Presentation List for Research-Based Creative Project and Poster Presentation

As a reminder... all students will have up to 5 minutes for each of their two in-class presentations. Exceeding the time allowed for the presentation will result in a significant reduction in the assignment grade. I would strongly recommend that you practice each of your timed presentations in front of an audience (mirror, family, friends, strangers, pets, etc.) before presenting to the class. Some individuals are excellent at extemporaneous speaking but most are terrible and the grade for these assignments is equally dependent on the content of the research/poster as on the presentation itself.

The following students will present their Research-Based Creative Project (listed as the eJournal project in the syllabus) on the following dates:

Thursday, 11/05/09
- Lisa B.
- Dani D.
- Mary W.
- Brian V.
- Janelle W.
- Kaitlyn F.
- Natyeli C.

Thursday, 11/12/09
- Rhonda B.
- Peter L.
- Joseph Z.
- Kati O.
- Scott S.
- Gina T.
- Amanda F.
- Monica B.
- Ada B.
- Cheyenne B.
- Rob W.
- Shellee K.
- Rich C.

Thursday, 11/19/09
- John Z.
- Michael G.
- Jessica W.
- Ryan K.
- Justin S.
- Andres G.
- Patrick W.


The following students will present their Poster on the following dates:

Thursday, 11/19/09
- Lisa B.
- Dani D.
- Mary W.
- Brian V.

Thursday, 12/03/09
- Janelle W.
- Kaitlyn F.
- Natyeli C.
- Rhonda B.
- Peter L.
- Joseph Z.
- Kati O.
- Scott S.
- Gina T.
- Amanda F.
- Monica B.
- Ada B.

Thursday, 12/10/09
- Cheyenne B.
- Rob W.
- Shellee K.
- Rich C.
- John Z.
- Michael G.
- Jessica W.
- Ryan K.
- Justin S.
- Andres G.
- Patrick W.

In the comments section, acknowledge that you have reviewed your assigned presentation dates and indicate if you would prefer to swap dates with someone else or keep your dates.
Deadline to comment is Sunday, 11/01/2009, 11:59pm

Navigating Your ePortfolio

Jason Buckner with CDWS joined us in class last week to discuss the ePortfolio and provide an overview on navigating and building the ePortfolio. In class, I indicated there were 5 tutorials covering the following topics:

1) Using the Matrix
2) Creating Your About Me Page
3) Making Headlines
4) Making Your Online Resume
5) Creating Your Presentation

Do The Following:

1) Log into myUCF. Toward the top of the page you will see grey-colored tabs, the last one on the right is labeled "Online Course Tools."
2) Click on the Online Course Tools tab.
3) Scroll toward the bottom of the page and locate the "ePortfolio@UCF" section on the right side.
4) Watch all five tutorials (or read the .pdf files) by clicking the green-colored film strip icon or clicking the red and white PDF icon to the right of each topic - making sure to practice the tutorials until you are familiar with the content discussed in each tutorial.

In the comments section, post any questions you may have based on reviewing the tutorials.


Deadline to comment is Thursday, 10/29/2009, 11:59am

No Course Blog Assignments due Sunday, 10/25/09

The next round of Course Blog Assignments will be due Thursday, 10/29/09

The Big Deal on Small Talk

A significant focus of this course has been on the value of effective communication. We've completed a number of writing assignments in class and on the Course Blog focused on the 50-word essay (much to the delight or chagrin of most of you) but let's now shift the focus to oral communication and social interactions for a bit.

Julia Feldmeier discusses the essentials of initial social communication etiquette (small talk) in her article, The Art of Small Talk, from The Washington Post, 02/10/08

Read the article at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2008/02/08/ST2008020801605.html

CareerBuilder.com also provides some context for the importance of and tips for making small talk (via CNN.com, 03/04/05) in their article titled, 12 Tips for Making Small Talk.

Read the article at: http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/Careers/03/03/small.talk/index.html

In the comments section, respond to the following prompts:

1) List 5 topics of conversation that you would feel comfortable using as icebreakers that would lead to small talk.

2) List as many nonverbal cues as you are familiar with that may signal a change in the flow of the conversation.

3) List 3-4 appropriate exit strategies for politely ending a conversation.

Deadline to comment is Thursday, 10/22/2009, 11:59am

David Hanson's "Robots that show emotion" lecture

Following up our discussion in class this past Thursday on empathy (and to a lesser extent, technology and automation)... watch the following lecture and think critically about the future.



In the comments section, take into consideration Pink's position when answering the following questions:

1) What impact, if any, do you believe empathetic robots will have in the future? In what industries?

2) Do you believe there are any ethical concerns in the creation of empathetic robots?

3) What impact does the creation of empathetic robots have on Pink's forecast of the future?

Deadline to comment is Thursday, 10/22/2009, 11:59am

"Success is a Continuous Journey" lecture

Volumes have been written in the business community on the keys to success. Watch the following lecture by Richard St. John on his rise to, fall from, and subsequent rise back to success.



In the comments section, answer the following questions:

1) Do your personal steps to success match Richard's? In what ways are they similar/different?

2) What steps can one take to maintain success once achieved?

3) How do you define success? How will you know when you've achieved it?

Deadline to comment is Sunday, 10/18/2009, 11:59pm

Where Do I Stand?

In class last week 10/08/09, I promised I would have your intermediate grade available in advance of the withdrawal deadline for the Fall term.

In the comments section, list your name and Knightsmail e-mail address and I will forward a breakdown of your grades as of Monday 10/12/09. If you have any questions based on the information you receive, visit me during office hours and we can discuss further.

Deadline to comment is Sunday, 10/18/2009, 11:59pm

Sign-up for Research-based Creative Project

In class last week 10/08/09, we discussed the presentation dates of the research-based creative project as Thursday 11/05/09, 11/12/09, and 11/19/09.

In the comments section, indicate your preference for the date on which you would prefer to present - indicate 1st, 2nd, and 3rd choices. If you have no preference, indicate such.

Deadline to comment is Sunday, 10/18/2009, 11:59pm

No Course Blog Assignments due Thursday, 10/15/09

The next round of Course Blog Assignments will be due Sunday, 10/18/09

I will be providing current grades for students on Thursday during class in advance of the withdrawal deadline.

Dan Pink's "Science of Motivation" lecture

Dan Pink appears on the TED stage to host a talk on the science of motivation. Using research findings from behavioral economists, Pink offers a prescriptive view of how to improve motivation from a management perspective. As you prepare for graduation and life beyond college, consider your role as a future leader within your chosen field and reflect on how you will use this knowledge of motivation as you embark on your career path.

Watch the video and answer the questions below in the comments section.



In the comments section, answer the following questions:
1) Did you find the research findings of the behavioral economists cited by Pink to be intuitive? Why or why not?
2) In what field(s) do you believe the ROWE model may work best? Why?
3) Given the findings and the recommendations made by Pink, in what way(s) do you anticipate using this information once you attain a leadership role within your organization?


Deadline to comment is Sunday, 10/11/2009, 11:59pm

"Needed: a New Generation of Problem Solvers" article

The Chronicle of Higher Education, a publication focused on the world of post-secondary education and educators, ran an article [Needed: a New Generation of Problem Solvers] in their June 26, 2009 edition where the authors cite complex and interconnected global problems to support the International Commission on Education for Sustainable Development Practice's three recommendations for higher education and beyond.

Read the article at: http://chronicle.com/weekly/v55/i40/40a06401.htm

Note: to access this article, you may need to be on UCF's network either through a wi-fi connection or via one of the computers in the computer lab.

In the comments section, answer the following questions:
1) In what ways does the Commission's recommendations support or refute the need for interdisciplinary education and training?
2) Who would benefit most from the M.D.P. program? Would you benefit from this program? Why/why not?
3) Should colleges and universities adopt this M.D.P. model or seek to create a graduate program that is uniquely tailored to the mission of their institution? Why/why not?

Deadline to comment is Sunday, 10/11/2009, 11:59pm

Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor's "Stroke of Insight" lecture

Dan Pink's A Whole New Mind talks about the two hemispheres of the brain and what functions they serve. Watch this video of Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor, a Harvard-trained and published neuroanatomist who serves as the National Spokesperson for the Harvard Brain Tissue Resource Center (among other things), as she recounts her experience with a severe hemorrhage in the left hemisphere of her brain.

Note: there is an actual brain shown as part of the presentation from 2:40 to 3:50 as Dr. Taylor discusses the parts and functions of the brain. If you are squeamish, keep listening as the discussion is informative but stare at the ceiling for about a minute and then resume watching.



In the comments section, answer the following questions:
1) How does Dr. Taylor's discussion relate to the information presented by Dan Pink?
2) What impact would you expect if Dr. Taylor had a hemorrhage in her right hemisphere instead of her left?
3) How do you feel about Dr. Taylor's overall presentation?

Deadline to comment is Sunday, 10/11/2009, 11:59pm

No Course Blog Assignments due Thursday, 10/08/09

The next round of Course Blog Assignments will be due Sunday, 10/11/09

Does Knowledge Matter if it is Not on the Test?

Your Capstone course features several projects and ongoing academic responsibilities but no "tests" per se. I hear the concern/criticism all too often that students have to read books and listen to lectures but the material they are learning is not always tested in the course. This may lead one to question why would students be required to learn anything which would not be assessed via quiz, paper, project, or examination.

The following music video captures the spirit and sentiment of so many educators (especially since state-wide standardized testing began influencing budgetary decisions)...




No comments required for this post, just consider that learning is always the goal, not testing.

Have a good weekend and keep working on those research-based creative project ideas (& your Mentorship Blog, reading Pink's A Whole New Mind, and practicing your effective communication skills for your service experience).

Research-Based Creative Project Idea Incubator

We spent quite a bit of time toward the end of class this past Thursday discussing the research-based creative project that will be due toward the end of the semester. I had asked you to consider research related to your chosen field of endeavor tied with UCF's Unifying Theme: Globate Climate Change (in essence, researching an aspect of how your field impacts the environment or how the environment impacts your field - and creating a research-based creative project based on your research).

In the comments section, indicate:

1) What are your draft research topics (i.e. what do you think you'd like to research)?

2) What media (electronic, print, sculpture, painting, etc.) are you considering for your creative project?

Deadline to comment is Sunday, 10/04/2009, 11:59pm