The Best Timing is Now

Title:  The Best Timing is Now

Reflection On:  Libraries and Transliteracy

The video states that “soon people will need to be transliterate in order to be involved in and contribute to society”. I agree with this statement. Libraries should offer some sort of program or service that will help everyone to be equipped with not just being literate, but also transliterate. People need to be aware of how maneuver through different websites and how to pay a bill online because, later on we more than likely will not have any other choice. I truly believe that the best time of obtaining this knowledge is now since everything has not fully switched over as of yet.

Bibliography:

Libraries and Transliteracy - YouTube. (n.d.). YouTube. Retrieved September 30, 2013, from http://youtu.be/sk4Cw8vrDuM

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How Can I....?

Title:  How Can I?

Reading Reflection On: The Real Value of Confusion

What I like about this article is that it allows you to look at confusion from a different perspective. Instead of looking at confusion in a negative manner, you can look at how confusion can be used to your advantage. Also, an important point the article points out is if other people have gone through confusion, pushed through it, and has had major successes in life, then why not you?

What intrigued me the most from the article were the seven steps shared in reference to going beyond the stage of confusion. Step number five states to “reframe your problem, starting with the words “how can I?” This is great question to ask yourself because it takes you out of your comfort zone and brings you to a place of possibilities. 

Bibliography: Ditkoff, M. (n.d.). The Heart of Innovation: The Real Value of Confusion. Creativity, Innovation, Team Building, Leadership, Brainstorming, Idea Champions. Retrieved September 27, 2013, from http://www.ideachampions.com/weblogs/archives/2013/09/the_value_of_co_1.shtml?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheHeartOfInnovati

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Come in with a Positive Mindset #CMC11

Week 3 – Title:  Come in with a Positive Mindset

Reading Reflection On: “How to Participate In An Open Online Course”

 

First off this article has been such a relief in terms of having a better understanding of how to go about this course. For those who feel they don’t quite know what to do or where to start, this article can certainly put them to ease. The steps mentioned of how to participate in MOOC are critical and helpful. Step number seven states to “fix what’s missing” and that is what sticks out to me the most. I am fond of this step because although MOOC is a great new way to learn, there is always room to improve. In the long run, fixing what’s missing will pave a better path for future students.

With that said, what I believe is missing is having the proper mindset from the very beginning of the course. In my opinion, it’s important to not only understand how different this course is from the average course one would take, but it’s also important to come into the course with a positive mindset. Because this course can feel frustrating and overwhelming in the beginning, one can easily think negative. However, I believe articles such as “How to Participate In An Open Online Course” and YouTube videos such as “What is a MOOC?” (http://youtu.be/eW3gMGqcZQc)  or  video on how to “Change Negative Feelings! [and] Build Positive Thoughts!” (http://youtu.be/hwFgy7nC1Mg) can help to ease any frustration and helps one to roll up their sleeves and work in confidence especially since this is not a traditional way of learning.

Bibliography:

Rather Random | How to participate in an open online course. (n.d.). Rather Random. Retrieved September 23, 2013, from http://gsiemens.tumblr.com/post/10153633521/how-to-participate-in-an-open-online-course

 

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#CMC11

 

 

Teachers Needed or Not Needed?

Week 2 – Title: Teachers Needed or Not Needed?

Reading Reflection On: Connectivism: Questioning the Role of the Teacher?

 

The article raises a good point in reference to the roles of a teacher. The question, " if technology is to point where students can access information at any time, then what facts, skills, or "big ideas", truly need to be taught under supervision of a teacher?", was asked in the article.
I believe no matter how much information students have access to through technology, the supervision of teachers is important. If there is no type of supervision, students can say that they have learned what they need to know and there would be no kind way to verify what they have learned.  For instance, during the time I was taking an independent study, I was asked to describe the meaning of a pacifist. I had mentioned that a pacifist is someone who seeks for peace within the society. The professor than asked me "if that is the case, how come some people who seek for peace are known such as Bayard Rustin, while others are not?" I was not sure of how to answer that question, even after seeking for the answer through the internet. Thankfully the professor was able to guide me to the correct answer. He was able to stretch my mind, he was able to challenge my responses, and he was also able to share information based on his  past experiences, all of which cannot not done in a guaranteed manner through technology.

 

Bibliography:

Connectivism: Questioning the role of the teacher in a connected world | mrbrenlea. (n.d.). mrbrenlea | A space for my COETAIL work.. Retrieved September 17, 2013, from http://mrbrenlea.wordpress.com/2011/09/11/connectivism

Tag:

#CMC11

Connected Whole

Week 2 – Title:  Connected Whole

Reading Reflection On: “Access Future” Steven Downes

 

Steven Downes’ booklet “Access Future” has really great information that can help anyone make better decisions in life. One of the things that I have learned from the booklet is to learn things not in isolation but to learn things to see how they relate to one another or to see what patterns are being formed from the things you are already familiar with. For example, when I first learned to cook, my main concern was how to do I remember what to do for each meal. I then realized that there was a pattern when it comes to cooking. For instance, when cooking any type of meat I go through the same three steps which are to clean the meat, season the meat, and then cook the meat. In other words I follow the same patterns when it comes to cooking beef, turkey, or chicken. Learning this helped me realize that with anything you want to accomplish in life, you have to go through several steps beforehand. If you want to exercise, you have to eat healthy and warm up. If you want to go out for dinner, you have to shower, and get dressed. If you want a college degree, you have to take courses and study. Anything you want to do in life has several steps for you follow before reaching the actual goal you have in mind.  This is one out of many patterns that exists in life. Overall, learning things as a “connected whole” rather than an “unconnected part” as Downes would say has been such an eye opener, especially since I have always  thought  the best thing to do in life is to learn as much “unconnected parts” as possible.

Bibliography:

Downes, S. (n.d.). Access:: Future Practical Advice on How to Learn and What to Learn. Access::Future. Retrieved September 9, 2013, from www.cdlprojects.com/cmc11blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/AccessFuture.pdf

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It’s All about the Connection!

Week 2 –Title:  It’s All about the Connection!

Reading Reflection On: Seven Habits of Highly Connected People by Steven Downes

I enjoyed reading “Seven Habits of Highly Connected People”, written by Steven Downes. I learned several things from that article. First off, I used to think posting anything online is about sharing my viewpoints. However, from my understanding, posting is about connecting. It’s about drawing a link between what you wrote and what the other person wrote. I have also learned that it’s about adding value and thinking about ways that you can give instead of constantly thinking about “what’s in it for me?”. In the article, Downes mentioned that if your software failed to download correctly, instead of just picking up the phone and calling customer service, you can take the extra step by going online to find out what other people have done as a result of the same error message you received. If you still need help, call customer service. To take it a step further, after you have spoken to customer service and the issue has been solved, my advice is you can even add additional information online, explaining what worked for you. You can also share the number you called along with the name of the person who helped you.

Another thing I learned from this article is that sharing “increases your marketability”. I have found this to be true, especially from a friend that I have on Facebook. He is a dating coach. He is coming out with a book on dating in the near future. Every day he makes a post on Facebook sharing helpful tips that can help your love relationship in a tremendous way. He gives just enough information that keeps you interested in knowing more and then at the end of each post, he states “more information will be in the book”. This is a prime example of how sharing will increase your marketability. This strategy can be used in anything, whether you are marketing yourself or a product.

 

Bibliography:

18, S. D., & 2008. (n.d.). Seven Habits of Highly Connected People ~ Stephen's Web. Stephen's Web ~ Stephen's Web. Retrieved September 17, 2013, from http://www.downes.ca/post/44261

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#CMC11

 

 

 

Linear vs. Non- Linear

Linear vs. Non- Linear

Reflection: 

      I absolutely loved reading the article "Can Creativity Be Taught?", written by August Turak. My boyfriend recently told me that  "you can not always follow what society tells you to do in a step by step format. Sometimes you have to step outside the box". After hearing this, I thought to myself, "well what is wrong with following a step by step formula". This article has made that answer quite evident.  From reading this article, I was able to distinguish the differences between being linear and non-linear.  Being  a linear person is about thinking in a narrow way and sticking to what is safe. For instance, the article mentioned that companies such as WordPefect  was linear becasue their focus was just on "producing the best stand-alone spreadsheet". On the other hand, non-linear is about thinking outside the box, which is what Microsoft did when they implemented not just the best spreadsheets, but also emails, word processing and much more.  

     In other words linear thinking does not bring you as far as non-linear thinking does. Non-linear thinking is what  attracts creativity. To conclude, I have learned from this article that I can be more "non-linear thinking" by going the extra mile. Because I have been taught to think in a linear way, I have to consciously become non-linear. I can do this by constantly asking myself "how can I go further?, or "what can I do to go the extra mile?" or "what can I do that would be considered living outside the box?"

Bibliography : 

Turak, A. T. (n.d.). Can Creativity Be Taught? - Forbes. Information for the World's Business Leaders - Forbes.com. Retrieved September 9, 2013, from http://www.forbes.com/sites/augustturak/2011/05/22/can-creativity-be-taught/#!

Tag:

 #CMC11
     
      

Internet Usage

Reflection:

Because so many people have access to the internet, it has completely changed our society. The internet has it's advantages such as the ability for people to learn more or the opportunity to emphasis the viewpoints on democracy. It also has it's disadvantages such as people watching porn or using the internet to track down others just to protect their own leaders. After watching this video, I have come to the conclusion that everything has a positive effect and a negative effect. If the issue of porn or the issue of tracking down others were to stop, I believe another negative issue would arise, because I have learned that nothing could be 100% perfect.

Bibliography : 

RSA Animate - The Internet in Society: Empowering or Censoring Citizens? - YouTube. (n.d.). YouTube. Retrieved September 11, 2013, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uk8x3V-sUgU&NR=1&feature=fvwp

Tag:

#CMC11 

Why is creativity important?

Reflection: 

After reading the article entitled, "Creativity, Innovation and Arts Learning", I understood how important creativity is. As a student in junior high school and high school, I thought of my art and music classes as an escape from reading, writing, math, and science. At the time, it was like a mental getaway to help regroup myself to learn more of the boring subjects like calculus and biology. However, now I have realized that it's more than just a mental getaway. It's more than just a introduction to students who may want to go further into the arts or music. It's actually the key to a successful global economy. Our economy  would not be as successful if students were not taught to develop themselves through creativity.

Without the continuation of creativity, I believe more people in society would be depressed. This is because most people love new things, such as new shoes, new hairstyle,new bag,new phone,new laptop,new apartment and etc. Without new creativity people would have the same shows for years, the same phone for years, and the same apartment for years. These things can be repaired, however it would only be a matter of time before needing a new one. Because of this, schools should be notified of such information before they think about cutting off art and music classes as a result of budget cuts.

Bibliography :

Ruppert, S. S. (2010, February 3). Creativity, Innovation and Arts Learning. Arts Education Partnership. Retrieved September 9, 2013, from www.cdlprojects.com/cmc11blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Creativity_Commentary_02-03-10.pdf


Tag:

 #CMC11