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I’m a (cognitive) guinea pig. [Day 2] November 10, 2006

Posted by Amber D. Evans in : Reflections, Blacksburg VA, Pedagogy , add a comment

Just joining in? Be sure to understand what I’m doing as part of the “Embodied Technology change process.”

In a nutshell, Blackwell would have me do the following today:

Morning
Create your trigger. “Find something in your regular environment that happens a dozen to two dozen times a day. Maybe it’s a certain doorway you pass through, or a cell phone, or a color, or whatever works for you. Each time it happens, try to focus your attention and notice that you are noticing. This is the process of setting a trigger. Try a couple out until you find the one that works for you, and then pick it.”

Attention
Try to notice what it is I pay attention to. What do I see or hear? What “grabs” my attention at certain times? What do I notice? Write these things down in a journal or notepad or something.

Evening
Modeled after the Iroquois Thansgiving Address, we’re learning a cultural technology to build a sense of gratitude for all the things in the world. “The first element is people. Who are you grateful for in your life?” Write down the list here or in your journal or notepad or whatever.

My answers are …

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I’m a (cognitive) guinea pig. November 9, 2006

Posted by Amber D. Evans in : Reflections, Blacksburg VA, Pedagogy , 1 comment so far

This doesn’t have to do with triathlons or training in the “normal sense.” It has everything to do with an experiment that I’ve volunteered myself in part for Michael Blackwell’s class project. We’ve been studying John Dewey and how the world and our perceptions change over time … and how one goes about making those kinds of changes. For the experiment, it goes a little something like this:

The Embodied Technology change process
By Michael J. Stacy Blackwell
Educational Psychology Graduate Assistant
University Honors and Center for Undergraduate Education at Virginia Tech

“Each day, I’ll send an email giving some direction for that day … keeping the activites ‘in mind’ and setting and using a trigger regularly will increase the effectiveness of our process. As in many things, the quality of our attention is more important than the simple sum of it. Our interest, passion, and intensity is what will make a real difference.

And even though some of [the] things we do over the next two weeks won’t always make apparent sense, please trust in the fact that we can alter our perceptual habits and indeed, doing so is one of the principal ways in which we can ‘alter the contingencies’ that shape our behavior” (personal letter, 15 Nov 2006).

“Ehhhhhh … Amber?” you ask, “What does this have to do with triathlons or training?” “Ah … everything,” I reply.

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The (non-)training plan.

Posted by Amber D. Evans in : Reflections, Blacksburg VA , 2 comments

Okay-dokie! So things in the world of my off-season and triathlon planning haven’t exactly been up to par. The last time I did anything counting as physical exercise and activity would have been … um … last Friday? Of course, that’s if you’ll let me count cleaning the house with moderate intensity. Oh, ouch.

Well, that’s okay. Vince Lombardi once said, “It’s not whether you get knocked down; it’s whether you get back up.” Well, I’m up … I’m just not back on–yet.

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