I was going to take a break from teaching this semester but when the digital literacy program director opened the Saturday section right before the new year and asked me to helm it, I agreed to come off the bench. Twenty four and half years of teaching part-time, mostly for College of Southern Nevada and a several semesters for my alma mater, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, might as well make it twenty five :-)
As with previous semesters, I individually reached out to each student on the class roster before the semester officially began. Ten of the thirteen students responded and I gained insights to the academic, professional, personal backgrounds, aspirations, and passions of Fraol, Rosalie, Khylie, Elijah, Andre, Tsz, Diego, Jan, Linette, and Heather. Fraol has already sent in his A1 Accounts Setup and Professional Communication and Tsz sent in his Bonus Quiz 1 – Syllabus. I look forward to connect with the remaining three students and anymore that will enroll in IS101-3003, Spring 2023 before Saturday's in-person class session ^_^
One common theme I hear from students is their desire to increase their digital literacy acumen and skills. That is definitely an obtainable goal and expected result of IS101 Introduction to Information Systems. But beyond "how to do this" or even be able to explain "how does that work", I hope students will demonstrate and bolster their traits highlighted in this 11 min 14 sec video:
Click to view the video and try to view it in full screen mode
How apropos that Neil deGrasse Tyson references a quote from the late Martin Luther King Jr. and the video is in a blog post published on this MLK Day.
From a brief phone call or WebEx meeting with each of the ten students, I see some already have created their meaning. I hope the others will too!
I wonder which other students will join Fraol and Tsz in making a positive first impression before Saturday?
I'm tired of being mediocre. A friend of mine told me once to be careful with becoming comfortable, and unfortunately, I've become more than comfortable, I've become lazy. I've had a lot of things happen in my life since I graduated high school, and at one point I would use them as an excuse. I'm tired of excuses. I want to change. I want to get up and go on an adventure that will change my life forever and it all starts with me.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the video you published, I found good advice in how to create meaning and look at oneself. I look forward to the semester and learning more than what I already know in Word and Excel.
ReplyDeleteIt is what is...I fell down and got back up and now want to learn what I could and I am challenging myself.
ReplyDelete"Be ashamed to die, until you have scored some victory for humanity." The life meaning from Tyson is touching. We are all crave for connection between people. It's awesome to contribute to people as you will get satisfaction from it. For me, I would like to make some innovative stuff that's contribute to humanity also. We only live once, so I think I should do something special before I die and won't regret at the old age. I learnt Java by myself half a year ago.
ReplyDeleteThis is the best generation for us to make our fantasy come true as we have so many amazing technology nowadays. I think all the died scientists would whish to be in the such generation.
Great Video! Neil deGrasse Tyson speaks of a way to better yourself. I also want to better myself and know more about the world today than I did yesterday. Neil deGrasse Tyson is an inspiration to both teens and adults alike.
ReplyDeleteThe statement he made about how you can only be ridden if your back is bent is one I should try to remember and pass onto my son. I appreciate this video, especially when it was posted. Thank-you.
ReplyDeleteI think it's true that a lot of people stop trying to learn when school's over, that natural curiosity and willingness to learn disappears after they leave school and that shouldn't be the case for us. We should always strive to be life long learners and use that knowledge to better improve our world.
ReplyDeleteThat video you published within the blog was very eye opening. Definitely make me see everything diferently. Become more productive and shoot for the stars.
ReplyDeleteAs a space nerd, hearing Neil speak on topics such as these is always inspiring and enjoyable. I really like hearing his theories.
ReplyDeleteI have let curiosity lead my life. I haven't succeeded yet, but I believe I will. One can take criticism as challenges and an opportunity to be better. That's what I learned from this video.
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to this class and the skills I will pick up on. Twenty-five years of teaching that's awesome. I was able to update my phone number on my contact information which I didn't realize was incorrect. My first impression wasn't the best, but I look forward to passing this class with new skills under my belt.
ReplyDeleteThe video on your blog named," Neil deGrasse Tyson's Ultimate Advice for Students & Young People - HOW TO SUCCEED IN LIFE "was interesting and relatable, I relate to how the speaker feels. It's a very motivational video in which it mentioned we need to continue to grow and to form good habits. The video also mentioned racial injustices. Thank you, for the motivational video.
Professor, thank you for sharing this video! I am excited for this semester, which is a first considering how terrible I am at computer science. A key-point that I took from this video was to create our own meaning in life. As a young adult, I always pondered what exactly the meaning of my life was. However, as Neil said, we create our meaning, and as soon as you understood that, you continue to foster your passion and purpose to create your individual meaning.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the video and I also found the statement "it is not about finding meaning in your life, it is about creating it." very interesting. I think it emphasizes the power one has over their life and how they can change it starting from their efforts. Although life is going to be filled with people who are disrespectful, disobedient, inconsiderate or worse you have to learn how to navigate around them and chase after your goals and dreams. Neil deGrasse Tyson describes the importance of someone's initiative, drive, ambition, curiosity and goal what makes a person who they are rather than the college they attended. Tyson also shares a story about his father being driven to become a professional runner after a rude and judgmental comments from his high school physical education teacher, he also shared another case where one of his father's teammate in the olympics finished the race and beat his opponent after hearing racist remarks from the other team's coach. The reason Tyson shared these stories is to show how we can drive ourselves past our expectations and limits from the boundaries or criticisms other people may throw at us.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this video and how blunt he is.
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