Cross-cultural Communication and Collaboration: What It Means to Me

Week 5

“The limits of my language mean the limits of my world.”

Ludwig Wittgenstein, Philosopher

For more than two decades, I’ve worked in International Programs and with those whose primary language is not English. What inspired me to pursue a life working with those who could not speak English was born of a very personal experience. At a tender age, I was whisked away to a far away land where English was not the national language. Without adequate preparation, I made my debut on the international stage where I would have to learn to communicate in order to survive socially. The limits of not being able to share my thoughts became painfully evident.

Philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein once said, “The limits of my language mean the limits of my world.” He was right. Without the means to communicate and to express myself, my world was very small. It was small and frustrating. Language barriers prevented the flow of natural conversation and of being understood. Add to this, cultural differences, worldview, perception and that when a communicator tries to use the verbal style from one culture in a different one, issues are likely to arise. And they did. It was an awkward time, especially as a child, but I learned from it.

All these life experiences with international collaborations whether in the classroom or in business, have culminated in the sensitivity toward others who do not know the language, culture or its nuances. I know all too well what it’s like to be linguistically deficient and I know all too well what it’s like to feel inadequate or embarrassed.

I have worked with the Kansai University students before and found it not to be so much challenging as it was rewarding. I understood them and they understood me. Even though the limit of their language was the limit of their world, through understanding, great patience and wisdom the bridge to cross-cultural communication and collaboration was achieved.

LTEC 642: Week 4

September 22, 2014

Attention, multitasking, authenticity

My thoughts on Multitasking

In the article “You’ll Never Learn!” experts from psychology, cognitive science and neuroscience suggest that when students multitask while doing schoolwork, their learning is far spottier and shallow than if the work had their full attention. (Paul, 2013)

The evidence found would support the notion that I have always entertained, which is it is difficult to listen to a lecture (schoolwork) and e-mail. In my view, one or the other will suffer in the process of multitasking. Listening to a lecture requires “active listening.” For learning to happen while listening to a lecture, active listening is required. However, trying to engage in multiple activities effects the learning process and learning then becomes “spottier and shallow” because of the lack of full attention.

 E-mail too requires attention to content: to scan, read, and/or compose message content. If in the case of e-mail, I do not apply my full and undivided attention, the message content, syntax, and spelling is often at risk of error.

Since I am not a “supertasker” with some rare ability to engage in a series of tasks at once, I am relegated to accept my humble state of being as a “unitasker.”

Reference

Paul, A. M. (2013, May 3). You’ll never learn! Retrieved from http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2013/05/multitasking_while_studying_divided_attention_and_technological_gadgets.single.html

Crap Detection 101

Currency, Reliability, Authority, Purpose/Point of View

The first thing we all need to know about information online is how to detect crap, a technical term I use for information tainted by ignorance, inept communication, or deliberate deception.

(Rheingold, H., 2009).

In reviewing my weekly e-mail, which incidentally is more than two hundred + each week, I would estimate 40% to be substantive and 60% to follow along the lines of unsolicited marketing/advertisement, deliberate deception and e-mail tainted by ignorance and assumptions. Wading through much of it is time consuming, tedious, and cumbersome.

Filters

So, how do I filter the incoming e-mail for currency, reliability, authority and purpose/point of view?

First and foremost, I check how relevant the information being sent is to me. For example, I receive a tremendous sum of invitations to webinars and the like, many of which are hit and miss and not particularly relevant to my life. I first filter for currency. Next, delete.

Reliability, authority, and purpose come next. Much of the e-mail I receive isn’t from reliable sources.

Hence, with an eye for all the elements that make up “CRAP”, I move with a sense of purpose to eliminate all the unnecessary and unsolicited marketing/advertisement and outright deceptive e-mail.

Unfortunately, it is a sign of the times that we now live, which ultimately creates a heightened sense of filtering.

In short, my guard is up as I thwart the constant barrage of information and filter for currency, reliability, authority and purpose. 

Reference

Rheingold, H. (2009, June 30). Crap detection 101. Retrieved from http://blog.sfgate.com/rheingold/2009/06/30/crap-detection-101/

LTEC 642: Week 3

September 15, 2014

Privacy and Digital Literacy

A fitting topic: Privacy and Digital Literacy.

What exactly is digital literacy? What most of us discovered, if we did not already know, is that digital literacy is the ability to find, evaluate, utilize, share, and create content using information technologies and the Internet.

For me, Digital literacy is an important topic because technology is changing rapidly, more rapidly than society is. These advances make it possible for us to search online databases, text family, friends, colleagues, and to stream media. It also presents urgent challenges to the social norms as well as legal frameworks that structure our society. As many of us might have experienced, the rules of appropriate behavior in these digital contexts might be unknown or unknowable. The notions such as copyright, academic integrity in education, and privacy are now difficult to define, as their meanings are in a seeming state of flux.

The discussions that ensued this week broadly concerned the dimensions of digital literacy on privacy-related online behaviors. For some, it is the familiarity with technical aspects of the Internet, the awareness of common institutional practices, as well as the understanding of current privacy policy as it relates to Internet use. For me, it is a matter of keeping up to date and in the know as technology changes rapidly, which the thought of at moments is exhausting.

What Exactly is an E-Learning Community
Week 1

What does come to mind when one says, "e-Learning Community?" My first thoughts are that it is LinkedIn where I connect and link to other professionals, not only for the purpose of networking but also to learn from those who are experts in select fields. It is more of a global learning tool for me in that many of the constituents are from other countries, who share and discuss relevant findings, books, resource materials that engage and inspire.

The exercise given to draw lines to those that we know, only led us to discover how we are all connected some way in our community of practice. In my view, I believe we are.

Then there is notion of defining social media. What is it and what are the ramifications of using it?
I have personally come reluctantly to the world of social media as I intensely value privacy. I separate the personal from the professional persona. Social media offers channels of expression, however at a price. The ramification of using it is the eternal digital footprint that can brand and build or be invasive.

While "blogging is one of the eventual realization of web 2.0 technologies" and a way to build an e-Learning Community using this form of social media, I have yet to come to terms with it.

I believe one of the challenges LTEC 642 is to explore the exact nature of e-Learning and its pragmatic application that will clarify and dispel concerns for using it.

LTEC 642

E-Learning Communities
Introduction

“He who learns but does not think is lost. He who thinks but does not learn is in great danger.” Confucius

The aim of this blog is to share and reflect on the learning process of what comprises an e-Learning community, the benefits and its real life relevance to business, education and personal use.

What I value most is intellectually stimulating dialogue that embraces and entertains the thoughtful viewpoint of others. 

Constructive feedback will help facilitate thinking and learning about the nature of  e-Learning Communities.

It is to this end that I look forward to “thinking and learning” with you.

Mahalo, Faith