Project M Students Celebrate their Growth in Front of Friends and Family
Posted on 11. Jun, 2010 by Ringmaster in All Posts
Vision Videos integrated into the curriculum
This week I had the privilege of attending the Project M Celebration at Woodbury High School. Project M is a program for 35 Middle School and High School At Risk students.
The Intent of Project M is to help urban and suburban youth develop positive self identity and support a sense of purpose and direction they need to more fully engage in life.
TEL.A.VISION became an active part of their curriculum. Each of the youth created a TEL.A.VISION video. At the celebration two of the youth’s videos were shown and as the finale each student stated the career they desired as though it had already happened ( I am a head nurse) and one word to describe Project M ( success, life saving, a new start).
We are looking forward to working closer together with Project M to grow the program next year.
Here are two student videos.
Hlub Zoo Program for At Risk 6th Grade Hmong Girls
Posted on 10. Jun, 2010 by Ringmaster in All Posts
Mary Her, working with the Wilder Foundation program for Hmong girls, had all of her girls complete TEL.A.VISION vision videos. She said she learned things about the girls doing the vision video process that she hadn’t learned working a year with them. The girls were thrilled to show the videos at a graduation ceremony in front of friends and family.
First are a few examples from Shoua Cha and Mai Mayla Vang and what follows is Mary’s story of the experience. Please read on after the videos if you are interested in the best way to help youth reach their potential with a vision video.
Transition Program to Use TEL.A.VISION Every Semester
Posted on 25. May, 2010 by Ringmaster in All Posts
TEL.A.VISION: Preliminary Implementation Summary: Special Education District of McHenry (SEDOM) County Transition Program, 18-21 year old students with disabilities
Christy A. Chambers, Ed.D.-Consultant
Summary and Conclusions:
The Pathways Program staff view Telavison as a beneficial tool and visioning process. When the video were presented a the graduation ceremony there was not a dry eye in the house. They are excited as they prepare to share more of the results with parents and look forward to offering the course each semester.
Social worker Dave Mason said, “not only does the software help students to focus on the future in a positive manner, it is a good diagnostic tool for assessing student’s transition needs.”
SEDOM: The Special Education District of McHenry County is a special education cooperative in Northern Illinois serving the 18 school district be providing special education programs and services in the 90 schools serving a student population of over 55,000 students in the county.
Transition Program: SEDOM administers a program for students 18-21 years of age in collaboration with McHenry Community College to prepare students with disabilities through education and work experiences for transition from school to work.
Implementation Description: A SEDOM Teacher, Ms. Margaret Molnar, implemented the Tel.a.vision curriculum with 20 MCC transition students during the fall 2009 and spring 2010 semesters. Implementation was supported by the program aides, Education and Careers Director, Ms. Sharon Slover, and consultant Christy Chambers.
Teacher Experiences: During visits and through interim email communications, the teacher made the following observations and comments to the consultant:
Ms. Molnar was surprised and impressed with the ability of her students to grasp the concept of visioning and their ability to frame their life dreams in the present tense. Although some of the students took longer and more individual attention to grasp the concept, she observed that her students successfully grasped and applied the concept.
Ms Molnar commented she should have spent more time on the technical aspects of implementation the program such as how to upload student selected music and graphics outside of the music and graphics housed in the application.
In the Nick of Time
Posted on 21. May, 2010 by Ringmaster in All Posts, Power of Vision
Marianne Williamson in her book “The Age of Miracles” has a chapter called “The Nick of Time.” In that chapter she discusses the possibilities from creating a vision from a spiritual perspective.
“We’re living at a moment of quantum possibility now, not just in terms of our physical age but in terms of the history of the world. It is like the universe is splitting in two — which perhaps it is.
Neither we, nor the world we live in , will go much further down the road in the current state. We can either let go gracefully of the people we’ve been, becoming ever more transcendent, or we can let go angrily, our lives becoming more bitter and chaotic.
Rebirth is a gradual process giving embrace and welcome to the person we really wish to be.”
She offers this meditation.
“Close your eyes and imagine the life you want. Now allow yourself to focus your inner eye on the person you would be if you were living the preferred life. Notice the differences in how you behave and present yourself: allow yourself to spend several seconds breathing in the new image. Hold the image for several seconds and ask God to imprint it on your subconscious. Do that every day for ten minutes or so.”
This is what we are asking people to do when they create a TEL.A.VISION vision video. We ask youth to imagine the preferred life by creating a vision video and watching it regularly. She follows with this quote, “If you share this technique with certain people, the chance are good they’ll tell you that it’s way too simple. It’s up to you what you believe.“
Viktor Frankl and the Importance of Vision
Posted on 15. May, 2010 by Ringmaster in Power of Vision
In this rare clip from 1972, legendary psychiatrist and Holocaust-survivor Viktor Frankl delivers a powerful message about the human search for meaning — and the most important gift we can give others.
TEL.A.VISION White Paper Validates Neuroplasticity is Key to Drop Out Prevention
Posted on 15. Feb, 2010 by Ringmaster in All Posts
MINNEAPOLIS (February 15, 2010) –TEL.A.VISION, the proven Web 2.0 online curriculum that inspires youth to create and share visions of hope and possibility through personal “vision videos” released a white paper that documents the — importance of “neuroplasticity,” that thoughts can rewire the brain. This demonstrates the need to promote positive thoughts and eliminate negative thinking. When students envision hope and possibilities it attributes to them staying in school and graduating
TEL.A.VISION’s white paper was researched and written by Dr. Christy Chamber, Past President of the Council of Administrators for Special Education, Special Education Superintendent and renowned special education expert.
“ Our Special Ed students often see themselves as their disability,” said Dr. Christy Chambers. “TEL.A.VISION helps them see their “distinguished abilities” and by sharing their videos with teachers, friends and family gives them a support system to help them achieve their goals.”
TEL.A.VISION has proven to be successful with all students, but especially those at risk and those receiving special educations services. The program engages students in a meaningful way, allows their voices to be heard, has improved AYP and helps to decrease the dropout rate.
“The average TEL.A.VISION video is watched 73 times in a one year period. This “neuroplastic training” strengthens the brain through repetition, just like a weak muscle, and helps the brain to pay attention to daily occurrences that can help students achieve their goals,” stated George Johnson of TEL.A.VISION.
Our nation’s youth are dropping out of school at an alarming rate because they have no hope and do not see the relevance of the curriculum to their futures. It is important that we realize the impact on society of our youth with no hope who are dropping out of school.
About TEL.A.VISION
TEL.A.VISION was created by former Special Education teacher turned entrepreneur, George Johnson. TEL.A.VISION is a Web 2.0 online curriculum that inspires youth to create and share visions of hope and possibility through personal “vision videos”. The TEL.A.VISION technology platform was designed for all youth, but the focus is the Special Education and At Risk student. To download the white paper go to http://telavision.tv/white-paper/
TEL.A.VISION Helped Me Create a Doorway to Discuss ALC Student’s Futures
Posted on 03. Feb, 2010 by Ringmaster in All Posts, Power of Vision, TEL.A.VISION Stories
By Tom Wendt
St. Croix Valley Alternative Learning Center
I recently used TEL.A.VISION with two of my classes at the St.Croix Valley Alternative Learning Center (SCVALC). The students got into it. They took ownership of their videos. They all finished the project. The software was simple to use and there are online lesson plans to follow.
TEL.A.VISION got the students looking ahead; looking to their future. It was a doorway to open for me to have discussions on where they are headed and what they are doing.
I’ve often said that the hardest students to work with are those who have no direction. When a student has dreams and goals you have something to work toward. If you don’t have goals and you get knocked off course there is nothing to help steer you back. TEL.A.VISION gave them a foundation of goals that they can go back and change over time.
I’d highly recommend TEL.A.VISION for Alternative Learning Center students.
My experience with TEL.A.VISION was excellent!
Posted on 01. Feb, 2010 by Ringmaster in All Posts, Power of Vision, TEL.A.VISION Stories
By Eric Paquette
Dunwoody Academy students at their computers
I am a high school writing teacher with a large special ed. population in my classroom. I found the visionary aspect, the creative freedom and hands on approach empowered previously unengaged students. Since the project I have seen that by referring back to the goals set in the video students are connecting daily work to long term goals in a more concrete manner.
From the first day that we started using TEL.A.VISION there seemed to be an instant connection between the students and the program. The special ed. students in my class seem to be more comfortable writing, and processing information on the computer than with a pencil and paper. TEL.A.VISION allowed them an opportunity to have success in the classroom in a format that permitted them to focus on what they were saying rather than the format that they were using.
I would recommend TEL.A.VISION to ANY teacher trying to get students to rise to their full potential
Here is a sample video by one of the students.
Digital Story Telling with Homeless Students
Posted on 02. Jan, 2010 by Ringmaster in All Posts, Power of Vision, TEL.A.VISION Stories
Lanise Block enjoyed using TEL.A.VISION in her classroom and decided to use it in a “Digital Story Telling” project with the homeless. She was surprised by how well the project was accepted by her students.
Use in a High School Classroom
Posted on 02. Jan, 2010 by Ringmaster in All Posts
We caught up with Lanise Block, a teacher at Henry High School in Minneapolis, at the recent TIES Conference. Here is what she had to say about about using TEL.A.VISION in her classroom.
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