Networking

During lectures students, myself included, tend to zone out and not listen. Well, when a professor it talking about something the student is passionate about all attention and neural receptors are turned on. What does this mean to me? Well, simply put it's a form of art, and art is an aesthetic stimulant;  this means that all the senses are operating at full capacity. A person is in a complete state of activity. The brain is active, the emotions are active, touch, sent, visual, the body is the most alive at this point. This is significant because things such as science and math, while I love them both and believe they are very important,  don't bring alive all of a person. They only stimulate the brain, unless of course the person being stimulated is passionate about science. Then, for that person the receiving of information can be considered an aesthetic experience. But, few people in fact experience more literal items as anesthetic. Meaning they numb or shut down part of the senses. This numbing is the cause of the zoning out or lack of attention to the lecturer. How can we stop anesthetizing students and begin to give them a full range of activity just by lecturing to them. Well, we can start by simply relating to the student.

I should say that I saw this post going in a completely different direction than where I am currently going, as I'm sure you could asses by the title, which I will not change because I will get there.

A professor that I currently have made a very simple statement on the first day of class that I will never forget. "You, meaning all of the students in this room, and me, being the professor, will learn through this class. I will not use a powerpoint, ever. I will not stand at the podium and read from the book while you take notes and then spit it back to me on a test and forget it later, no. I will teach you, and you me." To me, this meant a lot of different things, but most importantly it meant that I was going to like this man. Since that first class, I have learned a lot about a lot, but most importantly to me, I have learned about myself.

I just want to mention that I'm in Starbucks, and looking across the street I am watching a student who should be cleaning the kitchen, cleaning the windows instead. The university pays people to that, this means the student is trying to get out of clean up. Horribly lazy person.

Webster says that Learning is the acquisition of knowledge or skills through experience, practice, or study, or by being taught.I disagree with Webster. Am I allowed to do that? Doesn't matter. I do, so I shall. Allow me to explain myself please. When a person learns something, they are not learning through experience, practice, OR, study. They are learning through the combination of all of these factors, when a person lives they are experiencing life. Or, at least they should be. To experience something is to have practical contact with or to observe something intently. Ergo one is learning from this action because to have contact and observation of something is to not only study it, but also to practice it. It's a form of mastery. Humans need to have mastery in their lives in order to have a lead into happiness. Their are other factors, but that's a different post.

I've currently been listening to a couple of people who, as I heard from the lady's phone call before the gentleman showed up, they are meeting on a blind date in Starbucks to get to know each other. I would like to interrupt this date and tell the guy to shut up. He hasn't stopped talking about himself since I quoted Webster, the first time. I now know where this guy works, what he does, how many Facebook and Twitter friends he has, as well as his favorite TV shows and when/where his first fashion show he watched was. Why is that important? I'm not sure, but he's not getting a second date for a few reasons. He was 15 minutes late and He will not stop talking about himself.

Yes, I am the guy who likes to blog about everything.

Back to my secondary point, then to the original. This class is interactive. Students don't sit in roles at desks. We make a circle out of the chairs, or we cluster in groups. The class is ours, and we run it how we would like. My seating preference is on top of the desk. The method used for learning in this class is interactive, creative, and verbal. The topic is presented and the conversation begins. Students teach each other and the professor leads the conversations in the right direction then drives the nail home at the end. It's amazing and I wish that everyone could experience this method at least once in their life. When children begin school they are creative and free. When they finish it's like they've been sent through an assembly line in a factory and came out all the same. Their is no individual minds, no free thoughts, everything is just as the manufacturer wants it to be. This isn't how our educational system should work, it should be teaching free thought, because thought gives way to matter.
"Education is a state-controlled manufactory of echoes." Norman Douglas (1868-1952) British writer

Now, for the original purpose behind this. Networking, I was recently introduced to a theory behind networking and the place of business that I had never in all of my educational career been introduced to. Shouldn't the purpose of being educated to get a career teach you the truth about that career? I believe that it should.

Date is over, she left and he looks like a knows he screwed up. Just thought for anyone interested I would like you know.

The theory to which I was introduced is very simple. Life, is a network, but networking isn't about who you know. You could know the President of the US and it wouldn't do anything for you, unless he knows you. A person's Facebook could have 2,276.92 friends, but that does them absolutely no good unless all of those people know who the one person is. That's the trick. When you meet someone to make a memory, a lasting impression on that person. If a person remembers you, then you can call on them for as a networked contact. My new goal is to make a lasting impression on every person I meet. Even if it's the guy who screwed up on his blind date in Starbucks.

"It isn't just what you know, and it isn't just who you know. It's actually who you know, who knows you, and what you do for a living." Bob Burg

The second part of this theory is business culture based, and I think very significant to the educational process as a vital piece of information. "The employee who gets the promotion isn't the employee who does their job great, it's the person who does the job of their boss great." Meaning that to get the promotion a person must show the capacity to operate on the level of their position and also on the position that is desired. This make the higher position easier done by the person who promotes, and leads way to that person being able to "Manage up" and allows for an over all ability for a group/team to move up in the work place. This very simple theory is amazing and should be taught to every student starting in middle school where teachers are telling students to do their job well and they will be rewarded.

This new revelation in my life is leading way to many new thoughts and ideas that I believe will make a difference. By the way. I am already making way on my life's goal to change the world! I believe we can all make a change. We just have to do it one person at a time!

I hope that everyone enjoys reading and if you'd like send the link to friends, family, strangers, and random people on the street! I'm trying to think of a great way to wrap this up, but I'm not getting very far. So, I'll just say, Cheers!