SMARTSKILLS 101 IN THE COLLEGE CLASSROOM

ACTIVITIES TO USE THE TOTAL INTELLIGENCE SYSTEM TO IMPROVE STUDENT ENGAGEMENT, STUDENT RESULTS AND MAKE EVERY GROUP PROJECT A SUCCESS

- by Bob Wiele, President, OneSmartWorld with contributions from our School and College Clients

The more we shift to a society where things change quickly and discontinuously, the more adaptable our students must be to survive and thrive in the 21st century. I believe that to succeed people and teams need to learn how to harness 4 dimensions of their total intelligence – their creativity, understanding, decision-making and personal spirit.

Our mission at OneSmartWorld is to help people, teams and organizations everywhere succeed by learning how to think better and work smarter together. We believe that thinking skills and collaboration skills will be increasingly critical to success in the 21st Century economy. We are committed to providing progressive educators with practical tools that they can use to equip their students with 5 higher order essential skills of self management, thinking, problem solving, inter-personal communication and collaborative teamwork.

The 4D-i Total Intelligence system is a game changer. It is the only system in the world that delivers a profile of thinking skills for greater self understanding plus a toolkit for effective problem solving and decision-making, all off one integrated platform. It can be used as a unifying platform across a program and be an enabler to achieve curriculum outcomes in all course offerings.

The system empowers students to take charge of their own learning. It gives students 24/7 access to their 4D-i results, their Coaching tips and SAM – the smart agenda manager. These tools are designed for improving time management, one to one communication and teamwork. The language once learned, can be used throughout all courses and in every program – in the classroom, as a platform for learning content, in conflict resolution and as the foundation for all successful group projects.. The common language and system will help you build high quality relationships and respect more quickly among students. It will increase student-faculty understanding. The definable and repeatable problem solving processes will help students acquire skills to help them become life long learners and to be smart for life.

For faculty and teachers, it gives detailed insights into the operating styles of your individual students and as well as a profile of a whole class. For administrators, it delivers powerful data to drive decision-making on to improve retention, improve program quality and deliver greater employer satisfaction with student competencies.

Here is a set of different ways faculty can use the Total Intelligence tools that are built into the SmartSkills to achieve your educational outcomes.

DEVELOP MORE IN-DEPTH SELF AWARENESS AND SELF KNOWLEDGE

Self-awareness is critical to early success in the college environment. The 4D-i online instrument delivers an easy to use print profile – the 4D-i Portfolio Professional Development Edition report as well as the online Coach, with tips for people to use to expand their skills

Reflection Report

Ask students to write a reflection report on the 4D-i results, focusing on meaning, implications for choices made, areas of personal interest, areas of personal avoidance, implications of high and low personal preferences on problem solving and decision-making, on career choices, relationships and personal success.

Strengths and Targets Pair Share

Students pair up and review the results of their profilers to develop deeper understanding of self through dialogue. Students prepare a Good News summary of their results and select one area that they would like to build greater skill in.

SAM – Self/Best Day/Week

Ask students to develop a ‘best day/best week ’plan, using the Self Smart Day Planner on SAM – ask them to focus on a particular day or week and to build a plan that ensures they work in all 4 dimensions.

Personalized Problem Solving Process

SAM/Self/ Personal Coach/ – ask students to develop a personal process to follow, using SAM- Self – Personal Coach – Single Item agenda. The task is to develop a simple process that they can use to think through any type of complex problem or issue that they have to deal with. Tell them to build a Custom Track, select specific strategies and identify specific questions or tasks in the Notes section for their plan.

I Am Smart – Self Discovery

Starting from a point of positive appreciation students will identify the many ways that they are already “smart”. This will help students to value and honour each student’s work, volunteer, family and life experience by helping them to realize that they are already “smart” in many important ways.

BUILD RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN AND AMONG STUDENTS

A critical key success factor in the first weeks of college is to work hard at helping students develop positive relationships with other students in their program. The 4D-i report is an assessment for learning and gives each person an opportunity to identify what makes him or her unique and how they personally like to operate.

Request that all class participants bring their 4D-i Portfolio print-out to the classroom.

The Daily Gratitude List

To help students identify the things in their lives for which they feel grateful. To help students develop the discipline of noticing the positives in their lives and taking the focus off the negative.

Each student is given a blank sheet of paper upon which they write whatever positives about their life they can think of. They keep the paper for their own viewing and reflection. Each day they are given 5 minutes at the beginning of the class to add to their daily gratitudes.

Peer Feedback Activity

To provide students with positive feedback from their peers and teachers to help them better understand themselves and realize how they are valued by others. It also is an opportunity for each person in the class to think about how they are appreciative of each of the other people in the class.

Each student is given a blank sheet of paper, to which they add their name on the top. Each person’s paper will be passed to every other person in the class. Everyone writes one anonymous positive comment on each person’s sheet. The owner of the sheet takes it with them and reflects on all that they contribute.

Smart Map The Class

On a flipchart, chalkboard, Smart Board or other visual recording device, ask students to go to page 3 of their 4D-i Portfolio report. Ask for a show of hands and record the results to following questions, for the group to see.

The 3 Dimensions Map

“Look at the diagram on the left of page 3- how many people are highest in green? – Record the #; in yellow? – record the number. In red? – record the number” – Initiate a dialogue on how the students in this group like to learn and operate – large group – or – in small groups or in pairs. Have them discuss the implications of the differences in ensuring a powerful and effective learning experience for all.

Describe how regardless of your preferences, to be effective, everyone needs to learn to operate in 4D-i – in all 4 dimensions so they can adapt to the challenges of change and to meet the needs of people who are different than they are.

The 7 Mindsets Map:

“Look at the diagram on your right on page 3, identify your 2 highest mindsets and be ready to show your hands when I call out the name of both of mind sets you are highest in:

cool green/creative thinking? – record the # warm green/creative intuition? – record the # Cool yellow- analytical thinking – record the # Warm yellow – compassion – record the # Cool red – critical thinking –record the # Warm red – beliefs based/values driven – record the # Warm red- gut instinct/trust your heart –record the #

The Human Graph

Post the colour symbols on the walls around the class and ask students to stand close to the colour in which they are highest or Post the words for the 7 mindsets around the room and ask students to stand close to their highest mindset or Post the words for the 18 success strategies around the room and ask students to stand close to the strategy that is their highest or Have students look around to see who they are most like and least like. Ask them to remember a time when they worked with their classmates while reflecting on how the experience was, working with people in similar and different colours.

Coloured Dots

Combine this exercise with the previous one

On the first day you use the 4D-i, have strips of coloured green, yellow and red dots available to distribute to students. Use colored dots to identify dominant preferences – ask them to use of these two approaches:

Select the coloured dot that represents their most preferred dimension and put it in a visible place – lapel, binder, forehead, name card and start a dialogue with someone who has a different lead colour. Select one of each of the 3 dots and arrange them from highest to lowest, reading left to right and put them in a visible place – lapel, shirt, binder…

Wall Charts

Use the wall charts in smaller classes to have students see how their results differ or are similar to others. Have people highest in green put their names and their 7 mindset results on the wall chart with the green stripe on the left. Same procedure for yellow and red, using the wall charts with the different coloured stripes.

Pair Share

Use this method when going through the profiler. Pair people up who have different styles to go through the results. One variation is to have the students rotate 4 times – pair up with 4 different people, one for the de-brief of each dimension.

Group By Similar Colour Preference/Great Minds Think Alike

In this exercise, have people pair up or group by like results- greens together, yellows together and pose questions – see Workbook Exercise #9.

Smart Speed Dating- 3-5 Minute Dialogues

This exercise is designed to have people meet, greet and share their profile results – trigger questions to use for each round including:

my highs and lows are – and here is what it tells me if we were to work together, what do we each bring to the relationship – our high preferences – our low preferences What do your results say about how you like to learn?

Peer Coaching

Pair people up by highs and lows – one person who is high in one dimension pairs up with someone who is high where they are lower and vice versa - to provide support and coaching.

Conflict Resolution – SAM

Using real cases from student’s lives, have pairs or threes work to design practical, colour coded conflict resolution models that could be applied in the life and work settings they are in. Outputs

include detailed, step-by-step custom tracks, with notes and a rationale and description of the process and how it would work.

Positive Outlook Improvisation Situations

Allow students to identify situations that would require smart thinking and that are true to their life situations. In pairs each student takes one role and acts the part of the negative personal spirit role or the positive personal spirit role. The student portraying positive personal spirit coaches the negative student to have a greater positive personal spirit. The actors receive feedback from the class on their portrayal of the 3 personal spirit success factors and their persuasive coaching skills.

Example: Two students are stuck in an elevator together. They both have important places to be and have no time to spare being trapped in an elevator. One is very optimistic and believes that everything will be fine and that they will be saved momentarily. The other has seen too many scary elevator movies and believes that the elevator is going to go crashing into the basement.

Managing Proverbial Conflict

Familiar Proverbs can be thought of as descriptions of some of the different perspectives for dealing with life’s challenges. Proverbs often state traditional wisdom for resolving conflicts. Students review a list of familiar proverbs (conflict related or otherwise) and determine which Smart Skills strategy is being described. Eg. Never judge a person until you’ve walked a mile in their moccasins = empathize.

Dr. Stanley Braithwaite – Seneca College

Famous And Not So Famous Stories Of Personal Spirit

Using the “Treasury of Personal Spirit Stories” as an example ask students to identify one person they know personally who exemplifies at least one of the characteristics of personal spirit and to write a brief paper about who the person is and why the student feels they exemplify personal spirit.

See Appendix

BUILD RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN FACULTY AND STUDENTS

Share And Show Your Profile To Students

One effective way to build rapport and connect with your students is to show them your own 4D-i results and to tell stories about yourself, how you like to operate and the implications of your profile on your behaviour, your life, your relationships, choice of career etc.

Dialogue On Instructional And Learning Success

Engage the students either in an open forum for smaller classes, in pairs or small groups to dialogue on their 4D-i results and the implications for topics like:

“How do you learn best?” “What types of classroom experiences do you dislike the most? Enjoy the most?” “What would make this an effective learning experience for you?”

PERSONAL LEARNING PLANS

4D-I Portfolio Planner

Have students use pages 26-28 of their print out of the 4D-i Portfolio. Students use the 4D-i planner to write up and submit their personal learning plans. You can have each student reflect on the results of their 4D-i and request that they use the ‘Achieving Success’ planner, on pages 26-28 of the print out of 4D-i Portfolio Professional Development Edition report. Have students consult with their online COACH to develop their plan.

4D-I Portfolio Planner- Believe It To Achieve It

Pages 26, 29-31 of the 4D-i Portfolio report. Have students select a new behaviour they want to acquire or improve or a challenge that they feel uncomfortable about dealing with. The focus here is on taking their performance to a new level. Use the 4D-i results and the “Believe It to Achieve It” planner to build a personal high performance plan.

Time Management – SAM Self

Have students complete and submit their own personal Smart Day or Smart Week or Smart Month plans using the online SAM Self planning tools. Have them write reflection reports on their ability to improve their time management by using these tools.

INCREASE STUDENT ENGAGEMENT IN THE CLASS

Constructing Your Fantastic Future

Working in groups have students think ahead exactly two years from now. Have them imagine that they have taken what they learned in the course and done amazing things with their career and their life. Ask them to individually identify two or three things that would dramatically demonstrate that they have made the choice to really make a leap forward. Students then share with the other members of the group how fantastic they are and the incredible things that they have accomplished.

Three Big Ideas To Improve Communication

Big Idea #1 Anyone Can Be in Any Mindset at Any Given Time Big Idea #2 Get Our of Your Own Mind to Find Success With Others Big Idea #3 Shift Together into the same mindset

At any point in your teaching, show a slide, present an issue or chunk or content and invite the class to collectively join you in a specific state of mind.

“ OK, here is the piece of information. I want you all to shift into yellow and examine the information – what do you see? How would you organize the information? What is not clear?”

“ Given the description of the issue, let’s all shift into green – what are the potential causes of the problem? What options would you have in this situation?”

“ Based on what I have shown you, let’s shift into red and ask, what is the crux of the problem? What conclusions can you come to? How do you know this is the right conclusion – what evidence supports it?”

Use Short 2 Or 3 Or 4 Step Smart Tracks For Each Group Huddle

Any time you ask students in pairs or small groups to discuss an issue, give the the process you want them to follow and the time for each stage of the process.

GROUP PROJECT TEAMS

Group projects frequently are a poor quality experience for students. The groups formed have neither a common language for mutual understanding nor common work group processes to follow. Now, using SAM, these barriers to success can be overcome.

Have Students Develop Their Own Or Select Their Own Smart Track As First Step In A Group Discussion

Faculty Form Smart Teams

Build teams that include all 3 Dimensions included in each group. Use the class information on 4D-i profiles to assemble teams of 5 to 7 people, ensuring that there is a diversity of thinking styles in each group.

Have teams, once formed, address topics like;

My profile and how I like to work What I can contribute most The type of help that I need most How we can best work together

Students Form Smart Teams

Give the criteria for forming a diverse, mixed smart team and have students self-select their own members for teams of 3 to 7 people for short or longer group projects.

GROUP PROJECT SUCCESS

Assign Specific Processes For An In Class Task

Ideal for in-class group work. Use mixed teams of 3 to 7 members to think through an issue using the Smart Tracks found on SAM. Pre-select the process you want the group to follow. Use the appropriate worksheet for students to follow – see your Jump Drive.

Make sure you:

Assign the outcome Assign the process Assign the times for each stage of the process Have the group assign the 4 roles of facilitator, timekeeper, recorder and participant Ask for a de-brief on what worked, what didn’t, on the lesson learned…

Assign Specific Processes For A Group Project Task

This is ideal for a longer group project. Use mixed teams of 3 to 7 to think through an issue using the Smart Tracks found on SAM. Pre-select the process you want to the group to follow. Use the appropriate worksheet for students to follow.

Make sure you:

Assign the outcome Assign the process Assign the times for each stage of the process Have the group assign the 4 roles of facilitator, timekeeper, recorder and participant

Require that a reflection document, prepared by the group, be incorporated into their report back – how they worked collaboratively, using the common language, process and times to achieve results – plus lessons learned…

The Jones Family

Using the Jones Family case study students will decide on a smart track process and then apply it to reach consensus about how the Jones’ should handle their situation. See Appendix

SAM/Team- Teams Build A Process/ Deliver A Project/Report On Process & Product For Credit

People  work  with people all the time. Teams and groups frequently lack defined  processes for solving problems. For students, a key learning is how to design and use thinking and problem solving processes to get better work done, faster and smarter. Use this application to assess 4 levels:

The quality of the process or plan developed to address the project – have the group do a separate presentation on the custom track that describes the approach that they developed, complete with notes, to work through the project The quality of the teamwork – how well the members harnessed the total intelligence at their disposal and engaged the talents and energies of the group members The project outcomes- the results produced Reflections on the process and the results- lessons learned, personal applications for future projects

DEVELOP A PORTFOLIO OF ESSENTIAL SKILLS

Personal Development Portfolio

One of the outcomes colleges are accountable for is the delivery of the essential employability skills – self-management, thinking, problem solving, communication and teamwork. The SmartSkills Total Intelligence system can be used as a platform for developing a portfolio of skills using the 4D-i , Coach and SAM process outputs to demonstrate competency in the 5 areas.

Have students present evidence of how they have expanded their behaviour into all 4 dimensions -beyond their preferences and strongest predispositions to demonstrations of how they can shift into and use all 4 dimensions, 7 mindsets and the strategies as needed.

38. Essential Skills – Functional Resume

Students create a functional resume that demonstrates their achievement of the essential skills based on their classroom work, volunteer jobs, paid employment etc. Students can use this resume when preparing resumes for employment or in preparation for job interviews. See Appendix

Dr. Stanley Braithwaite – Seneca College

FROM TEACHING TO ENABLING LEARNING – MAKING A PERSONAL PARADIGM SHIFT

39. Total Intelligence As A Consistent Platform For Learning And Teaching

Faculty are always aware of how much content must be covered in a particular program. Research on learning shows how ineffective most lecture style approaches are to both building skills and to sustaining knowledge in the learners . The use of problem based approaches, case studies, journals, simulations, reflection exercises are all useful in promoting learning that sticks.

For faculty interested in promoting learning, one application is to use the language of SmartSkills to do the following:

Show a video or Powerpoint presentation to the class (eg Lost Generation – Youtube video)

Stacey LePage - Simcoe County School Board

Using the Diamond Metaphor ask students to think in all dimensions about why they are like a diamond (see appendix)

Using quotations or poetry about pertinent topics challenge students to analyse the validity of the work using all dimensions (see appendix) for the first 10 minutes of each class.

Direct the thinking in class – “ now I want you all to shift into cool yellow and analyze the information on the slide. Scan it. Look at all the information. What do you notice?. Structure it – in what ways could you organize the information?

Teach all content through questions based off the total intelligence platform of 21 strategies – direct the thought processes of students by posing questions through the framework of the 4 dimensions – e.g.:

“ How would you reframe this problem into an opportunity?”

“ What built in assumptions could we challenge?”

“ How would connect with the other person to uncover how they are really feeling?”

“ How can you validate that your decision is the best one?”

Focus on building student personal spirit and resilience by focusing on the positive and the can do approach to challenges.

Good luck with this. Please contact us at 800-38 SMART or send me a note at bwiele@onesmartworld.com for more information or on how we can support you work to increase student engagement and success.

Appendix

The Jones Family

Mr. and Mrs. Jones and their two children live in Scarborough, Ontario. Jack and Shirley Jones each have well paid jobs as chartered accountants in large successful companies in downtown Toronto.

Susie and Bobbie Jones are in grades 3 and 5 in their local public school and each play a sport, swim and are enrolled in several activities at their local community centre.

Today Shirley Jones was offered a large promotion to an executive level position with the same company. Shirley is a very ambitious person and is thrilled to be finally recognized for her years of hard work. Jack Jones is proud of his wife and is equally as ambitious and hard working. The new position comes with an immediate $15,000 salary increase, car, golf club membership, frequent travel and potential for frequent salary increases.

The new position is located in Calgary, Alberta.

As a group decide what the Jones family should do.

Feedback Activity

Objective

To provide students with positive feedback from their peers and teachers to help them better understand them self and realize how they are valued by others. It also is an opportunity for each person in the class to think about how they are appreciative of each of the other people in the class.

Introduction

This is a valuable opportunity to understand the positive ways we are viewed and the positive impact we have on those around us. This is also an opportunity for each of us to focus on the positives that we see in others. Please think carefully about something that you like, appreciate, value in each of the people in our class. Think about something you like about the person, something you think they are good at, something outstanding that they contribute to the class or some way that they have positively effected you.

If you can’t think of something positive, please don’t write anything.

Each person will be given a blank sheet of paper.

We will each write our names on the top of the page. Fold the sheet in half.

Each person’s paper will be passed to every person in the class.

We will each write one positive comment on each person’s sheet.

Time

Approximately 15-30 minutes depending on the number of people in the class.

Equipment

Each person requires a blank sheet of paper and a pen.

Quotations

Happiness

The man who believes he can do it will probably turn out to be right, and so will the man who believes he can’t.

Laurence J. Peter

Be silent as to services you have rendered but speak of favours you have received

Seneca 5 B.C- 65A.D

Doing what you like is freedom. Liking what you do is happiness.

Frank Tyger

Happiness is a state of mind; it doesn’t depend on who you are or what you have; it depends solely upon what you think.

Dale Carnegie

Money can’t buy happiness – but it can make misery much more tolerable.

Unknown.

Money can’t buy happiness, but neither can poverty.

Leo Rosten (1908 - )

Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no other who is

Youer than You.”

Dr. Seuss

Learning

It’s so easy for a kid to join a gang, to do drugs,… We should make it that easy to be involved in football and academics

Snoop Dog (1971- )

I want to grow. I want to be better. You grow. We all grow. We’re made to grow. You either evolve or you disappear.

Tupac Shakur 1971- 1996

Integrity without knowledge is weak and useless, and knowledge without integrity is dangerous and dreadful.

Samuel Johnson

It usually takes more than three weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech.

Mark Twain

Personally, I’m always ready to learn, although I do not always like being taught.

Winston Churchill

The hardest thing to learn in life is which bridge to cross and which to burn.

David Russell.

If you know you don’t know much, you are smarter than most people

Ambrose Bierce

Not faith, but doubt, is what gets you an education

Wilson Mizner.

Living

If one does not know to which port one is sailing, no wind is favorable.

Seneca 5 BC – 65 AD

Why am I fighting to live, if I’m just living to fight

Why am I trying to see, when there aint nothing insight

Why amd I trying to give, when no one gives me a try

Why amd I dying to live, if I’m just living to die?

Someone tell me y

Tupac Shakur 1971- 1996

Unless we share with each other we gotta start making changes

Tupac Shakur 1971- 1996

Life would be infinitely happier if only we could be born at the age of eighty and gradually approach eighteen.

Mark Twain.

The game of life is not so much in holding a good hand as in playing a poor hand well.

H.T. Leslie

For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.

Nelson Mandela (1918- )

The truth is you don’t know what is going to happen tomorrow. Life is a crazy ride, and nothing is guaranteed.

Eminem (1972 - )

Dream as if you’ll live forever live as if you’ll die today.

James Dean 1931-1955

He who allows his day to pass by without practicing generosity and enjoying life’s pleasures is like a blacksmith’s bellows: he breathes but does not live.

Proverbs

You are never too old to set a new goal or dream a new dream.

C. S. Lewis. 1898-1963

Every path has its puddle

Proverbs

Let no man pull you low enough to hate him

Martin Luther King (1929-1968)

Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.

Martin Luther King (1929-1968)

Mistakes

A man should make mistakes, but he should never make the mistake of claiming that he never makes one.

James Gordon Bennett

Making mistakes revels human nature. How one deals with them reveals character.

Unknown.

I’m a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it.]

Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826)

The only way to avoid criticism is to say, do and be nothing.

Unknown

A life spent making mistakes is not only more honourable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing.

George Bernard Shaw 1856- 1950

Experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes.

Oscar Wilde (1854-1900)

You must learn from the mistakes of others. You can’t possibly live long enough to make them all yourself.

Sam Levenson (1911- 1980)

Success

The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good.

Samuel Johnson (1790-1784)

Have the courage to live. Anyone can die.

Robert Cody

Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That’s why they call it “the present”.

Unknown

The only fool bigger than the person who knows it all is the person who argues with him.

Stanislaw Jerzy Lee

Success is a journey, not a destination.

Ben Sweetland

The most important single ingredient in the formula of success is knowing how to get along with people.

Theodore Roosevelt

You have reached the pinnacle of success as soon as you become uninterested in money, compliments, or publicity.

Dr. O. A. Battista

When a person puts his best foot forward and gets it stepped on, that’s life.

Unknown.

Life is what happens to us when we’re making other plans.

Thomas La Mance

Of all sad words of tongue or pen The saddest are these: It might have been!”

John Greenleaf Whittier (1807-1892)

Thinking

Think big thoughts, but relish small pleasures

H. Jackson Brown Jr.

Most people would sooner die than think; in face they do so.

Bertrand Russell.

Intelligent discontent is the mainspring of civilization.

Eugene V. Debs

Intellect distinguishes between the possible and the impossible. Reason distinguishes between the sensible and the senseless. Just because a thing is possible doesn’t mean it makes good sense.

Max Born

It is impossible to defeat an ignorant man in an argument.

Wm. G. McAdoo.

Creative thinking may simply mean the realization that there’s no particular virtue in doing things the way they have always been done.

Rudolf Flesch

One must not lose desires. They are mighty stimulants to creativeness, to love, and to long life.

Alexander A. Bogomoletz

Remember no on can make you feel inferior without your consent.

Eleanor Roosevelt

Where all men think alike, no one thinks very much.

Walter Lippman

Hating people is like burning down your own house to get rid of a rat.

Harry Emerson Fosdick

T.V. – chewing gum for the eyes.

Frank Lloyd Wright

Tell a person there are 300 billion stars in the universe and he’ll believe you. Tell him that a bench has wet paing, and he will always touch it to make sure.

Another “Murphy’s Law”

Poetry

Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player

That struts and frts his hour upon the stage

And then is heard no more; it is a tale

Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,

Signifying nothing.

Wm Shakespeare- Macbeth

This above all; to thine own self be true,

And it mus follow, as the night the day,

Thou canst not then be false to any man.

Wm. Shakespeare – Hamlet

The quality of mercy is not strained,

It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven

Upon the place beneath: it is twice blessed;

It blesseth him that gives and him that takes

Wm. Shakespeare – The Merchant of Venice

To be or not to be; that is the question:

Whether it is nobler in the mind to suffer

The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,

Or to take arms against a sea of trouble,

And by opposing end them?

Wm. Shakespeare – Julius Caesar

Stone walls do not a prison make,

Nor iron bars a cage;

Minds innocent and quiet take

That for a hermitage.

Richard Lovelace – To Althea from Prison.

Do not go gentle into that good night,

Old age should burn and rave at close of day.

Rage, rage, against the dying of the light

Though wise men at their end know dark is right.

Dylan Thomas (1914- 1953) – Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night.

IF

If you can keep your head when all about you

Are losing theirs, and blaming it on you;

If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,

But make allowance for their doubting too;

If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,

Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,

Or, being hated, don’t give way to hating,

And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream – and not make dreams your master;

If you can think- and not make thoughts your aim;

If you can meet triumph with disaster

And treat those two impostors just the same;

If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken

Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,

Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,

And stop and build them up with wornout tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings

And risk it on one turn of pitch and toss,

And lose, and start again at your beginnings

And never breathe a word about your loss;

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew

To serve your turn long after they are gone,

And so hold on when there is nothing in you

Except the Will which says to them: “Hold on”;

If you can walk with crowds and keep your virtue,

Or walk with kings – nor lose the common touch;

If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;

If all men count with you, but none too much;

If you can fill the unforgiving minute

With sixty seconds worth of distance run –

Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it

And – which is more – you’ll be a Man, my son!

Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936)

I Am Smart – Self Discovery

Objective

Starting from a point of positive appreciation students will identify the many ways that they are already “smart”

To value and honour each student’s work, volunteer, family and life experience by helping them to realize that they are already “smart” in many important ways. To help students understand their strengths better.

This will be used as a contrast to the second ”I Am Smart” activity to be done at the conclusion of the course, to help students realize how much they have learned about themselves and to help them realize how much they have developed and changed over the time of this course.

It is also an important business skill to be able to speak well and intelligently about your strengths, skills, abilities and areas for future development when in job interviews, sales meetings or performance review meetings.

This will help students to begin the process of understanding themselves better in anticipation of receiving their 4D-I profiles in Module 2.

Activity

Each student talks for about three minutes about why they already believe they are smart. This can be done in front of the whole class or can be done privately in a separate room and videotaped for the student’s own interest and future reflection- as appropriate and as logistics permit.

Students may not realize that the skills that they already possess can serve them well in future academic study or workplace settings.

Eg.

Knowing all the words to songs = they are good at memorizing things

Having high scores in video games = when they focus their attention they can succeed/ Practice makes perfect

Breaking up fights at school = they are interested in other’s well being and may be good at conflict resolution

Making joke/finding the humour in life’s situations= they can re-frame situations to see them from a different angle

Students may benefit from prompts from the teacher;

What are you already really good at?

What do your friends and family tell you that they think you’re good at?

What’s your favourite thing to do?

Time

Approximately 5 minutes per student for set up, tape recording and concluding.

Equipment

Video Tape Recorder and one video tape per student

The diamond metaphor

The symbol of a diamond is used to represent personal spirit. Diamonds are formed under years of extreme pressure to become the strongest substance in the universe. Only another diamond can be used to cut a diamond. The more facets diamonds have the more they reflect light and therefore the more valuable they are.

Using as many of the 18 success strategies and 3 success factors as you can write a few paragraphs about how your personal spirit is like a brilliant diamond.

Group Improv. Situations

Two people are experiencing a challenging situation together and each one has a different outlook on the situation. See attached situations.

Step 1 10 minutes

Discuss the “outlook” you are given and what it would be like in real life. Given the aspects of behaviour below.

Negative Outlook Positive Outlook

Intention To get through day to day To have a positive optimistic way of experiencing life

Believe It People are things are basically bad and things will never work out for me.

People and things are basically good and things will work out

Feel It I feel sad, lonely and depressed

I feel great about myself and my life

Think It No point making any effort it won’t make any difference.

Where can I find the positive hidden potential in this situation

Say It I knew that bad things were going to happen, nothing I can do about that.

I can figure this out and move forward

Do It Nothing good is going to come of this so there’s really no point in trying

Take a can do approach. Work to find positive, constructive solutions

Achieve It It didn’t work out for me and I knew it wouldn’t so it’s just as well I didn’t try very hard.

Better results and greater feelings of empowerment

5 minutes

Nominate one person to represent your group and to do the improvisation of the situation with the person from the opposite outlook. Ham it up have fun!!

Step 2

The group who has the positive outlook is going to try to coach the group who has the negative outlook – to shift their thoughts to be more positive.

The group that has the negative outlook is going to discuss how they can shift into being neutral or objective about the situation.

Nominate one person from each group to be do the improv.

Step 3 - Applause and thanks to all

Step 4 - Debrief

Discuss as a class

How did it feel to have the positive outlook? What did it look like? how did people behave? How did it feel to have the negative outlook? How did the people around you respond to your positive/negative outlook?

Outlook Improvisation Situations

1. Allow students to identify situations that would require smart thinking and are true to their life situations.

2. Two people are stuck in an elevator together. They both have important places to be and have no time to spare being trapped in an elevator. One is very optimistic and believes that everything will be fine and that they will be saved momentarily. The other has seen too many scary elevator movies and believes that the elevator is going to go crashing into the basement.

3. Two roommates had a small fire in the kitchen of their apartment caused by faulty wiring in the building. The cost of replacing the kitchen is covered by insurance but the work will take at least 3-4 weeks to complete. One person thinks this is a great opportunity to get a new updated kitchen. The other is worried about how they will manage without a kitchen for a month.

4. Three friends are walking along together and you are surprised by a lone attacker. Your friend is stabbed but the wound is not life threatening. One of you sees the positive and is just thankful that you are all alive. The other thinks only negative thoughts about the situation, his escape from the attack and his life in general.

5. Due to your own mismanagement of your OSAP you are down to your last dollar and have a rent payment due. One side of you realizes that this is a life lesson and sees this as a learning opportunity for your future. The other side of you feels defeated and very negative about life in general.

6. You and a friend were on your way to your final exam and you ran out of gas in your car/motorcycle. One of you knows that if you act quickly to resolve the situation you still have

enough time to get there. The other things that there’s really no point in trying you were probably going to fail the exam anyway.

The Gratitude List

Objective

To help students identify the things in their lives for which they feel grateful. To help students develop the discipline of noticing the positives in their lives and taking the focus off the negatives.

Introduction

This is a valuable opportunity to take a small amount of time to focus your attention on all that you have in your life that; helps you, keeps you going and makes your life worthwhile.

If you can’t think of something positive, please don’t write anything.

Each person will be given a blank sheet of paper (and pen if necessary).

“We will each write our names on the top of the page and write down as many positive things as you can think of in the next 3-4 minutes.

Students will keep their own papers and will continue to add to them each day. Nobody else will see this except the people you choose to see it.”

Time

Approximately 10 minutes for the first time, including giving instructions and handing out blank paper. This exercise will probably only take about 5 minutes each subsequent time.

Equipment

Each person requires a blank sheet of paper and a pen.

Famous and Not So Famous Stories of Personal Spirit

Terry Fox, Terrance Stanely “Terry” Fox (July 28, 1958 – June 28, 1981) was a Canadian humanitarian, athlete, and cancer treatment activist.

He became famous for the Marathon of Hope, a cross-Canada run to raise money for cancer research, which Fox ran with one prosthetic leg. He is considered one of Canada’s greatest heroes of the 20th century and is celebrated internationally every September. In creating the Marathon of Hope , his goal was to raise $1 from each Canadian citizen. He began by dipping his foot into the Atlantic Ocean at St. John’s Newfoundland and intended to finish his run at Victoria, British Columbia. He ran 42 kilometres every day (26 miles, the equivalent of a marathon) and when his cancer returned he was forced to stop after 143 days. He had run 5, 373 km through Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Quebec and Ontario. Today the Terry Fox run takes place in more than 31 countries and has raised more than $400 million for cancer research in Terry’s name. British singer songwriter Rod Stewarts 1981 album Tonight I’m Yours includes the song Never Give Up on a Dream (co-written with Bernie Taupin) a tribute to Terry’s Marathon of Hope. Proceeds from the song also went to cancer research. Throughout Canada there are hundreds of buildings, roads, waterways and awards named for him. Terry passed away from complications of his cancer in June 1981. In 2004 Terry was named the second greatest Canadian in history.

Drew Wright (Third place winner of Canadian Idol 2008 and whose mother is the office manager of OneSmartWorld)

Drew was a 28 year old full-time house painter and part time musician, playing every weekend for years to small groups in his hometown of Collingwood, Ontario, until he placed in the top 3 of Canadian Idol. His personal spirit and years of practice prepared him to perform weekly for the TV screen, the critical judges and the voting public. His win in the top 3 successfully launched him into the public eye. Drew diligently researched the recording company he wanted to work with and confidently set up a meeting with the president of Aquarius. He took with him a complete marketing strategy, his sample merchandise, and his own song on a self recorded CD – packaged professionally in a one gallon paint can. Drew has formed a band called Fall and Divide with whom he is performing, he is writing his own music and recording a CD. Now he only paints houses for fun.

Estee Lauder (Co-founder of Estee Lauder Companies, a pioneering cosmetics company)

Estee Lauder started her career in cosmetics selling the face creams made by her uncle to shops and beauty parlors in New York. However she always wanted to break into the big department store market and successfully started in 1948 opening in Saks Fifth Avenue in New York. However her initial efforts to have her first fragrance, Youth Dew, sold at Saks were unsuccessful. Not one to be easily deterred she visited the store with a large vat of Youth Dew hidden under her cloak. She “accidentally” tripped in the fragrance department spilling a large quantity of Youth Dew onto the carpet. When women began to notice the overwhelming scent of Youth Dew they demanded to purchase it for themselves. Estee Lauder was invited back within a few days to negotiate the sale of Estee Lauder products at Saks Fifth Avenue.

Lisa Wiele

Lisa had always been a brave and adventurous young girl leading protests to save her elementary school, playing on several record winning sports teams, and serving as vice president of her high school student council. For all of her leadership and academic achievements she always sought out challenges and was supportive of her friends working towards their dreams. In second year University she fell in love with an Australian exchange student. So that they could be together Jimmy extended his stay in Canada as long as he was able, but finally the time came when he had to return to school in Australia. Lisa made the decision the next day that she would find a way to get to Australia to be with him again. She worked 3 jobs to earn money to pay her fare as well as her University tuition and by August she had enough saved. She did all of this without a word to Jimmy, she had decided that wanted to surprise him. Her friends and family couldn’t persuade her to give Jimmy some notice about her visit. On the long journey by herself she was physically sick with fear and worry about whether he would be happy to see her. Unbeknownst to the young lad Lisa and his friends had planned a surprise meeting on a beach that they frequented. When Jimmy spotted her approaching on the beach, Jimmy (and all his friends) were overcome with tears of joy. They spent several happy weeks traveling Australia together. Lisa returned the following year as an exchange student. The romance hasn’t stood the test of time and distance but Lisa’s amazing zest for living continues to surprise and amaze all those who know her.

Kyle Keith Shewfelt (born May 6, 1982, Alberta) is a Canadian Olympic gymnast. His gold medal in the men’s floor exercise competition at the 2004 Athens Olympics was the first medal ever won by a Canadian gymnast in an artistic gymnastics event and was the first Canadian gold of the 2004 Olympics. Because of his athletic excellence he also has a vault named after him.

In August 2007 Kyle fractured both knee caps on a fluke landing while training for floor exercise just prior to the World Championships in Germany. Withdrawing from the event, Kyle hoped to heal and get back into training in sufficient time to make a bid for the 2008 Summer Olympic team. It is difficult to appreciate the journey that lead Kyle to the Olympics in Beijing in 2008 Overnight he went from being in the best of physical shape as an elite athlete to being unable to stand. Shewfelt’s injuries healed slowly and he persevered with his rehabilitation. Shewfelt constantly believed that he would compete in 2008 while many in the medical profession were telling him it was impossible. His positive outlook allowed him to progress as he found small victories every single day believing “it’s not the final moment that defines a person, it’s everything that you have to

go through in the journey towards getting there” Compete in the Olympics in Beijing he did. Unfortunately the judging of his event remains questionable to this day as he finished ninth and 11th in his two events, where he gave the performance of his life. He remained positive and was gushing with happiness and pride. The previous 11 months were the biggest challenge of his life and he realized that he achieved more in overcoming his injuries than he ever could have by winning a medal. It was an amazing feat to be able to come back. Shewfelt has now achieved his second career goal of being a TV sports commentator

Because even the smallest sentient beings have personal spirit….

Ralph – an 8 year old 12 pound Shih Tzu dog

Ralph lead the life of a pampered pet, sleeping on a cushion, wearing coats and boots on his short walks outside in cold weather. He was a loyal but timid dog and would hide under the furniture when visitors arrived. One very cold December day while visiting Collingwood he escaped from the backyard and became disoriented and bolted in fear. His family searched for him, a reward was offered, over 500 signs were put up in the town and announcements were on the local radio station hourly. The community rallied and calls came in of Ralph “spottings”. If he had been running for Mayor he certainly would have got the popular vote. After 8 days his family gave up the search feeling that he couldn’t possibly have survived the minus 17 degree temperatures. They hoped that somebody had taken him and that he might be a Christmas gift for a loving family. On the 10th day Animal Control called to say that they had caught him and he was weak but alive. The details of his adventures will never be known but he was greasy, starving and exhausted but he had survived for 10 days in frigid weather, on his own. He has become a much more adventurous and friendly dog, but he still spends most of his days sleeping on his cushion.

Name not released

A 6-year-old Virginia boy from Wicomico Church, Virginiaa. who missed his bus tried to drive to school in his family's sedan -- and crashed.

State police said the boy suffered only minor injuries and authorities drove him to school after he was evaluated at a local hospital for a bump on his head. The boy, whose name wasn't released, missed the bus, took the keys to his family's 2005 Ford Taurus and drove nearly six miles toward school while his mother was asleep, police said.

He made at least two 90-degree turns, passed several cars and ran off the rural two-lane road several times before hitting an embankment and utility pole about a mile and a half from school.

The boy told police he learned to drive playing Grand Theft Auto and Monster Truck Jam video games.

"He was very intent on getting to school," said Northumberland County Sheriff Chuck Wilkins. "When he got out of the car, he started walking to school. He did not want to miss breakfast and Physical Education."

"This really is a story of miracles," Wilkins said.

Your stories of Positive Personal Spirit

We all have people around us who have personal positive spirit. Some people we know achieve great things, others are a quiet inspiration to those who know them well. 

Think about somebody that you think has a very positive personal spirit, who is well-known, or whose acts of positive personal spirit go mostly unnoticed to most people. This person could be someone who is always able to see the bright side of a situation no matter how difficult or challenging the situation is (positive outlook). This person could also have a steadfast plan in life and no matter how many obstacles they face they always focus on their goals and consistently work hard to move towards success (sense of control).  This person could also be the one who steps up to

the plate or who jumps in to make things happen when others hesitate or stand back and watch (initiative). 

Write a few paragraphs to tell the story of at least one person that you feel fits the description of someone with a positive personal spirit. You will benefit from thinking about positive people, and whoever else reads about that person will also be inspired. 

Proverbial Conflicts

The following proverbs can be thought of as descriptions of some of the different strategies for resolving conflicts. Proverbs state traditional wisdom for resolving conflicts. Read each of the proverbs carefully. Using the following scale, indicate how typical each proverb is of your actions in a conflict.

5= Very typical of the way I act in a conflict.

4=Frequently typical of ht way I act in a conflict.

3=Sometimes typical of the way I act in a conflict.

2= Seldom typical of the way I act in a conflict.

1= Never typical of the way I act in a conflict.

___ Soft words win hard hearts

___When two quarrel, the person who keeps silent first is the most praiseworthy.

___Smooth words make smooth ways.

___Kills your enemies with kindness

___Frankness, honest and kind will move mountains

___The wind does not break a tree that bends

___Before you judge another person you have to walk a mile in their moccassins

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© Bob Wiele, 2008