MnLV Musings

Returning to school after a 13-year absence required an adjustment.  Graduate school introduced me to unfamiliar theories, new technologies, and assignments that initially seemed overwhelming.  I learned fairly quickly that success had less to do with being the smartest person in the class and more to do with developing habits that kept me moving forward.  Based on my experience, I offer incoming graduate students three pieces of advice. Discipline and Time Management Are Everything Graduate school competes with work, family, and every other responsibility that already occupies your time.  If you wait until you feel motivated or until your schedule becomes less demanding, you will probably spend much of the semester falling behind.  There will always be something else that needs your attention. I found that discipline mattered more than motivation.  Motivation changes from day to day, but a schedule creates consistency.  Setting aside specific times fo...

 Today, I spent 45 minutes driving through rush-hour traffic without any background noise. No music. No news. No conversation. And because my car is electric, not even the hum of an engine. This wasn’t planned or some intentional exercise in mindfulness.  I just started driving and, for whatever reason, never turned anything on.  That almost never happens because normally, I fill the silence before I even realize it’s there. What surprised me was how peaceful the drive felt.  The traffic was still traffic.  People were still cutting across lanes and treating turn signals as optional equipment.  None of that changed.  What changed was that I wasn’t adding more noise to the experience. For 45 minutes, I simply listened to my own thoughts.  Some were meaningful while others were completely random.  It felt good to let them develop without immediately interrupting them with a song, a news story, or another person’s voice. I have never considered ...

When I first saw the title of Alia Chughtai’s article, “‘Vengeance for All’: How Iran’s Lego Videos Won Narrative War Against Trump,” I was struck by the contradiction.  I associated LEGO figures with my daughters' innocent childhood and creativity, not missiles, information manipulation, and war.  That contradiction is quite possibly why the videos have been so effective.  This post is not a critique of war strategy.  That's another story and we don't have the hours.. Let's get back to the focus here:  Iranian creators used AI-generated, LEGO-style videos to present Iran’s interpretation of its (ahem) conflict with the United States and Israel.  Rather than relying on traditional speeches or military footage, the videos combine humor, music, familiar imagery, and emotionally charged references to American history.  They connect the current conflict to slavery, Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Abu Ghraib, and the destruction of Iran Air F...

Kahne and Bowyer’s (2019) article left me thinking less about whether today’s youth have access to digital tools and more about whether they know how to use those tools to participate meaningfully.  The article makes a convincing case that it’s wrong to assume that young people are automatically prepared to engage in civic or political life online just because they may be comfortable with social media.  Knowing how to post, scroll, or share content is not the same as knowing how to evaluate information and communicate a position.   The article argues that we see a participation gap because of that distinction. The gap isn’t only about who has a device or internet access.  It’s also about who has been taught how to confidently use digital spaces with purpose and judgment.  Some students enter those spaces already knowing how to speak up, verify information, and navigate disagreement.  Others may have the same technology but remain observers because the...

 "Discomfort is a catalyst for growth.  Suffering is optional." I ran across this statement and found it worth unpacking.  Understand though, that if I were to ask 40 people, "What is the definition of LOVE?", I'm pretty sure I'd get 40 unique answers.   That said, here's one way to look at this statement: Discomfort is often unavoidable.  Learning a new skill, confronting a weakness, setting a boundary, admitting we were wrong, or abandoning an old habit can all feel uncomfortable.  Discomfort doesn't necessarily mean something is wrong.  It may mean we are stretching beyond what is familiar.  Growth rarely happens while everything remains easy and predictable. Suffering is different. It often begins when we resist discomfort or remain in a harmful situation because we assume pain automatically builds character.  Discomfort may say, “This is difficult.”  Suffering adds, “I cannot handle this,” “I am failing,” or “I deserve this.”...

I just responded to a discussion about memes:  their purpose, how they’re perceived, and their potential.  Disclaimer:  I’ll be the first to admit that my meme game is nonexistent.   This got me thinking about how much influence the visual attached to a blog post has on whether someone stops to read it.  I’d like to believe the strength of the writing should be enough, but that is probably not how most people move through online content.  Before they read the title, consider the argument, or decide whether the topic matters, they often react to the image. On that note, is the visual supporting the message, or is it doing most of the work required to earn attention? A strong image can create curiosity, signal the topic, set the emotional tone, and make a post feel more polished.  It may help the reader understand the point before reading a single sentence.  At the same time, a weak, generic, or misleading visual can make a great thought easier...

We have to stop treating social media like a junk drawer when we’re trying to use it as a professional learning tool.  It’s extremely easy to save posts, follow pages, join groups, and collect resources with good intentions.  The problem is that collecting information is not the same thing as learning.  At some point, the pile gets so big that it becomes noise. Muljana and Luo (2023) discuss the need for self-regulation when seeking internet solutions.  The authors use Zimmerman’s self-regulated learning model as a framework for facilitating personal learning.  Here are three steps that will assist the shift from aimless internet wandering to strategic research and problem solving: First, start with a problem, not a platform. Don’t open LinkedIn, Pinterest, YouTube, or Facebook groups just to “see what’s out there.”  That’s how the junk drawer starts.  Instead, begin with a specific question:  What am I trying to learn?  What problem am I try...

I found an article (cited below) that ties directly with my recent participation in a class assignment.  I was tasked with using a digital platform to curate a small collection with a learning intent.  I chose Pinterest as my platform.  Pinterest can be useful because it gives curators quick access to ideas, visuals, activities, and materials from others.  For someone like me, new to the concept and the platform, that kind of access can feel like a lifesaver. The lesson my instructor was teaching, and the article reinforced, is that just because a resource is attractive, popular, or easy to use does not mean it creates strong learning.  In other words, finding resources is not the same thing as finding good resources.  Curation for teaching is intentional. Don’t get me wrong.  I’m not saying there is anything wrong with collections, interest boards, vision boards, or the like.  I found some great inspiration while perusing the platform.  I’m ...

I recently wrote about a question that has been sitting with me: what would life look like if one self-defeating habit disappeared? That question became the starting point for a curated learning collection called Replace the Pattern: Body-First Habits. The collection is built around one idea: bad habits are rarely changed by willpower alone.  A stronger approach is to replace the pattern with a better routine while also supporting the physiological base that makes follow-through easier:  sleep, nutrition, and movement. The collection includes resources on habit formation, behavior design, sleep, healthy eating, physical activity, and an original reflection tool called The Six-Week Habit Replacement Experiment. The purpose is not to create another motivational list.  The purpose is to organize useful resources into a simple learning path:  reflect, understand the habit, strengthen the body base, choose a replacement behavior, and track what changes. Pinterest collecti...

I've been sitting with a question lately: How much do you think your life would change if your worst or most self-defeating habit immediately went away? Not improved slowly.  Not managed better.  Not reduced by 20%.  Gone. Which is it for you?  Procrastination?  Overeating?  Avoidance?  Anger?  Self-doubt?  Scrolling?  The need for approval?  Quitting when something gets uncomfortable?   On a side note, I believe that having any one of these habits (or whatever it is for you) opens the door for any of the other self-defeating reactions.   But to my original question:  What would actually change? Would your health improve?  Would your marriage or relationship feel different?  Would your confidence come back?  Would you finally finish the thing you keep talking about starting?  Would you be more present with your family?  Would your money situation improve?  Would your peace of mi...

The way I understand the article by Pischetola et al. (2022) is that networked learning isn’t created just because people are placed in the same class, online platform, or discussion board.  That is like saying a casino floor is running well just because the tables are open and employees are scheduled.  A casino floor only works when people, systems, communication, and real-time adjustments all connect.  According to Pischetola et al. (2022), The same is true with learning. The article talks about two forces:  One force pulls people toward structure and rules - like a policy manual and standard service expectations in a casino.  Without these, there isn't order to operations.  The other force pushes people toward new ideas and different viewpoints for problem-solving.  In a casino, it’s using feedback from multiple perspectives to seek new and better outcomes.   What stood out to me is that the authors are not saying one side is better....

Zgheib and Dabbagh (2020) warn of the danger of assuming that a new tool automatically creates a new kind of learning.  The authors discuss how faculty in their study used various social media tools like blogs, Twitter (now X), YouTube, and podcasts to support student learning.  Although this sounds innovative, the study found that in some cases, the tool changed while the basic learning model stayed the same. This matters because a blog can become just another place to post an assignment or X can become just another participation checkbox. If students are not fully engaging by interacting, reflecting, creating, or even changing their thinking, then the technology is not really changing the learning experience.  It's just putting an old process in a newer package. In casino or hospitality work, buying a new system doesn't automatically improve service.  A new system, platform, or training module only helps if it changes behavior and creates better outcomes.  Oth...

Happy Heavenly Birthday, Ma!! I'm reminded of a quote attributed to Abraham Lincoln which states, "All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel mother." I watched you nurture your six children and every one of the countless kids who played all day in our yard and grew to call you Mom. I watched the steadfast loyalty and mutual respect you and Dad demonstrated my entire life and throughout your sixty-two year marriage.   I watched countless family members, neighbors, and people I didn't know coming to you - often in tears, with their heaviest burdens for your counsel and prayer.   I remember the countless hours you spent in church, volunteering, and giving aid to the most disenfranchised.   You are the most empathetic person I've ever known.  I remember you slipping quietly away in a crowded train station to give comfort to a complete stranger who sat sobbing as you spoke quietly with him.  This was in no way an isolated occurrence. ...

What an eventful day which was an eventful end to an eventful week! I traveled all week, juggling homework, family obligations, multiple timezones, and a 35 degree difference in temperatures between Chicago and Las Vegas.   Today was our first day back in town from our trip and it happens to be my wife's 50th birthday, Father's Day, and the first day of summer.   My wife and I have been together for 25 years and we came to the realization today that she's spent half her life with me.   Besides my wife, my father has been a constant inspiration to me - from his 62 years of marriage to my late mother to his receiving his master's degree at 56.   I'd like to blog about a school subject today...but this day belongs to my heroes!!

The point that stood out to me in Pan and Chen’s article is that change is not just a matter of telling professionals what to do.  Teachers are often asked to adopt new methods, new curriculum models, and new expectations.  Anyone who has worked in leadership knows that announcing a change is the easy part.  Getting people to believe in the change is where the real work begins. The article focuses on networked learning communities, where teachers work with other teachers across schools through lesson planning, classroom observation, and discussion.  The authors found that participation alone was not the strongest driver of change.  The key factor was whether teachers developed stronger beliefs in collaborative professional learning.  In other words, it wasn’t just the meetings, observations, or the discussions that mattered.  It was whether those experiences changed how teachers viewed the value of learning with one another. I have seen plenty of initi...

Gavriel Salomon’s article about the educational rationale of technology stood out to me because he discusses an often-repeated mistake:  we see a new tool, platform, device or a system and we start believing it will solve problems that may be much deeper than the tool itself.  This isn’t just an education issue because I’ve seen the same thing happen in business.   Salomon’s argument is not that technology is bad.  A problem occurs if we place too much value simply on the tool’s ability to efficiently deliver information.  When a learner completes a module or an employee passes a quiz, we can assume they’ve received the information, but have they learned anything?  Technology gives us access to information faster than ever.  But access is not the same thing as understanding.  I can provide an employee with a digital copy of the employee manual and have them acknowledge receipt, but that doesn’t mean they know how to handle a real conflict wit...

For me, the concept of networked learning requires a real mental shift.  It sounds simple enough: students collect, curate, share, broker, negotiate, and construct knowledge through networks.  The twist is that networked learning changes who is responsible for the learning process. I’ve spent years in classrooms where the instructors controlled the agenda.  Teachers chose the material, asked the questions, and defined the correct answers.  That may not always be the best learning model, but it’s certainly the one to which I’m familiar. Networked learning disrupts that familiarity.   It asks learners to search, evaluate, organize, connect, question, and sometimes create knowledge without waiting for every step to be approved.  This can be daunting to a learner not used to having so much latitude.  Am I looking in the right place?  What if I share something weak?  What if my interpretation is wrong? From my background in casino and hospit...

 Quite the week!!! It seems my big projects converged this week along with my preparations to catch a flight tomorrow. Pause, breathe, continue!!

Has AI made movies better, or has it just made them bigger?  I keep coming back to this question because I haven’t found a compelling reason to visit a movie theater in the last couple years.   There’s no denying what technology has done for film. Special effects are more detailed (still a bit excessive in my opinion), action sequences are more elaborate, and entire worlds can now be created on screen that would have been impossible a generation ago. From a production standpoint, this is impressive. AI and digital tools can save movie makers time, lower costs, and help creators build scenes that once required massive crews and budgets. But, has something been lost in the process? I’m older and maybe it’s just a generational thing, but some of the most memorable films to me were not powerful because they overwhelmed us visually. They stayed with us because they left room for our imagination to do the work. Psycho is a good example. It didn’t need endless effects or a digit...

Chesterman, S. (2025). Good models borrow, great models steal: Intellectual property rights and generative AI. Policy and Society, 44(1), 23–37. https://doi.org/10.1093/polsoc/puae006 My siblings and I have an ongoing argument about the legitimacy of someone who creates a wildly popular song using AI.  Should they be able to earn a Grammy nomination as a ‘recording artist’? What about ‘producer/arranger’?  Simon Chesterman’s article discusses this dilemma.  He clarifies that the argument about generative AI isn’t whether it’s capable of being impressive.  The bigger issue is whether we are being honest about what made it impressive in the first place.   Generative AI doesn’t create from nothing. It is trained by massive amounts of human-created work. This work includes books, articles, images, code, and any other form of expertise. So here begs the question:  If human work was used to train the system, who should receive credit for its ‘creations’?...