Personal Learning

Personal Learning

The foundation of the internet has facilitated communication modes worldwide and it is interesting to note that like in different fields of activity, the World Wide Web has also made suitable contributions in the world of education by aiding the development of online educational courses. Online learning has in the recent times spread beyond geographical boundaries and it has been noticed that currently the online education industry is worth about 38 billion euros.
Online learning includes the imparting of knowledge with the aid of various software applications like the learning management systems, course management systems and virtual learning environments which provide the necessary infrastructure to aid in the interaction between the tutors and the students.
Personal learning environments are considered as parallel systems which aid in the functioning of online learning courses by means of providing the learners with a set of tools which help them is self-assessment by means of three major methods. These include setting personal targets, organizing the contents and therefore the entire process and finally interacting with others within the learning process.
The personal learning environments are facilitated by the presence of various networking protocols like those of syndication, peer-to-peer and web services which allow the coming together pf various resources within this personal learning space. Moreover, often in this personal learning environment the use of social networking sites are implemented. These sites aid considerably in increasing peer-to-peer interactions and also help to extend the cause of online education across geographical boundaries.
It is to be borne in mind that in personal learning environment both official and unofficial modes of training as a means are incorporated within the process of personal learning. It was in the year 2000 that the earliest of the personal learning environment systems was introduced.
It was known as Colloquia. However, it is necessary to point out that in Colloquia, personalization was still restricted though it was possible for both the students and the teachers to make necessary contributions to any activity or sub activity. Later peer-to-peer networking was also introduced in Colloquia. It was in late 2004 that the term 'personal learning environments' was first used and since then these environments have contributed immensely to the cause of online learning.

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Multiple Inteligences

Multiple Inteligences

Since the release of Howard Gardner's groundbreaking research on multiple intelligences in 1983, he and other researchers have conducted numerous studies on the ability of the human brain to learn in various ways. By focusing on Gardner's eight areas, facilitators and trainers can enhance the learning opportunity for participants by offering something that will capture and hold the interest of all learners. To do this workshop activities, content and materials should include elements that will address the following eight intelligences.
1. Musical/Rhythmic Intelligence. This intelligence allows someone to create or compose music and to understand, interpret and appreciate it. In your workshop, you can address this intelligence by engaging learners using music before the session, during breaks, and as background music during small group activities.
2. Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence. A second intelligence gives learners the ability to solve problems or manipulate items using their own bodies or parts of the body. To tap this intelligence during learning events, use physical activity to engage brain neurons and help stimulate learning. Additionally, you can place toys or other props on tables and allow learners to manipulate them quietly throughout the session. This can help them address their kinesthetic need.
3. Logical-Mathematical Intelligence. This intelligence involves the ability to reason, calculate, think in a logical manner, and process information.
4. Linguistic Intelligence. In order to engage learners with this type of intelligence, provide occasions in which learners have to read, analyze, discuss and present their thoughts and ideas about issues posed in the session.
5. Visual/Spatial Intelligence. The ability to think in pictures and to visualize a conclusion or result is Gardner's fifth intelligence. You can build in visualization activities in which you play soft background music while learners close their eyes and visualize situations that you describe.
6. Interpersonal Intelligence. This intelligence is crucial for understanding others, their emotions, traits, and abilities, and how best to interact with people.
Teambuilding activities that allow learners to share information, solve problems, and make decisions all provide opportunity for learners to work together and exchange ideas and information. Such activities strengthen potential bonds among learners, help expand their resource network, and allow them to practice their communication skills.
You can also use friendly competition such as timed events in which learners solve puzzles, answer questions, or accomplish a task in small groups. Give small session-related prizes to volunteers and winners in such events in order to add fun and address some of the motivational needs of learners.
7. Intrapersonal Intelligence. The seventh intelligence provides learners the ability to form accurate self-perceptions and use the knowledge to function effectively throughout life.
Build in self-assessment activities that include the use of professional behavioral style instruments such as, the Personal Profile System (PPS) or Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). These tools help learners identify key personality or behavioral styles.
8. Naturalistic Intelligence. Gardner's last intelligence involves the ability to observe, understand, and classify patterns in nature and to become more aware of ones natural environment. People with this intelligence interact well with nature, in environments in which they grow and nurture things and animals.
You can tap this intelligence of your learners by providing opportunities in which explore their natural environment. Allow a timed period in which learners search for them individually or as a team. To do this, hide strips of flip chart paper with the session learning objectives on them and allow learners to find them.

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Use Your Brain

Use Your Brain

There are martial arts dojos (roughly translated, the Japanese word for gymnasium) in virtually every community in the United States. As the need for self-defense training has increased, the supply has also increased to meet the demand.

Women, driven by the need to manage their own safety issues more effectively, are flocking to martial arts teachers in droves. Whereas there were few ranked women, now well-trained females are holding their own in what was a male dominated field. In addition to martial arts studios owned and operated by men, women are opening their own dojos, as well as providing group and private self-defense instruction.
Before signing up for an expensive series of lessons, do some self-assessment and some shopping around. Here are a few points to consider.

• How is your overall health? Are your bones becoming brittle? Are you willing to engage in physical contact and get sweaty? Some women will not get training because they don't want to mess up their hair or break a nail. For many, the improvement in their personal self-defense quotient makes it worth the risk.

• Consider beginning with a limited series of self-defense classes as opposed to running full force into a bona fide martial art. The training available at many dojos is viewed in terms of decades' worth of training instead of a simple series of lessons. Having said that, the mental training is every bit as valuable as the physical training.

When her husband was attending a martial arts training camp in Chicago, a petite blonde in her early 30s spent some time doing the museums and enjoying the waterfront. As she was driving, searching for a space, she caught sight of two men loitering near the front of a building across the street from where she finally began parking. While she was maneuvering, the men left the building and crossed the street just behind her vehicle. Using the external mirrors, she watched one of the men saunter past, but the other did not, nor did he emerge from behind the van going in another direction. Just as she turned off the motor she glimpsed his shadow. He was crouched low, waiting by the back bumper.

Rather than get out and take her chances, she restarted the motor. As she drove away the two men stood together in the parking space she had just vacated, shouting and making obscene gestures in her direction.

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Five Self-Leadership Principles

Five Self-Leadership Principles

Millions of dollars are spent annually on leadership development and yet leadership challenges are the bane of many organizations. The same leadership principles that allow effective leaders to elicit great results from followers can assist an individual to identify and implement steps to maximize his or her potential. The purposeful, organized application of leadership principles to self-development is called self-leadership. People who approach their development in this manner position themselves for resounding personal and professional success.
Self-discovery. Imagine if Mozart never discovered his musical talent, or if Picasso died oblivious of his artistic skills. Factual information about the human nature will be identified and a framework for self-discovery developed from it.Every person has a gift or talent. The essence of self-discovery is to identify your natural talent.
The following five tenets of preparation will put you in optimal position for getting the most out of your talent:
a. Lead a disciplined life.
It overrides self-indulgence, laziness, wanton desire, and other similarly debilitating conditions. Discipline maximizes efficiency in that things are always done at set times. A disciplined person is credible and trustworthy as his word and action always match up. Without discipline, the other tenets will yield suboptimal results.
b. Embrace lifelong learning.
Your talent will take you places, but not before it´s been discovered and refined. The self-discovery principle emphasizes snatching every opportunity to apply your abilities. Had you not taken the time to acquire the knowledge you utilize in your career or vocation, how would your life be different? By the same token, consider the leading voices in your field, individuals who possess the same gift as you. What do they know that you don´t?
c. Always strive for excellence.
Excellence demands that you make the most of opportunities to hone existing skills and acquire new ones. It requires a desire to experiment with new ideas. Excellence-minded people are not averse to change. They see it as a chance to test and further develop their innate ability.
d. Get an early start.
Reaching your potential requires such commitment, tenacity, and time commitment that last-ditch efforts only can´t accomplish.
e. Be ready for the unexpected.
Relentless preparation is the most effective approach to managing the unknown. It minimizes the tendency to be distracted by a potential threat and increases the chances of having a desirable outcome.