Inside Out: Outside In

I chose Dr. Zachary Oliver’s book (2010), Falling but Fulfilled: Reflections on Multiple Intelligences for my selected book for this exercise.  My first chosen quotation for reflection is: “As with any research into human beings, the truths we discover always seem most rich as we look both into our own experience and then look for acknowledgment from the experience in the world” (Oliver, 2010, pp. 9-10).

My reflection of this quote begins with the experience of oneself and of our fellow human beings.  When I think about finding out the truth from experience, experiential learning comes to mind.  In a landmark book on experiential learning as titled Experiential Learning: Experience as the Source of Learning and Development, Kolb (1984) defined experiential learning to be “the process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of experience.  Knowledge results from the combination of grasping and transforming experience” (p. 41).  An observable key strength of experiential learning is its effectiveness given the context of Bloom’s taxonomy. 

In a number of our doctoral courses, Dr. Oliver has discussed Bloom’s taxonomy to be the process of moving from lower order to higher order learning.  Lower order learning involves (a) knowledge acquisition and memory retention, (b) comprehension, and (c) application.  Higher order learning involves (a) analysis, (b) synthesis, and (c) evaluation.  Notably, synthesis results from multiple loops of lower order learning and analysis along with the reflection of application.  In other words, evaluation occurs almost simultaneously with synthesis and involves multiple syntheses.

In a book as titled as Mastering Business in Asia: Supply Chain Management, Kim (2005) addressed how Bloom's taxonomy relates to experiential learning.  Kim contended that multiple experiential learning loops enable a system (e.g., supply chain, firm) to avert past misgivings as these kinds of learning approaches further enhance a system’s processes.  In other words, Kim pointed out that evaluation to overcome the potentiality of failure involves multiple and repetitious experiential learning processes.  Thus, the power of evaluation is contextual on experiential learning, especially multiple loops of learning opportunity.  Notably, Dr. Oliver explained that a research effort is relative to the analysis in Bloom’s taxonomy.  Only multiple research efforts on a given research question or phenomenon can yield an actual evaluation… This is most certainly a hint to my last area of reflection for the selected quotation.

The part on seeking the truth from Dr. Oliver’s aforementioned quote is relative to scientific research.  The term epistemology relative toward understanding the nature of knowledge comes to mind when I think about research.  From what I continue to learn in these doctoral courses, inquiry in “contributing to the body of knowledge” in a particular field or scholarly discipline (e.g., social science) is relative to a research effort.  Furthermore, a research effort involves ascertaining truth by methodically pursuing a research question.  An example of a research question is: Do graduate students perceive themselves to be experiential learners?

Well, the somewhat detailed reflection and explanation of experiential learning and research is quite a “mouthful” to swallow in terms of knowledge acquisition.  Rather than merely seeking knowledge (i.e., knowledge acquisition), the key point to Dr. Oliver’s aforementioned quotation is about understanding the deeper meaning of the truths from experience-based learning, whether it be from oneself or others.  In other words, truth is best learned by numerous life experiences, which enables reflection so that one can understand the deeper meaning of life and the information from one’s surroundings.

Michelle Harada

Problems teach us better questions...

“Each situation in life represents a challenge to man and presents a problem for him to solve, the question of the meaning of life may actually be reversed. Ultimately, man should not ask what the meaning of life is, but rather he must recognize that it is he who is asked. In a word, each man is questioned by life; and he can only respond by being responsible. Responsibleness is the very essence of human existence.”

 

-Victor Frankl

In “A Man’s Search for Meaning,” Victor Frankl spoke about human life being divided much like frames in a movie.  Frankl explained that we cannot understand a whole movie from watching a part of it.  The end of the movie is where we receive the clarity in meaning. The same holds true for life.

Before reading Frankl’s book, I was a goal setter and achiever.  I had already achieved many great feats to include, a master degree - despite my disability, four years in the Marine Corps, gazed at two of the seven wonders of the world, overcame my fear of heights through rock climbing, and completed two 70.3 triathlons when I did not know how to swim, bike, or run.  I had to learn how to do these activities from the perspective of a triathlete. I had more goals set in the future to include the Ironman World Championships, see the rest of the wonders of the world, ascend the 7 summits, and earn a Doctorate degree. It was very exciting to look to the past and the future.

However, I felt unfulfilled in the current moment.  This was a sobering as I sat in a desert wash alone, in the bottom of the Grand Canyon, in the middle of the Mohave Desert.   I reflected on the past and realized at every moment I was not truly happy. Just like this moment.  How could I feel happy about my reflections of the past and future, but not be happy during any of the moments?  This caused me to ask many questions: What is the point? What am I here for? Why do I have all these goals?  Do I have delusions about my own happiness?  Is God really God? Am I really Christian?  How do I feel about love? What is happiness really? Is there such a thing as a soul mate? What about past lives? What is reality? I decided to stop setting goals and search for meaning inside myself. Two years into my amazing journey, I read Frankl’s book.  

After reading the quote above, my life changed completely. This was the point where the knowledge I had about my outside search for meaning became inner meaning.  Meditation did not have to be the only time I lived in the moment.  I saw the significance in every moment. In the past, I always searched for the end of the movie.  I rushed through life seeing every moment as being insignificant but only as a set up for the next. I had to rush and get this moment done so I could move to the next one.  I was always in a hurry! I was never satisfied with what was occurring now.  I never enjoyed riding my bike, swimming in the ocean, or just simply taking a shower.  Everything was a means to an end.

Now, I truly practice that every moment is significant.  I look at every moment and see the miracles in it.  As I take a shower, I feel the warm water on my skin; I dry off and give thanks for that part of my body; I reflect when I walk; I feel all my feelings, and the list goes on.  I now have the answer and feel very happy in my moments.  In closing, Dr. Oliver stated in class that all great answers lead to more great questions.  And so, Dr Frankl’s answer led me to more great questions in which I am happily on a path to answer.  I begin a new journey where fulfillment is not the goal but the feelings of unfulfillment is the question in itself.  What is the answer? Ask yourself… Go ahead.  Do it…

Amber Stubbs

...broken into pieces...

“Leadership hath been broken into pieces” John Wildman, 1648

From the book: Leaders The Strategies for Taking Charge

There is no one hard and fast way to describe leadership and its meaning.  We can debate who makes a good leader, and what criteria we use to describe the perfect leader.  We do know that leaders do need some basic components to be effective in guiding individuals, organizations and companies.  We also know that leaders need vision, the ability to motivate, and at times be persuasive in working with people. 

One way we can define leaders is that leaders must have the ability to get the maximum effort out of the people they are charged with leading and must be able to reach the goals that are set forth by the organization, companies, or its followers.  Some say that leadership is a learned trait that can be taught. Others may argue that leadership comes from within, we may be predisposed or have a biological make up to become leaders.  Some may say that their peers or colleagues appoint leaders.  I would subscribe to the theory that leaders have a biological inheritance to become leaders.  We can teach different traits or leadership styles, and how we would handle different situations involving leaders and decision making, but leaders are born and then groomed to become effective leaders.

            Leaders use different strategies to get the results they are looking for from their followers.  Leadership strategies depend on things such as the goals of an organization, where do we see our organization a week, a month, six months or years down the road.  Leaders are challenged by which strategy they will use, what is the make up of their organization in terms of their employees, managers, and possibly investors.  Possibly, the biggest issues that comes to mind with leaders is the changing global environment and how business is being conducted.  Before, leaders would come into a room, outline where they wanted to see their organization headed, and task their managers with carrying out their wishes.  Today, leaders are using social media sites, conference calls, and other modern technology when getting their point across.  Leaders of today have lost in some ways the personal touch in dealing with people.

            “Leadership hath been broken into pieces” is a powerful statement.  Leaders use different styles, and strategies to get the outcome necessary for their organization(s).  There is not a set of prescribed bullet points leaders use, but what works at that moment, and what may work in the future.  There was probably a time when you could break leaders into one of two categories: Leaders who got the job done, and leaders who struggled to get the job done.  The latter would most likely not be a leader for long.  The best or most effective leader, needs to be able to take a piece from each of the different leadership strategies, form that in a global perspective, and use the new technology to its advantage. 

Rueben A. Ingram

Reincarnation of Blog

Aloha All,

Please excuse my absence. Life has been busy.
In the last few months, I've edited many books which will start coming out. In fact, the first one, "Almost Paradise" by Laurie Hanon is now available (at http://www.savantbooksandpublications.com/currentworks.php). It's a mystery set in Hawaii. So, for all of you curious about what life is really like here, beyond coconuts and palm trees, this fun little novel does dig a little deeper.

As far as my reason for starting the blog again: I really wanted this space to be an interesting opportunity to reflect on some of the great quotes which are floating through our various media. So, in this iteration, I've asked my doctoral students to read some books that go beyond the basic studies they are responsible for and select quotes and discuss them.

I figure this is a great opportunity for an interesting conversation for my student community to have with the wider world. I am truly impressed with the level of reflection bubbling to the surface among these students and am honored to have the opportunity to share these ideas with the world. Over the course of the next few weeks, new posts will be coming out that will be written by these awesome members of our learning community.

Z. Oliver

Love and Money

"Love without money is better than money without love."
- Warren D. Evans

This quote comes from a mentor of mine, a dear man who lives a gentle life filled with moral behavior. Yet, he has enjoyed fantastic financial success along the way.

Often, we are so ground into the negativity surrounding corporate irresponsibility and the undercurrent of avariciousness swirling around us as we seek to find stable footing in life, we find that we have absorbed a kind of negative perspective that anyone with money, anyone who has succeeded financially, must be a crook. It's both a sad and pervasive mentality which permeates the middle and low class.

I've said in these blogs before that money is not the goal of a good business, money is, instead, the measurement of how well a business maneuvers and behaves. Money is the measurement of the company's interpersonal ability.

Let's remember that business is a social act. It depends on trust, respect, and successful communication. Let me also remind us that these are all qualities that indicate love. Trust, respect, and successful communication are, after all, the hallmark of any quality marriage.

This quote is great in that it challenges me to put the first thing first. Put love before money. If I act right, then success will pursue me, not the other way around.

So, I'm going to spend tomorrow thinking about my behavior, ensuring that my behavior is a successful expression of my internal world. Of course, I will find that, in some ways, my behaviors alighn with my internal world and in others, my behaviors don't. I'm human; this is a process which I will have to repeat throughout the days and nights of my life.

It is my belief, though, that as I work to align my internal world, as I become more articulate about that which I believe, as I understand better what I have to offer the world that is unique to me, I will become an ever more capable witness of love.

I believe in the art of putting the first thing first. I guess it's time to start my Spring cleaning...
I hope everyone has a wonderfully peaceful and relaxing Sunday!

Z

An Apology

Aloha Dear Readers,

I'm sorry to have left you hanging. Everything is going well in Zachland; however, life has been extremely busy. I've been working so hard on making sure that my university job is well done so that my students will have a strong start for the semester.

On top of that, I've been editing a couple of new books. It's satisfying work, but time consuming.

So, I want to get back to my writing and to start this new flurry of bog posts out on something that falls very near and dear to my heart and to the subject matter of my latest book, "Falling but Fulfilled" using the words of a great man who taught the modern world a whole new way to conceive of itself.

"You cannot teach a man anything; you can only help him to find it for himself."
-Galileo Galilei

These words of wisdom come from the man credited to having offered us the very first solid proof that the universe does not swim languidly around the Earth. He produced the first evidence that pointed to a universe made up of a lot more moving pieces than just the parts observable by our eyes. Some people may malign him as having taken away a great sense of wonder, as the executioner of the religious age. It seems that he pointed at an even more wonderous reality that stretches unimaginable eons and speeds away from us in all directions like some slow motion existence inside a bursting explosion.

His words, here, are so elegant, so simple. He makes such a great point that effective teaching isn't about stuffing information into a person's head. Instead, learning happens when a student finds the will and joy to begin connecting with the wonders surrounding him or her in every moment of every day.

I wish for all of you that you keep yourself wide open to the experiences that await each and every one of you today, tomorrow, and every day.

Z

A New Year's Wish

Aloha Dear Readers,

Thank you for a wonderful break. I really enjoyed spending some time with my family.

A few times during the last month, I've hit on something that is a core issue of my book, my classroom philosophy, and I hope for this continued blog. Today, I received the new issue of Time magazine, opened it up, and flipped it to an article on Suu Kyi, the Burmese Nobel Peace Prize laureate. On page 32, I saw my opening quote for the year staring at me in big bold print. It is the shot into the very heart of what I'm trying to do with all of this work.

The nicest thing about this, for me, is that seeing these words coming from someone who also believes passionately in his or her work. It means I'm not crazy and that this is a worthwhile mission. It fills me with the energy to dive back in for another year and share all of this love inside of me in an effort to spread the message that learning is worthwhile as it allows us to decide carefully and clearly where and when and how we might contribute to this great human experience.

With no further ado, I leave you with the quote:

"My very top priority is for people to understand that they have the power to change things themselves."
-Suu Kyi

Happy New Year!

Z