Conquering the Arena

"It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat."
Teddy Roosevelt


This famous quote is from Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President of the United States. TR played many roles and withstood some very tough personal trials in his life. His first wife, Alice, and his mother died on the same day in 1884 and he spent two years in the Badlands of the Dakota Territory mastering his grief by living in the saddle driving cattle over a desolate landscape. He ultimately was called to the Presidency at the early age of 43 after McKinley was assassinated and had more than a few critics as he crusaded to secure National Parks for the enjoyment of millions of future generations of Americans. He knew victory and he refused to allow himself to succumb to defeat.

I have been reflecting on his phrase “ . . .the credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, . . . who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming,”

I can identify with what TR was saying. I feel like I have just entered the arena and my face is already marred by dust and sweat and blood, as I have erred and can identify with coming up short again and again as I struggle to master the design tools of the infrastructure for online learning.

In the online teaching arena, mastering the art of creating good learning objectives (a new experience) has definitely been a stumbling block for me. In the beginning it was a nightmare, because I struggled with finding and suggesting the appropriate action verbs. I immediately realized the vagueness of words like understand and demonstrate and wanted so badly to be concise that I then overcompensated and made lengthy wordy objectives that cried out for brevity and clarity. One of the most helpful tools for me (besides the aid offered by my colleagues) was found in these word wheels based on Bloom’s taxonomy that helped to guide my thought patterns.




http://www.cobbk12.org/sites/alt/training/Blooms/circle.GIF




http://teaching.uncc.edu/files/image/resources/pedagogy/diagramforwriting.gif


My second big hurdle has been being able to effectively align all the elements with the vision of the big picture I want to see emerge. Do my learning objectives effectively align with my content resources, my student-content interactions, and my student-student and student-teacher interactions/activities? I continue to create and re-create to make my work and my vision meld together.

I also continue to identify with TR’s words: “. . . who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause;”. I do not lack the great enthusiasms and passion for these online learning opportunities I seek to create. I have never once second guessed the fact that online teaching and learning is the worthy cause I wish to conquer and champion. However, I already know that I will never be satisfied or satiated thinking that I have reached the ultimate goal or the ultimate product and that the work is finished. This will be a lifelong process.

I know this cyber-arena’s area and expectations will continue to expand and I will continue “to spend myself”: to write and rewrite, to work to align and re-align and to evaluate and re-evaluate everything that I create long after this series of classes is over. Always searching, seeking and pondering how to improve the resources, the exercises, the activities, and the outcomes along with the outreach.

I have only just begun, but I realize that I will begin again and again until I can with some small degree of comfort construct the infrastructure I so sorely need to breathe depth and breadth and life into the learning opportunities I hope to ultimately see become a reality.

I also have to work diligently to construct learning outcomes with an eye on infusing deeper critical thinking skills. I am learning that a very delicate balance must be struck. I must also strive diligently to create an online atmosphere conducive to critical and creative reflection.

Always reticent of making the climate flexible enough to allow for the creation of activities that incorporate my students’ unique talents, abilities, interests, cultural backgrounds and work to take all of these factors into consideration as I seek to build and bond a community of learners.

“who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly”. Though this vast arena is not without its pitfalls, its peaks, its valleys and its endless dilemmas, I have seen glimpses of brilliance among my colleagues and fellow travelers. Their excellence and criticism drives me.

I have witnessed exchanges that I have never seen in on ground classes and I hear the distant thunder of great things to come. I have already witnessed podcasts, voice threads, wikis, edublogs, egames and the like and I know that this is just the beginning of this new cyber vocabulary that will evolve with each new discovery.
And so I move slowly forward deeper and deeper into the arena ever mindful of TR’s closing words, “so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat." Yes, the road ahead is at times foreboding and indeed challenging and my face is marred with the dust, blood and sweat of this arena already, but I will continue to push forward unrelenting and undaunted by any thoughts of defeat and only spurred forward by any criticisms.
Although there is no guarantee given for victory or against defeat, I have laid claim to my small spot in this grand arena and I refuse to lay waste my attempt to climb to the heights that await the unvanquished ahead. I will not settle for being counted among those timid souls that Roosevelt ruefully recounted no matter how steep the clime nor rugged the terrain, ultimately I will prevail. I will prevail and I will ultimately do so with the stamp of my own personal flourish and distinct style. Just watch me.