33 Tigers Infinity

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Thu, 16 May 2013 11:46:32 -0400

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Fri, 26 Apr 2013 15:53:25 -0400

Delicious Feedback Sandwich

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 15:52:40 -0400

Why the Sandwich? It sets a positive frame for feedback by starting out building trust, showing the learner we support their authentic success. Then the communication ends on a good note to build confidence. Yet a sandwich is not all bread nor a junk food of empty calories (hollow praise), giving a quick surge of energy without substance. There needs to be a balance of ingredients with proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vegetables and spice. Translate that into digestible bites of information in the form of suggestions, skills, media resources, specific edits and tips.

The feedback sandwich is a formula but it becomes most effective when each sandwich is made to order based on the assignment rubric, the learner’s work product, overall progress and the educator’s authentic teaching persona too. The learner just starting out with basic skills might want a hearty and simple Peanut Butter and Jelly, but the advanced fine art learner might need to expand their palate with a Falafel or a Rueben.

Why do we need feedback? It is necessary for refining skill building, adapting and thriving. Learning is all about finding out what you didn’t know and improving. Feedback is the fuel for learning and without it learning would be in a vacuum.

Yet feedback’s impact on motivation can swing both positively and negatively with great force able to inspire or to derail progress. Whether feedback is received as helpful, or not, largely depends on whether the receiver’s defense mechanism is triggered. Once defenses are up the learner will not really listen to the feedback, let alone process it and respond to it.

So how do we avoid triggering this defense mechanism from kicking in? Be specific, constructive, supportive and most of all respectful with empathy for the learner. Not dismissive, vague, curt or worse. And try the delicious feedback sandwich?

And my favorite sandwich is Vietnamese modern classic: Bánh mìwith thin sliced marinated beef, fresh herbs, jalapenos and a sweet sauce on baguette. The powerful fresh notes work together to entertain the senses, and nourish health and spirit.

Adventures at the Conservatory of Flowers.

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 15:37:37 -0400

Adventures at the Conservatory of Flowers.

by Heidi Marie “Jones” Reischuck

Mon, 07 May 2012 16:59:10 -0400

by Heidi Marie “Jones” Reischuck

said what?

Sun, 06 May 2012 13:04:00 -0400

said what?

Three sisters

Thu, 03 May 2012 22:47:32 -0400

Long, long ago, really not that long so that no one remembers, but long ago enough that the facts have been muddled, obscured by memory and actively reformulated many times by the various subjective forces of self-interest. However I know the true tale of the three sisters, the girls who changed our world and discovered the Balm. The miraculous, healing, calming, invigorating Balm, which before it we only knew of pains and aging, and now know comfort and release.

Juli, was the eldest and was already 9 when Katia was born. Juli, had a self-confidence of being the fun auntie, not the squabbling sister. Raven black hair worn braids in blue ribbons till she got it fashionably cut, always pretty without effort. She kept her talents secret by forgetting to brag as she was also a bit lazy. Afraid if other knew she could add up great and complicated sums or had an encyclopedic knowledge of flowers, or a near psychic power to understand the garden, they would expect more of her. When she grew older to most people she appeared dismissively cool until she someone told a good joke and then she would sparkle, light up the room and laugh in abandon. A sucker for some reason to hear variations on the local favorite, “So did you hear the one about the goat who ran a pub? Always butting into conversations.”

If Juli was dark, then Katia was light. She easily laughed, sang sing songs, was often in a state of being overly jolly. Yet when she got an idea in her head, she became single minded, focused, and would abruptly leave the conversation to read a book in her room, performance an experiment in the kitchen: investigate. Ginger Girl was always giving her ideas by asking her questions like “why is blue sometimes kinda of red?” or wistfully make requests for wonderful things in her imagination like what a wonderful day it would be to have a bath with the darkest purple sweet violet shampoo sipping a banana milkshake with Madagascar vanilla, paired with the crispest graham cracker.

ROBOTS OR DINOSAURS?

Thu, 03 May 2012 22:44:19 -0400

Robots!

travelling to Metropolis

Thu, 03 May 2012 22:40:58 -0400

travelling to Metropolis

I hear you

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 18:38:09 -0500

I hear you

enter the gate in the woods

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 18:33:43 -0500

enter the gate in the woods

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Wed, 09 Nov 2011 18:33:01 -0500

"I am a scientist - I seek to understand me All of my impurities and evils yet unknown I am a..."

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 18:31:52 -0500

“I am a scientist - I seek to understand me
All of my impurities and evils yet unknown
I am a journalist - I write to you to show you
I am an incurable
and nothing else behaves like me -
- Robert Pollard”