Monday, October 18, 2010
My-self 10/18/2010
My name is Andrew Cymes. The following blog will be about my-self. I always knew that I was good at both art and computers. Even as a child I enjoyed all the new techonlogy. My Current major is New Media Technology, which combines both art and computers. I love it! Writing the three lists in class which included Good at, Pleasure, and meaning helped me reinforce what I already knew about my-self. I'm a moderate socializer, and a good listener. I also enjoy helping other people with everyday technological problems. My favorite pleasures enclude watching movies, reading about technology, and internet surfing. What gives me meaning is just living life, and following good morals and values. My dream job is to have a career in Graphics Desiging.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Happiness at work
My name is Andrew Cymes. The following blog will be about my happiness at work. I will also relate it to a video I saw by Robbins, Tony entitled “Why we do what we do, and how we can do it better.” TED conference January 16, 2007. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cpc-t-Uwv1I&feature=player_embedded
I have had some really interesting jobs in my life, such as working in construction, armed security and steering large vessels. Most of those jobs I liked because they were hands-on. They weren't easy but they weren't boring either. As Mr. Robbins’ video discusses, "We all have the ability and capacity to make the right decisions in our lives.” He goes on to say that decision-making is the ultimate power! I believe this is true. Wrong choices can make a person hate his/her job and never strive to do better. Sometimes we are forced to accept what we do for a living, and never choose to do anything else. We accept it because it's all we know. Change feels as if we are walking into a dark jungle. That can be very scary. But if you never accept the risk, then surely you will have denied yourself the opportunity to realize just how much further you might have gone in life.
Mr. Robbins feature goes on to state in his video that contributing time to help other people with their problems is another form of happiness, as that not only helps build up our own self-esteem, but the self-esteem of others as well. I can relate to what he says. I contributed four years of my life to helping my country in the armed forces. I wasn't sure what I was getting into at first but, by the end of my tour, it made me a better person. Before I joined the service I didn't know what I was going to do as far as a job/career, but serving in the U. S. Navy gave me the determination to pursue what I believe to be the right path.
In summary, I enjoyed watching Mr. Robbins video. It helped me to reinforce my own experience about happiness at work. We all have the ability and capacity to make the right decisions in our lives, but when we make bad choices, we have to find it within ourselves to correct the mistakes. Otherwise, we'll never change or progress as human beings. Hopefully, by doing so, we may discover a new path or career on the road to happiness.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Happiness In Education ( Revision 1 )
My name is Andrew Cymes. I’m 29 years of age. I will be discussing the article entitled “Happiness in Education,” which will include some personal thoughts of my own, referencing the TED video by Sir Ken Robinson, entitled “Do Schools Kill Creativity?” As a college student majoring in Art and Computers, I will also be talking about my own “happiness” derived from my educational pursuits to date.
Sir Robinson’s video discusses his belief that human beings, in general, have the potential for great creativity. He goes on to say that he thinks that the educational system, as it exists today, is destroying that inborn ability. He states that every educational system in the world has the same hierarchy of subjects: Mathematics, Languages, Humanities and, at the bottom, the Arts. The system makes you think that you’ll never be good at what you might like to do, such as “art, or dance” he states. There isn’t any real way to teach Art in public education he goes on to says, but there is for Mathematics. There was a quote by the great artist, Picasso, in the TED video which states: “All children are born artists. The problem is to remain an artist as we grow up.” In other words, the system downplays the urge for self-expression to the extent that the love for that type of creativity is either lost or forced on the back burner, hopefully to be restored when the “essentials” of education are put to rest.
Now, I remember growing up as a child loving Computers and the Arts. Drawing use to be one of my all-time favorite hobbies. As soon as I started high school I slowly stop pursuing it though. The interest just wasn’t there any more. I believe it was because of all the other subjects I had to complete in High School. It made me feel like I was part of the drowning model as stated in the article “Happiness in Education.” The work was just too overpowering, and made me feel like I was drowning. It was drilled into me that Math, English and other subjects were more important in my educational life than the love for art. Math was never my strong subject. I can relate to what Sir Robinson says in the video in general. I wanted Computer Information Systems as a major, but I was reminded constantly that it required too much math so I choose a alternative route. I decided that New Media Technology suited me better, as it basically combines both art and computers into one, which I loved! Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi states in the article “Happiness in Education” that “flow” is a state in which one is immersed in an experience that is rewarding in and of itself, so that we are living in the experience in which “action and awareness are merged” I believe that Computers and the Arts are my “flow.” It’s what keeps me moving forward in life and makes me happy.
The article Happiness and Education asks: Am I happy at my job? And how can I become happier? In Hebrew, the word “work” (avoda) stems from the same root as the word for “slave” (eved). Most of us don’t have any choice but to work for a living. Now, I can actually say I have had both good and bad jobs in my life. As soon as I finished high school I started looking for part time jobs. I’ve worked at local pharmacies, restaurants, and even grocery stores. Those types of jobs were never more than entry level ways to earn my keep. They helped pay the bills but didn’t offer any other incentives, unless I became a manager. I knew I couldn’t economically survive on minimum wage jobs for long. I realized I would need to go back to school to pursue a college degree in order to increase my marketable skills but, at the time, I didn‘t have the funds. In August of 2003, I enlisted in the U.S. Navy and put in four years of active service. It was a very good choice, even though the jobs I was assigned to do were hard at times, because they demanded more than the usual civilian “nine to five” obligation, such as mandatory armed security watch on the ship while in port 24/7. At sea, the weather was sometimes so bad that it would literally rock the whole ship, making the crew nauseous. But, on the positive side, the ability to travel and see parts of the world and cultures I would not otherwise have been exposed to more than made up for the somewhat treacherous journeys in order to reach ports in countries such as Italy, Spain, Greece, England and Africa.
At the end of my tour, the benefits provided by the government made up for the long days and tedious job assignments because, as a veteran, I qualify for free medical coverage and tuition for college--and can finally get on with my life! Sometimes I believe people feel that there being forced to work makes them feel like slaves. But, in general, working hard at jobs not really enjoyed ultimately provides one with the discipline to become a better and stronger person down the road. If dreams are further pursued through education, then that in itself will make one happier.
In summary, I really enjoyed watching the TED video by Sir Ken Robinson, and reading the article entitled “Happiness in Education.” It reinforced my love of art and computers, as well as my passion and willingness to pursue the dreams of my youth. It is my flow and my happiness! In life, most people have no choice but to slave away for a living. But it’s what you make of the job that makes one feel better, especially if you enjoy what you are doing. In the final analysis, in order to see the light at the end of the tunnel, working hard is necessary in order to acquire the educational benefits which will hopefully lead to economic security and the happiness that everyone should aspire to.
Sir Robinson’s video discusses his belief that human beings, in general, have the potential for great creativity. He goes on to say that he thinks that the educational system, as it exists today, is destroying that inborn ability. He states that every educational system in the world has the same hierarchy of subjects: Mathematics, Languages, Humanities and, at the bottom, the Arts. The system makes you think that you’ll never be good at what you might like to do, such as “art, or dance” he states. There isn’t any real way to teach Art in public education he goes on to says, but there is for Mathematics. There was a quote by the great artist, Picasso, in the TED video which states: “All children are born artists. The problem is to remain an artist as we grow up.” In other words, the system downplays the urge for self-expression to the extent that the love for that type of creativity is either lost or forced on the back burner, hopefully to be restored when the “essentials” of education are put to rest.
Now, I remember growing up as a child loving Computers and the Arts. Drawing use to be one of my all-time favorite hobbies. As soon as I started high school I slowly stop pursuing it though. The interest just wasn’t there any more. I believe it was because of all the other subjects I had to complete in High School. It made me feel like I was part of the drowning model as stated in the article “Happiness in Education.” The work was just too overpowering, and made me feel like I was drowning. It was drilled into me that Math, English and other subjects were more important in my educational life than the love for art. Math was never my strong subject. I can relate to what Sir Robinson says in the video in general. I wanted Computer Information Systems as a major, but I was reminded constantly that it required too much math so I choose a alternative route. I decided that New Media Technology suited me better, as it basically combines both art and computers into one, which I loved! Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi states in the article “Happiness in Education” that “flow” is a state in which one is immersed in an experience that is rewarding in and of itself, so that we are living in the experience in which “action and awareness are merged” I believe that Computers and the Arts are my “flow.” It’s what keeps me moving forward in life and makes me happy.
The article Happiness and Education asks: Am I happy at my job? And how can I become happier? In Hebrew, the word “work” (avoda) stems from the same root as the word for “slave” (eved). Most of us don’t have any choice but to work for a living. Now, I can actually say I have had both good and bad jobs in my life. As soon as I finished high school I started looking for part time jobs. I’ve worked at local pharmacies, restaurants, and even grocery stores. Those types of jobs were never more than entry level ways to earn my keep. They helped pay the bills but didn’t offer any other incentives, unless I became a manager. I knew I couldn’t economically survive on minimum wage jobs for long. I realized I would need to go back to school to pursue a college degree in order to increase my marketable skills but, at the time, I didn‘t have the funds. In August of 2003, I enlisted in the U.S. Navy and put in four years of active service. It was a very good choice, even though the jobs I was assigned to do were hard at times, because they demanded more than the usual civilian “nine to five” obligation, such as mandatory armed security watch on the ship while in port 24/7. At sea, the weather was sometimes so bad that it would literally rock the whole ship, making the crew nauseous. But, on the positive side, the ability to travel and see parts of the world and cultures I would not otherwise have been exposed to more than made up for the somewhat treacherous journeys in order to reach ports in countries such as Italy, Spain, Greece, England and Africa.
At the end of my tour, the benefits provided by the government made up for the long days and tedious job assignments because, as a veteran, I qualify for free medical coverage and tuition for college--and can finally get on with my life! Sometimes I believe people feel that there being forced to work makes them feel like slaves. But, in general, working hard at jobs not really enjoyed ultimately provides one with the discipline to become a better and stronger person down the road. If dreams are further pursued through education, then that in itself will make one happier.
In summary, I really enjoyed watching the TED video by Sir Ken Robinson, and reading the article entitled “Happiness in Education.” It reinforced my love of art and computers, as well as my passion and willingness to pursue the dreams of my youth. It is my flow and my happiness! In life, most people have no choice but to slave away for a living. But it’s what you make of the job that makes one feel better, especially if you enjoy what you are doing. In the final analysis, in order to see the light at the end of the tunnel, working hard is necessary in order to acquire the educational benefits which will hopefully lead to economic security and the happiness that everyone should aspire to.
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