John Wooden on Success

Famed UCLA basketball coach John Wooden explained the lessons he learned on success throughout his life at the TED Conference. He talks about success coming not from being better than other people, but by comparing your success against your own progress.

John Wooden's Rules for his basketball players:
1) Never be late. Be on time and be neat and clean.
2) Don't use profanity.
3) Don't criticize a teammate.

Do you agree?

Watch his 17 minute talk on success and reflections on his life-

Olivia Gardner and Bullying

You've read about Olivia and her unexpected friends Emily and Sarah Buder. Now, check out the Today show's interview with Olivia and her mom about her experiences with bullying, and what got her through her dark moments. (video 7 minutes, plus an accompanying article).

This year, bullying and the tragic consequences of bullying continues to be in the news. Nine students in a Massachussets town were charged with bullying when one of their classmates, Phoebe Price, committed suicide. These nine students allegedly bullied her online and in-person relentlessly and now face criminal charges for their role in her suicide.

Bullying is not a new phenomenon, but it is serious. With the increasing connectivity of technology, bullying can happen 24/7 in a way it hasn't in the past. But you, like Olivia's many new friends, can do something about it. Here are a few resources on the subject-

Teen health website with resources to deal with bullying.

Bullying.org

Responsibility and Complacency

Nobel Peace Prize Winners

You've been reading about Mother Teresa being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979. Did you know that just this month the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded for the 91st time in its history? This year's recipient is the Chinese political dissident Liu Xiaobo, honored for "his long and non-violent struggle for fundamental human rights in China." His wife describes her husband's work in this video at the New York Times.

Liu Xiaobo's activism dates back to the Tianamen Square Massacre of June 4, 1989. In early 1989 Chinese protestors, mainly university students and intellectuals, began to demonstrate publicly against some of the practices of the Chinese government. The protests took a devastating turn when, on June 4th, the state military entered Tianamen Square. Tanks and soldiers opened fire on unarmed protestors. The total number of casualties from that day is unknown, but estimates range from 400 to a couple thousand people killed. Liu Xiaobo, a popular university teacher, was involved in the protests of that day and while he survived the massacre, he has since been sentenced to four prison terms for his advocacy of democracy and criticisms of the Chinese government. Inside China, his name and work is censored. Even news of him receiving the Nobel Peace Prize has been blocked as much as possible by the Chinese government. International broadcasts have their screens blackened during any segments about Liu Xiaobo. It will be interesting to see what impact this recognition of Liu Xiaobo by the Nobel Prize Committee will have.

Check out other Nobel Prize recipients here. You will others recognized for their political contributions (Martin Luther King Jr, Nelson Mandela, Kofi Annan, and others). You will also see contributions in expanding medical care (Doctors Without Borders), alleviating global poverty (Muhammad Yunus), and other contributions. Who do you think has made the most interesting impact?

Choosing a Major

When you get to college, one of the first questions you'll hear is "What is your major? What are you studying?" As you get prepared for college, or wherever Year 13will find you, it is important to be thinking about what interests you have and what paths may interest you. Think about what Daniel Pink says in this clip. Do you believe that it is important, like he says, to choose the paths you are passionate in? How can you find out what your own strengths and interests are?

The Ben Carson Story

Exploring Careers- A few resources

The internet is an invaluable tool in exploring careers, and just basically finding out what options are out there. Below are two sites to help you is this exploration. This one you are most likely familiar with from your time at the high school:

http://azcis.intocareers.org/

This site has great resources for discovering your interests and exploring careers:
http://www.educationplanner.org/education_planner/discovering.asp?sponsor=2859

And this site has a wealth of information. Take the quizzes, watch the video profiles, and find out about careers you may not have even known existed:

http://www.dreamit-doit.com/

Arizona version: http://dreamitdoitaz.org/

Happy exploring!

Florence Nightingale

The College Search- An Overview

The College Search Process on Prezi

Welcome to SUCCESS! The Prospector Way. Over the course of this year, this blog will host additional links, activities, and ideas about the topics studied in your SUCCESS class. Here's to a great school year!!