Tag Archives: reflecting on

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milestone: submission

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Week 5, 2012
Joensuu, Finland

Life milestones imply some kind of change. For personalities as mine, a life milestones can be experienced as paradoxical moments. Let me explain. One works intensively hard for a period of time to reach successfully the specific milestone, and then at the particular moment to face the milestone it emerges: (i) the rejoice that the process is over, (ii) simultaneously diverse emotions connecting me with the efforts of the journey hold me to the moments before the change and (iii) feelings of nervousness of the unknown future are also present. It is so incredible intense!

Milestones remind me vividly that life only moves forward. Take the time that it takes to walk the personal path towards one’s milestone. Just never give up! No Sir. Life only moves forward.

What does the milestone submission mean? It means that Erkki said my thesis is ready, he assigned my reviewers and yesterday my dissertation was delivered in the faculty to start the process towards the end of my PhD journey. Wow!

walk until reach your milestone

walk until reach your milestone *

* Translation of the photo: NO! Never give up, the good things can soon show up.

are we making the correct questions? (sequel)

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In a previous post I was focusing myself on one specific question. However, today, while preparing my lecture on mobile learning I read an inspiring post from Cameron D. Norman:  Asking if Technology Can Reinvent Education is the Wrong Question. I recommend to read the post!

Questions are fundamental for comprehend a phenomena or a situation. Questions help us to think. To make the proper questions is not easy. For me, the question experts are 3 years old, who are passionately discovering and researching our world, learning from it. However, due to different reasons, which I will not reflect upon right now, our capability to make questions is greatly diminished.

Once in grad-school, I heard that a fundamental characteristic in research is to make questions. I see it as re-connecting with my 3 years old me, but surrounded by considerable more information.

Now, I assume that a difference between a 3-years old (I am fan of them) and an ‘adult’  should be to promote  a critical question process. A process involving reflection and thinking. Perhaps, making questions might be more difficult than to find the answers, however enriching.

Questions help to think. Thinking is fun, as it is time demanding and energy taking. 🙂

Now a cartoon, which matches my mini-reflection of today. If someone who does not read Spanish read this post, the translation of the cartoon is bellow.

Intelligence....

Intelligence....

Up-left: Intelligent buildings
Up-middle:Intelligent mobile phones
Up-right: Intelligent autos
Down-left: Intelligent appliances
Down-middle: I say…. Wouldn’t be better to invest more in education….
Down-left: …. and have more intelligent people?

are we making the correct question?

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A common question I hear is: why games are immersive?.  If there is an answer, I believe it is not a simple one.  Some game researchers respond to the previously stated question of immersion with the flow phenomena that is reported the players experience while playing.

However, I consider the question we should be asking ourselves is: why real life is not immersive?
Yes, newspapers offer a clear answer why real-life is not as appealing 🙁

But let’s be honest, when Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi researched the flow phenomena, he did not research games or players. Csikszentmihalyi’s research was based on individuals who are passionate doing what they like in their real life.

Perhaps because I live my life intense and I am playful in it,  undoubtedly it is  immersive 🙂   But I also know what is to avoid something, trying to be immersed elsewhere…. So, I wonder, are we making the proper question?

chocolate VS bombs

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week 5 of 2011
Joensuu, Finland

Through my FB, I was shared a video of coca-cola, which I think is very good. The end, is not my maximum, but I understand they needed to announce their product.

I found the commercial with English subtitles. I am glad! Thus, I can share it with a bigger audience in here. From my perspective the commercial is very creative and positive. It encloses also a truth, “You only see what people want you to see”, there are so many ways to see, it is up to us to discover how we want to see…

My favorite statement is the comparison of moms making chocolate cakes VS scientific people creating bombs. So coooool!!!!  and based on a POSITIVE true!!!

The commercial with the song’s lyrics in English and Spanish, and without the English subtitles of the main message, can be found in here. Just be sure that the CC is activated, otherwise the lyrics do not appear.

Finally, well done Argentina, where the commercial was conceptualized!

PS. I really enjoy the creativity in commercials.

promote more reading habits

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week 4 of 2011
Joensuu, Finland

The days are SO FULL of ideas, events, activities, emotions, dreams and my brain’s digestion is not as fast as the things are happening. But this commitment to post once a week, without pre-awareness, is helping me to focus on the week’s relevant event to be shared.

In the week 4 of this year, I spent considerable amount of time at the university library. One of my favorite places, not only for research purposes as I have mentioned ealier.  But imagine, each library contains the ideas, life, knowledge, fantasy and much more of thousands of humans, from around the world, who have live in so many different periods of time.  The book’s authors might be dead, but their voices are still alive through their creations. Libraries, for me, are magical places.

By coincidence, in these days I also got impressed of the threat that some libraries have around the world. In this case, UK. I can’t believe it honestly. Decision makers in UK are contemplating to close libraries. People is protesting as we can read here. I found very interesting the article of Pullman expressing that decision makers do not really understand the value of libraries. I fully agree with him!

Books  support individuals to change their lives. Unlimited of examples support that claim, as the one I posted some time ago with William Kamkwamba. Books are good friends, they guide us and helps us to think, which supports in turn a life long learning process. This is not only MY personal opinion, it is a fact. In 2008 the UNESCO reported:

“The public libraries in the city play wider role to inculcate reading habits amongst youths and neo-literates. This study suggests that information literacy competency and lifelong education can also be imparted to marginalised groups through public library networks in the country”

Even that the report belongs to a study done in India, honestly I do not think is a exclusive statement for India.

Leaders and decision makers  in “develop” countries, wake up! Instead to take away libraries, we must promote more reading habits!

love books

Image source here