I call this one… “The Doodle Noodle”.

My new line of stick-figure “super” heroes.  This is P.O. man.  He’s not happy with you.

Super Slug!!!

Twitter replaced him. :(  Poor bugger.

…and, the rest really shouldn’t see the light of day.  I’m not sure these should have even seen the light of day.

I never claimed to be normal.

I also would like to blame my dad for these urges to draw – he was an illustrator/photographer.

Cheers.

…or, I should take more pictures with my camera phone.

Sitting in this retro, little cafe has finally inspired me to drop my textbooks, notes, and grading and finally take some time to blog again.  Retro, little cafes can affect a person that way, and while I’m at it, I highly recommend the Bourgeois Pig.

No, I’m not watching the Super Bowl today.  I’m not a big football fan, but I am a fan of Super Bowl commercials.  Thank God for Hulu!

It’s already February, which means a lot has already happened and a lot is about to happen again.

In summary:

Teaching – Classes have started back up at TMC, and I’m in the early throes of tormenting my new students.  Just kidding.  I don’t actually torment them.  Being in a Public Speaking course is torment enough for some.  We just finished the testimonies, and I must say – I have been impressed so far.  I am very excited to watch them all improve and find themselves (as far as public speaking is concerned) as the semester progresses.

GWU – Grad school started a week before TMC started, and we’ve hit the ground running.  I thought my class on Policy would be the death of me, but so far, it’s my Quantitative Research class that has me confused.  The materials are familiar enough (thanks, Dr. Ennis!), but the structure of the class has me sighing at my screen.  Several of us in the class have moved over to Google Groups and Google Wave to supplement the class, and that has been an experience in and of itself.  Google Wave has been an amazing tool for us.  Here’s to hoping neither class will usher in sudden death.

Free Time – This is a foreign concept to me, but I have still managed to get addicted to Mass Effect 2 and ‘Splosion Man.  And I’m still trying to work my way through The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill, a pretty good story that I’m mainly reading for the sparse pictures of the awesome birds.  I should just watch the movie.  That will give me more time to focus on saving the galaxy with my wicked biotic powers!

Conference – I’m speaking at a State Conference in March, and I am prepping for it slowly but surely.  I am not anticipating a large attendance for my breakout session since 1) I have no name recognition, and 2) the organization’s members as a whole just doesn’t seem to place much stock in technology and its impact on education, society, etc.  Actually, that’s a bit unfair, but I am still keeping my expectations low.  I am going to prepare as quality a presentation as I can, and if anyone shows up (even one person), I will be as excited to share my vision with them as I would to 100+ people.  Hey, no matter what people say, even one person can make a difference! (I am referring to that one, potential attendee, not myself.)

Work – We now have a plastic shotgun in our office.  I would like it to be noted that I have come the closest to hitting the bulls-eye on the hand-drawn target on our whiteboard.  Even the office gun expert hasn’t come close! (Yes, that was a challenge.)

…and, that’s it for an update as far as I am willing to share on the Interwebz.  Haha.  I have been hoping to post more substantial material, i.e. book reviews, movie reviews, thoughts on news articles, etc., but please see my comment about free time above.

Truth be told, we make time for what we think is important, right? ^_^

In parting, here’s a truncated movie review for you: Paranormal Activity was a disappointment.

Cheers,

Corinne

If you’re like me (wanting to help more than my wallet will ever allow), there are ways – some are even local – to reach out to Haiti during this time:

OutWest Marketing
Wild about the West?  So Are We!

Owned by a sweet couple, this “new charm” of Old Town Newhall is  a “Western Boutique and Cultural Center”.  I have met one of the owners, and she is a sweet lady.

This Thursday, January 21st, they are hosting Fine Art Photographer Frank Lozano and his work.  Frank has connections to Haiti and has announced that he will be donating 100% of the proceeds of any of his work sold that evening to Haiti.  OutWest will donate 10% of all their online and retail sales to Three Angels Children’s Relief.

For more info, check out OutWest’s website at: www.scvoutwest.com

Sport Chalet & Soles 4 Souls
Lend a hand by donating shoes today.

I heard about this opportunity at church today.  Sport Chalet has teamed up with Soles 4 Soles and is currently accepting gently used shoes for Haiti.  The drive is only until January 31st, so if you’d like to participate, now is the time!

For more info, check out this page: http://www.sportchalet.com/category/soles+4+souls+and+sport+chalet.do

We can definitely be praying for the Haitian people, and we should be.  Reaching out in tangible ways is good, too.  Both are needed.

Since it’s technically still New Years Day, I wanted to write this post mainly for myself as an artifact in time to look back on and remember.  I haven’t made any new resolutions since 2006 when I found the four that pretty much sum up what I want to do for the rest of my life.  I have an entry in some torn pages from an old journal (I’m terrible at journaling – I have numerous journals, all with pages torn out and lumped together since I keep starting/stopping them) that read:

1/1/2006
Burbank, CA

The first two pages of this journal were torn out for good measure.  Well, not really, but in a way, it was very symbolic of giving up the old to make room for the new.  Today is New Year’s Day, 2006, and I have an hour left on the clock before tomorrow arrives.  I want to write down some of my goals/resolutions for this year before the day changes.  I have never done this before, so this is going to be interesting. *smiley face*

1. Read my Bible everyday and start each day asking for God’s blessing and guidance.  May He get the glory.  (Proverbs 3:5-6; Matthew 6:33; 1 Corinthians 10:31)
2. Fall into permanent love with God more and trust His perfect judgment and plans. (Jeremiah 29:11-13)
3. Guard my heart against anyone or anything that will pull me away from God and His will.  (Proverbs 4:23)
4. Have the courage and resolve to fulfill said resolutions. (1 Timothy 1:7; Romans 5:1-5)

I can honestly say that I have failed at all four of the above in various ways over the past – wow – four years since I wrote those down, and that is one of the reasons those resolutions never change.  They truly encompass everything I aim to do.  Thank God for mercy and grace and fresh beginnings!

Well, since this is supposed to be an artifact of sorts, here are some lessons I learned from 2009:

• God is powerful and in control; I am not. Daily, I was given opportunities to learn to submit to His blessed will and let things be.  While that may sound rather un-Christian and more fatalistic than anything, it is still a fact that is true for Christians.  I have the tendency to wrestle things and people if I see them doing things that harm themselves and/or others.  However, I have learned and am still learning that it is not my “duty” nor my place in certain situations to do that…and more often than not, the situations are few in which I should wrestle.  We will each have to answer for our actions someday, and I really need to leave everything/everyone up to God and focus on what I should be doing to follow Him more.  (Note:  I hope you understand that I am not advocating being apathetic and not caring about what goes on around you.  There are definitely things that we should act on and be involved in without question…in my opinion, at least.)
• I am married to an amazing man. Ever since Mike and I got married, I have watched marriages start and crumble.  Honestly, that has been hard to watch, and I have shed many tears over the heartbreak of others. (weird, huh?)  There are very few (but not none) marriages that I see around me that I can say, “Hey, I want to be like them!”  It makes me that much more grateful to be married to my best friend, my lover, my inspiration, my fiercest competitor (I still have the higher XBOX Live gamer score, however), my truest confidant, my most compassionate yet honest critic, my comforter (both emotionally and as a blanket on occasion – hey, he has warmer feet than me!), etc.  Michael Thomas is my true soul mate, and should he not live to race with me in our scooter chairs when we’re 80, I will be very sad indeed.  Mike, I love you.
• Learning is life-long. My curiosity gets stronger with each passing year, and it is becoming harder and harder to find the time to satiate it.  Hmmm, maybe that says something about my time management skills.  Anyways, 2009 was full of opportunities for formal learning and informal learning, and I pray to God I remember everything because it was all amazing.
• Teaching is hard. I have been teaching at the college level (by the grace of God and The Master’s College) since Fall 2008, and I am constantly finding ways to improve my classes.  Some of my students have loved having me as a professor, others hated me, and others didn’t care either way.  One thing my students may never know (well, unless they read my blog I suppose) is that I have been impacted by each and every one of them as a person.  I actually prayed for every one of my students, and Mike can testify that I would have done everything in my power to help them if they had needed it.  But, I have also learned that not everyone is as curious about the world or willing to listen to new views or want to work hard to improve themselves.  Not everyone is as passionate about good communication, culture, nor other topics I find absolutely fascinating and essential to life. :) I learned that some people (yes, students are people, too, regardless of what some may think – lol) are extremely proud under my teaching, and I despised them – probably because I saw a lot of myself in their actions and attitudes at that age.  Bad, Corinne – bad!  I pray everyday that I will be a good teacher to those God sends my way not only because teachers will be judged harsher than most (James 3:1, anyone?) but because each soul that passes through my class is an opportunity for growth for themselves and for myself.  Yeah, teaching is hard, but I love every minute of it.

Now that 2010 is here, I’m really excited to see what is in store.  According to my fortune from the Japanese temple this morning, my examination scores will be good because “effort pays off” (haha), but other than that (jk, jk), 2010 will be an exciting year I’m sure.  New places to visit, new experiences to…experience, and new people to come in contact with.  I am terribly excited.

Here’s to a blessed, prosperous 2010 to us all!

Cheers,

Corinne

Tagline:  “A true story of risk, adventure, and the man who dared to see.”

I’m not usually one to pick up books that could be potentially “inspirational”, but I had to read this book.  One of the benefits (or curse, as some might see it) of being a professor is interacting with one’s students.  I personally see it as a benefit. :)  Anyway…a student recommended that I read this book after one of their classmates had given an interesting speech on stem cell research.  It was stem cells that allowed the main protagonist of the book – Mike May – the opportunity to see again after years and years of blindness. (He lost his sight at the age of 3 in a freak chemical accident).

“It begins with special cells known as corneal epithelial stem cells.  These are not the controversial stem cells taken from embryos or fetuses, but rather cells that exist in every person for a lifetime.” (p. 43)  It was these stem cells and a fine physician that allowed May to have what is called a “corneal epithelial stem cell transplantation.”  You’ll just need to read the book to get the full story of how it all works, but needless to say, it was a risky, complicated process that may not have even worked.  In May’s case, it did.

The book is a good balance of interesting story and mind-numbing but fascinating facts about sight, how the brain works, etc.  What really stood out to me was the spirit of Mike May.  Even as a kid, the guy went “crashing through” life, refusing to sit idly by and let his blindness overwhelm him.  He learned to ride bikes, play sports, excel in school, even travel to Africa by himself to help a remote village, and…this one makes me smile…become a world class skier.  Yes, you read that right – skier.  While blind.  The guy’s drive is amazing and inspiring.  He never quit at anything, ever.  He lived his life with curiosity and a drive to finish everything he started.

…which was why it was odd to me to read that he (twice) suggested that he and his wife divorce.  They were going through some really, really tough times financially and emotionally, and his solution was divorce.  Thankfully, his wife hung in there, they went through counseling and worked things out, and they’re still together after all these years.  But why would someone who lives their life with “failure is not an option” as their motto consider giving up on something some may view as “trivial” as marriage?  If I ever meet Mike May, I’d like to ask him that.

The other thing that stood out to me was the complexity of the operations and the stem cells.  The issue of stem cell research is not as simple as “yes/no”.  There are different types of stem cells, and I personally believe that certain types should not be experimented on, etc.  However, stem cell research really does have promising applications for people like Mike May and others, and to ban it outright and lump all stem cells together is ignorant and foolish.  Reading this book was definitely a wake-up call to me to attempt to be more informed on the issue since, as a citizen of the U.S.A., I may be asked to vote on such issues in the future.

Overall, the book was worth reading, and I am glad my student took the time to look up the author and title for me.

According to Mike’s company’s website, a movie is in the works, and when it comes out, I’d definitely give it a look-sy.  In the meantime, I’ll keep on reading…

Suggested Links:

• Sendero Group – Mike May’s company that makes these amazing GPS devices for the blind
• Travel Blog – the Sendero travel blog
• Stem Cells – Wikipedia, for an intro

Happy Thanksgiving, any who read this blog.  We have a lot to be thankful for!

So, today was apparently the day the XBOX Live Update Preview went, well, live.  Huzzah!

Since I was the only one in our household willing to actually click through the screens on the XBOX to find our serial number, I was able to sign up to be part of the preview.  Once I signed up, I promptly forgot about it thanks to real life and Netflix.  Oh, that and a fun mini-vacation down to San Clemente.

Anyways, I am now one of the proud members of the XBOX Live community who can use Facebook, Twitter, Last.fm (what’s that?), and Zune-thing on my (ahem, “our”) XBOX.  Fun stuff so far, but I don’t think I’ll be migrating over to the XBOX completely anytime soon for the following reasons:

1. I’m just not on the XBOX as much as I used to be, and I really don’t want to leave a game just to tweet or update my status.
2. I had to dig out my keypad and re-attach it to my controller.
3. If I am on the XBOX, I’m using Netflix or playing DDR.  I dare anyone to try typing a status update from a DDR dance pad…dare…

Here’s a breakdown of my opinions on each item so far:

Facebook

Very pretty UI.  Very pretty!  Scrolling through the different options is fun and truly makes stalking…erm…keeping up with friends easier.  Plus, quickly scrolling through status updates on a large-screen TV is rather satisfying in a lazy way.  I have a feeling people will enjoy this integration.

If your friends are also on XBOX Live, I think you can share game info, compare stats, etc.  Isn’t that what logging in to xbox.com is for?  Well, I guess you can do this through Facebook now, too.

I won’t be using this one often.  I try to avoid the masses on Facebook as it is.  I am weak, however, I confess…

Twitter

Now this is the most fun addition for me.  I love Twitter!  I think it’s one of the best social networking-ish tools out there today.  And I love the UI design for the XBOX!  Look at that cute Twitter birdy! *le sigh*

As much as I love Twitter, I won’t be using it  as much on the XBOX, even though there are some things I like about the XBOX version, such as:

1. Twitter’s “Remember Me” option actually works on the XBOX.
2. Tweets are easy to read and scroll through.
3. My avatar is pretty entertaining.
4. I like the Twitter bird…and the moving clouds.

Why I wouldn’t use it:

1. I have to type with the controller or a keypad.  Why would I do that when my laptop is usually right next to me?
2. I’d have to leave a game/movie to tweet.  I might as well pick up my cell phone and tweet while playing…or utilize the aforementioned laptop.
3. I can’t click on URLs and see the cool sites, photos, videos, etc. my contacts are sharing.

So, fun stuff, but not quite enough to keep me glued to my console.  I mean, “our” console…

Last.fm

I have no idea what last.fm is, but if you use it, you can now use it on the XBOX.  Yay for you!

And finally…

Zune (Video)

Alas, I thought this was going to be a full-out Zune integration.  I have a Zune and an amazing Zune Pass subscription, and I was hoping this would usher in the marriage of my Zune Pass and my XBOX.  It was not to be.

The XBOX now integrates with Zune Video, as in…you can now purchase full movies, rent movies, etc. that can then play on your Zune HD, your computer, or your XBOX.  As fun as that is, I won’t be using this feature because of…

Netflix

Netflix integrates seamlessly with the XBOX.  I can stream movies from my Instant Queue and browse new additions at no extra cost to my monthly Netflix subscription.  So, Zune Video?  You’re not for me.  Sorry.

All in all, the additions seem pretty fun.  It’ll be interesting to see what else is rolled out.

In the meantime, I better get back to grading, studying, and longing for the release of Mass Effect 2.

P.S. – I was just enlightened as to what Last.fm is.  I’ll still be using my Zune Pass and/or Pandora.

Believe it or not, I first heard about this book on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.  Matthew Alexander, the author, was Jon’s guest of the evening, and the title of his book intrigued me – How to Break a Terrorist: The U.S. Interrogators Who Used Brains, Not Brutality, to Take Down the Deadliest Man in Iraq.  The interview was pretty interesting, and I resolved to borrow the book and read it.

That was over 5 months ago.  About 2 months ago, I finally got to check the book out of the library.  Unfortunately, my hectic schedule relegated the book to our bookcase where it started gathering dust.  Plus, I was still trying to finish The New Kings of Non-Fiction.  I kept renewing the book until the library’s website told me, “No more!  Read it or turn it back in!”…or something to that effect.  I cracked it open last night, read for a few hours, and finished it this afternoon.

I don’t usually read books this quickly.  This one was worth it.

Torture has never sat well with me, both morally and ethically (I think there can be a difference in the two).  When the Abu Ghraib torture and prisoner abuse scandal came to light back in 2004, I was shocked and saddened.  I thought the U.S. was a pretty good country and had pretty good people, but what I heard, read, and saw was appalling.  It was argued that Abu Ghraib was an isolated incident; this was not common practice.  Maybe it was, but then the U.S. got involved in waterboarding.  Where a person stood on the issue of waterboarding unfortunately became the rubric by which his “patriotism” and “commitment” to the war on terror was measured.   Personally, I think that’s pretty sad.  As a Christian, I think it’s abominable.

Back to the book – I had heard accounts (word of mouth from friends/colleagues) of interrogation techniques used in World War 2 to get information from enemy prisoners.  These all involved treating the prisoners with respect, building rapport with them, and just “hanging out” with the specific purpose of getting information.  Of course, the enemy already thinks you’re the enemy, so why give them more reason to think that?  “More secrets were spilled over games of ping-pong than through torture,” one friend claimed.  I have yet to look that up, but it makes sense.

And what Matthew Alexander shares in this book makes sense.  You alienate your enemy when you treat him like a piece of sh*t, and if you think they are, that will come out in your interrogation methods.  One cannot forget that the enemy is human, too.  He has concerns, motivations, and feelings that drive him to do what he does.  Find those, and you can manipulate them to gather information.  Abuse him, whether physically or verbally, and he will close himself from you.

No torture takes place in the interrogations shared in the book.  However, different approaches are used by different interrogators.  “Old school” interrogators use Control as their main method of breaking down a prisoner.  If the prisoner feels he has no power, no hope, etc., then he will spill.  The “new school” interrogators used knowledge of the culture, of motivation, and a basic sense of human decency to deal with their captives…and it worked. 

It took one month for one interrogator to get nothing out of a prisoner, because all he did was insult him and try to “control” him.  It took a few hours for another to get the prisoner – of his own free will – to admit to knowing (and promising to give up) one of the biggest leaders the military was hunting.  The difference?  The first interrogator spent his time demeaning the captive.  The second one treated him with respect (he was an imam), asked him questions about his beliefs (stroke his ego), engaged him in discussion (he was a brilliant man, clearly, why not engage him as such…even if he is the enemy?), and used persuasive and argumentative skills to convince the captive that giving up his contact was in his best interests.

And it worked.  No torture, no psychological trauma, etc.

I believe the difference between the two interrogation techniques is this – knowledge.  One style rejects understanding the enemy and simplifying everything down to “They’re all suicide bombers who have pledged allegiance to al-Qaeda and sworn off all family ties, etc.”  Thus, they demean them.  The other style understands that things may be more complex than that – most operatives do not even fully agree with all al-Qaeda ideologies.  So what motivates them?  That takes work to find out, and that takes time, and it is not simple, and it is not easy.

Torture is easy; engaging the enemy and finding his motivations is not.  I think there should be more of the second…it seems to work better in both the short and long-term.

Well, that YouTube video never came to fruition.  Life got more hectic than planned, drama happened, and the cool recording snippets I made were lost or deleted off my camera.  For someone who is so invested in technology, I sure do fail a lot at it sometimes.

On a happier note, I was able to attend my first synchronous session ever with the class through Elluminate last Tuesday, and it was pretty interesting.  So many students were logged in to participate in both listening to a lecturer and discussing different points on the side.  While I have attended webinars and board meetings via Elluminate, I have never attended a class.  Some of the students were complaining that the side chat function was too confusing.  Others were having side conversations that didn’t seem to have much to do with what was being talked about.  Others of us “lurked” and contributed every once in awhile.  I even managed to embarrass myself by cracking a joke at an inopportune time on what I was about to find out was a terribly sad topic.  *slaps self*  As I mentioned before, I really need to read more Canadian news if I am to participate effectively in this class…

Anyways, the question of the week is:

So we know that social learning matters. We know that people form communities in formal and informal environments. How far should we go, as educators, to support non-formal and informal learning? How do we deal with the fact that we are part of a formal system when we know that a heck of a lot of learning (many say, most) happens outside of our formal learning systems? Where do we fit into this? Or in summary, the key question to consider is “what is our role in non-formal learning?”

To be quite honest, if you were not paying even a bit of attention during the amazing lecture or if you were not there at all, the above questions may make no sense.  I was moderately paying attention, and I’m still a bit confused.  I think I may ignore the side conversations next time…

To break it down:

How far should we go, as educators, to support non-formal and informal learning?

• Non-formal learning was defined to happened in a “prescribed but unfettered learning environment” where the “learner” is in “control” and “personal intentions outweigh externally defined intentions”.  I think it was described as the middle ground between formal and informal learning.
• Informal learning is…well…I think as informal as it gets.
• How far should we go to support both? I would say that depends on the students you are dealing with. There are pros and cons to all three learning environments.

How do we deal with the fact that we are part of a formal system when we know that a heck of a lot of learning (many say, most) happens outside of our formal learning systems?

• Well, I think we should better ourselves as teachers so a heck of a lot of learning happens in the formal environment as well!  Whether that be utilizing the tech tools out there or ensuring we pursue some sort of personal development, I think we owe it to the students to be the best teachers we can be in any environment.

“What is our role in non-formal learning?”

• There was a saying on one of the slides that read, “Engagement matters more than interaction”.  Maybe that’s it – to engage.  Not to watch from the sidelines, not to put down, and not to become a fanatic, but to engage others and be a teacher/participant that fosters that engagement.  Wrestle with new ideas.  Try new means of communication.  Learn to be discerning.  Work on trust.

It is interesting to me to be considering what my role is in non-formal learning considering I’m a “not-for-credit” student in this open course, and I got a sense that some of the for-credit students resented our presence in the class.  I do tend to be a bystander because I have no binding responsibility to the course.  I can watch, I can listen, I can process, but I am not required to complete assignments, participate, etc. I have to motivate myself to move beyond the bystander role and into one of engagement.

But, I’ll admit, that seems hard when nothing tangible is at stake (unlike my grad school classes or the classes I teach).

Well, next week again.  We’ll see how it goes…

Suggested Readings from the class wiki:

• Connectivism: A Learning Theory for the Digital Age (by George Siemens, the next guest presenter)
• (on teenagers who are) Living and Learning with Social Media (video by danah boyd)