Blog Reflection – Based on what you read, what theory to you put the most faith in? How does it influence how you teach, train, learn, etc.? Why?

Much like my posts for the week probably imply, I have the most faith in the postmodern theory and my simple reason is that I truly believe it has had the most effect (or most pronounced effect) on who I ‘am’.  I really think that higher education, the goal of it, is to really instill the values of postmodern learning.  These values that I speak of are to question everything and examine it critically to really become an academic.

I have taken this theory into every facet of my life, there’s not a single commercial that plays on television where I don’t question the motives and it thrills me to see it from the other side, to try to avoid being part of the zombie target audience!

I have had and played a couple of online games, and I have created a avatar in Second Life.  My experiences there have been predominantly for playing the “game” and for social activity in SL.  I have had the opportunity in previous courses to travel online for a SL class meeting and I think that there is potential but I’m not sure if it is ready yet, or is superior to any online options currently employed by schools to include UNT.

I’m not sure if learning needs a third dimension when taking an online course.  It is aesthetically pleasing and neet to see other people but other than that it really doesn’t seem to serve much of a purpose beyond “why did they choose to put those clothes on their avatar?”  I would have to go back and even pose the situation that what if we all could log into a room like off of the matrix, just a bunch of class members represented by stick figures.  Would that add much to the learning experience?  No, so why would a 3D representation?

The real substance in the learning is what can we do with it?  Part of the charm of the online learning is that it removes the social butterfly aspect to school and focuses on the learning.  Adding 3D will reintroduce social problems/worries/attention in online classes.

Try to have a conversation with someone in which you try to get them to do something (i.e. eat a packet of catsup, shave a cat, etc.) that is kind of or really odd in two different scenarios. In the first, you develop a strong argument with 4 or more reasons why they should decide to do what you want. In a second situation, provide only one reason and make it pretty weak (i.e. Give me an A in class even though I have done no work this semester. My cat has been trying to explode my head using its mind.) Tell what happens. 

I didn’t know what to do for this one, I’m not really a good salesman and when I’m joking I’m normally so obviously joking it’s plain as day.  I tried this on my wife, because she’s the only one that would understand I’m in class where I have to do weird things on a weekly basis…like have a conversation without using the letter ‘n’, ha!  So I knew she’d forgive me when I gave in and told her why. 

I really couldn’t think of anything too weird, it’s just really not my style.  The whole eating a ketchup packet thing is so out of character for me that I just can’t even grasp coming up with a good question like that.  I decided I was going vegetarian and that she should too.  Now I know this is not that hard, and I apologize but it was what I played.  Unfortunately my wife was all to ready to try to go Vegan with me!  I approached the situation with a set of disturbing facts, laid them down and apparently came across sincere, and it was pretty easy for her to just go along with me.  In fact I was amazed by the little struggle at all… 

As for the second one I have a 4 and 5 year old, so I played this one on them.  It’s amazing how a request like “Hey, go put your shoes in the sink” gets little reaction besides putting shoes in the sink.  A “Hey, go put your shoes in the toilet” garnered a different response from my 4 year old though, with a “Are you kidding me?”  I guess if it’s contrary to what they have been strictly taught (that nothing goes in the toilet that’s not supposed to) it gets a second thought.

For this week the blog reflection was visiting http://iamtryingtobelieve.com/purpose.htm and answering the following questions about it.  Where is the problem solving? What are you doing? What is the problem with this site? What creative solutions to this did you try?

 I’m a bit confused about the first 2 questions because I can’t seem to gather if they are directed towards me or the website itself, as both would be difficult to answer.  Where is the problem solving?  The topic is on Parepin and it’s effects on humans and society, there is not a proposed answer, and I’m assuming the problem is that we are being legally drugged.  This is the conclusion that I have drawn on the basis that it it seems there are addictive properties, with newspaper printouts and words in red circled with thoughts like “Where is the Proof?” when it comes to stated benefits. 

 The problem with the site is that the words are jumbled and overlapped, perhaps it’s to signify that we should (or can’t) make it out easily because we are under the effects (or not under the effect) of Parepin.  It’s quite a interesting thought and tactic.  To overcome the difficulty in reading the website I simply highlighted the paragraphs to read them.  I did this because I have prior knowledge that highlighting blocks and changes the colors of letters and the background, and if it didn’t work it was as easy to try as dragging the mouse so potentially a second or 2 loss if it didn’t work.

This is so very difficult to do because that removes all the “ing” endings of action words and any conjuctions.  Trying to talk without a conjunction is hard enough but taking away any words with the ing ending is really torture.  The conversations I had with people took a whole lot of thought formulation before each sentence and even then I found I messed up a lot. 

My brother and I had a language simply called the “n” language growing up where every word had to start with the letter “n”.  It was really funny sounding when you get good at it and talk as fast as normal.  It’s a interesting thought to think back on it and the current chapters about language, learning and the rules.

What did it tell you about your own memory? What might you do to prepare if you were going to do it again?

This memory website was intriguing but left me with what I can only describe as a migrane headache, probably my first.  To this reason I really did not enjoy it!

Sometimes I have to be somewhat blunt, and I’m not sure I learned much about my own memory.  I have been intrigued by memory but I’m not sure I really learned much new from this activity or this chapter in general.  Between Biology and my Psychology background courses I think I have covered this multiple times. 

The one thing I would do if I was to “prepare” to do it again (god forbid this headache comes back)  would be to try to recognize before that activities begin some of the pattern recognition skills that it suggests at the end of the actvities.  For example, to group up patterns of numbers to remember them as bigger chunks.  So for example instead of remembering 8,3,5,2,9,4 to try and remember 83, 52, 94 to hopefully double my short term capacity.  Then perhaps as numbers got even larger I could make it remembering 835, 294 etc.

A very interesting concept and thought.  The first and foremost thing I noticed is that all of the colored particles are different colors, they are not all grey or different shades but different colors of the spectrum.  This is immediately helpful in identifying particles when all shook up, instead of relying on human perception to concentrate and visualize which one they were following. Second I found myself playing with the particles and settings like a cat with a mouse.  And while I and other humans find less satisfaction out of action and reaction, I believe this is a result of a perception game of sorts.  I played with the particles, had them bounce off each other and when they met what I perceived they should do I was adequately satisfied.Finally I think the point of making particles larger so people can see and manipulate them is putting them in a format so that people can wrap their brains around it better, as sight is one of the most powerful senses we have at our disposal, and it is hard to work with something such as particles when they don’t register to most of our senses.

What do mobile phones, loud radios and DVD players in cars, as well as high traffic, passengers, and other modern elements mean for driver attention to actual driving?

Here is my thoughts on this in a little more than a nutshell.  

From the slides the thing that stood out the most in relation to the task of going to a room and doing something like reading while listening to a loud television or radio is “Ability to divide attention improves with practice” taken from the chapter slides.  I think this is a very important part of the chapter and needs to remain in the thoughts as design and variables are considered. 
If it is available to you, try going into a room that has a radio, TV, and any other distraction you can find. Now try to do your multiplication tables through 12.

I did not try this because I know that ambient sounds such as the television do not hamper my ability to work or study (I have the television on and simultaneously listen to the news every time I do homework and posts)  This said, I would be bothered if I turned it on and tried to work if I normally had it completely silent when I studied.

How much cognitive load can a driver handle while remaining effective at his/her task?

I believe that sounds can be processed with 0 detriment (depending on the volume, abnormally loud would be an exception).  The new problem is texting and driving that is causing so many problems.  The human brain can not passively text, as it takes active thought process (although the process of typing on a miniture keyboard may be almost automatic for some).

Now, think about this in terms of the noise of an educational environment? How much noise is useful during learning? How much interferes with attention and consciousness. How should this impact the design of a learning environment? How much should it?

I realize that most people want it completely silent when they take a test so they can concentrate, but I personally found the opposite reaction in myself as I was desensitized and bothered by the lack of regular classroom commotion.  The coughs and sniffles from a dead silence bothered me much more than the regular low key conversation of a classroom.  I don’t think the design should be changed from current standards, as it benifits the majority.

 I usually try to think along different lines than other respondents may to the same question.  In this instance however I am really unable to as my experience is not as great as the others in the class are mostly educators.  Therefore I really have to answer this question in the only capacity that I have served as of yet, and that is as a student.  The subject of testing and measurement is such a highly contested area in our society since I have started my education that it’s impossible to disregard the main form of measurement.  In particular I would address the problem of minorities and testing, and how some testing is shown to favor those of a different race or socioeconomic status.  Much like the tribal intelligence measurements studies discussed in the chapter, the different ways people live affect the ways they may answer the same questions, and this is not necessarily a result of intelligence but is relative to their more immediate needs.