I made a strategic move this morning; I’ve been looking at a plant for my office and I had a hunch that my dear friend Lane would be willing to trade one of her many plants for the butterfly. She was MORE than happy to oblige with my little project! So, she now has the crafty butterfly, prominently displayed on her cabinet for all to see – and now I proudly possess a magnificent plant! To be honest, even if I don’t get the plane tickets, I would end up with this pretty incredible plant, one I’ve wanted for several years now!
One thing that I’ve learned throughout this process…I have some really GREAT people in my life! To think of the support I’ve been given to help me with this project has been incredible; if it’s had this much of a positive effect on me, I bet most of the students in class would probably feel the same way! What a great learning experience for most of them; not only do they get a chance to “pitch” their trade items to others, but they get to meet some really cool new people and/or to connect with people they already know.
A few have asked if it’s okay for them to continue on trading after the Tuesday deadline; I’m okay with it, but I recommended documenting it in some way just in case they want to reflect again on the experience. Imagine 2, 3, 4, or more years down the road; they might now remember specific grades in courses, but I’m sure they’ll remember this experience! And that to me is what college should be about!
Update – wanna trade…day 7
I did not make any additional trades after I received the plant, since I’ve really wanted the plant for a while. So, even though I didn’t get my plane ticket, I did receive something that I’ve always wanted, all started with a trade for a 2-inch binder clip. Important lesson here – sometimes, it’s easier to ask for something than to just got out and buy it!
An interesting side note: A student in one of my other classes decided to do the barter/trade exercise, just for fun. You can check out her journey at: http://trademorgan.wordpress.com/.
The Dream Dean 