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Briefly discuss the following issues: 1. what did you find 1.1. interesting about the article? I found it interesting that one key aspect of interpreting information is asking yourself the right questions as you integrate it into your intelligence. For instance, if you are interpreting satire, you might ask what particular historical incidents were integral in shaping the writer's rhetoric. As another example, you might start to answer the question of why a town is in a certain location by acknowledging that humans need resources, and ask yourself whether nature has provided nearby natural reservoirs and such. 1.2. not interesting about the article? I think that the article could have benefitted from more summary. Also, the writers really seemed to be pushing their point of view on other people. Often they would say "we must" or "educators must." If I thought the writers' views were wrong I would have a problem with this, but I don't. I do subscribe to the same views they hold. 2. what do you consider the main message of the article? That learning and teaching strategies are adapting based on advances in cognitive science. For instance, educators are being advised to forgoe the practice of enforcing the memorization of facts. Instead students are to be provided with the reasoning behind the facts so they can have a more expert understanding of knowledge. In addition, since people often have incorrect preconceptions about the world around them, teachers are urged to challenge beliefs that are intuitively based yet incorrect. 3. analyze and describe how you have learnt a complex systems (e.g.,“Microsoft Word” or a similar system incase you have never learnt MS-Word, Photoshop, Java, using the Web effectively, …)? I have learned that sometimes it is best to form a belief and then be proven wrong. For a long time I never thought that a particular type of granular synthesis could be achieved in the computer program Reason. Granular synthesis involves playing back small portions of a sound in small windows that loop and have volume controls, called volume envelopes, causing them to fade in and fade out. I had heard a particular sound on record, and I was just put to the task of trying to duplicate this sound by a friend only a few days ago. By happy accident I found an ingenious solution to the problem. A particular file I had downloaded from a German musician served as a demo, which I adapted for personal use. It involved using a couple of pattern sequencers, one to quickly retrigger the sample in short segments, and another to make the the volume envelopes. If I had truly integrated the information I had learned about granular synthesis from a music class last year, I could have applied my knowledge to solve the problem myself. 4. describe the most interesting / exciting learning episode of your life! I would have to say it was a very long episode. My favorite class ever was high school physics with Mr. Logan. It inspired me to go to engineering school for a stint. The greatest parts about Mr. Logan's class were hard to remember, but I think I remember what I liked most. He described the reasoning behind every Newtonian law in a very clear manner. He had integrated his personal experience into his knowledge of physics. For his class I made a 10 foot high golf-ball launcher. It wasn't the best project, but I sure remember making it! My friend Alan and I tested it and calibrated it over the course of a few weeks. It was made with plastic PVC pipe, a brick, and some wood. 5. write in one short paragraph (a) what the following concepts mean and (b) which role they have played in your personal learning (e.g., where you have encountered them) 5.1. learning by being told (a) In the best case it means having someone you trust, someone you respect, and someone who is more experienced than you tell you something new. (b) I encounter this a lot from speaking with older people whose opinions I trust. Not just my parents, I also trust mentors and doctors. 5.2. self-directed learning (a) Self directed learning is related to personal empowerment. It happens under circumstances in which the learner is motivated to expand his or her understanding by him or herself. (b) There are some things in life that have seemed to me to be very important to pursue. Usually for me there are a few steps that lead to me initiating self-directed learning. I have to realize that something is possible, determine if I could see myself doing it, and then see if it is a good avenue to explore, and whether it will offer benefits for me. 5.3. learning on demand (a) I would call this learning as a tool. (b) Usually this occurs to me in the cases where I can only be motivated to learn something because I have to get a finished product. When I go into the process of learning with this in mind, I usually end up just following instructions and using what I learn as a means to an end. Sometimes, however, I get really interested in the material, and continue to be a student of that discipline. 5.4. discovery learning (a) This is learning that is exploratory. (b) Quite simply it is seeing if you can go somewhere where you've never gone before. You may have a guide, such as a book or a friend, or you may discover things on your own by making observations. For me this often goes is related to the hands-on learning that I do. 5.5. experiential learning 5.6. informal learning (a) This is learning outside of the formality and auspices of an institution. (b) It allows for more colloquialisms, and in my experience more friendly interactions between whoever is the teacher and whoever is the student. Sometimes it's not obvious which is which. 5.7. collaborative learning (a) This form of learning takes advantage of the possibilities that can occur if people choose to share information with each other. (b) When I collaborate properly for a group product, talk about new and exciting things with my friends, or use an online forum, I take advantage of having good summarizers on hand. The best thing about communicating with people is that if you are unclear or want to ask more, you can ask another question. 6. which media support have you used and are you using for your learning? I have used the internet, the radio, various computer applications, printed technical manuals, interviews, magazines, books, and databases.
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