TAKING THE FIRST STEP On Course Skip Downing Fall 2014 Digital Literacy

Focus Questions What does “success” mean to you? When you achieve your greatest success... –What will you have, –What will you be doing, and –What kind of person will you be

What is Success? Current high school/college students –Getting all A’s & B’s –Being a great athlete, musician, artist –Having a great social life –Being the first person in my family to graduate from high school or college

Responses emphasize outer success –High grades, sports, victories, popularity, diplomas/degrees Public –Visible achievements that allow the world to judge one’s abilities & worth

Former high school/college students –If you could repeat your high school/college years, what would you do differently? Focus on learning instead of just getting good grades Take elective classes I had a passion for Major in engineering, the career I had a passion for Ask myself how I could use what I was learning to enhance my life and the lives of the people I love Discover my personal values Learn more about the world I live in a more about myself... Especially myself What is Success?

Responses focus on inner success –Enjoying learning, following personal interests, focusing on personal values, creating a more fulfilling life Private –Invisible victories that offer a deep sense of personal contentment Success must occur both in the visible world & in the invisible spaces within our minds & hearts

Success Success is staying on course to your desired outcomes & experiences Primary responsibility in life is to realize the incredible potential with which each of us is born –ALL of our experiences, especially those during high school & college, can contribute to the creation of our BEST SELVES

Your Opportunity Change the outcomes of your life & the quality of your experiences along the way! Create success as you define it! Curious puzzle –Two students begin high school at the same time –Similar intelligence, backgrounds & abilities –One soars to their potential... One falls short –Why? Knack for achievement Wander about confused & disappointed, unable to create the success they claim they want

Essential Ingredients of Success The Power of Choice Write a Great Life Assess Yourself Forks in the Road

The Power of Choice Main ingredient in all success is wise choices Successful people stay on course to their destination by wisely choosing their beliefs & behaviors –Chicken & Egg Story

Choice Once you choose a positive belief or an effective behavior, you usually find yourself in a cycle of success –Positive beliefs lead to effective behaviors –Effective behaviors lead to success –Success reinforces the positive belief

Believe May 6, 1954 –Thought Impossible to run a mile in less than 4 mins Roger Bannister of England – 3:49.4 mile Many others achieved a sub 4-min mile –Chose a new belief –Pushed their physical abilities & suddenly the impossible was possible

Empowering Belief One student poor math test score –I can’t do math –Self-defeating behaviors Skip class, doesn’t complete assignments, gives up One student poor math test score –Believes she can pass math –Chooses positive behaviors Talks with teacher to get additional help Goes to Scots Center | Gets a tutor/help Completes all assignments –Cycle of success has this student on course to pass math! Each Have the Same/Equal Abilities in Math!

The Power of Choice “If you keep doing what you’ve been doing, you’ll keep getting what you’ve been getting.” If you want to improve your life... –You may need to change some of your beliefs & behaviors Go home & do homework instead of going out with friends during the week Once these new beliefs & behaviors become a habit... »You’ll find yourself in the cycle of success on course to creating your dreams in high school, college & life

Write a Great Life High school & college offers perfect opportunity to design a life worth living Journal = Time-tested tool –Written record of your thoughts & feelings, hopes & dreams –Explore your life in depth & discover your best “self” Self-awareness learned from journal writing –Enables you to make wise choices about what to keep doing & what to change

Guided Journal Copy the directions for each step into your journal (just the bold print) –When you find later directions helps make sense Be spontaneous –Write whatever comes to mind in response to the directions Be honest –Tell yourself the absolute truth Be creative –Add favorite quotes, sayings, poems; use color, drawings; express your best creative “self” Dive deep –When you think you have exhausted a topic, write more

Assess Yourself Take Self-Assessment Questionnaire –Score will identify behaviors & beliefs that support your success –Point out behaviors & beliefs you may want to change to achieve more of your potential in high school, college, and life NOT a Test –No right or wrong answers –Be absolutely honest & have fun with this assessment First step on an exciting journey to a richer, more personally fulfilling life

Pic of Page 9 Successful Students... Accept personal responsibility Discover self-motivation Master self-management Employ interdependence Gain self-awareness Adopt lifelong learning Develop emotional intelligence Believe in themselves

Forks in the Road Eight choices shape may of the important choices we make Road of life forks many times each day –At every fork we need to make a choice High school & college are just like life –There are always opportunities & obstacles –The choices we make at each of these forks in the road determine whether we achieve our desired outcomes & experiences

Words of Encouragement In Digital Literacy you will be... –Taking a personal journey designed to help you develop the empowering beliefs and behaviors that will help you maximize your potential and achieve the outcomes and experiences you desire

Self-Check: What are You Feeling? I’m excited about developing the inner qualities, outer behaviors, and academic skills that have helped others achieve success in high school, college, and life. I’m feeling OK about this journey because I’ll probably learn a few helpful things along the way. I can’t say I’m excited, but I’m willing to give it a try. I’m unhappy, and I don’t want to go!

Reluctant Travelers If that’s you... –We understand your hesitation –We promise that if you do only the bare minimum or, worse yet, give up, you’ll never know if this information/course could have helped you improve your life –Our goal – persuade you to give this information/course a fair chance I don’t need this success stuff I already know how to be successful People like me don’t look inward/self-exploration... It’s “touchy feely”

Give Your Best Effort Success occurs from inside out, not outside in YOU are the key to your success Have a great journey