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.