I was happy to hear this recording was introduced by Couro because I really enjoy the enthusiasm in his voice which is so important for these kind of observations. He joked that his guest Dean Shareski put the share in Shareski. Something funny was mentioned; he said that no matter where you are in the world, you can still be part of this class. Which not only made me think of people who are living on different parts of the world, but of people like me who are collaborating a year later by listening. I wish I could write a whole post on Shareski’s quote, “live a balanced life-learn some think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some.” It really reminded me of Pink’s six senses when he describes Play. I’d like to do a jumping picture as well. I have to say I enjoyed Shareski more than Couro J I don’t think I’ve ever seen preschoolers and kindergartners as sophisticated ,but after listening to Shareski I must say how much more advanced they are than the rest of society. Kids learn to get along, interact with people, and share things with one another. As grown-ups we get caught up on our own lives and not only forget others but disregard their existence sometimes. Sharing stops being as important as it once was, unfortunately now a days consecutiveness has now become more useful than knowing things. Although I’ve personally never had too many problems sharing with the people around me who are actually in my life, I’ve always found it difficult to share myself with people who are different than me. I’ve concluded that it’s pretty selfish of me to deprive others of my personality, strengths, and humor not to mention connectivity.
Friday, December 21, 2012
On Alec Couro’s “Social Media and Open Education”
This recording was way better than the one I observed before. It’s a bit longer than the other one, and I’m assuming they all will be, However, I must say that I found it quite enjoyable. Another thing that I found sweet was that a Google Doc was provided for us so that the listeners/speakers could use as guides. I’m a visual learner, and therefore found it fantastic. Again, I felt that the main drive for social networking is experimentation. After watching this video and learning that this instructor requires his students to have a blog, I’m wondering whether I should join a network. I truly feel like I have the skills necessary to do so. I specifically loved the way the speaker explains how he created a blog bundle for his class. He subscribes to every student’s blog by using Google reader, creates a folder and then creates a bundle that allows people to subscribe to a package of resources. This is what I’d like to do with my future students, I’d really like for my students to coexist the way we did in Educ 578 for Jeff Heil’s class. I was also surprised to hear the reader touch up on “What makes an engaging blog post,” particularly because my instructor used a pin on that very subject to teach me how to tweet through Pinterest. I was also very grateful to hear the speaker answer questions to people who ask questions, even though I can’t hear the questions, I learn so much by the speaker’s comments. It’s almost like a regular classroom, when a student is relieved that another student asked a question because they too needed clarification. He also mentioned that even though we may not be network professionals, that shouldn’t stop us from retweeting and redistributing information, even videos. A girl said something a little before the end of the recording that stood out to me, she mentioned something about the more of an EXPERIENCE we have with twitter the safer she felt, or better yet the more she trusted the tool. I found this especially interesting because I just participated on my first Ed chat yesterday and was very happy to see that I fell into the right hands of people who were extremely welcoming. It is because of that initial welcoming that I will most definitely participate in the next Ed Chat two weeks after winter break J I enjoyed this recording way better.
On Stephen Downes’ “The Role of an Educator in a Networked World”
First I’d like to say that this videos was super long. And even though the information being shared was interesting, the voice of the speakers made me doze off once in a while. I did however, notice that the chat was a lot like the one we had online as a class the second time we had a conference. I found a great connection between the emphasis being put on the role of engagement in the classroom as a community rather than acquired knowledge and things I’ve observed on our assigned videos and in our classroom. I have seen this idea twice before: Once, when viewing the video on Learning Environments and twice with my Professor at USD. Throughout the semester he encouraged us to cultivate our own PLN and tried to take as little role in my learning as possible. He was there simply for guidance and support and left my learning experience entirely up to me. I’ve never had that before, and I struggled at first, but now I think it has been the best thing that has ever happened to me. I have noticed that the role of an educator in a networked world may work for an educator out in actual classrooms as well. It is not necessarily that we are allowing them to construct their own curriculum and standards, but we should allow them to make decisions as to which tools they’ll use to grow in knowledge.
Pastel de tres leches
On Making Toni's Chile Verde
http://pinterest.com/pin/500251471078689398/
On Making Flour Tortillas
These are the videos I followed:
(pinned this one from youtube): http://pinterest.com/pin/500251471078689343/
(and considered this one as well): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jM5Jl3n7iP8
On Learning in New Media Environments
Going through Dr. Wesch’s virtual tour of New Guinea reminded me of my best friend’s Mexican hometown (more like home-ranch because it’s a deserted area where poverty-stricken homes are far away from each other). Something that really stood out to me while watching this video is that I don’t think I’ve experienced the feeling of culture shock, at least nothing uncomfortable. If I’m in Mexico I speak Spanish, if I’m at school I speak English, and if I’m with my friends I speak Spanglish. I’m like a chameleon in my community, I don’t fit anywhere yet I blend in everywhere. I’d really love to feel that feeling of complete culture shock, it must be exciting. As a student I feel a bit cheated of my education. I can count numerous classes that have sent the wrong message: that learning is acquiring information and that I must face the teacher to keep from interacting with my peers. When in reality, my instructors should have been creating, “caring, daring, and collaborative learners.” Take this class for example, I haven’t been bored once. Every class felt more like hanging out with my friends than attending class, and I’ve learned more here than in any class at USD or SDSU for that matter. After watching this video I understand why my Professor wanted us to cultivate our own learning and connect with one another. He didn’t want to limit our learning. As an educator and as a leader, I will always remember his consideration towards us and find a way to show the same respect and courtesy to my future students.
Thursday, December 20, 2012
A more formal approach to my observations at Paul Ecke Central Elementary School
Last time I wrote about my observations at PECES, I didn’t address the topic questions I was instructed to address. Very briefly, I’d like an opportunity to answer them now: 1).The main form of technology that we witnessed at PECES was the use of iPads. And yes the use of iPads most definitely promoted student learning. First graders were learning how to take care of the iPad, what the iPen was used for, and how to handle such devices responsibly. Third graders were engaged in independent reading and profiles. Fourth graders were creating presentations and movies to their classmates. Sixth graders were participating in class polls to answer math problems. Everything that I witnessed was extremely sophisticated as far as the promotion of learning and sharing goes. 2). I was particularly impressed with a cute little boy whose class we visited last, and I’d really like to kick myself for not remembering his name right now but he was soooo smart. His class was the first in the school to be in a dual language classroom where they study math and history in Spanish while studying Mandarin every Friday. His classroom uses the iPad regularly to complete assignments and assessments. He was so eloquent and confident as he shared that he was of great help to his family when he went to Mexico during the summer and helped his parents and the taxi driver understand each other.3). I already mentioned this, but what I saw the most of in relation to this class is how much the education system has changed since I was a child. Now, students are regarded and respected as the experts of their own learning (at least at PECES) I couldn’t help but notice various topics that were discussed in “The Essence of Connected Learning,” and how much in control these kids were of their own education. They really are professionals/experts of change.
Kindness can go a long way
As the last day of school before Christmas break is nearing, the students in Mrs. Santana’s English class are hurriedly turning in work so that the whole class can watch the film “2012.” For two weeks now, there have been murmurs and whispers about how the world is going to end on December 21 (the last day of school) because the Mayans predicted it so. They’ve been begging Mrs. Santana to watch the film, and she has agreed to allow them to watch it just as long as they all turn in their essays. As a Special Education Assistant, my job is to make sure Mrs. Santana is complying with the modifications stated in each student’s IEP and that the students in turn are succeeding in their general education courses. I am also completing my practicum hours with Mrs. Santana so that I can gain a credential as an English teacher. This just means that I have to work twice as hard in Mrs. Santana’s class, and I’ve tried very hard to be the best teacher and paraprofessional as I can be. And I thought everything I did in class went by unnoticed until I read Liliana Hernandez’ paper. Liliana is an IEP student who has mild retardation and who needs extra attention. She has opened up to me and confessed that she lives in a shelter with her mom and nine-year-old brother. Despite the various difficulties she encounters in life, she is extremely energetic and bright. She does, however; find it difficult to focus and to organize her thoughts into a written paper. The class was instructed to write an essay describing three characteristics that a true leader needs to have, to introduce a person who they believe has those qualities, and to support their claims with examples. I was touched when I read that Liliana argued that she believes I am a true leader because I am responsible, respectful, and hardworking. She values those characteristics in leaders because they are trustworthy traits. I was very grateful for the fact that she notices how much I help with both special ed. Students and the rest of the class, and how I give students help even when they don’t ask for it. She thinks that means I’m responsible. She said I am a kind teacher who is always smiling and being nice to students and other teachers and that she is very happy when she sees me (I just about cried at this point). She also wrote about how I’m hardworking because I do two jobs in the class, and because I help her even when I’m supposed to be eating during my lunch break and don’t send her away. I was touched when she finished her essay by saying that she is grateful for a leader like me. Liliana’s paper is filled with grammatical and spelling errors, but I don’t care. To me it was the most beautiful paper I’ve ever read because she allowed me to see myself through her eyes. And as I read her paper I was so proud of myself and didn’t seem to mind the stress of finals, because all this work is worth it if it means having the pleasure of working with all the Lilianas out there J She really made me like myself, and that’s supposed to be my job, not hers J
The day America’s Heart Broke
It was already an incredibly difficult day at San Diego High School. I kept looking over at the clock hoping the workday would soon be over. When lunch finally came around, I took out my phone, read a few words and instantly put my phone down. The only way I could keep my head up was by supporting it with my hands. I couldn’t believe this horrible blow. There were tears in my eyes. The teacher I was working with put on the news immediately and we were both horrified by what we heard. While we were having an unpleasant morning at SDHS, a 20 year old man forced himself into a Connecticut elementary school and killed 20 kids and 6 adults. Much to America’s horror the six and seven year-olds that died that day had multiple gunshots in their bodies. About a couple of days after the shootings, I read a very touching story about a special needs child, six year-old Dylan Hockley whose body was found wrapped in the arms of the body of his teacher’s aide. This broke my heart. This teacher’s aide died trying to protect her student while doing the same line of work I was doing at the time. I couldn’t help but wonder what if this crazed man would have chosen my school that day? What would I have done if it were my classroom he entered? This is scary not only as a teacher, but as a person that wants to have a family someday and still believes that schools are like second homes to our kids. Although I’m not a parent yet, I am an aunt who is very involved in the lives of her nephews. Their little faces were the first thing that I thought of when I heard the devastating news. And I cried in fear for our kids’ future, for the poor little souls who were robbed from their parents, and for the little angels who survived and will forever remember this day, poor kids to have had their innocence stripped away from them. It’s just such a terrible travesty. I don’t want to think about it anymore and yet the headlines keep haunting me, all I can do is write because it is the only thing I can take control of. My thoughts and prayers to the families and hopefully this tragedy put an end to these awful copy-cat school shootings that are occurring in our society.
On Visitors and Residents: Better late than never :)
Obviously, I was definitely a visitor at the beginning of
this course, a visitor that couldn’t wait to go back home. But now after
finishing the course, and finally have watched the video, I can honestly say
that I have found a new home. Maybe my
skills online are not as sophisticated as I’d like them to be, but at least not
I’m not afraid to explore the many possibilities and I’m not afraid to connect
with people worldwide. After participating in this class, I can now see the
difference from when I started this course and now. According to Dr. White, a
visitor is individually private and logs in and out without leaving a trace,
whereas a resident is socially visible and leaves his presence behind somehow
even when he is logged off. This is perhaps my favorite part of this video
because it best describes my growth. When I first started this course I would
use the internet for whatever purpose and then leave, or as Dr. White would put
it, I would rummage a toolbox, use it for whatever purpose, and then put the
tool back. Whereas now, I am definitely connecting with various people and
learning and teaching others at the same time, it definitely has that walk in
the park feel. I am aware that the more I learn, the more I know that there is
still so much to know and that doesn’t scare me anymore. I am looking forward
to whatever growth I demonstrate for deciding to reside in the virtual realm. On
my internet, continuum, I am at the point where I’ve come to understand that it
is not a question of “academic or technical skills but about culture and
motivation.”
On my first Ed Chat
First off I just want to show off how incredible our chat
was tonight. I was a bit disappointed at first because I was actually waiting
for #LangChat and I hadn’t realized that they are on a two week break for the
Holidays. Imagine my surprise when I logged onto to twitter and saw that they
were not going to connect. I just about flipped out because I thought I may not
turn in this assignment on time. Then I went on Google and found the following
website: http://edudemic.com/2012/09/the-top-50-education-twitter-chats-and-how-to-use-them/,
the top 50 education twitter chats (and how to use them). This amazing website
not only posted the various Ed chats, but also gave a bit of background
information on each and what time they met each week. Honestly I chose
#isedchat because it was the only one that met on Thursdays at 9pm EST,an hour
away from #LangChat, which gave me plenty of time to follow and drag it onto my
tweetdeck next to interactions. Thanks Maureen for this tip! It also gave me
time to chat with Dr. Joan McGettigan who was leading the chat. I came clean
and said it was my first Ed chat and had no idea how to get started, she
informed me about tonight’s topic and how to prepare for it in the few minutes I
had left. She also gently reminded me not to forget using #isedchat after each
comment. The topic for tonight was, “favorite tool for 2012,” which reminded me
a lot about the activity we did on Wallwisher.com where we listed our favorite
tools and apps. I heard very familiar apps like Evernote and Diigo. However,
the majority of the tools mentioned were new: Socrative, Understoodit.com,
Sproutsocial, Flipboard for IOS, Getpacket.com, and various iPad apps like Book
Creator and Explain Everything. I was so proud of myself because I said that my
favorite tool was Pinterest and a girl responded wanting to know how to use it.
I copied a tutorial link from You Tube and she favored it saying she’d look
into it after the chat. I can’t believe that I ACTUALLY TAUGHT SOMEONE
SOMETHING!! It was at that moment that I saw how far I’ve come in just four
months. I was a little nervous that I may be ignored because of the lack of
knowledge I thought I offered the chat, but it was completely the opposite. The
group of people I chatted with was happy that I was trying to expand my PLN and
I wasn’t the only novice in the chat either so all embarrassment flew out the
window. Everyone was so inviting and even offered me links to read over that
may help me in the next chat. Various chatters congratulated me on my efforts
and I even left the room with new followers, which of course made me happy. I loved
the energy in the virtual room and it actually felt a lot like the Google
conference we had as a class only I couldn’t see them or hear them. Overall, it
was a wonderful experience and I can’t wait to do it again. I captured some of
our conversations on Storify.com:
On the death of La Diva Jenni Rivera
On December 9, 2012 at approximately three in the morning, a legend died.Daughter of Mexican immigrants, Jenni Rivera was born in Long Beach California. Despite her extremely difficult life, she was the personification of strength. It is difficult to succeed in an environment in which you are constantly told that you don’t fit it. Often at times, it feels as if Mexican Americans aren’t Mexican enough to fit the Hispanic culture or American enough to fit the description either. For years we’re told that our language whether English or Spanish is not good enough. I really feel that this woman possessed both cultures with much pride. Who else can sing that oldie but goodie, “Angel baby” and turn it into a regional Banda song? She said what she felt and did what she pleased, all while maintaining her dignity. She was a devout Christian who worked hard for her kids. And despite the failed marriages, domestic violence, and extreme poverty this woman really came out on top. She sold over 15 million albums worldwide and won over millions of hearts when by inviting her fans to her house through her reality TV show, “I love Jenni.” It is difficult for a heart to get over a death like Jenni’s. On the night of December 8, just hours before her death, she performed a sold-out show in Monterrey, Mexico. She and her crew hopped on a private plane bound towards Mexico City where she was to appear at “La Voz,” Mexico’s version of “The Voice.” Unfortunately, the plane crashed and all who were aboard died (gulp) chunks of her flesh and bones were collected for DNA which proved that it really was our beloved Diva. I am particularly impressed of how much of a role technology played in my relationship with her. I never met her, but through You Tube, Television, and podcasts, I grew to love her existence and I’m very sorry to hear she’s gone. She left behind 5 heart-broken kids, two grandchildren, and millions of fans who adore her, including me. L In 2005 she wrote a song about how she would like to be remembered upon her death, this is the translation:
"I was a strong 'guerrillera'
who fought for her children;
remember that in life
your mother did not crack
with her head held high
say goodbye to her with honor"
who fought for her children;
remember that in life
your mother did not crack
with her head held high
say goodbye to her with honor"
Monday, December 10, 2012
On Visiting Paul Ecke Central Elementary School:
If the iPad is the answer; the question is: what serves as evidence that education is changing? I was born in the year 1984. I was in the 6th grade when I first used a computer, in the year 1996. I used it to type up a report on Hera, queen of the gods. I recall feeling very scared, I didn’t receive the best instructions on how to use the computer and was nervous about pressing wrong buttons or not being on task. There were only about three or four computer monitors in the classroom, and we had to type hurriedly. A couple of years later, around 1998, I was in middle school. The school allowed students to come into the computer lab during lunch to play online. I had no idea what the internet was, or that you could look stuff up, or that various games were beginning to be played online by students. I just knew that nerdy kids went into the computer labs. There were absolutely no assignments that needed to be typed so I didn’t really use computers. I loved to read R.L. Stine’s Fear street books and various other great writers at this time. The Librarian had a computer filled with tests, and I would volunteer to take these tests for points. These tests were brought up on a computer by the Librarian, I would plug in my answers, and then she would log me out. That was my only contact with a computer. That was the year that my mother purchased a cell phone. The next time I would come into any contact with a computer was in the year 2000. I joined my high school journalism class, mostly because my friends were in it. I was to write a story for our October edition. I was to write on Hotel Del Coronado’s ghost, Kate Morgan. I was so naïve that I actually thought I would have to take the bus down to the hotel and interview workers and guests and whoever could tell me more about the legend of Kate Morgan. My friends weren’t much help, and I was too embarrassed to admit that I didn’t know how to start my story. Victoria, a nerdy girl (I know I was mean) helped me. She introduced me to yahoo.com. She helped me create an email account, she helped me look up information online, and she helped me see that I can find anything I want online. And she was right! Homework was no longer as difficult after that. I began actually wanting a computer after that. I took a typing class and learned how to type faster. By the time I was in college, I was writing papers regularly in the school’s computer lab. Then my niece introduced me to MySpace, and I began logging online more often. Then in the year 2009, my grandmother gave me a laptop for my birthday because I was doing so well in school. My friends hooked me up with a Facebook account and that is how I began connecting with people online. My boyfriend bought me my first smartphone and taught me how to use Facebook through my phone and he showed me how to look for videos on YouTube. I thought I was set, until I enrolled in this class. This class introduced me to completely different virtual possibilities. So many constant changes; and these changes will continue to baffle me. But these students at Paul Ecke Central Elementary School are professionals of change. Not only are they learning how to use iPads and the various apps that they offer, but they are capable of adapting to the constant updates and changes that come with these apps. They are becoming professionals of change. They are in so much more control at age 5 than I was at age 12. They are becoming professionals of what they present and study rather than just observers or learners, they are actors and creators. The iPad is an example of how they are capable of demonstrating just how strong they are with creating change and adapting to it.
On Reaching day 60
Reaching Day 60 was both the most happiest and uncomfortable day of my life. First off I wanna say, Yes!!! I did it, its finally over and I look amazing!!! But there are other things to address. When watching the film, “Fat, Sick, and nearly dead,” Joe Cross ate a green apple when he broke his fast. I don’t really like green apples, I find them too sour; therefore I decided I’d break my fast with some watermelon, because I love watermelon. As I was cutting up my watermelon, I noticed the cupboard was slightly ajar allowing me to see a bottle of Tapatio, a very delicious Mexican hot sauce. I missed the mariachi bottle so much that I decided to pour a little over my watermelon. In the process of putting the bottle away, I noticed the tajin, which is chili powder. I decided to add some chili powder as well. Then, I saw the chamoy bottle, and I just couldn’t help myself. Normally, this would still not be enough chili to satisfy my taste buds because I can usually take lots and lots of spicy food at once. Well, at least I used to. I don’t know what happened to me during this fast, but I grew to be extremely sensitive to spice. The first few bites were heaven!!! Mmmm. Just thinking of my first bite is wonderful! Then I found myself sucking in a lot of breath, the way I have seen people who can’t take chili do. I see them sucking in air as if it would make it better, it doesn’t! I couldn’t believe that I, Ms. Three-salsas-is-not-enough-for-my-tacos was in need of water, while eating watermelon!!!! As if this wasn’t enough, I came home to find my mother, grandmother, and sister cooking up one of my favorite dishes: enmoladas. “Ay! Don’t make that face, and you better eat this food we’re preparing because it is your favorite and it is your birthday and you said today you were going to start eating.” I was not about to complain or pass on the food because it is sooo delicious and it was my Birthday after all. Big mistake!!! My stomach paid the consequences. You’ll never know what an upset stomach is until you undergo a two month juice fast and make the stupid decision to eat watermelon with chile for breakfast and enmoladas for dinner. Let’s just say I didn’t go to work or school the next day. It was awful, but I learned my lesson. Overall though, I encourage everyone to try something like this one day, becausde it feels amazing to conquer one's own weaknesses!!!
A response to Maureen Taylor’s “How to bring the magic back into the classroom”
My boyfriend took me to Disneyland for my birthday. It was a great day. I couldn’t help but remember a recent post my colleague wrote about how magical a place Disneyland is, and how sad it is that teachers don’t strive to put some of that happiness into the classroom. I looked about me and realized that the park was packed with lots and lots of people. With so many people in the park, we probably spent more time waiting in line to ride the various Disneyland attractions then in the actual rides. But we didn’t seem to mind. There were so many noisy obnoxious kids and the sun was hitting our eyes; the tiring wait should have been enough to drive us crazy, but we didn’t seem to mind the wait because we knew that once we reached the end of the line, the ride would have been worth it, even if it were short lived. I feel like education is like that, there are some of us who have the will to endure the least desirable parts of education, and because we convince ourselves to hold on, we are then able to enjoy the benefits of our perseverance. But why isn’t it like that for everyone? What are we doing as teachers that make students say, “this isn’t worth pursuing,” or “this is something that I am willing to give effort and time to.” Better yet, what is a place like Disneyland doing that makes people want to endure the least desirable conditions ever in order to enjoy a short lived adventure? For starters, they offer rides that are both thrilling and safe, rides that can be enjoyed by many people regardless of age, religion, or language. The atmosphere is thrilling to the eyes, the smells are inviting, and one knows that everything in the park has been created in detail for them to enjoy. If a high school English teacher like myself for example, were to create an inviting atmosphere for a teenager, we should probably keep in mind that the majority of teenagers don’t like school and should try to make the classroom look as much as a hang-out as possible. Perhaps add a couch, lots of cut-out magazine collages around the room ,posters of famous writers and poets (as a young girl might have of her favorite pop-star), and maybe play a little music in the background as they write on their journal (or assignments). And I know there are so many bad reviews about showing too many videos and movies to students, but what if every other Friday students were to present videos they have made themselves? If the world is changing towards a more technological one, why can’t they have a way to present their observations of the world to their peers through a movie day? And yes, there should be popcorn! Why should the classroom stay traditional when it is clearly not working? I feel like the real magic of Disneyland is that people are waiting around in line for so long because they know that when they are enjoying the ride, it is their experience and no one else’s. No one can take that moment away. No one is telling them how to enjoy it, what to look at, or what part of the ride is important to remember. Their experience is theirs alone and they leave a little better because of it. They know they are in good hands, safe hands, and they know that they will be different on their way out of the park. It is the happiest place on earth because no test or agenda determined the success of the day, but rather the meaningfulness of the experience, which is something they strive to recreate outside of Disneyland. That is what education should be like.
Monday, November 26, 2012
On MOOCs
On MOOCs
MOOC represents Massive Open Online Courses, it was coined
by Dave Cormier from the University of Prince Edward Island in 2008. Today,
most MOOCs share the following characteristics:
1.
They can either be massive with a few hundred to
several thousand students in a course simultaneously.
2.
Interactions through blogs, portfolios,
websites, social networking sites and more.
3.
Course content is not found in only one place but
can be found all over the web
4.
Course participants are distributed all over the
world.
5.
Most MOOCs are free but there may be a fee of
for accreditation programs.
6.
Participants and Instructors aggregate, remix, and
repurpose the content
7.
The courses do not have specific requirements but
participants must stay up to date with rough schedules
In 2011 Stanford University offered an
Artificial Intelligence course online. 160,000 registered students from 190 countries. 23,000 completed the course, 248 of those (not Stanford students) earned 100% on the score.
MOOCs are become popular because the online experience improves as technology evolves, the high cost of education causes people to look for cheaper forms of education, and MOOC allows participants to build professional and and personal skills sets in their own time.
Some famous MOOCs include Coursera, edx, udemy, and KhanAcademy.
On Our Google Conference
The Google Conference! It was impressive, almost unbelievable, I couldn’t believe that I was participating in such a complex meeting. I can’t wait to try it out with my family members from Mexico, but in order for that to happen I will need to learn how to invite people to chat and teach my aunts and cousins how to set up a Google account and do a bunch of neat stuff on it. I know for sure my grandmother and mom will LOOOVE it because purchasing calling cards to Mexico is time consuming and expensive. Plus, this would be way better than calling because we can actually hear the other person and see their facial movements and it’s almost like were in the room, plus we can invite my other family members from Los Angeles, Texas, New York and Chicago in on our calls. I’m getting excited just thinking about how this can actually happen and I’m forgetting to respond to the actual experience. I wish I could have had the conference on my iPhone, that would have been awesome, but then again if that were possible I would have looked awkward talking to my phone on the bus hahaha, plus I wouldn’t have learned all the neat stuff I learned. I learned how to view the same documents, the same videos, and how to wear artificial hats online. I was in our room by myself, but honestly I felt like everyone was there because as soon as I was disconnected accidentally the first time and when we said our goodbyes, the emptiness of the room all of a sudden became evident. Overall, it was an awesome experience and I can’t wait to try it again.
On Making Meatloaf
Perhaps the most surprising dish I have made so far has been meatloaf. Never in my right mind would I ever imagine myself making meatloaf! The reason why I decided to attempt this dish was because my attempt to make flour tortillas and Chile Verde were not what I expected. And the most infuriating part is that I can’t taste my own cooking, not for another ten days anyway. I took a look at my Chile Verde and I took a look at my tortillas and decided that the best thing to do in such an ugly situation was to combine the two and serve it on a platter, but because I was unimpressed with myself I decided to add in a Meatloaf as well. I have been following two individuals on Twitter, Hilah and Nicko. I followed Hilah’s recipe on making flour tortillas and I really liked her YouTube channel because she is so funny and nonchalant about cooking. After pinning various of her videos on Pinterest, I found a video of her visiting with another chef, Nicko. Nicko is from Australia and also has a YouTube channel of his own. Wow, his food is amazing. They both made meatloaf seem so easy, just mix a bunch of ingredients together and pop it into the oven. Since I have a small toaster oven, and since I made two loafs, baking these to perfection was nearly impossible. I think they were on the oven for about three hours rather than one and a half. I concluded that the next time I make this dish, I will put the meat loafs into the oven for about an hour and a half first and then add the ketchup-mustard-barbecue sauce that goes over it for the last hour and a half, this way the top of the loafs don’t burn. My boyfriend seemed to like it. It was the dish he seemed to enjoy the most so far. Apparently, he thinks that I can only cook deliciously when he’s in the kitchen bugging me since the Spanish rice I made with him around me was actually the most delicious thing I’ve made on the first try.
Sunday, November 25, 2012
On Making Flour Tortillas
This was a complete disaster! First, I should have poured
the warm milk onto the bowl slowly as I stirred the dough with a fork. Secondly,
I should have let the dough sit for a couple of minutes before I used my hands
to mix the dough more. Thirdly, I should have allowed the dough to rest for 20
minutes rather than half an hour because according to my mother-in-law who came
over later on, “it is best to let it rest for just a few minutes when the weather is cold and for half
an hour or so when it is warm out.” The young girl on the video allowed the
dough to rest for thirty minutes, so I decided to do the same thing. The fourth
mistake I made was that I added too much flour while I was rolling the dough
into flat tortillas. The fifth mistake I made is in the way I rolled the dough,
some of the tortillas I made resembled stars, triangles, and even horses rather
than circles. And the fifth, mistake I made was to leave some of the tortillas
on the fire for far too long. Because of these five, and probably more
mistakes, my tortillas tasted extremely floury and according to my boyfriend
resembled the taste and texture of a pita bread rather than flour tortillas.
While making the dough, I did make a myriad of adjustments that the young girl
from the video did not use. For example, I decided to use margarine instead of
oil and I decided to warm up the milk rather than use room temperature milk. I’ve
decided that since the tortillas have been the most horrible thing I’ve made so
far, I will follow the young lady’s instructions word for word the next time I
try making them. I have decided to make Chile Verde burritos in which I filled
the tortillas with the Chile Verde that I made before and cut them up into
small pieces with toothpicks stabbed into them so that everyone can have a
taste. This way, everyone can have a chance to try my awful cooking tomorrow
without tellling how terrible my tortillas looked J.
On Cooking Toni’s Chile Verde
I can't upload the videos :(
This was a fantastic recipe, and my boyfriend said he loved
the texture and that the taste wasn’t too bad either. Unfortunately, my
overtly-honest boyfriend admitted that he wished the recipe was a bit spicier. The
funny thing is that as I was making the salsa, I questioned the use of only two
jalapenos. I’ve seen my family use various chilies when making salsa, and I
wondered if I should add any more jalapenos or more red hot chili peppers since
there is an abundance of them in the fridge an on our counter. Unfortunately, I
convinced myself that it was probably not the best idea for me to screw up the
recipe by adding my own ingredients. I wish I would have listened to myself
because I would have loved it if Toni loved the platter the first time I made
it. My mother-in-law tasted it as well, and apparently it was yummy. She even
told people about it. Heck, I called my family to show off too. The next time I
cook Chile Verde, I will do three things differently: First, I will add more
chilies and leave their seeds on the salsa since that makes the dish spicier.
Secondly, I will use less garlic, because even now as the left-overs sit cold
in the fridge, there is a stronger smell of garlic than chili. And Finally, I will
let the minced garlic and onion brown a little longer before adding the chicken
broth and olive oil. Overall, I had a great time cooking it and I can’t wait to
share some of it with my dear Education 578 group. Because I didn’t follow my
intuition on adding more chilies on my Chile Verde platter, I decided to follow
my own taste while making flour tortillas and meat loaf. It worked wonders for
my meat loaf, wish I could say the same about the flour tortillas :/
Monday, November 19, 2012
On Updating my 20% Project
Cooking is definitely not for me!!! In theory, I shouldn't be too bad. I remember when I was younger I helped my mom wash vegetables and stir pots and watched her as she heated up home-made tortillas. We would dance around the kitchen and she would let me help. It was nice. So why do I suck?? Up top you’ll see two different pans. The dark food = the burnt up onions and garlic intended for the Spanish rice. The lighter food= the “toasted” onions and garlic I actually used on the rice. The YouTube video I used to guide me only said, “stir until your vegetables are nice and toasted,” but it didn't show me what “toasted” would look like, they simply threw in the rice shortly after. When someone says “toasted” I imagine toast bread, so not only did I leave the vegetables toast, I allowed a little black to accumulate. My boyfriend came in the kitchen, and said, “that doesn't looked toasted to me that looks and smells burnt.” Unfortunately for me he didn't leave the kitchen. He stayed the whole way through, which bothered me because not only did I have to chop more onion (ugh) but I had him correcting me the whole way. “Babe, the lady on the video said to use medium chopped onion, you’re cutting them up too thinly.” But I guess I rather have him regulating than his mother, who showed up later to eat my rice. My boyfriend liked my rice, but if you ask me I have a feeling it was more because he feels he had a great deal to do with the taste and everything he does is “amazing.” My mother-in-law on the other hand told me it could use a little more salt and a little less garlic. Moral of this first attempt: that’s the last time I cook in this house I already made arrangements with my Grandmother who will let me use her kitchen on Wednesday and won’t tell anyone about it. I can’t wait!
Friday, November 16, 2012
On Reaching Day #40
I haven’t shared this with many people but today I am so happy that I can’t wait to share my good news. For 40 days now, I have been juicing fresh fruits and vegetables straight from my juicer at home. I’ve been eating nothing else! About a month and a half ago, I was browsing through my Netflix, when I came across the film “Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead,” by Joe Cross. Joe Cross began this documentary film weighing at a whopping 310 pounds and was severely sick because of it. His unhealthy diet was slowly killing him. The entire film followed him as he juiced for sixty days in an attempt to gain his health back. Although after his sixty days he began implementing other foods into his diet, he continued eating healthy and helped others begin their journeys as well. I decided I’d do the same. I won’t share how much I used to weigh, because that would just be seriously mortifying. I will, however, say that I am now 30 pounds lighter and happier. Initially, I only wanted to juice for ten days, but when I saw my results on the scale, I decided to juice for three weeks. Three weeks turned into a month, a month turned into 40 days, and 40 days turned into, “What the hey, go for the sixty days.” So here I am. Every morning I wake up excited and energized to continue on this difficult journey, but ever night I go to sleep dreaming of biting into a carne asada taco or my gramma’s enmoladas. I seriously don’t know how much more of this torture I can take, but I hope I have the strength to see the sixty days through.
On What I think learning looks like
One of the most embarrassing things about not owning my own vehicle is that I have to ride the bus in the mornings, and the bus is usually packed with San Diego High School students. When they spot me there are two usual reactions: One is for them to turn away from me without greeting me as if I were a parent trying to invade their privacy, and the second is for them to go right towards me and begin awkward conversations with me. Putting the awkwardness aside, I enjoy getting to know my students on a more personal level and I love that they feel comfortable sharing their thoughts with me.
One morning, I found a seat at the back of the bus, and I noticed two girls giggling over a book. I recognized one of the girls because she is in one of the classes where I am currently completing my practicum. They were both sitting next to each other at first. The student I work with was reading a book and her friend, sitting next to her, was listening to her iPod. The girl reading the book, couldn’t squelch a giggle so she poked her friend to get her attention. Her friend took her left earphone out and looked at the page where he friend was pointing at. They read the book together on their way to school, giggling about its content. About three stops before the high school, I slightly interrupted them, “Hey, I was wondering if it would be OK for me to take a picture of you girls. You see, one of my teachers asked me once what I think learning looks like, and I couldn’t help but notice how you are both reading the book together and giggling about it.” Although I can tell they thought it was a weird request, they allowed me to take a picture of them reading the book. The awkward thing is that when I finally did take a picture of them reading, the essence of learning was already gone, mainly because I had interrupted the genuine thing. I was still very happy to be able to freeze it in time though.
On Cultivating my PLN
Oops, so I had written my list and showed it to my instructor, but I failed to post it on a blog. Based on experience and taste, this is my own personal PLN checklist (as of now anyway because the more I get the hang of it, the more I must explore):
1. Make an effort to tweet out at least once or twice a day
2. Check Edmodo every other day to keep track of due work
3. Respond to my peers’ posts
4. Pin the various videos I will use from You Tube on Pinterest
5. Make a list of the various ingredients needed for the 20% project
6. Write at least two independent blog posts, apart from the required posts a week
7. Connect myself to Mexican food networks on Twitter and follow up on their recipes and share recipes on twitter
8. Begin experimenting with cooking and write about my experiences
9. Document my 20% project on Pinterest and tweet out my experience
10. Learn to download videos on You Tube
11. Participate in an Edchat
Monday, November 5, 2012
On the Essence of Connected Learning
About a year ago, I worked closely with an English teacher at San Diego High School. I was a Special Education Assistant in her class and helped her with her special needs students. I was shocked to learn that there was a particular student, Rhonda Spencer, who would come into our second period class about five minutes late every day. She would walk straight to the back of the classroom, get a laptop out of the laptop cart, take out her earphones, and surf the net the whole period. The teacher expected nothing from her and the students also learned to ignore her. Whenever I asked Rhonda to attempt to do work, she would yell at me and recite all sorts of bad names and bad words my way. I decided to speak to her case manager, who told me that there was an unofficial agreement with the teacher, special ed provider, and student for her to sit in the back of the room and surf the net so long as she was not disrespectful or disruptive to the class. There was nothing I can do, I wish those adults who were in charge of her education could watch this movie.
Our Educational System is more focused on our outcomes, what do we want children to learn? And then everything we teach them is centered on that. Children’s interests and strengths are rarely considered. In the little time that I worked with Rhonda, I noticed how beautifully she drew. She also had an amazing imagination. For each episode of “The Walking Dead” that she watched on TV, she would collaborate with one of her classmates and write a mock script predicting what might happen on the next episode. I think Rhonda’s teachers and I could have helped her better if we would have been focused on bringing a community of people who want to learn together and focused on that rather than on content material. The clear message was that she was in the way of others’ learning and therefore had no place in the classroom, it’s embarrassing to know that I worked for educators who do that
On being a learner or a student
This question should be easy enough to answer. I am both a learner and a student. When I am at home or enjoying leisure time, I love reading novels and doing research about the historical period in which the novel takes place and in which the author wrote it. I love making connections between the characters and the people of their time. I especially love comparing them to how life is in my community/family structure/era. There are no limits as to what I can and can’t learn, there are no deadlines or expectations. I can be a fabulous learner. As a student however, I have always struggled. As terrible as it may sound, I decided to be a student for the mere fear of becoming what the majority of the women in my family have become: young mothers, cholas, or married to an abusive man. I have sought school merely to escape poverty and violence. All this time I thought I was intrinsically motivated to be different, but as I listen to my peers, I am more extrinsically motivated. I have sought education to escape a horrible reality in hopes to inspire other Hispanic students to do the same. I have a feeling that I may not be the greatest person for this job. I feel like my peers are a lot more passionate about education than me. Where I seek it for survival, others seek it because they are passionate about it. I am not passionate about discipline, deadlines, or taking interest in what others tell me to take interest in. I am more passionate about going my own way, to study others without sharing my analysis, and listening to others without being questioned myself. I enjoy being invisible. I don’t think I know a teacher who feels the same why as I do. I know I can inspire my future students to be great learners, but the world wants great students. I can only hope I have what it takes to direct them in the right way.
On taking time to reflect
Someone who’s not in this class did ask me what I’ve learned in this course so far. I told him that I thought I learned a lot, I learned how to create a blog and how to write posts on it, something that was unimaginable for me before. I also learned how to respond to my peers’ posts. I continued sharing that when I finally become an English teacher, I will require my students to set up a Google account and create a blog so that they can write their homework on there instead of wasting and killing off trees. I find it to be a faster and easier way for our class to be connected even out of class. I also informed him, however that after speaking to my instructor, I am not meeting the required expectations of the course. I am not keeping up with all my written blogs, and I am not tweeting. When he asked me why I wasn’t doing the expected work, I went silent. For such a long time, my excuse has been, “because I hate computers and technology.” But now, I can’t say the same thing anymore because now that I understand a little of what I am doing, I enjoy it. I still strongly dislike Twitter, and know that I need to begin tweeting and sharing and reposting stuff. Because I have not done so, I am lagging way behind my classmates and have very little proof of my learning process, mainly because I have not learned much in the twitter department. This is a problem because in order for me to be able to use Diigo or Storify, I am going to need to tweet.
If I were a person who naturally enjoyed and understood the virtual realm, this class may be a bit easier for me. Not only do I lack the knowledge and the confidence to start up, let alone maintain, a virtual life but I lack the passion for it. I like having a checklist, examples of what the teacher expects from me, for example: How many tweets a day/week/month is expected? How many independent blogs should I be posting? When responding to my peers’ posts, what exactly am I looking for to respond to?
The one good thing about this though, is that it can only get better. I look forward to advancing to be where I need to be. I look forward to growth, and even though its uncomfortable, it will only make me that much more effective as an educator.
Monday, October 29, 2012
On "The New Gatekeepers"
To sum it up in one single word, I must say, “wow!” I can’t help but feel a bit indignant about a social network deciding for me on what information I should or should not be exposed to easily or who should be exposed to me. This is definitely not a good thing. I agree with Eli Pariser when he said that he likes being exposed to conservative friends because he can learn from them and they learn from him too. For example, I myself was born and raised a Catholic. My good friend Janis Mork however, is a Baptist Christian. Every other Wednesday we like to get together at a local Starbucks to discuss a weekly reading. Next Wednesday for example, we will both offer our individual interpretations from the first two pages of the bible. If Janis and I, for example were to have these meetings online, we may find it difficult for us to connect due to all these social networks setting us up with people who think and believe everything we do. I completely agree with our speaker on this being a potential problem in the future. It is imperative for all of us to be exposed to people who oppose our way of thinking and our way of living because it allows us to grow as people and it helps us tolerate that which is different.
On Clay Shirkey's, "Cognitive Surplus and Changing the world."
According to the video “ancient human motivation and the modern tools that allow that motivation to be joined in a large scale,” are the two important keys that allow a culture of generosity. And apparently there is a gap between those doing anything and those doing nothing. I may lack the imagination to come up with a way in which a culture of generosity can be used to improve education, but I’m willing to give it a try. The culture of generosity has a civil duty, their creations are made by a group of individuals but it is created in a way in which large populations can either enjoy or benefit from their creation. In a typical school setting, this can be the equivalent of students and teachers gathering and creating a helpful site that may involve everyone in and out of their community. And it can be anything, so long as civic value is being created to a degree that they will be able to change the world, including education. It is my understanding that when Clay Shirkey says “free cultures get what they celebrate,” he meant that for those who make the choice to do something (create and share for example) get to experience the reward of doing so, while those who choose to do nothing, get exactly that: nothing.
Perhaps the most interesting observation that I personally made about myself after watching this video, is that I am still a media consumer. Yes, it was the only thing that has been offered in the past, but now I see the world is changing. While some people highly enjoy the fact that they now have a role to create and share in participation with the media, it is something that frankly scares the crap out of me. I know how to document y personal feelings and how to respond to the world around me internally, but I have a big problem sharing that with others. I have the feeling that my struggle in Education 578 is mainly because I lack the confidence to reach out to others and let others reach out to me.
Monday, October 22, 2012
On my final decision for the 20% project
I have decided to do my 20% project on learning how to make Carnitas en Salsa Verde. It is a pork dish, cooked in a green chili sauce. It is a particularly difficult dish for me to make because I don't eat much pork, but I know my boyfriend would really appreciate it because it's his favorite meal. To tell the truth, I'm not much of a cook period. I get picked on a lot by my family members on what a "horrible" or "inexperience" cook I am. In fact, just last Christmas Eve I helped my Grandma Estela fill up tamales for our annual Christmas party, and many of my aunts, uncles, and cousins pretended not to eat them for fear I might poison them. It would be nice if I can cook up this green chili pork and put it into one of this year's tamales. I am therefore challenging myself to begin with me preparing a meal for my boyfriend. For this meal, I will have to learn to make Carnitas en Salsa Verde, Tortillas de arina (flour tortillas), and a side of beans and rice. To drink, I'd love to learn how to make Agua de Horchata (Horchata water). If I am not too overwhelmed, I'd love to bake a Pastel de tres leches (a mexican cake made of three different milks). I plan to research free recipes on the internet that will give me an idea of what I'll need and then compare them to various You Tube videos that I have already begun watching.There are various examples for each dish I am preparing for this "simple meal."
So, I am going to learn how to make carnitas en salsa verde, tortillas de arina, beans, rice, agua de horchata, and pastel de tres leches. I, Nora Castro, who's most extravagant dish as of now is pancakes, will learn to make these 6 things to impress my boyfriend, my family, but mostly myself.
On Googling myself
Monday, October 15, 2012
On the 20% Project
There are so many things that I would consider learning right about now. One of them would be to play the guitar. Nothing too fancy, but I’d definitely feel pretty good about myself if I could learn to play something as simple as “Mary Had a Little Lamb, “ or even better the Birthday song, that way I could at least put my skills into practice every time anyone I know and love was celebrating their Birthday. Another thing I’d have fun learning is to knit. I’ve been interested in knitting since I was a little girl but never really had the opportunity or the patience to do it. If I get really good I may even knit my own blanket for a cozy read. For my own personal benefit, I’d really love to learn how to fish-braid my hair. I know how to braid my hair with traditional braids but I wouldn’t even know how to begin braiding my hair like a fishtail. And perhaps the most ambitious thing I’d love to learn would be to learn how to cook my boyfriend’s favorite dish, “Carnitas en salsa verde”. My sister, my mother, my aunts, my primas (girl cousins) my grandmother, and my boyfriend’s mother are all great cooks and I’d love to introduce them with a recipe that none of them showed me how to cook.
On Daniel Pink's, "A whole new mind"
What is the conceptual age?
According to Daniel Pink, the way the world thinks is going through a shift from the information age which is dominated by ‘right-brain thinking’, towards the conceptual age, dominated by ‘left-brain thinking.’ The conceptual age is the age of creators and empathizers rather than knowledge workers. According to Pink there are six senses that help create a whole new mind-set that gears towards the conceptual age: design, story, symphony, empathy, play, and marketing.
Why does Pink believe this "Conceptual Age" requires a whole new mind?
Pink believes that the “conceptual age” requires a whole new mind because the world has valued left-brain thinking much more to right-brain thinking. Although the left hemisphere is still extremely important for anyone to be successful in the economy and the world of business, he argues that creativity (dominated by the right hemisphere) can determine how competitively successful one can be. The introduction explains this better as it describes that, “the future belongs to…creators and empathizers, pattern recognizers, and meaning makers, artists, inventors, designers, storytellers, caregivers, consolers, and big picture thinkers,” it is they which, “will now reap society’s richest rewards and share its greatest joy.”
Do you agree or disagree with Pink and why?
At this point in my life, I am not fully sure if I agree with Pink or not. I guess it is best to say that I have no reasons to doubt that his idea on the Conceptual Age is at fault because I do value creativity immensely. I agree with the concept, I just don’t believe that creative thinkers can have periods of time in which they may dominate the workforce or the world for that matter based on their creativity. Personally, I believe that the world will always need a balance of both left-hemisphere and right-hemisphere dominated minds. What is a great creator without the person who knows how to help him build that creative idea, and what is a builder without a great inventor? Although creativity is being valued more, I wouldn't necessarily say that it is being placed as a higher commodity than left-hemisphere capabilities but rather that it is quickly catching up to its counterpart.
Monday, October 8, 2012
On Communities of Practice
This week’s reading on Lave and Wenger’s theory of communities of practice was something that was particularly interesting to me. I haven’t noticed before how much learning we all do on a daily basis. There are some obvious communities that I belong to as part of a learning community: USD, San Diego High School, and my church for example. And I participate in various forms of learning in each community. At USD for example, I am surrounded by people who have the knowledge of technology in my Edu 578 class and by being in their environment I learn from them and discover a lot of myself as well. At San Diego High School, as a Special Education Assistant, I am the glue that keeps teachers, parents, and students connected. I had little to no acknowledgement of the other types of communities of practice of which I am a part of.
I didn’t know for example that by going out dancing with my friends every other Saturday, I was building a community of practice among others who share a same interest as me and who gear towards the same goals: to have fun and hopefully learn new steps during our night out. We share the domain (a shared interest), the community (we help each other and collaborate with one another to improve our dancing skills), and the practice (we know which nights are Salsa nights and which days are ladies nights). The fact that my three girlfriends and I look forward to going out every once in a while and feel the need to go out and about together makes us members of a tribe that unites us under one identity.
In my Edu 578 course, we have a PLN check list that we must familiarize ourselves with in an attempt to create a web presence, ideally under the same username. As a class, we get together on a weekly basis but stay connected with each other throughout the week via our PLN activities. Edu 578 is the domain in which my colleagues, professor, and I are currently participating in. The fact that we all have different level of experience with technology and with a lot of accounts on our PLN list gives us a shared community. The fact that we all gather together on a weekly basis, stay connected through our PLN accounts, and work on the same activities and assignments means we share the same practice. According to Wenger, a shared domain, community, and practice is necessary for the communities of practice theory to take its course.
When trying to find people or articles who oppose Lave and Wenger’s theory of community of practice, I was surprised to find close to nothing. In fact the one source I found, written by Heather and Phil Hodkinson was merely a constructive critique on the theory titled, “A constructive critique of communities of practice: moving beyond Lave and Wegner. In this article the Hodkinson’s express that they don’t necessarily disagree with Lave and Wegner but rather find their work weak and in need of improvement. A copy of this article can be acquired by going to the following website: http://www.voced.edu.au/content/ngv37993 and downloading it from there.
On what I am passionate about
Growing up, my mother surrounded my home with books. We had bookcases and bookcases filled with movies and books. It wasn’t the typical household that my family members were used to. Whenever I would get bored, I would grab an Encyclopedia and read an entire page. An example of how I would do this for example can be described by one particular memory I have of me when I was twelve years old. I got in trouble for speaking back to my mother, she wouldn’t let me spend the weekend at my dad’s so I was pretty upset. I picked a random page, which happened to have the Holocaust on it. I read the one paragraph description on the Holocaust and wasn’t satisfied with it. I then took down more Encyclopedias to look up other things like Adolf Hitler, Concentration Camps, and World War II. I instantly made a connection to a movie I had watched with my mom about Anne Frank and asked her if I can watch it again. The second time I watched the movie, it made a lot more sense than the first time I read it because of all the information I had acquired during my informal research.
This recollection is what I am passionate about. I love making connections with what I learn through books, movies, and lectures with the outside world. Moreover, I love that the learning process can be fun and as informal as a twelve year old girl learning sophisticated concepts simply because SHE WANTS TO and not because she has to. I wish I can say the same about my cousins or even my brother or sister. Growing up my mother was always either reading or watching TV. My grandmother was the one who did most of the housework like cooking and such. I took up after my mom. I am extremely passionate about reading and the learning process. I was the only one of three kids who share my mom’s passion for learning and reading. My sister preferred Barbies and my brother preferred cars. Now, as adults my brother is a struggling mechanic who pays too much child support and my sister is 26 divorcee with 2 young boys. She also struggles to make ends meet. I, on the other hand struggle to make ends meet as well, but that is because I am a college student who has little money to spare after books and tuition rather than to feed two young kids on my own. I guess if I had to focus on one research topic, it would have to be:
Informally: what was the difference between my younger brother and sister and me growing up? Same socio-economic status, same household, why the different lifestyles?
Formally: is there a possibility that early (and perhaps sophisticated) reading improves one’s choices in lfie?
This is just me thinking out-loud though. There is still time for me to change my mind.
On Seth Godin’s Tribes
There were many interesting things discussed in Seth Godin’s book, Tribes . The one thing that will resonate with me for a long time however, is what he mentioned about our fear being the only thing that holds us back from becoming great leaders. In particular how he describes that leaders must have the courage to become heretics due to an incredible faith that they have. It takes courage to confront a set of well-established rules and change the unchangeable (religion). It take courage to be seen as a heretic and to have enough faith that if you are passionate enough, then it will all turn out to be all right in the end. Fear is something that is rarely addressed in our academic world. Personally, I have many fears that I wasn't aware of. The fear of not making it through another two years of school because I am so incredibly exhausted, the fear of not making my family proud, and the fear of being forgotten. Godin, however mentions that although these fears really don’t go away, acknowledging them and being aware of them makes them less likely to deter my progress. Listening to his book was a pleasure, responding to it via 20 tweets wasn't as easy as I expected though. I have this mammoth task ahead of me, that of understanding this world of technology, but I am ready to overcome it.
Monday, October 1, 2012
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)