Reading Austin Kleon's book was quite amusing, but not really life changing in terms of how I approach the online world. Along with the few other reads I've included in this post, what I really got, was some interesting advice and perspectives to consider.
"Show Your Work!" went through ten points on "A New Way of Operating,"
1. You don't have to be a genius.
Thank goodness, because I am far from it. Kleon introduces a term I've never heard of before, "scenius;" where achievements are not because of the individual but the collaboration and connections to others. My effort is to make those connections, especially through Twitter, because I seem to lack both genius and scenius, and what I'd want is to express my work and get feedback for improvement.
2. Think process, not product.
Another word I haven't heard of before, "documentarian." I actually find that documenting breaks up my rhythm and takes up a lot of time, extending the amount of time it would take me to finish something. However, as an educator, I should know better. The process is always the learning aspect, documenting only helps it further; and when others can give input along the way, that extra time, will actually help in the end result.
3. Share something small every day.
Why every day though? Just like the video on "Instagram i love you" there needs to be "chill" time between posts. Therefore, "something small" needs to be really emphasized. Otherwise, time commitment could be an issue. Saying this, I'm glad Twitter really limits the amount of text you can have per tweet, forcing you to really think about what you want to say - clear, to the point, and worth it.
4. Open up your cabinet of curiosities.
"Sharing is caring" and to be able to do it correctly, it needs to be done honestly and sincerely. Others will appreciate it, and I'm sure they would do the same in return. "You give a little, you get a little," and the Golden Rule are recurring advices that doesn't stop when you grow up. For example, referencing work is a pain sometimes, but it's the right thing to do.
5. Tell good stories.
My problem with this chapter is, I'm no writer. In fact, I'm sure I have plenty of grammatical and punctuational errors in my posts. My voice must sound boring, I think I do at least. But this is all I have, and I sure hope it's good enough. Maybe because I just don't talk much in general, such as to people I barely know, I'm sure I'm not the only one out there that feels this way.
6. Teach what you know.
Or teach what you don't know. Many of my posts and what I share are based on what I generally didn't know and how learning came from it. I think it's important to not pretend that you do know something and be willing to let others give you guidance. Empowering others allows growth in so many areas.
7. Don't turn into human spam.
Some things to add to my list of what I do not want to be: a "hoarder," a "spammer," a "vampire." What I do want to be: a "contributor," a "quality" follower, a "fellow knuckleballer," a "IRL" (in real life) friend.
8. Learn to take a punch.
This part of the chapter is difficult for me to accomplish. I'm quite sensitive to how people respond to me and when it's negative, the punch feels extra hard. Honestly, I would probably cry if it wasn't for all those years in the performing arts. Even with my difficult students, it's hard to keep my cool sometimes. I'm not sure how I can simply not care. It's easier said than done, that's for certain.
9. Sell out.
Kleon ends this chapter with, "You just have to be generous as you can, but selfish enough to get your work done" (Pg. 177). That's what it comes down to, your work, let's not get that mixed in with who you are. There is a greater goal in reaching out and trying to understand this global age, but we still have individual lives and we still need to survive. Addicted to social media, not getting any work done, and getting lost from your passion is dangerous. When I did my diploma in Interior Decorating and Design, they taught us to never giver our services, including consultations, for free because we are trained and certified. But in this day and age, no one wants to pay for ideas and recommendations and qualified advice, because they already get it all for free. There is a certain amount of selling and a certain amount of giving that needs to be distinguished. Money is always a hot topic, and I think everyone will have to figure that part out on their own.
10. Stick around.
My biggest fear, is self motivation. When you build up and find yourself in limbo, stuck, lacking momentum, then what? What if you take a sabbatical and come back with still nothing? What if you've exhausted all your options? Again, Kleon makes it sound easy, and I know they're just suggestions, but that's like saying, "Just do it," (no reference to Nike).
The benefits of all this is, in my opinion, is to be a better professional in my job, as a teacher. If I conduct the appropriate activity and exemplify my work as if it were representing my CV, then not only will I be comfortable sharing the tools with my students and showing them how they can prepare their own "portfolio," I could connect with them better, and continue to build on my own skills from others in the profession. Lead by example, but never fail to follow.
"Show Your Work!" went through ten points on "A New Way of Operating,"
1. You don't have to be a genius.
Thank goodness, because I am far from it. Kleon introduces a term I've never heard of before, "scenius;" where achievements are not because of the individual but the collaboration and connections to others. My effort is to make those connections, especially through Twitter, because I seem to lack both genius and scenius, and what I'd want is to express my work and get feedback for improvement.
2. Think process, not product.
Another word I haven't heard of before, "documentarian." I actually find that documenting breaks up my rhythm and takes up a lot of time, extending the amount of time it would take me to finish something. However, as an educator, I should know better. The process is always the learning aspect, documenting only helps it further; and when others can give input along the way, that extra time, will actually help in the end result.
3. Share something small every day.
Why every day though? Just like the video on "Instagram i love you" there needs to be "chill" time between posts. Therefore, "something small" needs to be really emphasized. Otherwise, time commitment could be an issue. Saying this, I'm glad Twitter really limits the amount of text you can have per tweet, forcing you to really think about what you want to say - clear, to the point, and worth it.
4. Open up your cabinet of curiosities.
"Sharing is caring" and to be able to do it correctly, it needs to be done honestly and sincerely. Others will appreciate it, and I'm sure they would do the same in return. "You give a little, you get a little," and the Golden Rule are recurring advices that doesn't stop when you grow up. For example, referencing work is a pain sometimes, but it's the right thing to do.
5. Tell good stories.
My problem with this chapter is, I'm no writer. In fact, I'm sure I have plenty of grammatical and punctuational errors in my posts. My voice must sound boring, I think I do at least. But this is all I have, and I sure hope it's good enough. Maybe because I just don't talk much in general, such as to people I barely know, I'm sure I'm not the only one out there that feels this way.
6. Teach what you know.
Or teach what you don't know. Many of my posts and what I share are based on what I generally didn't know and how learning came from it. I think it's important to not pretend that you do know something and be willing to let others give you guidance. Empowering others allows growth in so many areas.
7. Don't turn into human spam.
Some things to add to my list of what I do not want to be: a "hoarder," a "spammer," a "vampire." What I do want to be: a "contributor," a "quality" follower, a "fellow knuckleballer," a "IRL" (in real life) friend.
8. Learn to take a punch.
This part of the chapter is difficult for me to accomplish. I'm quite sensitive to how people respond to me and when it's negative, the punch feels extra hard. Honestly, I would probably cry if it wasn't for all those years in the performing arts. Even with my difficult students, it's hard to keep my cool sometimes. I'm not sure how I can simply not care. It's easier said than done, that's for certain.
9. Sell out.
Kleon ends this chapter with, "You just have to be generous as you can, but selfish enough to get your work done" (Pg. 177). That's what it comes down to, your work, let's not get that mixed in with who you are. There is a greater goal in reaching out and trying to understand this global age, but we still have individual lives and we still need to survive. Addicted to social media, not getting any work done, and getting lost from your passion is dangerous. When I did my diploma in Interior Decorating and Design, they taught us to never giver our services, including consultations, for free because we are trained and certified. But in this day and age, no one wants to pay for ideas and recommendations and qualified advice, because they already get it all for free. There is a certain amount of selling and a certain amount of giving that needs to be distinguished. Money is always a hot topic, and I think everyone will have to figure that part out on their own.
10. Stick around.
My biggest fear, is self motivation. When you build up and find yourself in limbo, stuck, lacking momentum, then what? What if you take a sabbatical and come back with still nothing? What if you've exhausted all your options? Again, Kleon makes it sound easy, and I know they're just suggestions, but that's like saying, "Just do it," (no reference to Nike).
The benefits of all this is, in my opinion, is to be a better professional in my job, as a teacher. If I conduct the appropriate activity and exemplify my work as if it were representing my CV, then not only will I be comfortable sharing the tools with my students and showing them how they can prepare their own "portfolio," I could connect with them better, and continue to build on my own skills from others in the profession. Lead by example, but never fail to follow.
Instagram: Some interesting ways to incorporate what students already use with learning inside and outside the classroom.
Vega, Ann. (2013, June 18). Librarians on the Fly: Instagram in Education Infographic. Retrieved from http://librariansonthefly.blogspot.com/2013/06/instagram-in-education-infographic.html |
* Some Profanity *
Instagram: "Documentation of life." "Find your theme and share it." "Post one picture and chill." Some interesting pointers, with some I've quoted here that I agree with; however, I think some of the other advices are debatable depending on each individual since Instagram is both public and private. The number of people using it and how it is being used must have also changed over the last few years since this video was made. Neistat, Casey. (2012, October 2). Instagram i love you. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GacoqdKjVyE
The following link leads to Instagram "postings" of what traditional great authors might have said or responded to their peers today. This provides an outlook of how our work and how we represent ourselves on these social networks could be easily communicated.
http://twentytwowords.com/2013/09/11/if-great-authors-of-the-past-posted-to-instagram-and-other-great-authors-commented-8-pics/
|