Letters/Emails

[joeconnell]

DEPICT, MECHANISTIC, WAY, ILLUSION, DISCERN, PICTURE, EXPRESSION

Depict: portray in words; describe
Mechanistic: relating to theories which explain phenomena in purely physical or deterministic terms.
Way: a person's characteristic or habitual manner of behavior or expression
Illusion: a thing that is or is likely to be wrongly perceived or interpreted by the senses
Discern: distinguish (someone or something) with difficulty by sight or with the other senses
Picture: an impression of something formed from an account or description
Expression: the conveying of feeling in the face or voice, in a work of art, or in the performance of a piece of music

[joeconnell]

Anthony Giddens: Anthony Giddens, Baron Giddens is a British sociologist who is known for his theory of structuration and his holistic view of modern societies.

As we grow older, our social interactions begin to change. New forms of intimacy begin to disperse, but at the same time, we may become shy or worried about what others may believe us to be. The social meeting is to disperse these thoughts, and get us to be relaxed. To get together with a group of people you do not know, gets you out of your comfort zone. It gives you connections you may not of had before. It is a challenging task, but one that people will reap benefits from, for maybe the rest of their lives. It is truly a remarkable exercise. And disclaimer, it built a friendship that has lasted for the whole semester, and one that I can see for a long time after.

[joeconnell]

INTIMACY, AGENCY, EMOTION, CREATIVITY, SELF, FORM, FRIENDSHIP

Intimacy: close familiarity or friendship; closeness
Agency: action or intervention, especially such as to produce a particular effect
Emotion: instinctive or intuitive feeling as distinguished from reasoning or knowledge
Creativity: he use of the imagination or original ideas, especially in the production of an artistic work
Self: a person's essential being that distinguishes them from others, especially considered as the object of introspection or reflexive action
Form: a particular way in which a thing exists or appears; a manifestation
Friendship: the emotions or conduct of friends; the state of being friends

[joeconnell]

How do you start with a theory, and make it become something real? By finding symbols in your theory, and trying to metaphorically identify them with something else. To link theories with outside knowledge, you may not need to look directly at the theory. You may in fact, use these symbols to justify your theory, in an out of the box thinking method. That is why Sanjiv likens these to Metaphors. This is a great example of how you can describe something as something else, but understand what you are meaning by it. The theory can be about relevance, but at the same time, you can use metaphors to describe it in a different sort of way. Many movies and stories are used like this, to get a deeper meaning across. Taking notes on these and understanding these theories helps you to understand the metaphors. It is all starting to make sense.

[joeconnell]

THEORY, TERM, GENERATIVE, INFLUENCE, RESEMBLANCE, IMITATION, ANALOGY, BECOMING

Theory: a supposition or a system of ideas intended to explain something, especially one based on general principles independent of the thing to be explained
Term: a fixed or limited period for which something, e.g., office, imprisonment, or investment, lasts or is intended to last
Generative: relating to or capable of production or reproduction
Influence: the capacity to have an effect on the character, development, or behavior of someone or something, or the effect itself.
Resemblance: the state of resembling or being alike
Imitation: the action of using someone or something as a model
Analogy: a comparison between two things, typically for the purpose of explanation or clarification.
Becoming: the process of coming to be something or of passing into a state

[joeconnell]

We dove into the meaning of learning by listening and reading different points of views. By seeing what others have posted in the fishbowl, and from our interactions with our group, we are able to hear a different side of the story we are all in. No more of just listening to ourselves and only doing something our way. But there is a second aspect to this. You cannot just read or listen to someone else and call it a day. You must act on it. You must think more in-depth about it. How about compare it to your own. By seeing where you are similar and different, you can get an idea of how you and the other person or people can think. It takes courage to compare your work to others. Sometimes you may seem like you are far behind, while other times you may be ahead and not want to show off. But comparing yourself to others is a challenge you must accept at some points in your life if you would like to learn more and get out of your comfort zone much more.

[joeconnell]

GOAL, POSSIBILITY, COURAGE, MANTRA, LEARNING, CREATE, STRUCTURE, DICHOTOMY, SYMBOL, JUXTAPOSITION, COMPARE, CONTRAST

Goal: the object of a person's ambition or effort; an aim or desired result.
Possibility: a thing that may happen or be the case
Courage: the ability to do something that frightens one
Mantra: a statement or slogan repeated frequently.
Learning: the acquisition of knowledge or skills through experience, study, or by being taught.
Create: bring (something) into existence
Structure: construct or arrange according to a plan; give a pattern or organization to
Dichotomy: a division or contrast between two things that are or are represented as being opposed or entirely different
Symbol: a thing that represents or stands for something else, especially a material object representing something abstract
Juxtaposition: the fact of two things being seen or placed close together with contrasting effect
Compare: estimate, measure, or note the similarity or dissimilarity between
Contrast: the state of being strikingly different from something else in juxtaposition or close association

[joeconnell]

Brenda Laurel, Ph.D. is a video game designer and researcher. She is an advocate for diversity and inclusiveness in video games, a "pioneer in developing virtual reality", a public speaker and an academic. She is also a board member of several companies and organizations.

“In the 'world of immersion,' authorship is no longer the transmission of experience, but rather the construction of utterly personal experiences.”

I really agree with this statement. It takes a minute to think about and understand, but the quote has a great meaning behind it. Writing something is about getting your thoughts on the paper. But it is to also tell a story, and that story is what immerses the reader into the words they are reading. The more descriptive and into the story you are, the better the words jump out of the paper and give the story meaning.

When telling a story though, the reader may not know everything that happens. A story is not a true representation of what happens. Something could be left out, and the story could be a falsity.

[joeconnell]

GENERATIVE, FORMATION, NASCENT, TRANSMISSION, CONSTRUCTION, REMEMBER, FORGET, KNOW, KNOWLEDGE, CONTENT, CREATE

Generative: relating to or capable of production or reproduction
Formation: the action of forming or process of being formed
Nascent: just coming into existence and beginning to display signs of future potential.
Transmission: the action or process of transmitting something or the state of being transmitted
Construction: the creation or formation of an abstract entity
Remember: have in or be able to bring to one's mind an awareness of (someone or something that one has seen, known, or experienced in the past).
Forget: fail to remember.
Know: be aware of through observation, inquiry, or information
Knowledge: facts, information, and skills acquired by a person through experience or education; the theoretical or practical understanding of a subject
Content: in a state of peaceful happiness.
Create: bring (something) into existence.