Personal Renaissance (Reflection Post)

Have you even been in a situation where you felt like you didn't belong?  Have you ever been somewhere where the people practice a different culture?  Or started learning a new language and feel like you will never become fluent? 

Throughout my life, I have had such experiences and hoped that I wouldn't have to go through them again.  This semester at school, I signed up for a Digital Civilization class and all of those feelings of inadequacy or difficulty have seemed to come rushing back. 

The NBA.....is it the same or different?

In 1891, Dr. James Naismith invented one of today's most popular sports....Basketball.  Based off of a discussion in my digital civilization class, I began to think about the game of basketball and how just like knowledge (or the means by which we obtain knowledge) is constantly changing, so is the game of basketball.

Language...should it be determined by the situation?

Have you ever been in a situation where you felt like you didn't belong?  Have you ever felt like you had something important to say but didn't know how to say it?  Have you ever put your "foot in your mouth" because you didn't understand the context of a conversation?  For me, the answer to all three of these questions is YES. 

In the article "Language" by Louis, chevalier de Jaucourt, Jaucourt defines language as "the way in which men communicate their thoughts through a succession of words, gestures and expressions adapted to their character, customs and climate."  Each of us speaks more languages than we probably think.  As I was thinking about the way that I communicate with others, I came to the conclusion that the situation that I am in determines what language I use to communicate.  How well do you communicate? 

Self-interest in Business

Niccolo Machiavelli said, "It is better to be feared than to be loved."  What does that mean?  As discussed in my digital civilization class, it means that people do things out of self-interest.  Think about it...we do things because we expect things in return.  We study for our tests because we hope it will help us to perform better on the test.  Would you go to work each day if you weren't going to receive a paycheck at the end of the month?  If the majority of our decisions every day are made our of self-interest, what happens when a business or cooperation bases its decisions out of self interest?   

Who needs college anyway?

In the c1450, Johannas Gutenberg invented the first movable type. This was a big deal because it made learning more accessible and was an easier medium of communication. Printing and the distribution of books also rattled the cages a bit by challenging the authority of established institutions. After discussing the this issue in my digital civilization class, the following thought came to mind. Is knowledge being so readily accessible in today's world taking place of the need for academic institutions like Colleges and Universities?

A visual effect to screen capture

All through high school and college, I have never really played around with the many features on my computer or features available on the internet. I made up my mind that I wasn't a computer guy, thus it would be too complicated for me to learn how to use the cool applications that I always saw my friends using. I even felt that way this year until something changed.....

I actually decided to use what I am currently learning in my digital civilization class. I recently learned about the tools of visualization and screen capture from two of my classmates Parker and Sarah. There explanations were extremely simple but affective. When I came home this afternoon, I decided to dabble a little in what they had taught me and actually enjoyed it. The picture above is a screen capture of an awesome visualization tool called Wordle!!!

Social Bookmarking

Hello friends. Recently, I have been focusing a lot on strengthening my networking skills in order to improve my chances of getting a good job post graduation. As part of my digital civilization class, I had the chance to research a little about Social Bookmarking. This feature allows one to organize his/her favorite websites into a easier, more accessible format for him/herself and others to benefit from.

The following explains how to add social bookmarking buttons to a blog or a website.....

1. Click on the picture above
2. Follow the steps
3. Enjoy being more social

silly Delete key

In Digital Civilization class today, Andrew commented about the "Delete" key on the keyboard and how it effects today's language. To be honest with you, when brainstorming to write a paper or while creating a rough draft, the "Delete" key is my least favorite key on the keyboard. I find myself constantly typing out a thought or idea but deleting it because it doesn't make sense or I'm not sure how it will link in with the rest of my ideas. I have always looked at the word processor as the last step in the writing process and therefore feel like whatever I type should be clear and concise. Does anybody else feel the same way I do about the "Delete" key?

Hunams - The Quest for Perfection

I have never been a huge fan of reading or even talking about literature. In fact, I've never really enjoyed reading books. However, as I get older, and hopefully more mature, I have learned to have a respect for those who have been blessed with the gift of being able to express their feelings through heartfelt passages of writing.

As I was reading Petrarch's letters to Cicero, I couldn't help but admire his word choice and the emotion he put into each word/phrase in each letter.

The passion and emotion that is portrayed by Humanist writers caused me to think about the art of professional running. Runners are able to express there passion for the sport without saying a word. There effortless stride and ability to push there bodies to the limits in my opinion is a form of art. It is a special talent to be able to push through the pain and constant screaming of your muscles who are begging you stop and rest. Running is art.

As I continued to research the art of running, I was intrigued by an article called The Evolution of Human Running (http://www.runtheplanet.com/resources/historical/runevolve.asp). Our arteries, ligaments, skin, spine, etc. all contribute to our ability to create art through running.

The human body is incredible. But just like Petrarch said to Cicero,
"What, pray, does it profit a man to teach others, and to be prating always about virtue, in high-sounding words, if he fails to give head to his own instructions?"
I would feel a little sheepish saying all of this if I didn't get out and run myself. Don't worry, I run everyday.

Learning is a life-long task

The concept of life-long learning is just as applicable today as it was during the time of the Renaissance. Just as Leonardo da Vince made huge contributions to learning and during the fifteenth century, there are CEO’s and Presidents of different businesses that are contributing to the pursuit of life-long learning during our day. One company that comes to mind is Google. Eric E. Schmidt, and Google, has created an easy way to access large amounts of information related to any topic. I feel that there are strong similarities to the Renaissance and our day.

Once common trend that I found in all of the readings is that Galileo, Copernicus, and da Vince all were inspired by other scientists, philosophers, artists, ect. of their time. This same principle is applicable in our day. Many successful businesses, sports teams, authors, ect. observe what is happening in the world around them by other successful people and tweak their ideas a little and creat something new and exciting that succeeds. I feel this principle is demonstrated by what took place in Miami this off-season in the NBA. Pat Riley, the President of the Heat, recognized that his team was not in a position to contend for a championship. Therefore, he built a super team that can be compared to the Chicago Bulls, let by Michael Jordan, during the 90’s. There is a starting line-up led by three superstars in LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh who can be compared to Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and Dennis Rodman.

The principle of life-long learning and learning from others is continuous. This attitude was created by great men during the Renaissance time period and is occurring in our day as well.

Learning is a life-long task

I hope this works.