PLJ Meaning Portfolio

In order to better comprehend the sense of “Meaning” in Daniel Pink’s book "A Whole New Mind", I took the liberty of completing the “20- 10 Test” located in the portfolio section of the chapter “Meaning”. According to the book, the sense of meaning is essential to personal fulfillment, happiness, and gratitude; specifically, the twenty ten test examines the level of happiness vested in an individual. The exercise poses a question, would the reader surrender his/ her current occupation for either twenty million dollars or if the reader would only live for another ten years. Ideally, the answer would assume the form of a definite “no”, but if the job of the reader was meaningless, they would presumably respond “yes”. Seeing as my current “job” (attending Arapahoe High School) is undeniably pleasurable and therefore meaningful, I would have to continue my life as a student and respond to this question “no”.
Although twenty million dollars does seem attractive, my current occupation does radiate more happiness, gratification, and meaning than twenty million could ever do. Also, living to be only 25 years would be devastating, so spending the diminutive amount of time I have left would only be experienced at Arapahoe.
The main question this exercise inquires is if a person’s life is meaningful enough to stay the course in relation to their current job. Because my job is obviously productive and happy (therefore meaningful) I would answer “no” to this question.

PLJ Meaning relating to the classroom/ change in learning

Analyzing the graph of time verses content displayed in Daniel Pink’s video "A Whole New Mind", it can be concluded that as Daniel Pink states “We are not happier than our previous generation even with higher standards of living.” Even with the addition of higher living standards in today’s age, our population is still not content. This phenomenon can be accounted to a lack of understanding, or in other terms, meaning. Viktor Frankl states “man’s main concern is not to gain pleasure or to avoid pain but rather to see a meaning in his life.” Pink argues that meaning is essential to happiness and spiritual fulfillment which in turn will initiate a more pleasurable working experience and overall life. Daniel Pink states that “As more companies grasp this idea, we are likely to see a rise in spirit in business- a growing demand from individuals for work- places that offer meaning as well as money. According to one recent U.S. survey, more than three out of five adults believe that a greater sense of spirituality {a producer of meaning} would improve their own workplace.” Likewise, according to Martin Seligman, happiness {another producer of meaning} results in a higher income and more productivity. Taking these two statements into consideration, the chapter “meaning” within Daniel Pink’s book essentially attributes pleasure, productivity, and happiness to meaning; without meaning, life would not be gratifying or productive.
At first glance, debate seemed pointless, a fruitless activity only amounting in nothing. On the first day of this class I could not agree more with the statement above, for the class had no happiness, no spirit. After weeks of prolonged boredom, I finally began to reform my views on the subject; it did after all have a purpose; that purpose was to inform. After realizing this, the class did adopt a “fun” nature.
Before the class had meaning, debate was simply an act that happened. After reaching enlightenment on the purpose of debate, the class became more enjoyable, productive, and gratifying.
Analyzing the holistic image, I can conclude that I am most productive, attentive, and frankly joyful once meaning is located in my actions. Attending debate class was meaningless at first, but once mental reform was encountered, the class altered significantly. Today’s society is dependant upon meaning; if life, jobs, or any other act or thing lacks meaning, it will not be favorable. Presently, meaning is essential to productivity, gratification, and sheer happiness.

PLJ reflect on Sir Ken Robinson video

As Sir Robinson approaches the stage, he introduces his speech with a central theme; creativity being undermined in relation to the current education system. Sir Robinson argues that it's most prudent to adopt a philosophy stressing the importance of creativity in the classroom, he quotes "We are educating people out of their creativity" and "We have a body, why not use it [to dance]?" Robinson also states that a couple years previously, Bachelors degrees were required to be employed in a field, now Master's degrees are necessary for the same profession. He also believes that because children are as Picasso states "born artistic" and because most children will not probably earn a sizeable enough reputation as a scholar to make a "decent" living, the arts are the best alternative. It seems as though Robinson's world is very extremist; either a student attends the Harvard institute, or becomes an artist; presently, there is no middle territory, it’s black and white or pass or fail.
For people like me, Robinson's news is somewhat frightening; it’s plausible that I could morph my ways to reflect those of an artist, but logic is my passion. I can't imagine majoring in any other field except for engineering or mathematics, the reality is that art is not enjoyable for my character. On the contrary, work is inevitable; I must become employed and suffer the far less drastic life associated with right brain occupation than the ones associated with being unemployed.
To be completely honest, I think Sir Robinson exaggerated a little too much. He believes that the world will only consist of extreme left brainers and extreme right brainrers, but if this claim were to come to fruition, the amount of job slots would not cover the demand. If the human population primarily consisted of artists and PHD professors, the world would be deprived of jobs, resulting in a higher percentage of homelessness, poverty, and other related things. The main point here is that Robinson is correct in the sense that creativity will and does need attention, but the world will not develop a strict two sided "job world".

PLJ- play portfolio

To better understand and exercise my sense of "Play" I selected the activity titled "Step on the Humor Scale" in the portfolio section of the chapter "play". The object of the activity is to determine how "funny" (an aspect of play) an individual is; people with lower depression levels and higher senses of purpose tend to score higher averages than their opposite piers.
After completing the series of questions, the computer declared that I was an average person meaning humor is used in my life but not constantly. Elaborating on the test, I scored a 53 out of a possible 64, yet again emphasizing my average interactions with humor.
To be completely honest, my score does reflect my character with pinpoint accuracy; I'm generally welcoming in response to humor, but I am not necessarily proficient in generating it, hence my “average” score. Also reiterating my “average” performance is the balance between my levels of depression and purpose (depression being low and purpose too, thus creating an average between two extremes). Daniel Pink's book "A Whole New Mind" specifically states that instances exist where humor and play should be utilized, but on the contrary, times also call for somberness. Considering this, it's most prudent to fall in between both extremes; life can’t always be humorous (thus defeating the purpose of a burial), but laughter and play do benefit the body and should be utilized in some circumstances.

PLJ - Play- relating to the classroom/ change in learning

As the conceptual age emerges and claims dominance over the previous informational age, inhabitants of this world must also experience alteration as well. Presently, information is necessary, but not a sole definition of success; today play assuming the forms of games, humor, and joyfulness are key to maintaining a healthy lifestyle and pleasurable life. The conceptual age is founded upon the balance between the two hemispheres of the brain; to maintain this balance; one must seek the structure within the left brain, but also complement that with understanding of aptitudes associated with the right brain such as play.
As play is a predominantly right brained activity, it's most prudent that I select the class that best reflects right brain activity. This class is without a doubt my swimming course. Unlike the heavily emphasized left brained courses such as math and science, swimming is an art. Swimming represents play in all three aspects; swimming can be considered a game, swimming sometimes poses a great deal of abundance in the form of humor, and swimming provokes joyfulness.
Elaborating on the first point, swimming can be considered a game because it is a form of free expression. Upon entering the water, an athlete is capable of essentially everything. One of these must be gaming. For example, my swimming is currently perfecting the art of "water polo", a game resembling a soccer match. The object of the game is to successfully toss a ball into the opposing team's net; that is if the ball was still safely in possession of the offense. With this example, it may be concluded that swimming can indeed assume the form of a game.
Practically anything abstract can at one point or another become humorous; swimming is one of them. Again, I will present an example supporting the claim that swimming is humorous. For example, the previous Monday, our class was given the opportunity to utilize the diving board to perform acrobatic maneuvers whence in the air. The student in front of me jumped off the diving board only to have his chest smack into the water, producing the loudest noise ever! He ultimately turned out alright, but for a moment his actions were encountered with a hearty laugh from the bystander population.
Swimming is also considered joyful because of the presence of my friends and the games we play and the humor we encounter together. The company of friends has always provoked my sense of joy.
Last semester, my Spanish class was placed at the bottom of my schedule; presently, alteration has not occurred, so Spanish is still my last period class. My swimming class always arrives one period earlier when compared to Spanish. Last semester, I did not enroll in the swimming class I am currently attending and my grades achieved in Spanish were only secondary to what they are now. In other words, because of my swimming class, my Spanish grades have benefited; this is due to the natural sense of play vested within the swimming class. Play basically relaxes my mind and eliminates my phobias of Spanish because of its funny, joyful, and game oriented natures. As a result of play in my swimming class, my grades have improved in comparison to the previous semester.
Analyzing the holistic image, I would have considered myself to be only proficient in the field of Spanish, but once play was introduced to my swimming class, Spanish became significantly more comprehendible because of the relaxation play imposed upon me.

PLJ- Empathy Portfolio

After completing the chapter "Empathy" in Daniel Pink's book, A Whole New Mind, I focused my attention on the portfolio section of the installment. The first activity grasped my attention, so I took the liberty of completing it. It was titled "Test yourself" and was essentially a collection of online tests assembled to assist in my understanding of my own brain and empathetic characteristics. Ultimately, I arrived at a consensus; I would test myself in the "detect the fake smile" department of the exercise. The website belongs to the very renowned BBC and is composed of twenty questions each focusing on being able to identify false smiles.
After successfully completing the activity, the results demonstrated that I had reached a proficient level in deciphering between genuine and fake facial expressions. Apparently, I received a score of seventeen correct out of the initial twenty, a staggering statistic for someone such as myself. Oddly enough, I described my now deceiving sense of empathy in the previous post and explained that the book allegedly classified me as a non- empathetic person. With the addition of this successful test to my present accumulation, I might value this test over the previous book- issued one. After receiving a respectable score on the facial expression exam, I actually may demolish my previous conclusion about how I am not empathetic at all and adopt a new more neutral one.
As stated on numerous occasions, the world has evolved to the extent where the logical and analytical perspective commonly associated with the previous century is not sufficient. Activities such as detecting genuine or fake smiles are great in the sense that they enable one to comprehend the whole image. It's not facts which will separate the successful from inferiors; empathy is a vital part of understanding. Reaching enlightenment is only a product of experiencing something from another's view, so to truly comprehend other piers, it would be beneficial to become empathetic.

PLJ- Empathy Relate to class/ change in learning

According to Daniel Pink's description of his fourth sense "Empathy", empathetic individuals are successfully able to visualize the problems or triumphs encountered by other people. Feeling "with" someone is defiantly not one sense I would consider myself proficient in. The chapter is introduced with a story describing the turmoil confronted by Daniel Pink; the objective was to generate yawning on the reader’s behalf by vividly describing the process continuously. Apparently, the book thinks I don't encompass a "natural sense of Empathy" because throughout the whole description, my mouth remained dormant. I guess another conclusion resembling my last in "symphony" can be made; empathy, like symphony is too abstract for me to comprehend fully. Some days, I am perfectly capable of visualizing how a person feels internally, but on most occasions, this goal is not met. The world is comprised of a majority of left- brained thinkers; this is precisely why aptitudes similar to empathy are in such great demand and can't be outsourced or automated. Even though I would not consider myself empathetic to a substantial degree, some instances which involve the utilization of empathetic qualities do assist me in achieving understanding. For example, my history class is currently exploring the Japanese WWII era horror practices; today, a video presentation, compiled by my teacher (Mrs. Crosby) interviewed surviving victims of Japanese cruelty. After the Manchurian province of China was overwhelmed by Japanese forces in 1937, the Chinese civilian population became subject to inhumane, cruel processes; the remaining people who initially received such treatment were invited to recollect their experiences on camera. I distinctly remember one woman recounting her ordeal; the story itself was frightening and provoked my sense of empathy. I could actually visualize what was happening to the woman through her own eyes; other accounts of soldiers' experiences in Operation Overlord also generated similar feelings, thus again provoking my “uncooperative” sense of empathy. Before I witnessed the film and read other accounts of soldiers, WWII and other emotionally inclined subjects were simply a regurgitation of facts with no poignant value whatsoever. 10,000 Americans perished on D- Day; it was simply a fact, the emotional value arrived at the encounter of descriptions recalling a man exploding, a man crying, a man helplessly dying on the unforgiving beach, and other related material. Empathy has truly aided in my quest to understand material in depth, not simply facts, but also emotion.
Overall, empathetic approaches on information have had lasting impressions in my memory. I comprehend the material a lot more in depth with the addition of empathy into the spectrum. The modern world is not solely structured upon information; today conception has claimed dominance and what better way to support this new change than to empathize?

Daniel Pink's Question

After emailing Mr. pink, a response was recieved: i wonder if somewhere in this process you could pose a question to your students. it's one i've been pondering, but my hunch is that your students will have more interesting answers than i could summon myself. the question would be something like this: If you had to create a new school -- or reform your current school -- so that it better develops the six senses, what one or two things would you do?don't want to throw you off your lesson plan, but i'd love to hear how the young women and men of arapahoe would respond that one. maybe we could talk a little about it during our live blogging or some other venue?thanks again for your great work.cheers,dan
In response to this question, I would have to say that Arapahoe is striving towards utility, but some improvements could be formulated. For instance I can retain information better when a story is used to convey a message. Maybe it would prove beneficial to students such as myself if teachers could reform teaching methods to incorporate more story in the sense that retention rates might escalate, possibly significantly! Our school is good, but sometimes memorization can not be completed effectively without some helpful aid.

PLJ Portfolio- Symphony

Daniel Pink's sixth chronicle to his book "A Whole New Mind", "Symphony" essentially describes how realizing the holistic nature of things is and will become increasingly more important as time progresses. reform is inevitable; deciphering between the routine and normal is creativity, abstract natures, and the ability to combine deceivingly unrelated material into a holistic being. This is symphony; recognizing patterns, grouping material, and interpreting the holistic image. Symphony is increasing in value every day, and its all due to its nature, difference; it can't be automated, outsourced, and demand is very high in this field, for aptitudes such as these are generally rare. In order to better develop my sense of symphony, Daniel Pink has compiled a set of exercised designed for that sole purpose. The one I plan to complete is titled "Look for negative Spaces"; in this activity, the reader is required to locate significance in "negative spaces" or in other terms, the insignificant part. Negative space can be defined as space between space; its the seemingly unimportant aspect of a picture that is commonly overlooked. This phenomenon is justified in the sense that the majority of people can't comprehend symphonic qualities; the holistic image can't be grasped. That's precisely why demand is staggeringly high, aptitudes similar to symphony are not encountered often.
Back to the exercise, I was instructed to look at a Hershey logo topping off a candy wrapper. There was a certain "negative" space in the picture, but after ten minutes, I still was unable to locate the hidden image. Finally, I asked my more holistically inclined friends and found it in a second; the cumbersome picture was a simple triangle resembling a Hershey kiss. It was found between the K and the I and was pretty cool when realized.
This whole exercise demonstrates and specifically spells out my incapability to be symphonic. When compared to the world primarily consisting of left brainers, the significance and value of symphony is stressed. In order to be successful in the impending future, one must be different, holistic, and symphonic; people who can effectively utilize their right brained capabilities will obviously prevail.

PLJ relating to class/ change in learning- Symphony

Within the confines of Daniel Pink's book, "A Whole New Mind", a chapter conveying a message hard for "specific" people like me to comprehend exists. The message is reform, reform in the form of adopting the aptitude of symphony. Essentially, symphony is defined as recognizing patterns, relating, and piecing together seemingly unrelated material. For logically inclined people like myself, synthesis is something I simply can't grasp, the analytical perspective is a great deal simpler for me to comprehend. I can't abide by these rules, I can't visualize the holistic image, it's too abstract. I guess this is precisely the reason symphonic ability has reached such a demand, it's all due to it's rare nature; it can't be automated or outsourced and it's defiantly not abundant! For these reasons, Daniel Pink references symphony as a vital aspect of life in a whole new world.
Pondering the question of symphony and where it can be found; math would be a reasonable place to begin. As an example, my Algebra 2 honors class is in the midst of exploring "factoring" and "operating with complex fractions". The reason this demonstrates symphony is because the deceivingly unrelated topics actually are combined in some instances to solve a whole equation/ problem. For example, a couple days previously, our class was assigned a hearty list of math problems to solve using the two techniques above. The equations generally constituted a certain resemblance towards each other, so the model would go like this: The numerator has a polynomial (most commonly a trinomial) and the denominator is occupied by another; this fraction is then added, subtracted, divided, or multiplied by the precursor. The objective is to factor the numerators and denominators and then operate on the product resulting in a simplified answer equivalent to the initial expression. The process I have just described involves the usage of the two seemingly isolated concepts combined together in a holistic way to reach a common goal.
Before I was introduced to symphonic concepts like the one described above, I was a strict left brain thinker in response to math questions. I had always perceived math to be a two dimensional field, you complete the problem this way or that, no exceptions. Now, I realize that math is undoubtedly a complex right brained activity as well; a problem is not solved strictly by logic and memorization, the success or failure to answer correctly is a product of right brained thinking. The problem must be analysed, but also synthesized; a student needs to determine which procedure to use when solving equations, a right brained activity. Every problem differs, so each should be confronted differently (thus requiring right brained capabilities). Also, as discussed above, math can also require the solver to think abstractly, especially when combining two techniques to produce a whole new one. Symphony plays a very important role in every subject, even traditionally logical and linear subjects such as math and science still rely on support from the right brained symphony. Because of symphony and holistic approaches on problems, I am capable of much more, not just adding and subtracting!

In response to Anthony's post

https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=16660456&postID=5223802559360206180

PLJ Relating to the classroom/ change in learning- story

The chapter "story" composed by Daniel pink in his book "A Whole New Mind" stresses the amplification of a storey's impact as time progresses. Pink believes that story is essential to achieving success in the future and will unquestionably impact our not so distant futuristic lives. Now, after completing the reading portion of the assignment, I am instructed to relate story to a class I am presently attending and reflect on how story has aided in my transformation of learning in that selected class. As a course, I will choose my biology class (second hour, Mr. Craig). After analyzing the semester so far, I recall Mr. Craig's teaching methods and will present them now. As discussed in my last post, story is significantly more attractive in the sense that for a majority of people, story is more informative, connectible, and applicable than conventional methods. Biology poses a great example of how story affects my learning; presently, my class is in the midst of exploring the basic principals of viruses and bacteria. In order to compliment our understanding of the material, Mr. Craig displayed a video in class telling a story of a man suffering from a viral infection. The video was ultimately a success because it demonstrated how the body reacts physically (only something story could show)- not simply why or which method an antibody will use to counter an invasion. This deemed the lesson surprisingly informative in the sense that I could actually visualize what would happen to the victim of for example, AIDS or SMALL POX . Now, I can comprehend the entire spectrum, not simply the microscopic level only text books are capable of displaying.

The reality is that most people aren't ever going to pursue a career in biology; understanding the symptoms and physical stress can sometimes be more informative than the electron microscope itself! This feat can be partially accomplished with a textbook describing the many complex processes the body executes on an invader, but for a majority of people, recognizing the symptoms and visible reactions can be ten times more beneficial, and that's where story is useful.

Before I witnessed the film, I thought in the second dimension about bacteria and viruses. Now that I have been introduced to the second aspect of the whole ordeal, I am a complete three dimensional thinker when the topic of viruses and bacteria arises.
The film was effective, more so than the traditional and extremely analytical point the textbook and lectures have adopted; the reason for its effectiveness can be justified by its simple nature. It was a story. Stories are effective because they have strode the boundary between practicality and its opposite; they have opened my eyes to the possibilities not just a one sided deal and have complimented my learning far more than any lecture could through their ability to connect with the witness.
Analyzing my learning as a whole, I can safely assume that I comprehend material and retain it easier when a story is used to convey information. For example, the unit prior to this current one was structured upon the theories of evolution. That unit did not comprise of a "story day" like in this current unit; the evolution test emerged and proved to have not been completed as well as the bacteria/ virus chapter. Essentially, I achieved a better score on the microorganism exam because of visual concepts. For this reason, I hope that Mr. Craig and all my other teachers will utilize the power which is the story in future lessons!

PLJ Portfolio/ Description- Story

After browsing the portfolio section residing at the end of the chapter "story" in Daniel Pink's novel "A Whole New Mind", I choose to respond to the activity titled "Write a Mini- Saga". The description stated that story is prevalent in our society and to underscore its significance, the reader must experience the thrill and addictive nature of composing a mini- saga. A mini- saga is simply a short story condensed down to a mere 50 words. It is only considered a mini- saga if the 50 word mark is encountered exactly- no more or less! Now, here's my mini- saga:

It was a cold winter night and the old man slept as though he had never before. The wind howled and the lantern positioned next to my vigilant face flickered. Suddenly, the door fell and men rushed in; they dressed in white with sinister hoods. "Don't let them take me!" cried the old man.

The story I have just conveyed has a message. And what better way to express this through story; like Daniel Pink said, "If a picture is worth a thousand words, a story is worth ten thousand".
Pink's entire chapter "story" is centered around the idea that story is so much more understandable, connectible, and applicable when compared to sheer factual information. Because of this, the future will undoubtedly select the masters of story telling as the successors of tomorrow. This phenomenon can be understood with an example. A text book manufacturing company conceives a book that is factually accurate and resourceful as well. A competitor is also interested in the same field, yet the second company manufactures a textbook with personal stories used to effectively convey a message emotionally compelling and attractive to the reader. Which would a customer purchase, a text book describing the KKK (as referenced earlier in the mini- saga) and their influence in America, or a personal narrative emphasizing the evil that was the Ku Klux Klan? Obviously, the customer would purchase the latter, even though the first conveyed the message, the second did it effectively. Now, the reader will truly and wholeheartedly understand the material and not simply the facts. Another example underscoring how decisive story will be in the success rate of the impending future would be one of a car pamphlet. The pamphlet that best describes the car in a fashionable sense will obviously be selected. The customer does not yearn for specifications, among with include gas mileage, material of composition, and such, but they do long for a personal description of the car, not simply facts. Essentially, the pamphlet promoting a car will undoubtedly earn more money if the description includes a personal review. Today, everything is already functional, now its design in the form of story is what deciphers between a winning and loosing product. The United States has evolved to the point where utility (specifications and a standard "description" of the vehicle) is only secondary to significance (personal experiences associated with the product and attractive marketing strategies achieved through story). The key point highlighted is that story is important, more so than simple facts, today a product needs to be practical or functional but at the same time, personal, like a story.

PLJ reflection of portfolio- Design

As instructed after completing the chapter “design” in Daniel Pink’s book "A Whole New Mind", I took the liberty of browsing the portfolio section at the end of each chapter. The activity I accepted as the most influential and most connectable was titled “Participate in the Third Industrial Revolution”. The small description included with the book stated that design is a key factor in the business world; it spelled out the magnitude of this statement by providing an example in the form of a web site. The web site referenced was a designer page allowing a customer to customize a shoe and eventually purchase the personalized dream shoe. Although the price for an individually designed shoe of this genera is excessively overpriced (at 120 dollars per pair!), the Nike shoe company will surly profit from this scam. As I journeyed to the site, I was greeted with a familiar Nike logo and a large array of attractive footwear. Basically, the designing aspect of the customized shoe is simply choosing an already existing Nike shoe and altering its normal color scheme. The prospect seems elementary and utterly boring, but once I had begun the program, I couldn’t draw myself away. I was in full control of my shoe and could simply delete the unfavorable aspects of the shoe and also add new components resulting in a truly attractive experience. The font and Van’s shoe design web sources were also wonderful to operate. It all depends on an individual’s personal preferences, but overall, design will impact the world, economics, and daily conduct. I guess I can wholeheartedly unionize my opinions with David Small’s when he states “The proliferation of mass customization of consumer products will have a powerful and empowering effect on how ordinary people see design.”

PLJ Design and relating it to the classroom/ change in learning

The chapter in Daniel Pink’s novel, "A Whole New Mind" explores the principles of his common theme abundance. Abundance references a large surplus as instituted by overproduction of similar products. One byproduct of this phenomenon is another discussed term christened “design”. Because of the abundance of strikingly similar products, companies are now hammered into art plants instead of production plants. The world has evolved to the point where functionality is instantly guaranteed; now right-brain design has become the dominant feature in a multitude of products and practices as well. Personally, I would consider Design one of the most decisive aspects of life on earth today. Businesses are constantly in hot water, especially if they haven’t employed right- brained designers to enhance the beauty of products. Here’s an example: Daniel Pink specifically states that presently, more automobiles exist than the entire population of the world. What does this signify? The answer is overproduction. Why is there an excess of autos? Because of abundance. This abundance must be suppressed by incorporating attractive design into merchandise.
Businesses today are fueled by design; the ones which are incapable of selling cars (as an example) are driven out. People don’t purchase a new car for functionality because utility is automatically included; the product needs to be complimented with other attractive accessories and appendages.
Personally, seven months ago, I invested in a new bicycle. Why did I select the one I did; because of the color and a neat little spring present under the seat? The bicycle that I owned prior to that more modern one was perfectly fine in condition. It was fully capable of navigating, riding and enjoying, yet the more modern cycle earned my approval because of its accessories. This was the sole response to abundance – design. When overproduction results in a large surplus, the only rational response available is to produce a product that is unique, not simply operational, but also attractive! What distinguishes a winning product from an inferior, its all design! Design has even squirmed its way into classrooms. Take the English class I am composing this essay in. I owe my ability to work on this assignment during class to one sole aspect of design, a laptop computer. Previously, paper and pencils became the norm for education. Recently, a designer formulated an idea in response to the ineffective (for some students like me) conservative manners by which Arapahoe’s classrooms operated. They introduced laptops because it was an effective DESIGN. Designs are not limited to the physical components of life; they can also assume the form of an idea, or something mental. The designer who devised this plan to incorporate the laptops was visualizing the benefits of learning, or a non material thing, but even though learning is not considered “real”, it’s still considered design. A laptop, as previously discussed, is infinite in capability and visually advantageous over orthodox customs. I, with the presence of laptops in class am capable of much more when compared to past methods. The laptop has unlocked new potentials, new information, and resources; I can type faster, convey material more effectively (due to the mass of information online), and devote less time to smaller details the computer automatically mends. I am therefore more efficient, more independent (because the Internet is almost like a teacher), and significantly more capable of performing. The laptop has certainly been adopted due to its revolutionary design, and as a byproduct, the student monitoring the machine has definitely benefited! Analyzing my learning as a whole, I would classify myself as a visual learner. On numerous tests and quizzes administered in my previous English class, I scored a greater average when the assignment involved a computer (visually oriented in the learning spectrum). Computers have obvious advantages over traditional teaching methods and have won my admiration because of their revolutionary design!

PLJ Change in learning week 1

Analyzing the first week of the new semester, it’s difficult to select a class in which my learning has changed. It’s probably most prudent to select my English course over any others, for in that English class, new technologies have been introduced which complement our current novel, "A Whole New Mind" by Daniel Pink. One of the first things Pink discusses in his novel is a term he has titled “automation”. In the context of Pink’s book, the term is used to correlate with the act of replacing conventional aspects of work with easier and more efficient computers. As in my English class, computers have successfully replaced the conservative paper and pencil; now, with the adoption of laptop computers in this English course, students are capable of much more. Speed, resourcefulness, and portability are just a minority of benefits associated with computers. Previously, constructing an essay would consume infinite amounts of time researching and frankly writing the paper itself. With the introduction of computers, the average student is no longer bound by the confines of the two dimensional paper and pen, but is able to access the wonders radiated by a computer. The computer is an improvement also in the sense that it is a universal device; a computer plays host to an endless barrage of weapons to be utilized in an assignment and is faster than traditional practices any day! The internet is constantly expanding; incorporating helpful information into its boundaries; students will have a significant amount of information at their disposal due to the powers of laptops in classrooms. Being a component of the “generation that constantly seeks instant gratification”, I can certainly proclaim my love for the laptops that render me capable of accessing necessary information in a flash. By nature, I am a generally impatient person, so the computers have impacted my life to the point where I constantly rely on them for my every whim and need. On this page alone, the spell check has defiantly found at least 10 misspellings and has corrected them; I am in the process of using the internet to compose this piece (the directions are located on the Arapahoe website)! The computer should be certainly considered a breakthrough in technology, it has affected my learning immensely (meaning that I use a computer for practically every assignment or task I need to complete) and is also efficient, effective, and favorable!

PLJ reflection of brain dominance test

Today, fourth hour honors English class was responsible for completing a personal assessment correlating with the amount of dominance over the corresponding brain hemisphere the remaining part executed. The results demonstrated my prevalence in left- brain thinking by some 14% (not a small statistic). Although I had expected this outcome (or a similar one), thoughts of the future suddenly filled my mind. Will I end up becoming something I’m bad at like an artist or designer against my will? Because according “A Whole New Mind” (by Daniel Pink) I might. As discussed previously, Pink incorporates three decisive terms that could mean a job as a right hemisphere thinker. Again, they are the three a’s, Automation, Abundance, and Asia. I plan to pursue a career in the engineering field (specifically dealing with aircraft) and the book specifically mentions that in other Asian countries such as Russia and India, the average wage for an aircraft engineer is approximately $650 a month in the Russian Federation and about half that in India! Will my future be claimed by a foreign competitor or worse, a computer? It’s an agonizing prospect, but one to surly unfold someday.
The globe has revolutionized to the point where computers have become more efficient and resourceful than even people comparable to the chess champion Garry Kasparov. Asia is infinitely more fit for cheap labor opportunities, and abundance has already claimed what people like me want to be. It appears that the only probable way to earn a sufficient living in the fast impending future would be to either excel unimaginably in logic and computation, or pursue a career the arts, which may not be very visible for the vast majority of people (including myself). The average man, it seems, will not achieve prosperity considering that most of us are only moderately proficient in art and logistics and not human prodigies. Automation has comparable effects if not more severe impact on job losses (for example, I referenced the self checkout lines at DIA; they eliminate the need for human operators). I wouldn’t classify myself as excessively upset right now, but I would appreciate the “help” I’ll hopefully receive in the next six chapters! I agree strongly with Pink’s book and hold most of its discussed information to be true, but I sincerely hope he is misled.

PLJ reflection of Daniel Pink video

Today in Honors English period four, we as a class were required to watch a presentation given by Daniel Pink himself. The crowd was generally small, but Pink made remarks that would have pleased a whole stadium. The video was a recording of a live lecture presented by Daniel Pink to an audience in an auditorium. His lecture addressed his whole book “A Whole New Mind” and was condensed down to around an hour (amazing considering his book exceeds the 250 page mark). The topics that Pink touched on were of a familiar nature to me and occasionally, I would recognize specific quotes or props directly from the initial book! Because the film was directly based off the novel, that’s what won my vote; the idea of actually being able to comprehend the discussion beforehand and during significantly added to my pleasure. Daniel Pink is amazing at conveying messages whether it be in the form of motion picture or traditional text; this movie has ultimately and visually helped me grasp Pink’s ingenious points.

PLJ reflection of the introduction- chapter 3

"A Whole New Mind" has been christened “a miracle” by Tom Peters, a “favorite business book” by Thomas Friedman, and “a very important, convincingly argued, and mind- altering book” by Po Bronson. Due to my unyielding accordance with these critiques’ statements, I will defend this title to the end! Daniel Pink is one of those authors who does not stress information to excess, but rather proposes solutions and recommendations for coping with rapidly impending problems. He writes with an enormously appealing user- friendly tone and humor as well; frankly the first three chapters have completely altered the view I have adopted on the world!

I was intrigued by the fact that Pink explained how and why our nation was slowly shifting from the informational age to the conceptual age in a simplistic, yet meaningful manner. I thought it was notably well how, in the second chapter, he condensed all the reasons contributing to the shift down to three universal words. Automation, Asia, and Abundance really aided me in my understanding of his arguments and also put the world today into perspective.

Maybe, Americans will become a society based solely on right brain capabilities; this prospect scares me! I would probably classify myself as a left brain thinker and not being able to be paid sufficiently (due to the three A’s) for my services would be a nightmare! I also agreed with Pink’s statement concerning the overflow of similar products (abundance). The time has arrived where all items are functional and it’s up to the designers out there to develop more appealing merchandise! I had never really considered that in all businesses today, there is a fierce competition not for prices or the ability to function properly, but for emotional and artistic value. Even in the film, it was mentioned that the CEO of GM proclaimed that his company was waging a war to produce the most artistic driven products, the ones with emotion and creativity. Again, I am not what a person would box as creative, and people similar to me are probably in trouble as well.

Automation, while the most obvious, will impact the most lives by definition. Computers are everywhere, technology is extremely abundant and every day, people are loosing their jobs to “smart” metal. For instance, consider the self check – in counters at DIA, those machines are able to formulate responses faster and more efficiently than an average worker, thus eliminating the demand for living applicants. Those unfortunate enough to become a victim of this type of scenario are also prone to be attacked from Asia as well. The solo attack suddenly becomes two pronged as the avrage worker's wages present in Asia plummet. It is only in the best interests of employers to hire cheap workers who will complete tasks for less income; as a result of this practice, left- brainier Americans beware!

I have always considered myself as a strictly left- brained person, yet now I regret it. Math and Science have always been my passion and not being able to pursue a career involving those fields of study would be agonizing; especially if a hunk of metal would replace me! Although this is all true, Pink is said to introduce six “senses” that may soften the load of anxiety I am now experiencing, but for now, all I can say is that this book is truly mind boggling, read it if you want to ponder on the subject of a current occupation, or simply to think!