søndag den 12. maj 2013

PLA #1 (Module 1.1) Leaders who brought out the best of you

According to my plan I ought to be busy gardening, but the rain tumbles down and I had a short look at the module 1 videos from Inspiring Leadership through Emotional intelligence. It seems very interesting and is only estimated to a few hours a week. I should be able to do some catch up (due to the weather forecasts) within the next days. So I'll give it a try :)


Ole Hald Madsen

Ole Hald Madsen was my physic and chemistry teacher, when I studied to become a teacher. We were one of his last classes before his retirement. Ole is the name on top of my left hand column. Like Mr. Richard Boyatzis points out in the video, I don't exactly remember in details what Ole said or did, but I remember how he made me feel. I felt I could handle this subject in my own way. That it was ok to play around and asking questions about anything. I had my debut on the internet during his course, and we students could stay in the lab all night and email him questions that he would answer as soon as he saw them. Ole is clearly the reason that I found (and still do) science is one of the most interesting, meaningful and playful approaches to understand our surrounding world. He is still a great role model for me in my teaching.
On my right hand column I didn't even write a name, but just "the pompous fool from the office". Mr. Richards Boyatzis already described him in details in the video. Do I have to say more? After two months I had to quit. It made him ask why and he seemed very surprised that I did not like and understand his way of leadership. Besides crowning the right hand column he is also illustrated in the top field of the Boss/ Leadership picture below. 


Notes provided from course
Basic learning points of module 1:

  1. Most of us have experienced a great leader some time in our past. This experience provided a model of great leadership which we let ourselves forget and are co-opted by poor or mediocre leaders.
  2. Leadership is about the relationship between the leader and the people around him or her.
  3. The best leaders build or rebuild resonant relationships. These are relationships in which the leader is in tune with or in sync with the people around him or her. 
  4. Most of us have experienced a great leader some time in our past. This experience provided a model of great leadership which we let ourselves forget and are co-opted by poor or mediocre leaders.
  5. Leadership is about the relationship between the leader and the people around him or her.
  6. The best leaders build or rebuild resonant relationships. These are relationships in which the leader is in tune with or in sync with the people around him or her.
  7. Executives reflecting on moments in their lives with specific resonant leaders activated the following neural networks in their brain: mirror neuron networks; social/Default Mode Network; networks associated with positive emotions; and networks associated with approach behavior.
  8. Executives reflecting on moments in their lives with specific dissonant leaders deactivated or suppressed the following neural networks in their brain: mirror neuron networks; social/Default Mode Network about 2/3rds of the time (the other 1/3rd of the time it was activated). They activated networks associated with negative emotions and those associated with avoidance behavior. 
  9. Sympathetic activations of actions and emotions of others occur in the brain of normal people around them. This occurs in parts of a second, sometimes as little as less than 100 milliseconds, and is predominantly unconscious.
  10. When people engage in analytic tasks, like financial, engineering, IT, or physics problems, they activate the Task Positive Network (TPN) in their brain. The TPN enables a person to focus, solve a problem, and make a decision, but it closes a person perceptually to new ideas, possibilities and people.
  11. When people engage in social tasks, like helping another person, arguing with them, asking someone for help, they activate the Social Network (SN) which is a part of the Default Mode Network (DMN) in their brain. The SN/DMN enables a person to be open to new ideas, people or emotions, tune into others and moral considerations, but might leave a person open to distractions.
  12. The TPN and SN/DMN are, on the whole, independent networks, and they suppress each other. But as professionals, managers and leaders, we need to use both the TPN and SN/DMN to be effective.
  13. Resonant leadership is common sense, but not common practice.

Sources: 
Boss/ Leader picture: source unknown

Activity 25. Reflection on openness



To activity 25 I had to create a video, in which I had to reflect on what I learned in h817open, covering one of three elements. I chose 

  • What aspect of openness in education interests you most (and why)? 

I wanted to create the video by remixing common licence ressources with my own stuff (photos, screen casts from my former h817open blog posts etc). By purpose I made it a little messy to illustrate the diversity, that powers the networks and learning processes. 
Please have a look below  :)









Tech I used to make the video:
  1. Screencast-O-Matic
  2. Pixlr.com
  3. iMovie
  4. FLV Spider Pro
  5. Jaksta

Remixed / revised video clips:
  1. Wheat Time lapse
  2. Bean time lapse
  3. Dave Cormier, Embracing uncertainty

Remixed / revised photos:
  1. bluebell, by Dominic's pics on Flickr
  2. Network, by Dan Zen
  3. Road, by Moyan Brenn  
  4. Class, by Trondheim Byarkiv
  5. Dave Cormier, by cogdogblog
  6. Stephen Downes, by Stephen Downes
  7. OER, by Martin Weller
  8. Smiley, by Glitter Graphics 

Remixed / revised music:
  1. Soleil levant, Waxstar on www.jamendo.com



Awarded with Badge 14.05.13