Final reflection on The Tipping Point

Well, I'm reached the end of the book (as if I don't have 10 other books I need to start reading like today)... and here are my thoughts...

(p.176) How interesting is it that when Bell telephone company intially made telephone numbers, they wanted to shoot for the highest #... knowing that as the population increased, our need for more number sequence possibilities would also increase. With that thought, they picked 7 and 9... 7 being the amount of #'s in your phone #, and 9 including the area code. I thought that was very bright of them to think ahead and to research brain capacities --the human brain only really having a 9-number sequential memory pattern.

On with the capacity idea... humans have a friend capacity of about 150 ppl. As they defined it, people who you would not mind stopping and having a cocktail with. Any more than that and we act as strangers to one another. So fascinating. What I found to be even more fascinating was that religious tribal groups mentioned in the book already follow this rule by trial and error, only placing their people in groups of less than 150 people as to maintain the bomding among the group. Cool beans.

(p.183) Gore and Associates... what a smart business mind.

(p.188-189) The idea of transactive memory was also intriguing. It's amazing that people can synchronize their brains to those that they feel close in relationship to, enough to increase the collective memory of the couple.

(p.203-204) Needle Vans in Baltimore?!? Brilliant. Even more brilliant are those that sell them for $1 each. I had no idea about this. In sharing this with my fiance, he knew! (I suppose Maryland natives know a thing or two about their state)

(p.242) The whole smoking section: (by the way, it was not that long ago that smoking was allowed in our restaurants in CA... how wonderful that times have changed!)

..."that does not mean that parents who smoke around their children follow. It simply meanrs that smokers' children have inherited genes from their parents that predispose them toward nicotine addiction."

I've heard people say, "it's in their genes" before, but I didn't actually put that idea to use. I do believe that the ACCESS to cigarettes makes it easier for those kids (even not disposed genetically) to become chippers or try it sooner.

(p.246) Nicotine run higher in depressed people because nicotine has the power to boost the brain chemicals that they lack.

That makes total sense. I had no idea that nicotine was able to contribute to the lacking chemicals... explains why the percentage of depressed individuals is upwards in the 80 percentile range of smoking.

Final thoughts: I wonder, and may ponder in a later blog or forum posting, is there a tipping point for teaching technology? Or raising awareness of technology benefits? Or getting our kids interested in OTHER aspects of technology that can be useful (Of course we already know they are interested in technology...) and finally and probably most importantly... Can WE change ourselves to think like our students do? They have a lot to teach us.

Cheers.

The Tipping Point - reflection, day #2

I have been reading the Tipping Point as part of the Action Research class. I really enjoy reading books like these; trial and error meets statistics and studies on various topics.

I have so many things to highlight as interesting...

(p.100) - connects to the Johnson book, Everything Bad is Good For You, in mentioning that critics are against all forms of television as it creates a "zombie affect" in humans... whereas Sesame Street and Blue's Clues attempted (and succeeded) to change that stereotype. What I didn't know about Sesame Street was the reason it was first brought to life: to allow children in areas where poverty and poor family involvement was at an alltime high... to become educated.
One of the Blue's Clues masterminds is quoted in saying, "TV is a great medium for education. But people up until now haven't explored the potential of it. They've been using it in a rote way. I believe we can turn that around."(p.111)

(p.102) "They (children) watch what they understand and turn away when they're confused" ---isn't that true of adults too!?!? I think so!

(p.118) "Sesame Street followed Piaget in that preschool-aged children can't follow a narrative." --and on the contrary, when it is understandable and interactive, children sure can!

(p.126) Did you guys know that Blue's Clues airs Monday-Friday the exact same episode? (maybe it is just because I don't have TV or children that I am so far out of the loop... but I find it fascinating that there is resounding success in the show. One reason the book mentions is because children do get a sense of pride and honor in knowing what is coming --basically not feeling stupid and lacking knowledge... and because they can learn and see more everytime they watch it... much like I see, as Johnson pointed out in Everything Bad is Good For You, when I watch Seinfeld over and over again... it never gets old and I see/learn more everytime)

(p.142) In discussing the issue of Goetz and the 4 boys on the dirty subway... "The graffiti was symbolic of the collapse of the system." The "broken windows" theory was certainly interesting. I couldn't agree more with the idea that context and environment greatly affect behavior. Who knows that Goetz would have fired at those boys if it weren't for the environment he was in.

in relation...

(p.146) "Minor seemingly insignificant quality of life crimes were the tipping points for violent crimes" -- cleaning up the environment, one cigarette butt, one line of graffiti, one piece of trash, can likely dramatically affect the feelings and moods of the people within the environment.

(p.151) "The Power of Context says you don't have to solve the big problems to solve crime. You can prevent crimes just by scrubbing off graffiti and arresting fare-beaters..."
(much like my above reflection, starting from the small items and working up changes the environment and the "context"... creating a tipping point and thus reducing crimes on a larger scale)

Can this also be true for our students? If we were to take pride in our jobs as educators, clean up our classrooms/schools (speaking higher volumes for "ghetto" areas) and treat our students like they are privileged members of society, would this not change their views of the drudgery of schooling alltogether? Just a thought. I know that I certainly feel better about myself and more valued when I am in the presence of cleanliness, ambitious and positive people.

My final reflection for the reading today (I'll finish the book tomorrow... promise!) is from (p.163). The author talks about how people's moods and the way others view them is highly based on the context in which they meet. He mentions that because he enjoys dinner parties and has lots of them, that his friends who attend his dinner parties view him as a great, social, polite, happy person. Whereas, their view is not across the board. They don't see him in traffic, on dirty subways, or at the DMV. If they did, their view of him might not be the same as it is when he is at dinner parties. Hence, different people have different views of the person we "are." Rarely do our friends see us in all areas of our lives, otherwise we would be considered many things...

I know for me, some people view me as:

polite, respectful, encouraging -- at school
frustrated, angry, short fused -- at VirtCamp (okay... just kidding... I really am not!)
fun, energetic, adventurous -- on the weekends

But really, you only see those sides of people when you are with them during all of those times. Some people only see me at school... so to them, I am polite, respectful, encouraging... etc. You get the picture.

Hope you're all enjoying the book. :)

Checking in, and The Tipping Point readings

Yes... some may say that I am addicted to this blog (ehm... Samiya, Todd) but really, I just feel it as my active duty in contributing to this program's well being. I also missed you all SO much from our VirtCamp reflection circle that I felt the need to reflect as if we were all together still.

Okay, fine. I don't care. I actually like this blog.

So far on my OMET journey, I have done tons of reading. Good reading though. If all the reading is as interesting and fulfilling as it has been, I won't mind that side. I am so excited that the majority of readings aren't textbooks but rather books chosen by our profs that they find compelling and informative in our area of study. I am enjoying The Tipping Point so far. A couple cool things:

When the author mentioned yawning, I did. Of course I hated contributing to that statistic... but yeah. Funny how I yawned just by reading the word... and now I am passing it on... wondering if I am making anyone else yawn...............zzz..............zz....................z......

I thought "nonverbal cues are as or more important than verbal cues" was an interesting statement. That entire section (p.79) was interesting to me because it talked about broadcasters that I have studied outside of this program and explained the nonverbal implications they have on their viewer's decisions and views. More specifically, the book mentions how Peter Jennings used his nonverbal cues to influence his opinion on voting for Ronald Reagan.

Finally, the idea of "emotional contagion" (p.85) was also interesting. By making someone smile, you can change their mood from unhappy to happy... because your expressions force you into a more relaxed and happy state.

Anyhow, just some thoughts about what I'm reading... and I wanted to remember these thoughts too.

Hope all is well my cadre mates!