Resource Notes: Human-Animal Chimeras are Gestating on U.S. Research Farms

Resource Note: Human-Animal Organ Research

(Animal Research by Compassionate Action for Animals. Shared Under CC BY-SA 2.0. Web Source:https://www.flickr.com/photos/compassionateaction/41704834002)

For this resource post, I read Human-Animal Chimeras Are Gestating on U.S. Research Farms by Antonio Regalado. This article caught my attention through its opening line: "U.S. research cetners are moving ahead with attempts to grow human tissue inside pigs and sheep with the goal of creating hearts, livers, or organs needed for transplants" (Regaldo, 2016). I was astonished by this statement and I believe it would be a scientific break through if it could be achieved. However, if the feat could be accomplished, I would question its reliability as most diseases and illnesses are transferred from animals to humans. Since the organs would be coming from animals and placed in humans, I believe this swapping increases the chance that a serious disease could be spread at unpredictable rate. 

Away from this, I was surprised that the NIH agency believed that animals cognitive states may be altered if human brain cells are implanted in the animal. I do not know that much about animals, but I take that statement with much optimism. This is due to the fact that human cells interlink to make one human unique. However, if they do not align perfectly, then they do not work, cause deficiencies, or shut down. Due to this, I believe human cells will not produce as great of an effect in animals.

In closing, this article was fascinating and I hope that they are able to pull of the feat to have animals produce human organs. However, with much optimism I am questioning its reliability to work long-term in humans.

Reference:

Human-Animal Chimeras Are Gestating on U.S. Research Farms by Antonio Regalado. Posted January 6, 2016.

Resource Notes: The Ethics of Human Enhancement

The Ethics of Human Enhancement

(DNA by Andy Leppard. Shared Under CC BY 2.0. Web Source: Flickr)

All semester, I have been looking forward to this weeks topic on biotechnology. My interest embarks upon the ethical and implications surrounding the changes to one's biological DNA. In order to be well versed on this topic, I chose to read The Ethics of Human Enhancement by Andy Miah. The article begins by saying that "technology could allow people to make themselves 'better than well' by using enhancements such as brain modifications" (Miah, 2016). This statement prompted me to question the ethics of technology. I believe that allowing individuals to alter and modify their brain power is unethical and provides a disadvantage for individuals and families that do not have the money or ability to do this. Furthermore, I believe things should be left alone and treated for how they are created. This is because humans are produced with many questions.. how they will be when they are born, if they will be smart, healthy, athletic, etc. Altering this affect doesn't provide benefits for the child but instead provides benefit for how the parents want their children to be. I believe this would also be a tough talk parents would have to have with their child if they chose to alter one's DNA. This is because they would have to tell them that you weren't going to be 'perfect' so we needed to alter your DNA for us to 'accept' you. This can be paraphrased through Miah (2016) in which DNA alterations provides a technological shortcut in order for one to achieve a goal. Lastly, I liked how Miah (2016) brought up the affordability of DNA altercations, but I am still skeptical that it would be affordable. I believe this because every thing nowadays is thought to be expensive. I would be mind-blown if they could create a process this advanced to be sold or treated at a relatively inexpensive cost.

Reference:

Miah, A. (2016). The Ethics of Human Enhancement. Web Link: Biotechnology

Resource Notes: Are You There, Democracy?

Resource Note: Week 12

(Democracy and the Government by Justin Schuck. Shared Under CC BY-ND 2.0. Web Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/justinschuck/8710849033)

Earlier this semester we discussed terms and conditions, as well as privacy laws related to the use of the internet. This week we switch to talking about the internet and its role in spreading ideologies on political democracy. This topic is case sensitive based on a governmental employee releasing private and confidential information a few years ago. The government employee I am referring to is Edward Snowden. Edward Snowden made headline with his decision to go against governmental policy for the justice of the public so they have a sense of understanding of what the government keeps behind the walls. "Are You There, Democracy?" hits on the discussion of technology and democracy based on the author's interest in mass surveillance and its privacy. This article shares insight and stories based on if technology is good for democracy. I personally believe that technology provides everyone with better capabilities to stay in contact with each other. However, with saying this, I realize that the government has the ability to track us with out us knowing. This is scary to think about but I don't think we need to be scared by it. The government has been able to stop terror threats and other incidents that would not have been preventable if it wasn't for the government. In addition, technology has allowed for the general public to share information that reaches thousands of individuals to begin a rally for certain ideas. This would not have happened if it wasn't for technology. I am not saying that we shouldn't be worried about the power technology can have but to say that we need to limit its advancement is crazy because I believe the benefits out weigh its costs.

Are You There, Democracy? It's me the Internet. By: Jenna Bitar. Web Source:link

Resource Notes: Applying the Four Moves

(Sports by Nadine Oliverr. Shared Under CC0 1.0. Web Source Flickr)

For this week's resource notes part 2, I applied the four moves to a random article I found online. This article was about the University of Minnesota football and basketball team and how they won a football bowl game and a NCAA post-season tournament of 64 basketball game in the same year. A link to this article can be found here.  To begin this analysis, I will start by checking for and describing the previous work or knowledge on the topic, move to going upstream on the source, switching to reading laterally, and then finish by circling back and confirming the reliability of the article.

In the article their was no check of previous work relating to if the Minnesota football and basketball team's have won a post-season game in the same year. However, the article was written by an individual that specializes in covering Minnesota sports. Due to this, I believe that most of the information should be accurate and reliable. However, to make sure, I will go upstream and find the original source.

The original source I used to fact-check the original source was the gopher sports statistics archives on the gopher sports web page. After checking, I can confirm that this is the first time that the gophers have achieved this feat in its existence. In addition, I can confirm that Ohio State and Iowa did the same as Minnesota this year too.

As for the third move, reading laterally is tough for this article as it isn't so much based on opinion but based on fact. The gopher sports web page is an account run by gopher sports property and base their web page on posting factual results of their sports team. Because of this, it is the truth and honest. In addition, Andy, the author has been in this profession for over 13 years and has a wealth of knowledge on this topic. This also confirms that most of the information posted is accurate and reliable to use.

In closing, I do not need to circle back after reading the post because the author summarized all of the information I was looking for in a concise and overview fashion. Andy did a nice job!

Andy Greder. Gophers win bowl and NCAA tournament game for first time ever. But... Article Link

Resource Notes: Web Literacy

(Books by Natasia Causse. Shared Under CC BY 2.0. Web Source: Flickr)

Reading through the Web Literacy for Student Fact Checkers online book was an eye opener into the truth behind online sources. This book outlined resources that a readers can do to identify the reliability of a source, checking how complete your work is, or trying to trace a claim made by a source. This identification system is called the fast-checking process and is reliant upon 4 central moves. These moves are checking for previous work, finding the originality of a source, reading laterally, and circling back. I believe this fast-checking process can provide value when writing research papers or exploring new topics. The book also discussed that pieces of writing should only be written or commented about when emotional levels are steady and in check. This is something that I believe many of us can learn from as most of the time we begin commenting on situations in the spur of the moment. This leads to saying words that are not always the most thoughtful or accurate statements. One of the last things that I read about was reviewing an online picture and finding its original source. This is something that is important as technology has made it easy to screen clip or photo shop pictures. This has been seen to have pictures being used in articles that have no direct ties to the meaning of the picture. Reading this has questioned the reliability of pictures in articles and wanting to confirm its relation to the article. Lastly, it is crazy to think that people or organizations actually pay social media sites to post their information at the top of individuals news feeds. Personally, this is crazy to me because I disregard most information that doesn't relate to me, but I guess if it works and generates money or service for the group then go ahead and keep doing it.

Caulfied, M. Web Literacy for Student Fact-Checkers. Link

Resource Notes: Video Feedback

(Camera by Nickolas Titkov. Shared Under CC BY-SA 2.0. Web Source: Flickr)

For this post, I am going to write about surveillance in baseball from a video feedback side that is used in baseball for player development. I am making this connection because I have a desire to work in professional baseball and have a strong personal background in this field.

To begin, video feedback in baseball has been continually growing field. It started off with camcorders being placed remotely around the baseball field to capture the data on an SD card. From their, the video file on the SD card would need to be  uploaded to a computer to begin watching the file. Once the film is uploaded, video programs would need to be used to clip the video frame-by-frame. This process could take hours to complete. However, in the past few years, technology has expedited this process. Now, we have video cameras that are put up with WiFi capability and synced to an iPad. This has allowed for individuals to manually clip the video feed and place it on a server within minutes. This has allowed for individuals to go in and watch their at-bats or pitches any time they want.

This is just one of many examples that is being used to expedite player development in baseball. It is crazy to see how far we have come in technology for baseball. I remember when I was little that it would have been an ground breaking tool if we had the amount of technology that is being thrown around the game. This goes from rapsodo, to hit trax, to track man, to many other tools that provide analytical data to improves one's game in baseball. I can't wait to see where the game evolves within the next 10 years.

Neist, A. (2019). Vidswap.com

Resource Notes: Surveillance

(Surveillance by Jay Phagan. Shared Under CC BY 2.0. Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/jayphagan/33870031091)

In today's society, technology seems so great that they can track your movement before you take them.. literally! This is so crazy to imagine, but Hayhurst (2017) article Analytics makes fast work of video surveillance searches provides background information to attest that it is the case. The following blog will depict surveillance from the viewpoint of its ability to catch individuals before a crime is committed.

Nowadays, college campus and inner city metropolitan areas are beginning to add surveillance cameras around the area. These cameras provide a direct a stream to a control room that is monitored by security personnel's. However, when I read this statement, I was shocked because my apartment building has security cameras that are in place but are rarely checked or catch individuals committing a crime. Due to this circumstance, my thought of security cameras are pointless or a waste of money. However, the article when on to explain the benefits of them and actually gained back my trust. 

A few examples the articles use to explain how powerful or great they are is that some colleges have placed over 600 cameras around their campus and have the ability to display as many images as they like on a screen. Furthermore, control rooms have been juiced up on the analytics power through its ability to break down long film into segments just by stating key descriptive words to narrow in on the suspect from a footage.

Lastly, I'm not sure if our campus has this ability with their surveillance cameras but I hope they do. This is because the surveillance camera's and analytic program discussed in this article has said that they have been able to improve monitoring of off-campus properties and university parking lots. Cuing into these areas, would decrease the number of reported crimes on campuses as well catch more individuals that do commit these crimes.

Reference: Hayhurst (2017). Link: Analytics makes fast work of video surveillance searches

Resource Notes: Terms and Conditions Video & Website Reading

(Terms and Services by Paul Waite. Shared Under CC BY-SA 2.0. Web Link: Flickr)

See portfolio for updated page: Ryan's Portfolio

This week's reading and films brings about my watching of the film, Terms and Conditions May Apply, as well as a reading on the terms of use for the educational company, Instructure. After completing the assigned reading and film, my view point on the Internet, society's privacy, and websites terms of conditions has changed to limit the amount of information I post online.

To begin, the Internet is a scary place that not only provides freedom for people to publish information, but a place that tracks everyone's searches and interactions online. One example the film used that stood out to me the most was a father and his disapproval with the company Target. The encounter was about Target sending the father's daughter a coupon for birth control. The issue here was that the father thought Target was targeting his daughter and pushing for the daughter to engage in sexual activity. Instead, the coupons were sent out to the daughter because she had recently purchased these products before without telling her father. This was crazy to find out that companies have the resources to track previous purchases and send out coupons to influence ones decision to purchase that product again.

On the basis of our society's privacy, we have to be careful with what we post. To do so we should limit the amount of information we post publicly to avoid false accusations of wrong-doing. To exemplify this, I will discuss it through a post a 7th grade boy posted on social media. In this case, the boy tried to warn the president of potential conflicts arising in the area, but instead his tweet was flagged for harm and the FBI came to interrogate him. Because of situations like, I believe we should have more privacy and be able to express our mind without contradictions arising, however that is not how our society works. Instead our privacy online is very scarce as our information is tracked and provided to the government for use on their discretion. This is scary!

Next, term and conditions are long and time-consuming to read. However, they may be of benefit to read so information that you do not want released is not released because you were able to catch the policies related to distribution of information on the site.

In closing, I will provide definitions for some of the words I was unsure of while listening to the Terms and Conditions May Apply film:

• Digital footprint – it is a trail of data you create while using the Internet and scrolling through different areas on a web page. Source: Link

• Cookies – they are small file that are stored on a user’s computer to help websites keep track of your visits and activity. Source: Link

• Patriot Act – it is a congressional bill that was passed that allowed the government to use tools on web pages to detect and deter terrorism. Source: Link

• Third party doctrine and the Fourth Amendment – if you voluntarily provide information to a third party, the fourth amendment does not preclude the government from accessing it without a warrant. Source: Link

References:
Terms and Conditions May Apply. Link: Terms and Conditions May Apply
Canvas by Instructure. Link: terms of use

Resource Notes: Movies and Culture

(Movies & Culture by AntMan3001. Shared Under CC BY - SA 2.0. Web Source: Flickr)

For this post, I am discussing Movies and Culture and the effect it has had on Americans' way of living. This is perfect as my previous reading was on the book chapter of Popular Culture, which syncs up well with this reading on movies and its effect on society. To begin, when I am discussing movies, I am not saying that all movies contribute or exemplify our culture, but instead I am talking about the main stream movies that rack up money in the box office. In discussing how movies effect our culture, a movie's plot or themes usually discuss some sort of concern, belief, or following as it relates to that time period. For example, when 9/11 occurred, production of musical songs, movies, and tv shows were established to reminisce or remember an event that changed our way of life in a matter of seconds. With that being said, not all movies are well liked by society as they might portray events that people wish were kept under the radar or not brought up. This is best exemplified through the film The Birth of a Nation, which showcases social and cultural events that were being to shape America. However, some of these events related to racism and politics that received backlash as it brought about the non-traditional views of our society. To control this content, TV or Movie ratings were produce to classify the content that would portrayed in the shows to advise different groups from not attending or watching these films. These ratings were either G for general, M for adolescents, R for teenagers, and X for adults. This was astonishing to me as I didn't know that ratings for movies were implement in 1968 and has lasted through society and still classifies movies as we know it today. 

Reference:

University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing edition. (2016). Understanding media and culture: An introduction to mass communication. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Libraries. Article Link:Movies and Culture

Resource Notes: Pop Culture Reading

(A difference in culture by Franco Folini. Shared Under CC BY-SA 2.0. Web Source: Flickr)

The ideology of pop culture was proclaimed by its significance of categorizing movements or shifts in society's way of living that is believed to be non-traditional or unique. When I think of pop culture I think of the rap music, skinny jeans, or Justin Bieber fever, just to name a few. These ideologies signified society's change in beliefs and followings related to previously known ideas.  This statement was summed up nicely by the readings discussion related to the effects of pop culture. It stated that "pop culture has been the primary driving force behind social evolution," and it will continue to dominant our ideology in the future (Danesi, 2012, pg. 2). Furthermore, pop culture has changed the way we perceive and discuss art, entertainment, fashion, friend groups, etc. Additionally, these changes in perception and discussion of ways of life occur rapidly and has forced historians to classify eras based on the effects it has marked on society. For example, historians don't necessarily say the era of 1960's, or the era of the 1980's, etc. Rather they would state the hippie era, or the hip-hop era, etc. To me, this is great as it helps people foster an image or realization of what the people from that time period acted or believed in. However, there are things to be careful about when discussing eras, as not all people from those eras acted or believed in the activities that others were going on. For example, in the hippie era there was a lot of drugs and rebel like activity going on during that time; however, not everyone acted in that fashion.

Furthering away from the past and staying more current, the world-wide web has had the biggest effect on our way of life and ever changing thought of pop culture. The world-wide web has allowed for quicker changes to ideologies of pop culture due to instant videos streaming off of Instagram, YouTube, Snap Chat, etc. The reason for this is the greater ability for information to be streamed to thousands and millions of people in a blink of second. This change will create for a never ending cycle of the changes of pop culture. However, one thing we do know is that history does repeat ourselves. Even if it is not the biggest fad, one day it will be.

References:

Danesi, M. (2012). Popular culture: Introductory perspectives. Link: Pop Culture

Resource Notes: Big Data

(Big Data by BBVAtech. Shared Under CC BY 2.0. Web Source: Flickr)

Wow! Why Big Data is a Big Deal, was an eye opener into how data is collected and portrayed in the mainstream world. I had no idea that data is collected and put into an algorithm that can predict circumstances that may rise to affect our world. The video highlighted that data has been used to predict deadly outbreaks of diseases. However, if data and algorithms can predict occurrences, then why is that we can stop these diseases, killings, or attacks in our world?  Furthermore, it is crazy to think that more data has been processed in the past two years than over the past 3,000 years. Such data has helped companies like Netflix and Amazon provide recommendations for purchases or shows to watch for their consumer (Shaw, 2014). This is crazy as sometimes these recommendations are actually what you are thinking but haven't told anyone. It is like these programs read your mind.. Personally, I do not want people to ever be able to read my mind as that is my privacy that I should always have.

On another note, technology has been able to save businesses and researchers money as it has cut down on the cost of products. For example, it took over a billion dollars to create the first full human genome sequence. However, now it only costs $1,000 and can be completed in 24 hours (Shaw, 2014). This is crazy to think how fast information can be disseminated to others for use.

References:

• Jonathan Shaw (2014). Why Big Data Is a Big Deal. Article Link
• PBS documentary. The Human Face of Big Data. Video Link

Resource Notes: Ethics Reading

(Ethics by Kent Bye. Shared Under CC BY 2.0. Web Source: Link)

Ethics is a word that is used to describe behavioral standards for how one should act or use information on a daily basis. However, ethics in America are not always followed as individuals still steal, hurt, or kill others. Even though these points weren't discussed in the reading, they should still be considered when discussing what ethics is. In terms of the reading, ethics was discussed in relation to how information is disseminated to others. Before diving into ethics, it should be understood that there are many viewpoint to how one may interpret information or new ideas. Individuals comprehended information through one of the information competencies such as "communication in the mother tongue, communication in foreign languages, mathematical competence and basic competences in science and technology, digital competence, learning to learn, social and civic competence, or sense of initiative and entrepreneurship" (Schultz-Jones, 2017).

Furthermore, these ideas have an ethical foundation that should be followed when used. This ethical foundation begins with four ideas for how information should be used. To begin, individuals need to have respect for ones work and should give them all the credit they deserve. This credit is what is considered respect for intellectual property. Additionally, individuals should respect one's request for how there information may be used. If information from another person is used, it should receive acknowledgement and credit for that work. Lastly, utilizing others information or thoughts should only be used without the intention of causing harm.

Understanding these ethical foundations leads to learning the frames of ethical use of information. A few main ones are competency, relational, and social impact. Competency is what they should be able to do. Relational is awareness of ways of seeing or experiencing situations. Lastly, social impact is understanding how information may impact society.

Reference: Schultz-Jones, 2017. Teaching the Ethical Use of Information as an MIL Skill. Text Link

Resource Notes: Social Media

(Twitter by Keiyac. Shared Under CC NY-NC 2.0. Web Source: Flickr)

Today's society is surrounded by all sorts of technological advancements. One advancement that stands out the most is the use of social media platforms. Social media is the newest and most widely used platform that is used to share and obtain new information as it relates to daily life. This information could be opinionated or produced by an actual news source. Furthermore, these platform have been capable in producing the fastest arrangement for news to go from one side of the world to the other. In the past, information was posted in a newspaper  and would take roughly 12 hours or more to disperse that information to the rest of the world. Now as I said, it happens within a blink of a second. This is crazy to think and envision if we grew up roughly 40 years ago when the Internet was barely a thing and was just being formed. Furthermore, the way we communicate with others has changed as well. It used to be that you would need to use a land-line phone to call a person. However, now almost everyone has a cell phone and use a social media app to communicate with one another. Some of these apps are Facebook Messenger, Twitter Direct Messaging, Snap Chat, etc. Instead of picking up the phone, now we just sit behind a screen and send messages through one of those social media platforms. I believe this change has and will continue to hurt the younger generation because they don't learn how to talk with people through their voice, but would rather use a text messaging platform to voice their opinion. This will hurt customer service, sport recruiting, and relationships such as friendships or dating. This needs to be changed and people need to begin calling people again instead of texting all of the time.


Reference:
Ariel, Y. & Avidar, R. (2015). Information, interactivity, and social media. Atlantic Journal of Communication, 23, 19-30. Link: Article Link

Feedback Strategies Ideas

(Got Feedback by Alan Levine. Shared Under CC NY-NC 2.0. Web Source: Flickr)

The articles and videos we continue to watch as a part of this course can be applied to daily life. This application puts into perspective how many people act in ways that are not helpful or beneficial to improving an individuals success in a particular field or situation. However, Goldberg's article helped to provide information related to how one can assist others and improve ones success in different situations. Goldberg's starting paragraph was well phrased while talking about a children's ability to have a growth mindset and an ability to persevere and not be phased when challenges arise while they are reading a book. Furthermore, Goldberg stated that teachers and parents play a critical role in how a child perceives failure and growth and it is important to know how you are acting. To assist in knowing, Goldberg highlighted a few points that I will try to incorporate when I give feedback. These points relate to providing information relevant to the challenges the person is facing, what they are doing while reading, what they are doing well, transferable suggestions or critiques, and taking yourself or using "I like this" out of the feedback. All of these can assist in providing constructive feedback that will help a person grow rather than give-up.

The other article I read was by Goldsmith. Goldsmith's article discussed how we provide feedback and is trying revolutionize it in a positive form. The revolutionary way will be through feedforward feedback in which it is all about the future and not looking back at the mistakes, staying positive and forgetting about all of the wrong doings and not trying to prove others wrong, is suited for successful people, is process oriented, and people listen more when it is feedforward information.  Feedforward information is all about using useful information related to procedures, processes, and input effectiveness that can all wrap up to producing elite material that makes everyone happy!

Sources:

Article 1: Gravity Goldberg. Be a Mirror: Give readers feedback that fosters a growth mindset. Link: Article

Article 2: Marshall Goldsmith. Try feedforward instead of feedback. Link: Article

Project Topic Resource - Portfolio

(Website Portfolio by Chris RubberDragon. Shared under CC NY- NC 2.0. Web Source: Flickr)

The end of the semester project idea has not changed for me. I will be creating a portfolio to keep records of the work I have completed, not only in this class but others as well. The portfolio will be structured towards coaching and adding information related to growth mindset and the advancement our society has had with technology. To complete this project, I plan to complete each assignment with a tailored mindset towards how the material relates to coaching. In addition, I plan to develop my website within the next week so I can start adding information to it right away.

A breakdown of my idea will be to have a website that has three tabs at the top of the page. The three tabs will be classes took at Minnesota, baseball, and about me. Under the classes took tab, I will list what I learned and the key take away of each class. Under the baseball tab I will list different areas with the game, growth mindset, and mental skills training. Lastly, I will end the page with an about me page.

Even though I have this planned out, I may add and delete information I have or haven't said in this post. This post acts as a rough draft for my declaration, but I believe this project will turn out to be a huge benefit to me.

Resource Notes: Suspended Student Tweet

(Easy Access to Social Media by Jason Howie. Shared under CC NY-NC 2.0. Web Source: Flickr)

Wow, that was a shocking read. I am surprised I haven't heard this story before. This article and attached video highlight some important information related to ethics and what one should and shouldn't post on the internet. However, this subject is very touchy and should be taken with an open mind. My initial reaction to the article and the attached video was how dumb people can be on social media. In my opinion, social media brings out the worst intentions of some people. This is linked to individuals not comprehensively thinking through the consequences of their words or actions. In one sense, a post might have the intention to be joking; however, the post might come off or be portrayed in a serious manner. In a worse circumstance, the verbiage could even be portrayed with the intent to cause physical harm. However, I do see where the parents of the student are coming from because they are taking the stance that the post was a joke. However, it is so hard to identify the post as a joke when it comes down to ethical codes. A code that was brought out in this situation was justice. Justice in this situation comes down to always treating people with respect and in an equal manner. However, when one doesn't do that, justice is compromised. This is what occurred in the video and article which is why the student was suspended.  In addition, the student is also facing the ethics of his rights as well as the other students right. In this situation, he has the right to free speech. However, free speech only goes so far. Since, his post was linked to words that are intended to cause bodily harm, he is facing suspension due to verbal harassment. I do not see the family winning a court case because of the verbiage their son used in his post. This provides  a life lesson to be careful and think through all possibilities, whether positive or negative, the post could be portrayed before posting.


Website Source:
Monroe student suspended after social media post; father says school went too far. Article by Dan Griffin. Article Link: Student Suspended

Resource Notes: Ethics Reading

Budinger & Budinger (2006) article on ethical principles, reasoning, and decision making was very fascinating. The article dug deep into life choices by explaining situations that arose due to choices that have been made. Some of these choices include human cloning, theft or robbery, human and animal experimentation, etc. In greater term, each of these choices have had moral and ethical dilemma mixed in with the decision. However, I shouldn't get to far ahead of myself here, because it is not always our choices that are morally or ethically wrong, but it could be the access to technology that creates the dilemma. The advancement in technology over the past 50 years has allowed easier access for doctors to cure diseases, communicate in a matter of seconds, as well as track everyone's footsteps. Some of these are good, but some of them are over the line of good. A few examples will be used to help in explaining how choices are affected by someones perceptiveness of the decisions.
For example, one government might perceive stealing as a crime, whereas another might perceive stealing as normality. When we think of this in terms of technology it is crazy. This is because an individual suffering to breathe or live while going through cancer might want to end their life, but on the other hand the doctor cannot agree to end the person's life. To assist in these situations and get through the toughness of each occurrence, one should use the four A's as depicted by Budinger and Budinger. The four A's are acquire facts, alternatives, assessment, and action. Acquiring the facts is to gain all available knowledge so one can make a decision knowing all sides of the situation. Alternatives is listing other options for how one should make a decision. Assessment is figuring out what situation might arise due to the choice and have a back-up plan in check. Action is the last A, and that is going through with the choice and providing a backing statement in case someone doesn't like the original decision. Lastly, do you think it is possible to treat everyone equally without favoritism or bias? I personally do not think this is possible because their is always a voice in one's head that will create an argument or disagreement.

(Decision Making by Stefan Andrej Shambora. Shared under CC BY-NC. Web Source: Flickr)

Biblography:

Budinger & Budinger. Ethical principles, reasoning, and decision making. Web Source: 

Article Link

Feedback Thoughts

(Grow Your Mind by Xavier Verges. Shared Under CC BY-NC 2.0. Web Source: Flickr)

I have posted a few times now relating to the benefits of feedback and a growth mindset. These two ideas are powerful, should be taken seriously, and incorporated into one's daily life. To further re-iterate my stance on these topics I read A fixed mindset could be holding you back - here's how to change it by Anna Kelsey-Sugg and Silence the critical voices in your head by Sabina Nawaz.

In Kelsey-Sugg and Arnold (2018) article, a fixed mind set was seen to be a detriment to ones health and lower their ability to succeed. An example Kelsey-Sugg (2018) used that re-iterated this point was that "raising someone to believe they do not need to develop skills because they're brilliant at everything they do is difficult to sustain." This is because it shows that everyone needs to grow as a person no matter what and there is always something for them to learn. In addition, once an individual develops a fixed mindset it is hard to overcome challenges they face because it is unnatural for them fail. Once failing comes about, it is hard for that individual to bounce back and regain confidence in themselves.

From Sabina Nawaz (2016) article,  individuals can put themselves at fault when listening to negative voices in their head. This is because negative voices can put individuals at risk for failing or self-doubting their ability. In addition, negative voices have shown to increase ones chance for obtaining depression or not pursuing a desired life goal. However, Sabina Nawz (2016) provided good advice to lower or change ones use of negative self-talk. This advice was to use five positive self-talk statements for every negative self-talk used. Utilizing this strategy has the opportunity to decrease the chance to lower anxiety and depression.

Incorporating these two articles and relating it to my life, I have been fortunate enough to take criticism positively and learn from my mistakes. These mistakes have helped me grow as a person and I believe it is through failure that I have grown to be the person I am. This is because through failure I can provide growth and value to another person through explaining my experiences and not letting it happen to them.


Source:

Kelsey-Sugg and Arnold (2018). A fixed mindset could be holding you back. Link: Article Link

Sabina Nawaz (2016). Silence the critical voices in your head. Link: Article Link

Project Brainstorm

(A Form of a Portfolio by Wesley Fryer. Shared under CC BY-NC 2.0. Web Source: Flickr

The semester-long project entails creating a portfolio that will account for all of the knowledge I have learned throughout this semester. This portfolio will cover a topic related to the course as well as my future profession. In addition, I will add information to my portfolio on a daily basis to eliminate my chance to procrastinate and show a lack of effort. I believe this project is pretty straight forward and I do not have any questions related to the assignment and its requirements.

For my portfolio, I plan to design a website that captures information related to the course as well as my future profession in baseball. The information I hope to capture as it relates to the course and applying it to baseball is growth mindset, the ethics of surveillance, the ethics of technology integration in education, the ethics of bio-technologies, and the increasing use of technology on a daily basis. In addition, I believe this project will not only help my future profession but other classes as well. This is because I will gain an understanding in developing websites, cropping picture, making videos, etc. that could assist in creating better presentations for my classes as well as coaching.

On another note, I do not have much interest in digital citizenship and the ethics of power & freedom of expression and do not plan to incorporate this knowledge in portfolio. However, this doesn't mean I won't try in this area and search for new information to take away from.

In closing, I feel comfortable about the requirements of the project and I look forward to this assignment as I have never made a portfolio. In addition, this portfolio will be beneficial to me as it will be a way to highlight my skills in coaching as well as additional tool to showcase with my resume. To get started, I found a few links to use as references as I begin to create my portfolio:

• Portfolio 1 Example
• What Is A Portfolio?
• Creating A Portfolio

Resource Notes: Anil Dash Podcast

(How Technology Has Improved Life by Opensource.com. Shared under CC BY-NC 2.0. Web Source: Flickr)

Technology is not for everyone, but should be used in alignment to one's values. Technology has its complications depending on how it is used. For example, the podcast discussed technology's role in the presidential election and journalism. This is because technology has served the role to broadcast and publish media reports to thousands of individuals in a matter of seconds. This not only affects what people say on national television but away from the cameras as well. This is because individuals cannot afford to be down played or criticized in a negative manner based on the choices they make. Additionally, journalist have been criticized for their role in news reporting because they are usually portrayed as the bad guys. Anil Dash also noted that the more attention or emotional appeal one thing gets, the more influence that thing has. In our society, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other social media platforms have played an influential role in societal movements, such as the presidential election. Additionally, the podcast touched on a very deep and opinionated topic related to data and how it is used. Data and numbers are sometimes used by outside entities without prior knowledge as to how the numbers were obtained and its intended results. Additionally, outside entities have been known to publish data even if they weren't statistically significant, but matched their ideas. This statement demonstrates Dash's views on the topic of technology as technology is used or portrayed in such a way that is compelling to its users. Technology provides the user the freedom to explore or associate themselves in a way that best fits their identity. However, I do not agree with the statement that kids should have a cell phone by the age of 14. This is because I believe cell phones can actually harms ones health rather than improve it. Yes, technology is evolving but why is it taking over our culture and changing the our lives even though our ancestors had lived for thousands of years without the advancement in technology we have now. Why change now? That's my view... However, I do agree with Dash's closing statement that technology such as electronics and vaccines is new, but not all technology is new. Instead, technology has evolved and we are responsible for its everlasting and its intended purpose.

Bibliography:
Anil Dash: Tech's Moral Reckoning. Interview Link

Philosophy of Technology - Resource Notes

Technology is described as a non-naturally occurring object that is nowadays at out our disposal at anytime. This easy access can not only be good but bad, depending on how it is used. Technology such as the internet or cell phones provide us with the ability to communicate faster and easier. However, this advancement also bring about consequences such as cyber bullying and cyber terror attacks. Because of this, advancement in technology should always be taken with caution and have the ability to identify the problems that may arise from it implementation in society.  Also, it is important to note what tools or products are deemed to be technology, and the questions these tools and products bring about. It brings rise to the nature of knowledge (technical knowledge vs. technical explanation), metaphysical questions (what is real, natural, and/or artificial), moral questions (appropriate uses and consequences it brings), and political questions (how they are developed, administered, and alters relationships). Lastly, technology should be thought of as a socially constructed reality, or a product of human creations.

Would you press this not knowing what could happen but your life depended on you pushing it?

(Big Red Button by Wtodi. Shared under CC BY-NC 2.0. Web Source: Flickr)

Biblography: 

Kaplan, D. (Ed.) (2004). Readings in the philosophy of technology. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc. Link: Philosophy of Technology

Time Strategies

(Time Ticking Away by Images Money. Shared under CC BY-NC 2.0. Web Source: Flickr)

Time is ticking away whether or not we like it. Because of this our time on Earth is valuable and shouldn't be taken for granted. These point were reemphasized in both of the articles I read for this blog. The two articles were The Myth of Too Busy by Tim Grahl and The Important Habit of Just Starting by Jory Mackay. In the article by Tim Grahl, he suggests we stop using the word busy and restructure our daily lives to account for circumstances that may arise. By changing daily habits, life will begin to free up and seem less chaotic. In addition, Jory Mackay suggested to prioritize tasks in a strategic manner relating to the amount of time the task needs and its return on investment. In other words, completion of at task for a short-time reward might not be as great as a lot of time for a huge pay-off reward in the future. This all comes down to a person's values and willingness to sacrifice for greatness in the future.

Moving on, the two articles that I read were very helpful and provided a lot of great insight into how I should change my daily habits to free up time between classes and work. I will begin to schedule out a daily plan that lays out my priorities and tasks I need to complete by the end of that day. In addition, I will try to identify days that I may have a lot of tasks to complete and change my sleep schedule to accommodate for these days when I have a lot of tasks to complete. Furthermore, my semester is way different than it has been in the past. I will be traveling 5 straight weeks starting February 15th and will have to make-up time for school and baseball. In doing so, it requires a lot of planning and thinking a head. Gratefully I usually plan a head through writing down all assignments I have for the week a head and use the weekends before to get a head start on those assignments. This has worked in the past and I don't see it not working this semester!

Thoughts On Uses of Technology

Wow... this class is going to be great! I am excited to get going and try out different tool packages. I have no prior experience with pretty much every tool that was listed under the technology tool heading. I'm looking forward to learning how to create and publish my own website, crop images, and create my own graphics. I believe learning the basics in these areas can be a great asset as I venture into the coaching field. Looking forward to a great last semester!

(The Convenience of Technology by Blue Coat Photos. Shared under CC BY-NC 2.0. Web Source: Flickr)

Assignment

As I have ventured through the syllabus and have completed some of the week 1 assignments, I believe this course is very manageable and fits great with my busy class and work schedule. I am looking forward to writing blogs each week as I believe it can help my writing style and challenge how I articulate information. In addition, I look forward to completing extra credit related to the topic of growth mindset since it is a interesting topic and one that needs to be taken with caution. This style also challenges what I believe in and might may make me rethink what I do and don't agree with. However, this class is structured completely different than any other class I have taken before. I have never been able to grade my own assignments nor have been able to choose what assignments I want to complete. Given this freedom is an honor and one that I am grateful for and won't be taken lightly. I will still try my best to provide the highest level of quality of work for my assignments, an A+.

(The Grade To Strive For by Marco Verch. Shared under CC BY-NC 2.0. Web Source: Flickr)

Applying Growth Mindset to My Life

I have heard of the term growth mindset prior to listening to Carol Dweck's three short videos on growth mindset. However, this was the first time I have heard of Carol Dweck. My experience with the term growth mindset stems from my experience with the University of Minnesota baseball team. We use this term as a player development tool for our players to keep themselves motivated throughout the season and focused on the daily process of getting the right amount of sleep, nutrition, number of repetitions, maintaining team values, etc., instead of worrying  about the now and why factors for why things are not working out. As Carol discussed in her TED talk, individuals that engage in a growth mindset that are deeply connected, learn from their mistakes, and maintained an increased effort will succeed at a higher rate than a fixed mindset individual who only cares about the outcomes. To stray away from the fixed mindset, I believe implementing the diagram below could help to promote a long-term growth mindset.

(Growth Mindset Self-Talk Diagram by Kristin Wiens. Web Source: Twitter)

As for my lifestyle, I consider to sit on the growth mindset side of the spectrum. However, I would not necessarily rank myself too high on the growth mindset side as I am a person that will do what I need to succeed the first time and with a good grade. In addition, I do not mind when things are easy but I do realize that it doesn't take much effort which takes away from growing as an individual. However, when things get tough, I am a person that perseveres and increases there effort and attention span to complete the assigned task.

Relating to my time at the U, I would say the thing that I have learned the most from is putting a greater trust in myself that I will be able to get my assignments done on-time, with quality, and a meaning behind it. Putting an ultimate effort behind all homework, projects, and exams not only helped me out in the short-term but helped me out at a later time as well.

I am always up for learning more about different topics that relate to development of individuals. Since growth mindset falls underneath this category, I am excited to learn more about growth mindset and its effects on individuals not only in the classroom but in sports as well.

At the moment, my personal learning goal is to take a few pieces of information away from the class that could eventually benefit me in the coaching field that is related to player development.

Moving on to the last bullet point, growth mindset should be implemented or used with caution. This is because of the aspect of praise that is associated with growth mindset. Kohn (2015) found through previous studies that praise can act as a determent to one's mind if it is provided at the wrong time. One example Kohn (2015) used was if compliments were only provided to a person for trying hard, then the person receiving the compliment might perceive them self as being a loser. Wormeli (2018) also believed that there is such a thing as growth mindset, however using the same interventions for everyone will not work to increase everyone's mindset in a positive manner. That means that one type of praise might work for one person, but might not worke for another. Or one type of effort might work for one person, but might not work for another. This is similar to a common psychology statement of correlation doesn't indicate causation.

Citation:

Kohn, A. (2015, August 16). The "mindset" mindset: What we miss by focusing on kids' attitudes. Retrieved from https://www.alfiekohn.org/article/mindset/

Wormeli, R. (2018, August). Grit and growth mindset: Deficit thinking? AMLE Magazine. Retrievedc from http://www.amle.org/BrowsebyTopic/DiversityandSocialEquity/DivDet/TabId/185/ArtMID/791/ArticleID/937/Grit-and-Growth-Mindset-Deficit-Thinking.aspx#.W2obHSnVZZQ.twitter

Introduction to Ryan a Kinesiology Major

(Baseball Mound Visit by Joel Dinda. Shared under CC BY-NC 2.0. Web Source: Flickr.)

I am Ryan Goll and I do not have any pets. However, I am a senior completing my degree in Kinesiology through the College of Education and Human Development. The coolest thing about my major is learning how the body works and applying the knowledge that I have learned in class to my daily life. The best class I took last semester was introduction to ice skating. This is because I was able to get back on the ice and skate for the first time since I quit playing hockey in high school. It was also because I was able to skate on a daily basis for free and obtain a quality workout. Over break I had the opportunity to attend the American Baseball Coaches Convention in Dallas, Texas. This convention brought together roughly 8,000 coaches of all levels, ranging from youth to professional baseball, to one place to talk and learn about the sport of baseball. Continuing on, the best movie I saw recently was Bird Box. Bird Box caught my attention because of its unique plot and engaging flashback scenes throughout the movie. Away from the movie scenes, I like to listen to country music because it helps me relax and soothes my mind. Another thing I like, but it pertains to food and eating, is steak with rice and cheese. My long-term goal is to become a head baseball coach for a collegiate baseball program before I am 30 years old. Additionally, I hope this opportunity lands me in a NCAA Division 1 Power 5 Conference program with the ability to lead my team to a College World Series championship. Even though this is my ultimate goal, I am going to start small and hope to land an assistant coaching position with a Division 1 program next year. To remind me where I want to be within the next eight years, I chose to attach a picture of a coach talking to his player as this is what I want to do for the rest of my life. Lastly, if I had an extra day for fun I would spend it not studying and at the baseball field coaching my players. This is because I enjoy and appreciate every minute and chance I get to be on the field impacting the lives of my players. This is why I coach and want to continue coaching post-college.

Favorite Place

(Angels Stadium of Anaheim by Staff Sgt. Chad McMeen. Web Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Angel_Stadium_of_Anaheim.jpg.)

This picture represents my holistic view of what I would consider to be my favorite place. Baseball has always seemed to make me happy and appreciative based on the opportunities I have been provided with.

(Image Information: personal photo of Siebert Field; photo from September 2017.)

A more defined favorite place at the moment is Siebert Field, which symbolizes my love for the sport of baseball. This is because baseball is right around the corner and I spend a lot of my time at this place. However, I cannot state the exact amount of time I spend at this place, but I can say it is probably a ridiculously high amount. Furthermore, the first thing people ask when they run into me on the streets or around campus is if I am coming from or running to the baseball field. Because of these few reasons, I classify Siebert Field as my favorite place at the moment.

Testing how to blog

A commonly stated statement is that you will always run into something that you have never done before. This statement pertains to this class for me because this will be my first time writing my own blogs. I am looking forward to this learning experiences and understanding how technology has and still impacts our society today.