Best of Both Worlds...

Technobiophilia is GREAT!!!!! It gives use users the visual stimulation our minds need, when we can't feasibly attain it. When applying visuals of nature our mind is somewhat taken aback because of the setting. Usually when your on a computer you are indoors. When you can visually see the outdoors, which is a necessity, it temporarily satisfies the need for people. For the moment nature might not be able to be attained so the visual is a fix to help get the person to nature. For those who are opposed don't see it as a temporary fix. They may assume that with the visualization of nature some will just begin to be opposed to ever going into nature. Yes, that is a possibility but it is all dependent on the person. For most I believe the visualization will cease to satisfy the need, and just become a motivational desire to complete tasks.

Digital storytelling as a modern art...

When I think of what 'digital storytelling' is, and what it can be I think of a museum. I think of a museum because, museums display a various array of art pieces that all have a different meaning to each of its viewers.

I feel that digital storytelling is the next major format for artistic expression. Because with technology there is already a variety of ways to express information. Then after one were to display their information its then up to those who access the info to interpret it.

I feel that technology is the next artistic tool because its available to everyone, there's some controversy about how revealing and proactive people can be with it, and soon enough it will be outdated. Technology and digital storytelling displays the same characteristics of other major artistic outlet, in relation to their time, that is why for now digital storytelling is the trendy art expression for the 2000s until the next outlet is found.

Yet another MetaLiteracy application!!!!

Above is John Delano's response to my question based on the MOOC topic of the session. I again am honored to have my question out of all possible questions. Mr. Delano's response to my question made me think about how the best ideas progress through the process of being formed, to being edited and revised (usually by others), than reproduced to fix the revisions.

This process of how ideas develop was the typical process. But after this semester being enrolled in this course, allows me to see how MetaLiteracy is involved in just about anything that involves thinking. When I have an idea about something, I usually try to run it by a friend of mine just to make sure it seems feasible and all my 'T's' are crossed and 'I's' dotted. When my friends look over my work and critique it for me it gives my original idea a completely new dimension, and improves it. Until Mr. Delano's response I never thought of this common process as also being a MetaLiterate process. This shows how prevalent MetaLiteracy already is involved in most's everyday life even if they don't know it!!

Video Games, Simple Childhood Pastime or Educational Tool

During his MOOC discussion Mr. Brian Stone briefly discussed the potential for video games to be more than what its perceived as. Most perceive video games as a childhood hobby or borderline obsession. However to people like me, a frequent video game player, can learn real-life applications from the games I've played. And by default it's in a meta- cognitive way.

Personally, I played a lot of basketball video games. When I played I was playing as some of the best basketball players in the world, so of course their talent level is better than mine. However, from playing the game every now and then i would find a move that seemed to work against defenses. As I looked at the move closely I would notice how it gives the offensive player an advantage over the defensive.

When I would get the chance to go the park I would try the move I've been using in the video game. The first few attempts would be a very bad imitation of the move. But as I slowed down each step in the move, I would think of as I do each part, what do I want to happen. The overall goal was to catch a weakness in the defensive player, but each move I made had to be productive. When I broke down the thought process of the move I was able to them. Sometimes they would be a little different because I felt that way was more productive for me, but that's what makes it 'your move'.

Video games can clearly be used as an educational tool. Video games can be developed as a simulation tool for various different things in the real world. As long as the field is presented in the video game format, players will be able to grasp the concept through their playing. Though when they try to perform the act in real life they have the reference of the video games to help them perform the way they want.

During this week's MOOC talk, when the idea of worldly topics and clashing opinions, it bought me back through a long list family episodes. My family comes from two different parts of Haiti that are polar opposites when it comes their views, especially politically. So at every major family gathering, someone feels the need to bring up some current events. When that happens a whole 3 hours can be added on the event just from the heated argument that's just begun. A family who loves each other, who can disagree on the slightest opinion and begin gnawing at one another's neck the blink of an eye.
Yes, cultural views can be different across the world, but they can be different in the same country as well.

FREE TEXTBOOKS?!?!?!?!?!?!

During this week's MOOC talk, a line was said that piqued my interest. It was to the affect that college students shouldn't be paying for their textbooks. If its knowledge that is available to the public its wrong to charge for it. Then to change a little bit evry few years and charge more for it is a crime.

I was so happy to hear a professor say things like that. It made my day, that a person on the other side of the financial battle I go through support my cause makes me relieved. I spent $300 on books this semester, and didn't get all of the books I was required to. I had to choose some text books not to get and just get the code for the online homework. Its crazy that I have to pay so much, on top of tuition just to be successful in an already difficult environment to thrive in.

Textbooks to college students should be free. The students already realized this, the teachers are catching on, and its time for the publishers to go out of business or find a new cheaper way to distribute textbooks.

Why the 4 Rs are perfect?

In OERs (Open Educational Resource); the 4 Rs are found and supported. Reuse, remix, revise, and redistribute. This perfectly describes the use of outside sources in the metalitarcy mental framework. ('Outside Source' meaning things other than a brain thought; books or pictures produced by someone else.) The 4Rs perfectly explain how Metaliteracy is to be explained. You start with an idea and individually put it through the 4R process and you get a Metaliterate idea development. The most important part of the 4R process is the 'remix' R. Even though each of the Rs have significance.

Remix is the most important because thats where collaboration of ideas happen. The collaboration of two different ideas is when you can truly uncover a truly deep idea. Then is 'redistribute' because after a person adds their perspective an idea, to allow for the metaliterate idea reach its full potential it must be passed on to be added to furthermore. The first R, reuse, establishes the fact that you understand thee idea that you are encountering with. Last, but certainly not least, revise. Revise is making sure that your idea additions are actually valid. This is crucial because with out a valid thought process the idea will no longer grow in a productive manner.

Getting Recognized

During this week's online MOOC discussion, I felt extremely special. At the end Professor Jacobson asked the guest speaker, Char Booth, to chose a question that she wanted to answer from student submissions. To my surprise, she chose mine. To be honest, when the stream got to that part, I was a little distracted but when I words that were familiar I became very interested.

Having my question chosen out of all of the submissions made me feel that I'm understanding the course properly. It showed that my mind is in the right place and I'm able to produce questions that required explanation. This comes after earlier in the week when Professor Jacobson told me I provided her with a new interpretation of something she was already extremely familiar with. I wasn't sure if I was understanding the coursework properly, but now I'm confident I'm understanding everything properly.

Padlet vs. Listhings

In our second physical class session we were introduced to an interactive posting board using the website Padlet. Padlet was very interesting because it updated in real time. As I was responding to the prompt, I watched as others put their responses in the board. I watched as the keystrokes were imputed to the computer. This was my first time being exposed to something of this nature and I was so intrigued. 

I became even more intrigued when we were told that there are other programs like this available on the Internet. One that I found interesting was Listhings. Listhings is practically the same as Padlet, just a little more aesthetically appealing. Listhings incorporated the visual, for imputed text, of stickie notes. Personally I am concerned about the aesthetic value of most things in my life. I am also a fan of stickie notes, so the fact that they used this amazing, real-time, updating post board and added to it by appeasing my aesthetic concerns make Listhings my preferred site for group sharing.

#HASHTAGS and MetaLiteracy

In the beginning of the first MetaLiteracy video we were asked to go onto social media outlets and 'get the conversation started' by posting and using '#metaliteracy'. The online social media hash tag got extremely popular with the rise of Twitter. Then other major social media outlets also bean to use it. After the request to use '#metaliterace' made me realize hash tag trend is metaliterate learning at its finest without most people realizing. 

The way hash tags work would just be labeling your post under one or numerous relatable topics. With the label someone who is interested in said topic can see all about that topic. Since the post will becoming form different sources and different methods of thinking the interested researcher will be exposed to various avenues and interpretation of that topic. Without realizing it anyone who uses a hash tag on their social media outlets are experimenting with Metaliterate learning. 

What am I in the MetaLiteracy Circle??

'The MetaLiterate Learner diagram'   

The MetaLiteracy circle, above, displays the different aspects of the MetaLiterate Learner. The 'learner' is the center of the circle, basically as the subject of the analysis. In the immediate sphere outside of that are the four types of learning domains that MetaLiteracy can fall under. The outermost sphere displays the different roles that the MetaLiterate learner might fill throughout their MetaLiterate learning. 

Personally, I feel that my natural role of the outermost MetaLiterate model is Collaborator. I feel that I am a Collaborator because thats how handle information, i combine and mesh all related topics. When I have my collaboration of different ideas I blend them together and spread them as one developed and detailed idea. I feel this is the most efficient way to learn period, because when you have different people coming together, they all have their own backgrounds and experiences that might have provided them with a different interpretation of the same idea that you have. Then when the two ideas are combined create a more detailed and developed idea. I also feel like its proximity to the 'affective' learning domain was perfect. The definition of affective learning is: changes in learners’ emotions or attitudes through engagement with learning activities. I feel that if you really want to change someone's opinion or influence their thinking you have to go through their emotions to make it stick. Affecting peoples' emotions is how you can best add to their thinking. 

Photo credit: http://metaliteracy.cdlprojects.com/what.htm

What MetaLiteracy mean to me...

To me MetaLiteracy has developed into the most effective and common way of learning, whether people realize it or not. My understanding of MetaLiteracy is the collaboration of several ideas and understandings as they pertain to a certain subject. Before this was effectively done within physical social circles, where all of the members backgrounds influenced all of their ideas. However with the way that technology currently can facilitate interactions across the world almost instantly has fostered the arena for MetaLiteracy, as we currently view it. The ideas can be shared amongst more diverse social circles which could allow for more complex and developed ideas to be produced amongst a larger population, thanks to the world wide web.