10 Resources Derived for the MOOC (CMC11)

Connectivisim

http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/view/523/1103

PLE

http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7049.pdf

Transliteracy and Metaliteracy

http://edc11.education.ed.ac.uk/carolc/2011/10/12/transliteracy-metaliteracy…-carol’s-head-explodes/

Synthesizing and Refining Creativity

Reading through some of the information provided on this book has inspired me to purchase it. Thought it would be nice to share.

http://books.google.com/books?id=ZPVcZ20xD0EC&pg=PT51&lpg=PT51&dq=synthesizing+and+refining+creativity&source=bl&ots=uUXZm5mTa1&sig=jLgGbaC824qtKp9d5m7ffJViwsE&hl=en&sa=X&ei=HTzuTp2gDOjq0gHC3bC2DA&ved=0CFMQ6AEwCA#v=onepage&q=synthesizing%20and%20refining%20creativity&f=false

Upshifting Innovation

I found this company to be interesting in provide creative innovative solutions for business and persons in need.

http://www.upshiftcreative.com/about/aboutus.html

Creative Problem Solving and Creative Thinking

http://www.creative-problem-solving.org/

Online Immersive Environments for Higher Education

http://europe.immersiveeducation.org/events/ied-europe-summit

Global Communication

In watching this video I was reminded of the MOOC and creativity. I thought it was amazing and well composed. It’s creative, innovative, and communicative. It’s art, inspirational, and calming.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edzmk2sC2B8

Creativity

http://creativityforlife.com/

http://www.psychologytoday.com/basics/creativity

The MOOC & Me (CMC11)

So I prepared my presentation trying to reflect everything the MOOC was for me, crazy, out of order, all over the place, pertaining to me, communicating with others and so forth. I recorded my presentation in imovie, my first, among many other first experiences the MOOC provided for me. I was really nervous, almost as nervous as when i decided to take this course and when i started it. When I had finished composing my presentation, I was very pleased with it. I shared me, my passions, my loves, my interest, and reflected on how I could integrate them into the MOOC. I loved learning from others and sharing their  experiences and what they had to offer.

Of course I learned so much from the weekly lessons and took a lot with me but for me the experience was more of the interaction and the communication with others. Most importantly I learned more through how the MOOC related to me, my life, my experiences and how I could relate to it all.

I am disappointed that I did not get to communicate more with fellow MOOC participants. I would really like to engage more with them and converse. I would have liked to have had more google hangouts and meet more of my fellow MOOC participants. It would be great to keep in contact with the participants and continue learning and sharing.

The MOOC has definitely inspired me. It has me writing poetry again, involved more with my yoga practice, motivated me to draw and take photographs. It has reawaken me, enlightened me and challenged me to do more.

The MOOC was everything Carol said it would be. A just dive in and get feet wet experience. I now have a thirst for the MOOC and the endless possibilities it has to offer.

Week 12: Exploring the Role of Tablet PCs in Promoting Active Learning and Real-Time Communication to Enhance Learning in the University Setting (CMC 11)

I believe that the usage of Tablet PC's could have positive outcomes in university settings. For many shy or self-conscious students who are not so vocal and find it hard to participate in class discussions or to ask or answer questions the communication with their instructors through real-time feedback address this barrier. Maintaining notes, assignments, course information and evaluations in addition to submitting assignments and exams keep everything in one place and helps to keep students more organized. Access to text books and online resources will be very beneficial to the students as well. Overall I feel that the tablet PC offers students a great experience and advantage in their university studies.

Drawbacks may include students diverting from school related activities on the PC but ultimately it is the individuals responsibility to focus on their studies. I do feel however that the tablet should not be depended on completely. There is something that a hands on education offers that just cannot be replaced by technology. Personal interaction is needed and where a tablet may offer an entry point for students to come out of their shell and become comfortable with peers there is no replacing physical interaction. That appears to be, in my opinion, the biggest draw back of technology. We have become more reserved and distant preferring to text and email rather than hold an actual conversation.

Are Today's Youth Less Creative & Imaginative? (CMC 11)

In light of all the cuts to school's music and art programs and increased testing do we really have to ask this question? With more focused being placed on text book study and less on hands on work what are we to expect? We are creating an educational setting where only facts and answers matter in order to be prepared for standardized tests. It is all about grades, scores, and a school's rank.

How can we expect kids to be creative if we constrict the possibility for them to be creative? Kindergarten classroom have gone from an environment of endless possibilities of creative inspirations to a confinement of student to desk to text book. We are bombarding our youth with spelling words, facts and tests depriving them of a chance to even explore creativeness.

I can only feel sorry for the youth of today. Even with all of the great technological advancements that this century has to offer them their possibilities are limited. I remember a world of unlimited creative possibilities. My early school environment encouraged and inspired creativity. My education was geared more in the arts, using blocks and other hands on materials to stimulate and cultivate my learning not smartboards. I remember a childhood of blanket fortresses, pretend play and imagination utilizing whatever resources i could around the house not one full of video games, ipods and other technological gadgets that do not leave much for imagination and creativeness.

ds106 radio (CMC11)

I think the ds106 radio is a great way for people to interact more. It allows more opportunities for people to voice themselves and share their thoughts and opinions among other things. Options available these days to communicate with one another offer great experiences but it is all about how we make use of them. Through this MOOC I have seen how hard and challenging it can be to get coordinated with other member's of the group and participate in video chats and so forth. It appears that these forms are used more so for social interaction amongst friends. I feel that these forms of communication empower us and the possibility are endless. There is so much to be learned and shared. I am looking forward to more experiences with MOOC's in addition to communication through video chats and so forth. I would definitely like to communicate with people around the world and share ideas, learn new things and be exposed to as much as possible.

Global Communication (CMC11)

So I signed in on Wednesday for Thursday live session and despite my efforts not to forget the session on Thursday I did. Talk about barriers in global communication, I may be my own worse enemy.

Reflecting on what I read for this week I have chosen to focus on global barriers. Language, I would say is a huge barrier. Another barrier, as stated earlier, can be ourselves. So how to we work through bridging the gap on these barriers?

Language:

With all the technological advances can we not strive for a translating application that can translate what we are saying, if such an app does not already exist?

Ourselves:

I find that the hours of the live sessions or google groups are not the most convenient for me. Aside from that, there really isn't a quite place for me, to be able to participate in a live session or group without the clatter behind me. Many times as easy as it could be for some to participate in these live sessions or chats, there is an inability to commit for whatever reason. Almost everyone starts off a new venture full spirited and energetic, yet as time passes, there is less participation and a lack of commitment. Is there a way to bridge this gap? Not really. We cannot force people to participate. Therefore, even though we can motivate people to become more involved or stay as involved, there will always be a barrier. I do not feel that it is ultimately for the worse. I think we can make every effort ourselves to stay active and accept the results and do as much as we can for it. I do not feel that the objective of this MOOC or global communication is perfection and 100% participation. I feel that the goal is more focused on striving for the best results. Work with what you got and learn from past experiences to have more successful future experiences. The key is to never lose site of the target and stay focused only on doing the best you can.

Week 8: Activitie; Creative and our cognitive biases (CMC11)

We are often stymied by the inability to come up with new thinking, new ways of approaching problems, despite what we have learned.

What may be affecting my decision making:

For as far as  can think back my insecurities played a key part in stagnating me. I can remember my school days, I was very studious and almost always knew the right answers. So what kept me from raising my hand? What made me second guess myself? My insecurities. I was very reserved and to myself. I did not want to be the focus and i most definitely did not want to be wrong. i always second guessed myself.

As I reflect on myself now and what affects my decision making I still second guess myself. In attempting to make decisions my head just gets bombarded with millions of thoughts. My responsibilities, obligations. How will this decision affect me? My family? What are the positive outcomes? Negative? Am I willing to take that chance? What if I don't take the chance? Ultimately what obstructs my decision making is my fear of the unknown. Here again, the comfort of my routine life come into play.

Here are the decision-making and behavioral biases the I felt I am guilty of:
Anchoring
Attention Bias
Confirmation bias
Focusing bias
Framing effect
Impact bias
Information bias
Negativity bias
Outcome Bias
Post-purchase rationalization
Reactance
Restraint bias
Selective perception
Wishful thinking

Now that I have pinpointed some of my biases I have taken the first step towards to working on these bias. It is not so cut and dry as stating, "I have pinpointed the problem here is the solution." Once a behavior has become a custom it's not a simple process to undo. It will take time, lots of time, determination, and effort, lots of working on. Since the behavior has become so natural it is second nature and sometimes hard to recognize.

Although some biases may hold us back I do not feel biases are necessarily negative. I think that there is a need to consider options, choices, decisions and impacts that these decisions will have in our lives. I think its more so a problem when it ultimately hinders our ability to make decisions.