate to rule out McCain or Clinton just because of their age.
As always, thanks for stirring things up.
Keep creating,
Mike
The challenge that faced Saturn in its early days of becoming a "different kind of car company" was similar. And it is the reason I was given a chance within that organization --- I had no experience in the dysfunctional side of auto industry sales and marketing. There was nothing for me to unlearn.
Saturn was was not willing to take a chance on people being able to unlearn who they were!
But Tom, can't "hardening of the categories" happen at any age? I hate to rule out McCain or Clinton just because of their age.
As always, thanks for stirring things up.
Keep creating,
Mike
1 reply
tomguarriello
Well, Mike UNLEARNING is enormously difficult, as you know from the Saturn challenge. And, while age doesn't necessarily equal rigidity, McCain and Clinton look like old pols without motivation to do anything differently while Obama looks to be ready to deeply innovate. At least that's the way I see it. Good to hear from you.
you mentioned the longing inherent in the world of tech start ups. I was
just at the kickoff of a great new tech/entrepreneur conference in Omaha
called BigOmaha. Point is, I know exactly what your are talking about. And
if you ever want to check out some of my video, you can go to
http://catholicstorytv.com. Thanks again Mike and keep striving!
Dan Kenney