Tag Archives: reflecting on

activity

some of my PhD truths: there is more world than words.

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1. I LOVE what I do.

Since I was a child my dream has been to create life. My childhood is full of  designing, creating and learning stuff constantly. It puts me in “flow” to do those things.

2. Thinking is challenging.

As more I have to think, as more I understand why the majority of humans avoid doing it.

3. Writing is not easy.

I found writing especially painful because I do not have the proper basic skills. However, I will not quit. I know I am not going to be Shakespeare because writing is not in my system. I just want the basic skills to finish my PhD. Hence, now I am in the process of unlearning and learning. Perseverance!!! As Winston Churchill said: “Never give in. Never give in. Never, Never, Never.”

Ok, I am also asking for a miracle, otherwise I will die in the process to be honest.

3. The PhD process has helped me to discover myself.

To learn to focus is VERY HARD. I think is challenging for any PhD student. But, I think it is a relevant process that contributes to a self-discovery too.

4. I am thankful when referees of my work give constructive comments.

Constructive comments, promotes healthy growth. Thanks to one of my referees, I got to know Nigel Cross. After I read one of his books, a big smile emerged. Today I can articulate one of my strengths: I am good in design.

My supervisor, Erkki, told me about my strength earlier. But I was not able to understand him. Perhaps, I was not ready to understand. Honestly and as surprisingly as it might sound, it has taken me decades to realize that I like to design, and that I am good at it. Anyway, better later than never 😉

Now I can identify with other designers. Yes, I think on paper as they do. I specially identify with this quote:

“The way designer work may be inexplicable, no for some romantic or mystical reason, but simply because these processes lie outside the bounds of verbal discourse: they are literally indescribable in linguistic terms.”

I FULLY AGREE!!!!  One sketch can say much more than a whole book. There are experiences that cannot be put in word, one must only live them.

I see solutions, and I work in a cyclic process of discovery solution-challenges. For me things are not linear, are cyclic and dimensional, and bunch of other stuff which I cannot articulate.

Actually, even philosophers such as Burke had already expressed how words put limits. This quote of him gets in my heart:

“Even if a given terminology is a reflection of reality, by its very nature as a terminology it must be a selection of reality; and to this extent it must function also as a deflection of reality”.

Yes, I admire anyone who has the gift of the words. But let’s be honest, different types of intelligence exist. I guess at some point science will have to contemplate other ways to show scientific contribution besides just using the words. Ok, I know it will not happen in my time, thus I have to succeed within the traditional school. But I hope time will come and things will evolve.

To finalize a video of a talented friend, Franci Cronje, which I think it matches this post. She has another perspective, but it also gives food for the though.

use of technology and creativity – section introduction

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Without a doubt my blog deserves this section of “use of technology and creativity”, but let me put it in perspective first, as I do not refer to using it only for using it.

From my perspective, we construct our reality; therefore we constantly are interpreting meaning and motives of all what each one of us do.  In this process of creating meaning, our society and culture occupies a significant role. In research terms, my way of thinking and analyze phenomena is subscribed to a social constructivist paradigm, and most of my reflections are sustained on  Vygostky’s Activity Theory.

Besides the “theory” behind my way of thinking, I am also a believer of the strong relationships of the use of the technology and creativity with the specific location and situation due to what I  had seen and experience in my volunteer_nomadic_life. It is not surprising to see the  “same” artifact, but they turn only meaningful and understandable when you immerse yourself in that specific world in which they are used.

Anyway, this section /category is going to be enjoyable at least for me 😉

ut&c

use of technoloy and creativity under AT

all of us are guilty at some level

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In October I wrote about some of my reflections about natural disasters and our behaviors. This topic affects me deeply.

Today is Haiti.

Since I first read the notice of the earthquake, I had been following closely. Maybe this time I identify a bit more as I lived the earthquake of Mexico ’85 on a fifth floor of a building.

My impotence and anger increases, not only for the wish to be helpful now, but because this is the result of SELFISHNESS and NEGLIGENCE, driven by POWER, CORRUPTION and CONSUMPTION.   And, from my perspective, ALL of us are GUILTY.

The first simple common sense idea to support my claims is:  aren’t we able to produce quality in our constructions? The shaking of the earth is not the problem, the problem is the low quality constructions of shelters, or the lack of proper maintenance. We know it – Governments listen:  stealing the money or safe money of quality shelters has a high price.

Wondering….

….Wondering why people use the common resources no for the quality and improvement of the community, instead to seek cheap and fast solutions?

(I might assume that the “next” elections might have an answer)

….  Wondering why do we keep on supporting no-sustainable solutions? Example of this is the over populated cities instead to promote quality of life in harmonize medium and small communities.

(I might assume that macro-economy might have an answer)

….  Wondering why do we have to consume what we do not need? Do we need 20 pairs of ‘cheaper’ shoes made of plastic that makes them disposable and promote consumption using our no removable natural resources, or we need two pairs of quality shoes which even might last longer with local removable resources.

All our scope of  “needs” can go through the same reflection: do we need to eat meat daily?  Can you cultivate our own salad?

A growing list of painful questions increases in my head and in my heart daily. And with tragic human events that could be avoid, the query process increases exponentially… why? why? why?  🙁 .

With Haiti I just confirm: our self-generated destruction process is growing faster than we are even aware of it. This involves all of us and it will affect all of us.

Less quantity, more quality and beyond this more self-responsibility. Most of today’s catastrophes, of the human race and of our planet, are the result of our socio-economical-system that we created and it is  destroying us.

More will come related to this topic, because the dead of thousands of people from the last natural disasters (or even millions if we start to add) cannot be only a piece of consuming sensationalist news. We should reflect seriously about this and beyond that take action to change the trend.

I can’t write more about this at this moment, I must finalize my commitment with my thesis first. Be my best and give my best effort is the primary way to contribute for a change

pain

peaceful pain

Photos source: entre luces y camaras.

research basics: ethics and philosophy.

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If one wants to be a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) two things must be present in the basic foundations of this path, according to my actual perspective.  Both of this elements I am learning them in a very hard way, as I was clueless about them and no-one guide me about them.  Those two essentials research basics are: Research philosophy and Publication-Ethics. Both are equally important.

First element: Research Philosophy

Seldom one  hears/reads researchers’ awareness about this. Actually, even I wonder how many PhD students have re-read at least partially some of the research classics lectures (Plato, Socrates, etc.). In this University, where several PhD students are enroll. It is not only if one reads classics or not, the whole research should be anchor in some philosophy, why are we doing what we are doing? and/or so what? This is as important as clear and focus research questions, which by the way are related.

Location of the philosophical classics at our University. A VERY hidden and secure place in some corner at the library.

(Photo: Location of the philosophical classics at our University. A VERY hidden and secure place in some corner at the library)

Second element: Publication-Ethics

My ignorance in this topic and the lack of guidance I have and had, made me done ethical mistakes. I am learning slowly and in a hard-painful way not only for me, but also for people that I respect and I work with.

One should be very clear of one’s research, one’s responsibilities and obligations as researcher and of the well establish ethics of the research community. Each publication that one does it is not a superficial outcome to add in a CV, as sometimes a system wants us to believe, or as I though it was.

Each paper involves much work, reflection, knowledge, time, values, that it is a concrete outcome of how we are growing as researchers within a research community. Each publication must be in harmony with several dimensions (personal, team, university, community, etc.). Authorship, contributions, ideas, how the paper is written, the integrity of the document, etc. all these has a weight.

From my perspective, any researcher should understand these two basic elements and promote them to truly support the grow of knowledge of everybody.  I am learning this, as other things. I am not an expert yet but today I want to make public that I know the relevance of this facts, and I subscribe to improve this practice.

Photos: old articles, old books, old thoughs… maybe we should reflect that what is old is actually our basics before we forget them completely….

when mind and heart are in conflict

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Three main points create me conflict and/or impotence:

1) Digital technology is a powerful and fragile tool.

One of the reasons why I see it powerful is because it can connect ideas, reflections, experiences, without physical boundaries. One reason why I think it is fragile is because without infrastructure (besides accessibility and know how) is useless.

A pencil or even a crayon is less fragile than a mobile phone. For example it can survive better natural disasters than a whole wireless or electricity network require for a mobile phone to work. Things to think about….

2) We see only what we want to see, and what media allows us to see.

In the transition from Sept to October 2009, millions of lives have been changed due to natural disasters just in Asia alone. My records only have the following events:

Those are only few tragedies, no idea how many are present. And yes I know natural disasters are always present, I shouldn’t get that surprise someone could say.

But what makes me wonder today is the press (at least the one that I usually read) hardly cover these events. Those sources of information are focusing in other matters as politics and fraud. Hmmmm…. if I remember well in December 2004, with the Tsunami where citizens of several western countries were victims, the same press I read had bigger coverage about this. I do not want to speculate, but…

… from what we are “allow” to see, we only see what we can see and want to see.

3) We have information about climate change through digital and not digital formats. But how many of this information indicates how to change our behaviors to diminish this.

Wondering who generates most of the CO2? who are the ones who demand more raw material to produce “x”? Who are the ones who flight? who are the ones who waste heater and air conditioner in their houses? Who consumes most of the meat produced overseas? Who are the ones who use driers? who uses a car only for one person? how many products wrap with layers of plastic do we buy?, who produces most of the e-Waste? ….

And when I find articles as “Debate Follows Bills to Remove Clotheslines Bans” I do not know if I should laugh or cry.

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*** Summarizing…

Each one of our actions are like a grain of sand. One grain might look insignificant, but all together form wonderful beaches. The same happened with disasters.

Even that I am a privilege person and have access to quality of information about how to be a better human for my planet, and I want to help and do things right. My trace of CO2 surely supports the actual disasters in Asia, and other countries….. I declare myself guilty 🙁

No related to environment, but related with lack of understanding to take proper action. This year I have 8 papers rejected in a row. I appreciate the referees’ feedback as they had stressed that focus is my main problem. I knew it, but I can’t fix it yet. Should I declare myself guilty too?

*** All these makes me think….

It is not enough to get the information on how to improve something. It needs to be adapted to the reality of the listener, to support as much as possible the understanding of such information. Learners are smart, and if it is close to their ZPD they will do fine and get into proper action.

But how can I change/improve “X” if the information that I seemed to understand is not linked to my reality?, less to the ZPD.   The clearer this information is adapted to my reality, the possibility increases to get close to my ZPD, and then move in some direction instead to follow an inertia.

It is not matter that others do my job or live my life, or lecture me about something. I want to understand how to improve and do things. I would imagine this happens with all the topics, and with all the persons.

*** Do not give up….

If I succeed with myself one day, I am optimistic that maybe I could support others to success by themselves afterward.

My research, baptized as Hypercontextualized Game, seeks to create awareness in-site about specific subject matter. It is paradoxical, right?  I want to be an expert of my weakest side.

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Then, my conflict makes me feel helpless when I know with my mind and my heart that something must be done. I kind of figure it out a proposal to take action to solve something, but I can’t succeed to make my message clear neither match my actions with my intentions.

My conflict makes me feel helpless when I see how humans are working constantly to make of our planet a mess. I do not understand humans and I do not want to do the same, but at the end I am one of them doing the same 🙁

Image source: Rachmat Lianda