This segment of Chapter 12 caused me to pause and reflect on
how selfishness has infiltrated many aspects of society over the decades. Years
ago, people genuinely cared about other people, and the concept of
humanitarianism wasn’t a concept – it was an embedded character. Nowadays, it’s
every man for himself, and the selfishness has made its way into the classroom.
A few weeks ago, I showed my students how Evernote can help them take more
effective notes in the classes. Later that week, as I lectured on information
that would be on an upcoming quiz, I noticed quite a few students were absent.
I then stated to the class that perhaps they could share their notes, via
Evernote, with students who missed the lecture.
You would think I asked them to share toothbrushes by the
response I got.
There was no sense of ‘WE’ or teamwork – “let’s make sure WE
all do well on this test” – nothing! I have found that students are initially
reluctant to perform in ways that contribute to the sense of community. It’s
often “these are MY ideas”, “this is how I will design it”, or “MY work is
better than yours!”
Thankfully, one of the benefits of using Edmodo for my
classes is that it allows students to share ideas, thoughts and resources.
Students get a sense of belonging that empowers them to shift from an
‘I-centric’ mindset to a “WE-centric” mindset. I love the three questions
posted by this chapter. My hope is to refer to them as I help my students build
the teamwork skills that are essential to the creative industry.
Exactly Julia I felt that the more often than not, history is about conflicts between an "us" and "them".
ReplyDeleteThe WE Story defines a human being in a specific way. It says we are central selves seeking to contribute, naturally engaged, forever in a dance with each other. The WE appears when, for the moment, we set aside the story of fear, competition, and struggle and tell its story. The steps to the WE story are: Tell the WE story… the story of the unseen threads that connect us all… the story of possibility. Chapter12 really makes you think.
Julia
ReplyDeleteThis is the society of entitlements. Each man for himself. Many people can't see past the end of their noses. My children were watching a Lego cartoon video the other day when a phrase caught my attention. One of the characters was griping about having people on his team to help him be successful. A supervisor's response was "We build on each other", which is totally connected with this concept. The success of one person is, in many respects, dependent on the culmination of the work of many.
Wow, interesting example of how our school system may not be helping our students function as contributors to society in the future. Interesting.
ReplyDelete