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Ritual Model of Communication – 2023

The ritual model of communication is a communications theory proposed by James W. Carey.

A ritual view of communication holds that we communicate not just to pass information, but more importantly, as a way to connect with others in order to maintain our communities. Updated Sept 2023.

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12 Lessons From Some Great Presentators

Embrace the Anxiety A fear of public speaking is not just common; it is innate. Our ancestors had to be accepted into social groups in order to survive, instead of standing out and being alone (and then possibly being a predator’s dinner!). We have to acknowledge our...

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Fractal Model of Communication

The Fractal Model of Communication is the latest obvious evolution of communication Models that began with Aristotle and Shannon. Fractal Model assumes Communication is complex and dynamic, and follows fractal patterns. (Update Sept. 2023)

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First Principles: The Building Blocks of True Knowledge

First-principles thinking is one of the best ways to reverse-engineer complicated problems and unleash creative possibility.

Sometimes called “reasoning from first principles,” the idea is to break down complicated problems into basic elements and then reassemble them from the ground up. It’s one of the best ways to learn to think for yourself, unlock your creative potential, and move from linear to non-linear results.

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The Social Dilemma Transcript – Main Arguments

Using The Social Dilemma Transcript this lesson tries to understand the influences Social Media has on the community and what should we do about it. This lesson attempts to catalog the evidence presented and validate the main arguments. Updated Oct, 2023

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5 Media Literacy Questions

This lesson details the 5 Media Literacy Questions we need to ask every time we consume information to ensure we learn the most from it. Who created this message? Which techniques are used to attract my attention? How might different people interpret this message? Which lifestyles, values, and points of view are represented — or missing? Why is this message being sent? Updated Dec. 2023

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Reinforcement  Learning

Reinforcement  Learning We examine the formation of signaling conventions in a framework of a multi-agent reinforcement learning model. Introducing a population renewal algorithm, which in the presence of superlinear reinforcement, considerably enhances formation of...

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The Future of Education is Streamed Media

In the past, I used to buy music on vinyl records.  I would put them on a "turntable" and play them.   Now I buy music subscription services and stream my music.   In the past, I used to buy news from newspapers and magazines.  Now I buy news subscription services and...

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eLearning Trends

Training remote learners and driving performance gain over distance is the new reality. With an increase in work from home, it has led to a need to have an Agile and Flexible Digital Workplace. Organizations need to create a digital workplace that can easily move from...

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History of the Scientific Method

History of the Scientific Method   The Dark Ages, (500 to 1100) were characterized by a general erosion of civilization. Knowledge from the ancient Romans survived in only a few monasteries, cathedrals, and palace schools.  While knowledge from ancient Greece...

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George Boole

The British mathematician George Boole is best known for his work on Boolean logic which was named after him and is very important in computing and electronics. November 2nd 2015 is Boole's 200th birthday if such a thing makes any sense. We like to celebrate famous...

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How to Build a Core Competency

There is an old joke about 2 campers in woods. A bear approaches. One of the campers starts putting on his running shoes. The other camper asks, “Why are you putting on running shoes? You can’t outrun a bear!”  To which the first camper replies, “I don’t have to...

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Communication Foundations

Warren Buffet is rumored to have told a group of MBA students that communication was the one skill he wished he had learned more about while he was in college.  Communication is one of the most crucial skills to thrive.  Always has been.  Always will. In a recent...

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Marshell McLuhan

I feel that we're standing on the threshold of a liberating and exhilarating world in which the human tribe can become truly one family and man's consciousness can be freed from the shackles of mechanical culture and enabled to roam the cosmos. I have a deep and...

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How to Teach Civil Debate

How to Teach Civil Debate Every community confronts divisive times.  A healthy community has figured out how to have disagreements without being disagreeable. So, a key skill is teaching how to have a civil debate. The civicsrenewalnetwork.org offers a range of...

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Public Speaking Help

Conservative Approach to Public Speaking A post caught my eye The New Bible for Public Speaking. It's from townhall.com, a very conservative media outlet.  And while the author mentions Trump in this piece, it is still important. The take-aways from this post are:...

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Quarantine Fatigue

Quarantine Fatigue Instead of an all-or-nothing approach to risk prevention, Americans need a manual on how to have a life in a pandemic. In the earliest years of the HIV epidemic, confusion and fear reigned. AIDS was still known as the “gay plague.” To the extent...

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There is no Racism

Source, https://townhall.com/tipsheet/reaganmccarthy/2020/05/08/georgia-murder-arrest-n2568454 I feel so sorry for the family of this young man, apparently a very nice young man at that, but please, can we have a moratorium on calling every single death of anyone of...

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A Stable Political System can be achieved using Fractal Thinking

This lesson suggests that Fractal Thinking is a new answer to the age-old question: How can we improve our “political” systems?” This lesson suggests that A Stable Political System can be achieved using Fractal Thinking. Fractal Thinking says that individuals can create a stable system “spontaneously” without a Government or Church Central Authority. Updated Oct. 2023

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History of Writing

This lesson on the History of Writing is intended to help the community establish a baseline understanding of the communication forces that influence our personal understanding of the world around us. By better understanding the history writing, we can better understand the natural laws that influence our decision-making today.

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Network Neuroscience

The new discipline of network neuroscience yields a picture of how mental activity arises from carefully orchestrated interactions among different brain areas. Networks pervade our lives. Every day we use intricate networks of roads, railways, maritime routes and...

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