Twitter Expert Connect Reflection

Part 3 – Reflect

The Twitter Expert Connect Assignment was designed for us to communicate with experts in a topic of our choosing. Through this assignment we worked on different skills such as building an identity online, politely approaching others, and communication in a sophisticated way where your able to get the information you need. For my Twitter Expert Connect Assignment I chose to research about political science and how politics differs around the world. I asked a variety of professors, authors, and experts in the field of politics questions about global politics. The list which I created included 15 individuals.

Here are their names:

Sarah Carey @sarahcareyIRL
Matthew Flinders @PoliticalSpikehttps
Martin Edwards @MartinSEdwards
Paul M Heywood @pmyheywood
Richard Hayton @Richard_Hayton
Francesca Gains @FrancescaGains
Yannis Tellidis @yannistellidis
Sarah Childs @profsarahchilds
Derek Edyvane @DerekEdyvane
Mark Juergensmeyer @juergensmeyer
Helene Lavoix @HLaviox
Ellen Helsper @EllenHel
Jay Ulfelder @dtchimp
Dominic Furlong @DominicFurlong
Mark McCormack @_MarkMcCormack

At first it was really hard to find experts in the field of politics that weren’t celebrities. I would search keywords however, they weren’t specific enough. Then I found a very helpful technique. If I found one or two experts that were in my field I would check to see who they were following because I assumed they followed people in the same field. Most of the time that was the case and I was able to find more experts through the ones I already followed.

From the people I followed most are either professors, researchers in global development that have PHDs in political science and or sociology, or authors. I thought that since they were all well knowledge people on politics to the point were most of them taught it, they were the people that could help me the most.

Truth is I really wanted to know more about how politics was different around the world and to answer this questions I asked a variety of questions to different these experts.

Here is a sample question I asked,

Dear @pmheywood I am an international school student currently doing research on politics and global development around the world. In your opinion how is European politics different from African politics?

I tried to be as polite as possible talking a little bit about myself as well as what I was researching. I posed this specific question to @pmheywood because while reading his bio I saw that he was a professor of European Politics and also leader of BA/DFID an anti-corruption program therefore, I felt he was the most fit out of my list of experts to answer this question.

Before asking any question I would look at the individuals bio and try to find something to ask that relates to my main research questions but at the same time that person would be able to answer well based on the type of background they obtained.

Here are more questions I asked:

(Ka, Sally).

In the future I feel as if these questions were answered they would really help for a Genius Hour Presentation of politics around the world or global development and crisis. For example, one question I asked was “What would you say makes or breaks a society. Is it more the way the government is ran or it’s people?” A question like that has no right or wrong answer and if asked the same question to a man from Africa his response might be different which opens so many more doors to discussion.

(Ka, Sally).

Unfortunately, from all the experts I tweeted to only one of them answered my question. And therefore I received minimal results considering the number of questions I asked. @MartinSEdwards and we discussed how one way a government is ran affects the global economy. He gave an example stating “If you were a diplomat from another country, would you want to initiate talks on a trade agreement with this White House? What confidence would you have of ever negotiating a deal that would stick?” I was lucky enough to be able to continue the conversation with him and he even offered to put me in contact with more professors he knew. I’m thankful that he answered however, I am truly shook that he was the only one that did. Before I followed anyone I would check to see if:

The person wasn’t a celebrity.
They were experts or well knowledge in my field of research
And lastly, active or recent on twitter

And every single person on my twitter list met those three criterias, so I am a little confused as to why only 1 out of 15 answered.

To conclude, I did enjoy this research through twitter and found it more interactive rather than just looking up answers on websites. The inside and personal response from an expert is more authentic in my opinion. I could use it the same process again of finding experts in an area for future research projects, papers, or if ever I would like to know more about a certain topic.

Words Cited

Ka, Sally. Twitter Image. Jan 21 2017. png.

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December 5

SBC Week 8: Visiting Other Blogs – Game 2

SBC – 8

Sadie‘s Blog: http://sxcor.edublogs.org/2017/11/28/week-7-unemployment/

Summary:
Her blog post included a word cloud that had words revolving around the theme of unemployment as one of the global issues. In addition to that she defined each term in the section below.
Comment I left:
Hey Sadie,
I really like how you thought about how to present your topic and the word cloud was a great way to present your research. Your definitions are also very well detailed. One suggestion would be to be specific in terms of in what countries is this mostly happening but other than that great post 🙂 – Sally

Asha’s Blog: http://ampat.edublogs.org/2017/11/27/week-7-thinking-globally/

Summary:
Asha wrote about child labor and how children are affected by in, where it is most common, how we are contributing about it and the different laws in different countries. Her post was very well written.
Comment I left:
Dear Asha,
Your post is very well detailed, contains information that is not only relevant to your topic but also specific. You have included numbers and brands which is key to a great post. Honestly, you have raised a huge issue that I wish was less frequent and you did a great job delivering key information. Really nice post.
– Sally

Aurianna’s Blog: http://aurianna180.edublogs.org/2017/11/16/jamaica/

Summary:
Aurianna chose to talk about Jamaica and put down the link to two different videos that taught the readers the Jamaican alphabet and different pronunciations of words.
Comment I left:
Hi there Aurianna,
I personally love Jamaican music and culture and I am glad I got to learn some new words. These videos were not only entertaining but very clear.

Thank you,
Sally

Zach’s Blog: http://zack25mww.edublogs.org/2017/10/24/art-literacy/

Summary: His post was about the artist Paul Klee that once said, “a drawing is simply taking a line for a walk” and he showed some of the drawings he made modeling Paul Klee’s style.
Comment I left:
Dear Zack,
Your art work is stunning especially the second one. How long have you taken art and would you consider pursing it as a hobby?
– Sally

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December 1

Genius Hour Reflection – Project 1

Genius Hour Reflection

The official Genius Hour website describes Genius Hour as a movement that allows students to explore their own passions and encourages creativity in the classroom. It provides students a choice in what they learn during a set period of time during school. Our teacher let us take part in Genius Hour and gave us about 5 whole class periods dedicated only to us working on our projects. We started in August and gave our presentations at the beginning of November.

For more information check out this website and perhaps you could partake in this wonderful opportunity:

http://www.geniushour.com/what-is-genius-hour/

What topic did you research in Genius Hour? Why did you choose it?

(Ape Thinking).

For my research in this first Genius Hour project I chose to look into sugar and why people manage to become addicted to it. It was different from the rest of the people in my class. Most of them looked into specific jobs, diseases, or material that we use for sports or entertainment. I was the only one in my period that looked into a substance. What attracted me to looking more into the effects of sugar is the fact that so many people get affected by sugar and too much of it could potentially lead to deadly diseases. Before looking more into it I couldn’t answer questions like where sugar came from, if it was or drug or not, and what made it so addictive. I’ll be completely honest I am a sugar addict and I wanted to know more about what it was doing to my body and why I liked it as much as I do.

What was your Research Question?

My main research question was “How does sugar affect the human body both physically and mentally?”. In other words, I was curious about how sugar could affect the brain but also one’s physical well being.

What did you learn?

From the different sources I consulted I learned so much about something that although I consumed every single day I knew so little about. From different TED talks I learned that sugar is short term to classify molecules called carbohydrates. Glucose, sucrose, maltose, lactose, dextrose, and starch are all forms of sugars. These are found in all types of food and drinks that we eat everyday. Fact is sugar is in almost everything from ketchup to cereal. Some foods have natural sugars such as fruits whilst others contain refined sugars that are processed like the ones in candy.

(Eye Sick).

I also was completely unaware of the psychological effect and the process sugar went through in our bodies. Believe it or not, sugar is a drug. A drug is namely a substance that has a psychological effect in our bodies. Similar to when one drinks or smokes sugar has the same effect and the body sends signals the cerebral cortex that has the ability to process different tastes. It later release dopamine. Dopamine is a chemical that is release when pleasure or the extreme liking of a certain thing occurs. Although, sugar isn’t as harmful as illegal drugs it does release dopamine which causes you to want more and you could potentially be addicted. It’s important to understand that meanwhile dopamine results in pleasure and well being, when too much of it is released you start to loose control. In fact it messes with your memory, impairs your learning skills, and may contribute to anxiety because sugar. More extreme consequences of sugar include diabetes and obesity. Yes we do all need sugar but it is important to balance it out because like a drug it is possible to overdose. Most of this information was new to me and I am thankful that I have learned more about sugar and my research question was mostly if not completely answered.

(Evolution Scheme).

How did that help you grow as a person or a student?

Often times we ignore some of the most important things and to me sugar is one of them. If my parents told me sugar was bad for you which they have over a thousand times because I eat too much of it, I wouldn’t listen. I would continue eating as much of it as I could. Yes I realized that it would wear me out and too much of it would make me sick after a while but as a kid I was stubborn and even if I was sick it simply did not stop me from buying more jolly ranchers from the store. Proof that I was an addict is the fact that I once put 5 sugar cubes in a cup of tea and ate an ice cream float for breakfast. Over the years I have reduced the amount of sugar I consume and now get my sugar from natural juices and fruits. However, researching more about the topic has opened my eyes. The potential consequences are very serious and now I am even more vigilant than I was before.

(Biscuit Bake).

How did what you learn help (the world, community, animals, etc.) in some way? Explain.

My goal was to raise awareness really. This Genius Hour did not really raise awareness on a large scale but I feel as though my classmates understood firstly why an individual could become addicted to sugar. That is because of the dopamine that is released and secondly, I managed to clearly express the potential short and long term effects of too much sugar. I truly hope that awareness about the effects of sugar continues to spread, especially to younger children that constantly want sweets and hide behind their parents backs to get them. I want them to be aware of potential consequences to prevent diseases before it is too late.

(India Slums Poor Brother Sister).

How will what you learn in the next Genius Hour help the world, community, yourself, animals, etc. in some way? Explain.

For my next genius hour project I plan to do research on poverty and the underdevelopment in different countries around the world. This will not only help me in getting a more explicit understanding of how governments and societies function because in the future I would like to study political science to help develop stronger governments for nations but, it will also benefit my community and people from all across the world. The people who I go to school with and most of the people if not all reading this blog are privileged with a home, an education, a well rounded family, and their biggest worries revolve around school because they don’t have to worry about eating 3 meals a day nor being evacuated at any moment and taken away from their families. Too many times we are stuck in our own bubble (including myself) and we cease look into what is going on in communities that are suffering. Hopefully this next project will open up a path where more students get out of their comfort zones and see what serious are going around the world.

Link to my slideshow presentation 🙂 – https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1DWzON_tUGZU9HoiEOTEbwu822G-tTsAE3W_wFxSc_SA/edit?usp=sharing

Works Cited

Holiho. “Biscuit Bake”. Pixabay, Pixabay, https://pixabay.com/en/biscuit-bake-christmas-cookies-2871223/ .

agnessliinnea. “Eye Sick”. Pixabay,

Pixabay, https://pixabay.com/en/eye-sick-blue-red-pain-743409/.

Pexels. “Ape Thinking Primate”. Pexels,

Pixabay, 2017, https://www.pexels.com/photo/view-ape-thinking-primate-33535/.

Wikimedia Commons. “Evolution Scheme”. Wikimedia Commons,

Wikimedia, October 16th 2015, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c2/Human_evolution_scheme.svg/2000px-Human_evolution_scheme.svg.png.

billycm. “India Slums Poot Brother Sister”. Pixabay,

Pixabay, 2017, https://pixabay.com/en/india-slums-poor-brother-sister-2507482/.

Category: Class, Teconology | LEAVE A COMMENT

November 14

WAISAL

SBC Week 5- Let’s talk school

My school has the privilege of being part of the West African International Schools Athletic League (WAISAL) that happens every year for swimming, volleyball, soccer, basketball, and math counts.

Who is part of WAISAL – Members

Burkina Faso — International School of Ouagadougou

Cameroon — American School of Douala

Ghana — Lincoln Community School Accra

Mali — American International School of Bamako

Mauritania – American International School of Nouakchott

Nigeria — American International School of Abuja-Nigeria

Nigeria — American International School of Lagos-Nigeria

Senegal — International School of Dakar

Cote D’ Ivoire- International Community School of Abidjan

Togo- British School of Lome

Cameroon- American School of Yaounde

Tournaments (Happen every year however, not every school participate at each one)

High School Volleyball
Middle School Soccer
Swimming (Grades 4-12)
Middle School Volleyball
High School Basketball
Middle School Basketball
High School Soccer

Reasons why I personally love WAISAL

You get the chance to meet new people over the course of each tournament
Not only do you get to play if you make the team but the atmosphere of when WAISAL is being held at your school is overwhelming
Pep rallys
Team Cheers
Finals (if we make them)
ALL of it is simply amazing
If you do make the WAISAL team or teams it gives you the opportunity to travel to another country and get a sense of what other International Schools in Africa are like
Last but not least families get to host children from all across the world and some of my long lasting friendships are with some people I met at WAISAL.

Personally, I look forward to every single WAISAL tournament whether I get to play or not. It’s one of the funnest opportunities offered at ISD.

Here is a link to the WAISAL official website: https://sites.google.com/a/isd.sn/west-african-international-schools-athletics-league/

And here is a picture of playing during Volleyball WAISAL this year.

Category: Teconology | 2 Comments

November 5

Collateral Damage

SBC 4 – Free Choice

It’s crazy how we allow society and the people around us to define who we are. Sometimes it’s people that we don’t even know that we listen to because their “voices” or opinions are listened to by others. Some of us even as young teenagers dress like social media stars or public figures just to be “cool” and to please others. Is this why we live? There’s a line between living to please yourself and wanting to please other people, which one are you choosing?

Recently I found out about somebody close to me that wasn’t doing so well to the point where they started to harm themselves. I felt terrible to the point where I was in tears. I was blind and didn’t see them suffering. Truth is, self harm is a way that people choose to deal and cope with inner pain. The person might be dealing with emotional issues such as, school, sexual confusion, bullying or low self-esteem, and many other factors come into play however, it all connects back to the societal ideals were meant to live up to.

I titled this post Collateral Damage because I don’t think celebrities, brands, or individuals have a primary motive of lowering others self-esteem or making them feel bad about themselves. Still, it is done naturally and results in people wanting to be just like them. Seeing people with fresh clothes and pretty faces that seem to be getting all the attention makes one wonder if they could potentially be like them. Personally, I’ve built up an “I don’t care attitude” in terms of the clothes I wear or pictures I post. However, it’s not easy for everyone to face their insecurities. If you do know anyone suffering please take the time to talk to them or contact https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ in the USA.

Category: Teconology | 2 Comments

October 31

Personal Creations

SBC Week 3 – Activity 6

Tool: https://www.befunky.com/

Category: Teconology | 2 Comments

October 31

Pictured Phrase

SBC- Week 3 Activity 4

All images from pixabay no attributions required. Although I have links down below.

Laptop, Tab, Headphone, Workstation Money, Dollars, Success, Business

Viewing from left to right

Image 1: https://pixabay.com/en/truck-lamborghini-realistic-sports-2158284/

Image 2: https://pixabay.com/en/laptop-tab-headphone-workstation-1483974/

” 3: https://pixabay.com/en/money-dollars-success-business-1428594/

” 4: https://www.flickr.com/photos/cata13es/6127697084

” 5: https://c1.staticflickr.com//7/6175/6239463081_346a2f8e32_b.jpg

Category: Teconology | 1 Comment

October 31

A Story’s Beginning

SBC Week 3 blog post – Activity 3

Forest, Vista, Tour

I couldn’t take it anymore. All the stress from school work, drama, the fight that I had with my best friend about me not telling her something. Scarlet got really mad at me and I just could not stand and lie to her knowing that I knew what was really. I ate lunch by myself in the library that day and all of a sudden I felt something squeeze my hand. I was in an empty room, I looked at the walls as there were no windows, just nothing. I stood up and unhurriedly walked to the door and opened it. As I approached the hallway doors, both of the doors suddenly closed. I started to walk down the hallway, to see if I could bust open a door only hearing my footsteps. However, I stopped as I felt like I was being followed. The scene was blurry and I didn’t know what was going on. I walk down a path with trees and what seemed like the bright light at the end of the path. The air was thick yet, still cold which caused my lips to dry up. In the midst of my walk I saw Scarlet then I quickly opened my eyes avoiding her. Again I found myself in the library with the lady saying “five more minutes till lunch is over”. Seconds later my eyes closed themselves again and I Scarlet popped up again.

Try to continue the story………

Link to Image: https://pixabay.com/en/elephant-baby-elephant-desert-2894482/

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October 23

Commenting in Action

Student Blog Challenge Week 2 – Activity 5

Farrah’s Blog: https://farraway.weebly.com/

Hi There Farrah,
My name is Sally and I go to ISD in Senegal. I came across this post on the flip board page and I absolutely loved it. You clearly explained each component of the avatar and how you related that to your personal looks and ideas. I truly enjoyed this post.

Sally,
Like to my blog: https://gankalisd21.edublogs.org/

Fiona’s Blog: http://techkidfiona.edublogs.org

Hi Fiona,

My name is Sally and I go to ISD in Senegal. Let me just start off by saying that I absolutely love the theme of your blog. Additionally, your post about guidelines for commenting was very well done. You did not only give tips but also went into detail explaining each one which is very helpful for the reader. And to top it all of you gave an example which is great.

Great Work.
– Sally
Link to my blog: https://gankalisd21.edublogs.org/

Joshua’s Blog: http://21joshb.edublogs.org/

Hey Joshua,
I really enjoyed learning somethings about you that I did not know before. Such as you play ultimate frisbee and that you love debating. I also like debating and I hope we have the chance to one day. Additionally, you have great transition words and wrote a very concise yet specific post that I truly enjoyed

Sally
Link to my blog: https://gankalisd21.edublogs.org/

Ruquyya’s Blog: http://rukayyaa.edublogs.org/

Hey Ruqquya,
Let my just say wow. I wanted to comment this on you about me page however, there was no comment option. That post was amazing and I truly learned more about you than ever. Your one of my close friends however, I did not know that your name meant, rising; “to bloom” nevertheless, to bloom. Great post really and the only thing I would suggest is maybe add a picture other than that it was lit.