Second Life - The Start of Something New
[1] Using Second Life as an exercise in
active learning in a writing class is the 
start
of something new for me. Instead of researching the background of my role
model, and reading her books, I played a game in the class and tried to be my
role model, Catherine Crier, in a 3-D visual world. It helped me to experience
my role model’s life. The whole process of working with my avatar was fun, and
the conversations that we developed in Second Life helped me to understand what
a leader is and to find the relationship between leadership and diversity.
Comparing the Second Life conversation to other forms of discussions, including
in 
class
discussions, the visual conversations in Second Life also helped me to take a
more active role in discussion and kept up with all the points that my peers
had developed. All these new experiences have motivated me in writing the
second project. I have found a difference between my usual academic motivation
that drove me to write Project One and this inspired Second Life motivation,
which inspired me to do Project Two. Regular academic motivation is the fear of
getting a bad grade; however, this inspired motivation, which I found from
practicing discovery learning, helps me in this class to be more active in the
role of learning knowledge and discovering something new by myself.
When I was focusing on doing Project One two weeks ago, my usual academic motivation motivated me to spend hours on researching the background of my role model and reading her books to understand her ideas. In my paper, I wanted to indicate the reasons that I chose Catherine Crier as my role model, “in order to pursue her goals, she made exceptional decisions,” and use specific examples to show that reading and writing play important roles in her life: Catherine knows the Constitution very well, and she is an author who made changes in the world by showing her passion in her literary works. I gave a lot of details in my first project becuase I cared about the two digit grade that the instructor would put on my paper and peer evaluations that my classmates were going to give me based on writing criteria.
What I did for Project One was a passive
way of studying, because I was motivated by my academic motivation; I told
myself that I had to research, read, and finish my project in order to get a
good grade. Being motivated by such things, I did not learn the essence of
discovery learning, because I did not connect the information I got from the
books I read to my personal situation. As one of my peers wrote to me in the
peers’ evaluation for the first project, “I think the writer could have written
a little bit more about her own thoughts instead of Catherine’s.” Researching
the background, reading her books, and watching her shows did not put me,
Rachelle, into Catherine Crier’s shoes, I just knew her life. I am still
myself, a student who tries to emulate her role model externally.
Having decided to do something
different for Project Two, I did not spend an exorbitant amount of time on
researching the background of my role model, Catherine Crier, and reading her
books before doing Project Two. I played a more active role in doing this
project, because I accumulated some knowledge from reading the books that
Catherine Crier wrote and was ready to bring them out in the “leaders’
conversation” in Second Life. All I did 
was
to sit down in front of a computer, get into the mood of being my role model,
and experience her life in the game. In order to be more like her in the
virtual world, I first changed the facial features, the clothing and
accessories that my role model wears. But making my avatar look more like
Catherine Crier is not an easy process; finding the appropriate suits and
accessories took time. In order to make my avatar more like Catherine Crier, I
found a microphone for her since Catherine was a successful anchor on TV. The
microphone is a symbol for her; by using her microphone, Catherine wanted to
inform people that changes 
were needed in this society, because she “[had] a passion for issues [and] a
desire to understand the world.”[2] The
whole process of working with my avatar was not as hard as I thought. Being
motivated by my “inspired motivation,” other than usual “academic motivation,”
I did not have the fear of getting a bad grade, but I did have the mind set of
trying to be a more like Catherine Crier and a leader of the conversation in
the game and a real leader in my career field in the future.
Only changing the appearance and outfits
is not enough, I needed to give my avatar a brain, a brain that matches my role
model’s life experience. Catherine Crier used to be an elected state judge, an anchor on TV, and now an acclaimed
author and journalist, I needed to talk as logically as a judge, as precisely
as an anchor, and as reasonably as an 
author. Reading the books that Catherine
Crier wrote and trying to know her life, I put some of my thoughts about her
work and achievements in writing Project One because I wanted to tell the
reason that I chose her as my role model, “[she] always knew what [she]
wanted to do.”[3] Preparing Project Two, I
experienced something new. I was not Rachelle Wang, the 
international student from
Working with my avatar in the game
was a fun experience, and playing as our roles model in the game also led me to
have a more specific leadership vision. Even though I have not been a leader
for our class discussion yet, trying to be a leader of the conversation in the
game prepared me for being a real leader in class discussion. In the first
conversation, “Catherine Crier,” “Ralph
Waldo Emerson,” “Yukiyoshi Takamura,” and “Leonardo da Vinci” talked
about what leadership is. After all the leaders from different fields sat down,
“Catherine Crier” first asked the question, “what is a leader?” 
In the picture to the left[5],
“Catherine Crier” was sitting on the sofa to the right and asking other leaders
the question about leadership. In order to lead the conversation, “Catherine
Crier” gave her answer first, “In my opinion, [a] leader is someone who can
make changes in the word.” After I gave my answer in Catherine’s tone, other
leaders also shared their leadership vision. Everyone in this group stayed in
character, and gave answers in their role models’ points of view. It was really
an enjoyable experience for me, because I learned different leadership visions
from three other leaders in different fields. For example, “Ralph Waldo
Emerson” believed that the “most
important thing a leader does is inroduce new ideas to the people around them;
to lead them in a new direction than what they 
already
know.” As Catherinr Crier in the conversation, I agreed with him, because
Catherine had the dream to make changes in the world, which is to “lead [people]
in a new direction than what they already know.” I not only learned a new
leadership vision in the conversation, more importantly, I practiced to
be a leader who leads discussions. Maybe I would not give my answer to a
question in the real class discussion; instead, I would first listen to my
other peers in order to avoid a confrontation. However, when I tried to be a
leader in the Second Life conversation, I was willing to type out my answer in
the first place, because I was driven by my new motivation – it was not about
grades but the quality of my contribution in the conversation and how well I
led the discussion. This experience was exceptionally new to me, and I liked
the way that my academic motivation sat back and my new motivation helped me to
be a better leader.
[6] The start of being a new person
is exciting and enjoyable. Being Catherine Crier in the game, I developed some
good conversations with other 
“leaders”, for example “Benjamin Franklin”.
When we got into the topic about the relationship between leadership and
diversity, “Catherine Crier,” 
“Benjamin
Franklin” and “Mrs. Beverly Kelly”
had different ideas. In the picture to the right, “Catherine Crier” and “Mrs.
Beverly Kelly” expressed different ideas on the relationship between leadership
and diversity. Different ideas led to series of conversations, and everyone in
the group used examples from different fields, such as literature, history, and
law, to support their points. As Catherine Crier, I used more examples from the
field of law and justice to show that there is a close relationship between
leadership and diversity. Recognizing the diversity in society, Catherine Crier
became a well-known state judge and a good leader in the field of law. In the
end, we all agreed that “a leader must recognize diversity, and adapt to it,” and I also learned that “a real leader must adapt to
those he is leading” and “be open to everything.” If it was an actual class discussion, I
might just hold my opinion and listen to others’. I would be afraid of speaking
in front of people, especially when I would give different opinions. All of
these would be due to my academic motivation; I would be afraid of getting a
bad grade for contributing different or wrong ideas. At this time, when I was
sitting in front of a computer, my inspired motivation was moving me; I did not
worry about having different answers, which would lead me to a bad grade. Different
ideas were appricieated; it was the time to bring out our knowledge that we
learned by doing the first project and to compare and concontrast these ideas.
When we got into the flow of the converstion, time speeded apace before I
realized that thirty minutes had already passed. At the end of the
conversation, we all felt that we still had something more to say, but time was
so limited.
Developing a
conversation in Second Life, which was the start of something new, helped me to
take a more active role in the discussion. Comparing having conversations in
Second Life and developing a discussion in class, I preferred developing
conversations in Second Life than speaking in public. When we had discussions
in class, I had to have a pencil and a notebook or outline in hand in order to
write down some imporant points my other peers said. Sometimes I was lost
because I fogot what the 
previous peer said after another peer gave
opinions. In Second Life, I was not frustrated with keeping up with the conversation
because I could always look up the chat history. The picture to the left was my
chat 
history
in Second Life. With that handy, I always followed the points that my peers had
developed. Moreover, no one would be looking at me when I was talking in Second
Life; that was something I had not experienced in class discussions. Overall, I
felt more confident in chating with other peers in Second Life. One of the
reasons was that it was not my academic motivation that was driving me. The
discussion we had online was not graded for correctness, but for the quality of
contribution; it prepared me for doing the second project. My motivation here
had been changed. By using Second Life as a tool, I wanted to contribute more
in the discussion for the sake of using the knowledge I had learned from
writing the first project, applying it in the conversation, accumulating more
knowledge that I got from reading books, and most importantly, being a leader
in the conversation.
Comparing the Second
Life conversation to a text-only chat, to a Facebook text chat with
small photos, to an SL voice chat, I also found differences in the way we
talked. Even though I was still at my computer and contributing to the 
conversation
in spite of what kind of chatting we used, the Second Life one was better,
because by seeing these avatars dressed like our role models, we paid 
more attention to the way we acted and talked
in the Second Life conversation. Without seeing a virtual world and avatars, it
would be easy for us to talk in our voices, instead of the way our role model
would do. After a couple of conversations were developed, we changed to the way
we spoke because there was nothing visual reminding us that we were not
ourselves. [7]Therefore, having a conversation in a
virtual world helped us stay in character. In the picture to the right, I was
focusing on asking and answering questions in the way that my role model might answer,
and my peers were concentrating on developing conversations and staying in
character. We enjoyed the exercise because our motivation was changed; at least
mine had been changed. I cared more about how to be a leader instead of how to
get a good grade.
Even though I did not
read but sat in front of a computer to prepare for the Second Project, I learned
something from this assignment about reading and writing. I could write these
scripts in Catherine Crier’s tone and cite these sentences from her book
because I had had absorbed all the essence from the readings. I remembed that
one of the greatest Taoist thinkers, Laozi, used to tell his believes that
“when one got the meanings of the words, the text itself was no longer needed.”[8]
After I read through the books that my role model wrote and fully understood
the meaning, I felt prepared in the conversation in Second Life. Therefore,
reading is the foundation of writing, not only the foundtation of writing
Project Two, but also the foundation of writing the scripts in Second life. I
believe that reading plays an imporant role in both my role model’s life and my
life. Catherine Crier wrote books based on the inspirations that she got from
reading the Constitution and memorizing her heroes’ words; I wrote Project One
because I read Catherine’ book and was inspirated by it. For Project Two, I was
inspirated by the scripts which I helped develop. It was one of the experiences
that was different between writing the first project and the second one. If I
was motivated academically for doing Project One, I would have cared more or
less about the grade I would get, but
for doing Project Two, I had more confidence, because I was motivated by
the goal of being a better leader.
[9] Using Second Life has
been an experience of discovery learning for me. As is said under the benefits
of discovery learning, “[it] can be more motivating, incorporating the
pleasures of […] controlling an environment.”[10]
While I was participating in the conversation, I was concentrating on
contributing new ideas to my group and trying to lead the discussion. I had the
responsibility to play an active role in the process of learning, not just
simply following the direction that was given by the instructor.[11]
As I said before, my motivation had been
changed. If it was an assignment that the instructor would grade, I would try
to do as well as possible on it because my academic motivation was working. 
However,
I have developed more confidence in my ability to be a leader in a group due to
my inspired motivation that I found using Second Life.
I enjoyed the process of making my avatar and being my role model in Second Life. It was an experience that was totally different from preparing for Project One. I did not read nor reasearch for Project Two, instead, I played an active role in the assignment because my motivation had been changed. My passion to do this assignment was not driven by my regular academic motivation, instead, by an inspired new motivation. I was encouraged to be a leader in the group discussion in Second Life and build my confidence to be a real leader in my later life. Overall, playing as my role model in the game led me to have a more specific leadership vision; I learned what a leader is and understand the relationship between leadership and diversity. The whole process is something called discovery learning; “[this] active involvement forces [me] to construct a response and this results in procesing of information deeper than mere memorization,”[12] of the books I read for doing Project One. I like the way that this inspired motivation helps me, because I learned to be more active in the role of learning and discovering something new by myself.
Word Count: 2700
Appendix:
1) First Topic: What is a leader?
[12:03] Pose Ball: Margaret Iwish, say 'Hide' to hide me,
or 'Show' to make me show. Or just right-click and sit on me to use me.
[12:03] Pose Ball: Randall Fizzle, say 'Hide' to hide me, or 'Show' to make me
show. Or just right-click and sit on me to use me.
[12:04] Pose Ball: Margaret Iwish, say 'Hide' to hide me, or 'Show' to make me
show. Or just right-click and sit on me to use me.
[12:04] Pose Ball: Margaret Iwish, say 'Hide' to hide me, or 'Show' to make me
show. Or just right-click and sit on me to use me.
[12:04] Pose Ball: Margaret Iwish, say 'Hide' to hide me, or 'Show' to make me
show. Or just right-click and sit on me to use me.
[12:04] Pose Ball: Margaret Iwish, say 'Hide' to hide me, or 'Show' to make me
show. Or just right-click and sit on me to use me.
[12:04] Catherine Chesnokov: what is leader. In my opinion,
leader is someone who can makes changes in the world
[12:04] Pose Ball: Ralph Felisimo, say 'Hide' to hide me, or 'Show' to make
me show. Or just right-click and sit on me to use me.
[12:04] Pose Ball: Ralph Felisimo, say 'Hide' to hide me, or 'Show' to make me
show. Or just right-click and sit on me to use me.
[12:05] Wayne Boozehound: Hello
[12:05] Catherine Chesnokov: what do yoll think?
[12:05] Wayne Boozehound: I believe that a true leader is someone who strives
for perfection.
[12:05] Pose Ball: Yukiyoshi Takaaki, say 'Hide' to hide me, or 'Show' to make
me show. Or just right-click and sit on me to use me.
[12:05] Pose Ball: Yukiyoshi Takaaki, say 'Hide' to hide me, or 'Show' to make
me show. Or just right-click and sit on me to use me.
[12:06] Pose Ball: Yukiyoshi Takaaki, say 'Hide' to hide me, or 'Show' to make
me show. Or just right-click and sit on me to use me.
[12:06] Catherine Chesnokov: for example, I used to be a state
judge in the state of Texas. As one of the leaders in the field of law, I
wanted to bring justice there
[12:06] Wayne Boozehound: Has all colleagues joined us yet?
[12:06] Pose Ball: Yukiyoshi Takaaki, say 'Hide' to hide me, or 'Show' to make
me show. Or just right-click and sit on me to use me.
[12:06] Pose Ball: Yukiyoshi Takaaki, say 'Hide' to hide me, or 'Show' to make
me show. Or just right-click and sit on me to use me.
[12:06] Catherine Chesnokov: perfection.. hmm.. no one is perfect
though
[12:06] Catherine Chesnokov: of course, as a leaders, they try to
be as perfect
[12:07] Wayne Boozehound: Yes but it is what we all strive for, though it
can not be reached it is the process we go through which defines us.
[12:07] Catherine Chesnokov: i agree
[12:07] Catherine Chesnokov: so what defines us in your opinion?
[12:07] You: Defines us as leaders?
[12:07] Catherine Chesnokov: yes
[12:08] You: What efines us as leaders is the ability to trust ourselves
[12:08] Yukiyoshi Takaaki: What defines us as leaders... hm.
[12:08] Wayne Boozehound: We are all leaders indivdually but we are all
composed differently.
[12:08] Yukiyoshi Takaaki: Yes, everyone is a leader to a different degree.
[12:08] Catherine Chesnokov: we are leaders in different fields
[12:09] Yukiyoshi Takaaki: A leader can be on a very small scale, such as the
leader of a boy scout troop, all the way up to the leader of a nation, such as
the President of the United States
[12:09] You: Either way, to be a leader, one must be a non conformist
[12:09] You: whoso would be a man must be a non conformist.
[12:09] Wayne Boozehound: I would like to ask who is all of you and what is
your profession?
[12:09] Yukiyoshi Takaaki: While I agree that to be a leader it is possible to
be a nonconformist, I do think that there are many mainstream leaders too
though.
[12:10] You: I am a philosopher and a writer
[12:10] Catherine Chesnokov: I am Catherine Crier, a former state
judge in Texas, a anchor on TV, right now i am an author
[12:10] Wayne Boozehound: Philosopher a true trade and a noble one.
[12:10] Yukiyoshi Takaaki: My profession? I sold antiques in San Jose,
California while teaching my family's classical martial art until I got cancer
and died in 2002.
[12:10] You: Yes it is, I am one of the founding members of the Transcendental
movement.
[12:11] Wayne Boozehound: Ah, I see an author, words are the art of the
intellect, I myself wrote many journals.
[12:11] Catherine Chesnokov: philosopher, so how will philsopher
be a true leader in the world?
[12:11] You: nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of ones own mind.
[12:11] Yukiyoshi Takaaki: Many others achieve some sort of level of
immortality through their work.
[12:11] You: We lead the world to different ideas.
[12:11] Yukiyoshi Takaaki: authors*
[12:11] Yukiyoshi Takaaki: What ideas do you believe are most vital in a
leader?
[12:11] Catherine Chesnokov: different ideas. will these ideas
make changes in the world?
[12:12] Wayne Boozehound: Ideas, they are very powerful, also to find the inner
workings of things is a true mystery.
[12:12] Wayne Boozehound: It is the process of finding these things out that is
so important.
[12:12] Catherine Chesnokov: be a leader, I have to have passion
for issues, a desire to understand thw rold
[12:12] Catherine Chesnokov: world*
[12:12] Yukiyoshi Takaaki: That is a very ambitious desire, Catherine.
[12:12] Wayne Boozehound: Ah yes Catherine I agree entirely.
[12:13] Catherine Chesnokov: well, as leaders, we have to have
ambitions, right?
[12:13] You: As so I
[12:13] You: do*
[12:13] Wayne Boozehound: That is true young Catherine.
[12:13] Yukiyoshi Takaaki: I agree, leaders are often ambitious, however, I
don't think ambition is found in all leaders.
[12:13] Yukiyoshi Takaaki: Some leaders are simply those that are naturally
born to take control of situations and have the charisma to be followed by
others.
[12:14] Catherine Chesnokov: maybe not ambitions, but at least
desires
[12:14] You: My ambition has been to break apart from traditional ideas of my
time and form new ideas about spirituality in individuals and in nature
[12:14] Yukiyoshi Takaaki: You interact with people every day who are leaders
in their own right and you may follow them without even knowing.
[12:14] Catherine Chesnokov: thats right
[12:14] Wayne Boozehound: Desire is true to a leader, if you do not have
desires or passions then what is important in what you do?
[12:14] Yukiyoshi Takaaki: Yes, you must have a desire to do something,
Catherine, I agree.
[12:14] You: Not just desire, but the confidence to do something about your
beliefs.
[12:15] Yukiyoshi Takaaki: Yes, that's a valid point, Ralph.
[12:15] Catherine Chesnokov: yes confidence
[12:15] Catherine Chesnokov: confidence is building on what?
[12:15] You: You must trust yourself. every heart vibrates to that iron string.
[12:16] Catherine Chesnokov: trust, which means we must believe
in ourselves
[12:16] Yukiyoshi Takaaki: Care to elaborate?
[12:16] Wayne Boozehound: I once said that something as simple as a human foot
is an artistic masterpiece and an mechanical marvel, it is appreciation for the
small things and the makeup of the world around us that should be important.
[12:16] You: yes!
[12:16] Catherine Chesnokov: "make up of the world around
us" I like this point
[12:16] Yukiyoshi Takaaki: The human body is a fascinating thing.
[12:16] Catherine Chesnokov: we make up this world, and make it
better
[12:16] Yukiyoshi Takaaki: I devoted my life to learning how to use it in the
most efficient destruction of others.
[12:17] You: in what way does it fascinate you, Yukiyoshi?
[12:17] Wayne Boozehound: Yes, everyone should take the time to appreciate the
things around them.
[12:17] Yukiyoshi Takaaki: Not that I am especially violent or wish death upon
others, but it is a cultural tradition that has been handed to me over the
course of many generations in my family.
[12:17] Wayne Boozehound: Only after destruction, does one have the power to
rebuild.
[12:17] Catherine Chesnokov: rebuild?
[12:17] You: I do not look to violence to make my points be heard
[12:18] Wayne Boozehound: Yes, rebuild your character, your values.
[12:18] Catherine Chesnokov: building character is what I am
really concerned
[12:18] Yukiyoshi Takaaki: Sometimes, though, a swift kick to a vulnerable
place gets a point across.
[12:18] You: Yes, but I choose to always use the power of the pen!
[12:19] Catherine Chesnokov: i choose to use the power of law
[12:19] Yukiyoshi Takaaki: The ultimate goal of the martial ways, though,
is the preservation of life and avoidance of violence. The power to
"choose to spare life" is really only a power when one actually HAS
the ability to take life. Does that make sense?
[12:19] You: Yes, you are a very smart man.
[12:19] You: maybe you should become a philosopher!
[12:19] Catherine Chesnokov: avoidace of violaence, yes i make
sense to me
[12:19] Wayne Boozehound: The power of the pen, I chose to use art, science,
mathematics, engineering, and also the pen to display my feelings.
[12:20] Yukiyoshi Takaaki: You have a very wide range of scholarly interests,
Wayne.
[12:20] Wayne Boozehound: Man should have many passions (and women)
[12:20] Yukiyoshi Takaaki: And Ralph, I look forward to reading more of your
writings!
[12:20] You: You definitely should, one of my most influential is "self
Reliance"
[12:20] Wayne Boozehound: All people should have passions i mean
[12:21] Yukiyoshi Takaaki: I agree.
[12:21] Yukiyoshi Takaaki: Life is much more dull without them.
[12:21] Catherine Chesnokov: passion is wat im talking about
[12:21] Wayne Boozehound: Has anyone here ever viewed art before?
[12:21] Yukiyoshi Takaaki: So many people drift through life and come to the
end without ever feeling fulfilled.
[12:21] Catherine Chesnokov: as i said, we need to have passion
for issues
[12:21] You: Yes, I am very inspired by art in nature.
[12:21] Yukiyoshi Takaaki: Those with passion and drive, oftentimes natural
leaders, live much more fulfilling lives, I think.
[12:21] Yukiyoshi Takaaki: Do you think the art of leadership can be taught?
[12:21] Wayne Boozehound: Yes, nature can speak to so many deep in their
hearts.
[12:22] Catherine Chesnokov: passion can actually help us achieve
our personal satisfaction
[12:22] Catherine Chesnokov: nature, human nature?
[12:22] You: I think everyone has the ability to be a leader.
[12:22] Catherine Chesnokov: yes
[12:22] Wayne Boozehound: All these things we are discussing make us leaders in
our own ways.
[12:22] Catherine Chesnokov: "in our own ways"
[12:22] Yukiyoshi Takaaki: I think to be a leader, one must be a good
listener... just throwin' that out there.
[12:22] Wayne Boozehound: Catherine, I notice you find more importance in
people rather than nature, why is this so?
[12:23] Catherine Chesnokov: i have to more interact with people
then nature
[12:23] You: Yes, but nature can teach us a lot about people.
[12:23] Catherine Chesnokov: because as a judge, i have to
understand them in their points of views
[12:23] Catherine Chesnokov: only in that way, i could make the
right judge over any case
[12:24] Wayne Boozehound: Do you have passion in your profession, do you wish
that you could do something different?
[12:24] You: I am very passionate about what I do. I do not think that I am
cornered into one certain profession.
[12:24] Catherine Chesnokov: i made a decision that shock both
legal prefession and the journalism world
[12:24] Catherine Chesnokov: even tho, i decided to be a anchor
on TV
[12:24] Yukiyoshi Takaaki is Offline
[12:25] Catherine Chesnokov: but my passion did not change
[12:25] Wayne Boozehound: So your break from the norm and in that way do you
believe you are a leader for others?
[12:25] Catherine Chesnokov: "passionate about what i
do", that what a leader should always do. I agree with you Ralph
[12:25] Catherine Chesnokov: wayne, i am not a perfect leader
[12:26] Catherine Chesnokov: but i believe in a male-dominate
field, the field of law, i was a leader
[12:26] Yukiyoshi Takaaki is Online
[12:26] Wayne Boozehound: Wayne? that is only a pseudonym, you may call me
Leonardo da Vinci
[12:26] You: Yes, I think that the most important thing a leader does is
inroduce new ideas to the people around them, to lead them in a new direction
than what they already know.
[12:26] Pose Ball: Yukiyoshi Takaaki, say 'Hide' to hide me, or 'Show' to make
me show. Or just right-click and sit on me to use me.
[12:26] Pose Ball: Yukiyoshi Takaaki, say 'Hide' to hide me, or 'Show' to make
me show. Or just right-click and sit on me to use me.
[12:26] Catherine Chesnokov: new ideas, and new ways of make
these ideas work
[12:27] You: For example, I was a Unitarian minister until I realized that
I am not interested in strict religious ideas that are imposed on us.
[12:27] Yukiyoshi Takaaki: Yes, technology has really made it interesting in
the application of new ideas.
[12:27] Wayne Boozehound: New directions, yes a leader should lead others down
a path untraveled and I believe we have all done this in a way.
[12:27] You: Therefore, I began exploring spirituality in nature and in people.
[12:27] Yukiyoshi Takaaki: Sounds like you like to walk the path less
travelled, Ralph.
[12:28] You: Yes, yes I do Yukiyoshi!
[12:28] Yukiyoshi Takaaki: You can call me Yukio.
[12:28] Wayne Boozehound: Technology, What A Marvel!! I myself am an inventor
and appreciate the workings of all around me.
[12:28] Catherine Chesnokov: technology
[12:28] Yukiyoshi Takaaki: Yes, too bad you didn't leave in the 20th and 21st
centuries, leo!
[12:28] Wayne Boozehound: Is anyone here scared of technology?
[12:29] Yukiyoshi Takaaki: Wow, you really would be amazed at what has come.
[12:29] Catherine Chesnokov: technology did make changes in the
world
[12:29] Yukiyoshi Takaaki: I think technology is a great tool that can bring
power to the weak and I pray it is not misused in the future.
[12:29] Catherine Chesnokov: but because there are leaders in the
field of tech, we can have these cool techs and make changes by using them
[12:29] Catherine Chesnokov: yes, they are tools
[12:29] Wayne Boozehound: Yes, I am a man of the 14th century, the Renaissance
and the start of modern history.
[12:30] Catherine Chesnokov: in 14th century, tech is not
advanced at all
[12:30] Catherine Chesnokov: so you makes changes in the world by
arts?
[12:30] You: Neither is it in my time.
[12:30] Yukiyoshi Takaaki: No, but Mr. Da Vinci did much to further it.
[12:30] Catherine Chesnokov: anything else?
[12:31] Wayne Boozehound: Yes not much technology wise during my time but it
was an age of learning and art.
[12:31] Catherine Chesnokov: in my time, technology did have
great influence, but some people use it in thw rong way
[12:31] Catherine Chesnokov: wrong*
[12:31] Yukiyoshi Takaaki: How so, Catherine?
[12:31] You: Mine as well. I used technology to print off my newspaper, The
Dial
[12:31] Catherine Chesnokov: online heckers
[12:31] You: online? whats that?
[12:32] Wayne Boozehound: Yes, please elaborate on this so called,
"online"
[12:32] Catherine Chesnokov: like they use technolody to steal
other people's password
[12:32] Yukiyoshi Takaaki: I was a simple man and technology was never a huge
part of my life, but now my students carry on my tradition and most of our new
students hear about the style via word of mouth or the internet, which is
really a fascinating thing.
[12:32] Catherine Chesnokov: ok, without these technology
[12:32] Catherine Chesnokov: how can we also make changes in the
world?
[12:32] You: You people of the 21st century.....you need to get back to
nature and explore your own spirituality and your individuality.
[12:32] Wayne Boozehound: what is this "internet" you speak so much
of?
[12:32] Catherine Chesnokov: as leaders, we cant always depend on
technology
[12:32] Yukiyoshi Takaaki: Oh, I was a very spiritual man, Ralph!
[12:33] Yukiyoshi Takaaki: Most people did not know that i was a Shinto priest.
[12:33] Yukiyoshi Takaaki: Do you all know what Shinto is?
[12:33] Catherine Chesnokov: internet...
[12:33] You: No, Yukio, please explain!
[12:33] Wayne Boozehound: A Shinto, I am not familiar with the term, please
explain.
[12:33] Catherine Chesnokov: i dont understnad "shinto"
neither
[12:33] Wayne Boozehound: I would love to learn of all of your cultures.
[12:34] Yukiyoshi Takaaki: Well, Shinto is the native religion of Japan, having
existed long before the introduction of Buddhism. It focuses on the worship of
nature and the idea of cleanliness and spiritual purity.
[12:34] You: I am very inspired by Buddha.
[12:34] Wayne Boozehound: I see, very fascinating.
[12:34] Yukiyoshi Takaaki: In my style, Takamura-ha Shindo Yoshin-ryu, many
Shinto rituals are a part of the training.
[12:34] Catherine Chesnokov: cultural differences make us
different leaders
[12:34] Catherine Chesnokov: agree?
[12:34] Wayne Boozehound: Agree highly.
[12:35] You: Yes, however, we are all the same in spirit. God is immanent in us
all.
[12:35] Catherine Chesnokov: God, different people have different
beliefs
[12:36] Catherine Chesnokov: so "god" is diffenret in
different cultures
[12:36] Yukiyoshi Takaaki: Yes, in some there are many gods and deities, but
ultimately, they are all the same, I believe.
[12:36] You: Yes, but my peers and I believe that the spirit of whoever 'god'
is exists in all of us, and in everything in nature.
[12:36] You: It is waht bounds individuals to nature.
[12:36] Catherine Chesnokov: do you think "god" is also
one kind of leader?
[12:37] Wayne Boozehound: Yes everyone should find worship in something.
[12:37] Catherine Chesnokov: god inspires us to set our goal and
help us move forward?
[12:37] Yukiyoshi Takaaki: I think many draw from god as inspiration and that
is a very noble thing, but some miscontrue his name and status for not so noble
purposes.
[12:37] Catherine Chesnokov: thats wat a leader will do right?
inspire people?
[12:37] You: I think god transcends the individual and the individual belief,
and that 'god' binds the world together.
[12:37] Catherine Chesnokov: i agree, Ralph
[12:38] Wayne Boozehound: I find contempt in the study of things and through my
work I display the beauty of God's world, I have done religious pieces and I
hope to portray a hope and a higher being.
[12:38] You: Bye all!!
[12:38] Catherine Chesnokov: nice talk
[12:38] Catherine Chesnokov: :)
[12:38] Wayne Boozehound: Thank you all for this indepth convo.
2) Second Topic:
What is the relationship between leadership and diversity?
[12:40] Catherine Chesnokov: hello
[12:41] Basic Chair: Right click me and choose 'Sit Here' to sit down
[12:41] Catherine Chesnokov: so what do yoll think the
relationship between leadership and diversity?
[12:41] You: Welcome everyone.
[12:42] Beverly4 Iwish: Hey yall!
[12:42] You: While this isn't my home, Philladelphia, I do enjoy it.
[12:42] Catherine Chesnokov: because of the diversity we have in
the world, we have different kinds of leaderships i think
[12:42] Catherine Chesnokov: there are religious leaders,
political leaders, and socail work leaders
[12:42] You: Who is everyone? I am Benjamin franklin. Superstar athlete,
founding father, rock and roll hall of famer, etc.
[12:43] You: You are all just type typing away.
[12:43] Catherine Chesnokov: ok i am catherine crier, former
state judge in the state of texas, a anchor on TV, and now i am an author
[12:43] Beverly4 Iwish: I am Beverly Kelly, mother of Erin.
[12:43] You: I am familiar with the typeset. Afterall I was a master printer.
[12:43] You: Hello, Erin's mother.
[12:44] You: Well, I always enjoyed discussion.
[12:44] You: Afterall I formed my group the Junta, to discuss a diverse set of
topics.
[12:44] You: So lets talk about diveristy, and how it relates to leadership.
[12:44] You: I will let you, the lovely ladies go first.
[12:45] Catherine Chesnokov: as i said, there are different kinds
of leaders in the world because of the diversity
[12:45] Beverly4 Iwish: I believe leadership and diversity are very related.
Leaders are faced with many different people and situations and must adjust
their leadership style to fit the people and situation.
[12:45] You: Afterall, I was always known for my charm, just ask the young
women of Paris... In 1776
[12:45] You: Haha.
[12:45] You: Beverly, elaborate on what you said about adaptation.
[12:46] Catherine Chesnokov: adaptation?
[12:46] You: Afterall, I am not familiar with the term evolution, since Darwin
was a tad bit after my day.
[12:46] You: How does a leader adapt to different situations, to diverse
situations?
[12:46] Catherine Chesnokov: you think leadership style fit into
people or people get used to leadership?
[12:47] Beverly4 Iwish: Well, for example, if you are leading a group of
young children, you would act and talk and lead differently than you would if
you were leading a group of educated business men.
[12:47] Catherine Chesnokov: thats right
[12:47] Catherine Chesnokov: and people who follow your lead also
need to adjust to your way of leadership, right?
[12:47] You: So a leader must recognize diversity, and adapt to it.
[12:48] Catherine Chesnokov: you lead, becuase you have to be
modle in front of people
[12:48] Beverly4 Iwish: Yes Catherine, I believe both leaders and the people
they are leading must adapt to the situation and the people they are working
with.
[12:48] You: If I could wax for a bit.
[12:48] Catherine Chesnokov: yes leader must recognize the
diversity; but not only leader adapt to it, but also people accept the way you
lead
[12:48] You: I do agree with you both. A real leader must adapt to those he
is leading.
[12:49] Catherine Chesnokov: people lead differently due to
different situation
[12:49] Catherine Chesnokov: thats the diversity we talking about
[12:49] You: When I was serving in public roles in Philadelphia I used
different techniques than I did as a diplomat in Europe, both in England and
France.
[12:50] You: Philladelphia itself, was a very diverse community--at least
compared to Boston where I was born.
[12:50] You: As you know, if you have read The Scarlet Letter, Boston was ran
by Puritans, and it was in fact boring.
[12:50] Catherine Chesnokov: as a state judge, i need to
considered things from the plaintiff's point of view and also the appellee's
point of view
[12:50] You: Everyone was the same, those who were different were
ostracised, and ran out of the colony.
[12:51] Catherine Chesnokov: so there are no diversity there?
[12:51] Beverly4 Iwish: Yes I believe so. Leaders would work differently in
different situations. I lead in different ways in my family depending on the
situation. For instance, I would lead differently under an emergency situation
than say when punishing a child or praising a child.
[12:51] Catherine Chesnokov: since you said "everyone was
the same"
[12:51] You: I was bored of Boston, it wasn't me. But Philladelphia was, it was
the city of Brotherly Love. It was as diverse as Boston was traditional.
[12:51] Catherine Chesnokov: so in order to find diversity, you
moved?
[12:52] Beverly4 Iwish: Was there no diversity in Boston?
[12:52] Catherine Chesnokov: thats my question too
[12:52] You: Philadelphia had no state religion, it was founded, Pennsylvania
that is, on religious freedom, and thus diversity.
[12:52] Catherine Chesnokov: diversity, i believe diversity is
everywhere
[12:52] You: Boston was far from diverse, diversity was not encouraged in
Boston.
[12:52] Catherine Chesnokov: religious freedom
[12:52] You: Have you not read The Scarlet Letter
[12:52] You: ???
[12:52] Catherine Chesnokov: you said religious freedom
[12:53] Beverly4 Iwish: I agree. Everyone is different, and everyone has
different leaders.
[12:53] Catherine Chesnokov: so religion reduces the diversity in
the world?
[12:53] You: Yes, Pennsylvania was created to escape the oppression of
Massachusetts, and Boston.
[12:53] You: Philadelphia had a myriad of people.
[12:53] Beverly4 Iwish: There is diversity other than religious diversity.
[12:53] You: Quakers, Protestants, Catholics, all sorts.
[12:53] You: And we all co-existed, and actually thrived because of our
diversity
[12:54] You: Philladelphia was the site of much of the birth of America
[12:54] Catherine Chesnokov: co-existed, thats kinds of the
definition of deversity, right?
[12:54] Beverly4 Iwish: I agree. Diversity is a good thing because I think you
can learn from people different than yourself.
[12:54] You: And that diversity played a big part. Because it helped create
leaders.
[12:54] Beverly4 Iwish: How did diversity help create leaders?
[12:54] Catherine Chesnokov: it does play a big role in our
society
[12:54] You: I learned from others, who were different than me.
[12:55] Catherine Chesnokov: diversity creates leaders in
different ways
[12:55] You: And I became a leader because of it, others came to
Pennsylvania for the continental congresses, to help form America, and learned
from the diveristy.
[12:55] Catherine Chesnokov: i become a leader also becuase of
diversity
[12:55] You: They discussed with others who had different views. They
listened. They grew.
[12:55] Beverly4 Iwish: Catherine, how did you become a leader from diveristy?
[12:56] You: Yes, please Catherine.
[12:56] Catherine Chesnokov: in the male-dominate field, the
field of law, i wantef to supercede the role of women
[12:56] You: That is wonderful.
[12:57] Beverly4 Iwish: I agree. I have been experienced to many different
people and have learned many things from people. Although I may not be a well
known leader like yall, I am a leader in my family. I believe everyone has many
different leaders they follow.
[12:57] Catherine Chesnokov: since the introduction of the
nineteenth amendament, i felt like i have to promote social equality in the
society
[12:57] You: Leadership isn't about how many followers you have.
[12:57] Catherine Chesnokov: socail equality is also one kind of diversity
right?
[12:57] Catherine Chesnokov: not only men can take charge, women
can do too
[12:57] Catherine Chesnokov: i agree with you, Benjamin or
Bruce
[12:58] Catherine Chesnokov: it is not about followers
[12:58] Catherine Chesnokov: it is about the influence you make
[12:58] You: It is about being able to adapt to situations, to embrace
diversity, and thrive. In a family of 17, like how many kids my father had. Or
in a Nation full of 300 million people.
[12:58] Beverly4 Iwish: That is true. I think anyone who influences someone is
a leader. You don't have to be famous to be a leaader.
[12:58] Catherine Chesnokov: if or not you make changes in the
world is what a leader is concerned
[12:58] You: The key is to embracing that diversity, which was evident in
Philladelphia.
[12:59] Catherine Chesnokov: there are leaders who are not famous
at all
[12:59] Beverly4 Iwish: We have discussed how diversity can create leaders.
Do yall believe leadership can create diversity?
[12:59] Catherine Chesnokov: a teacher can be a leader
[12:59] You: Fame has nothing to do with leadership.
[12:59] Beverly4 Iwish: I completely agree.
[12:59] Catherine Chesnokov: everyone can be a leader in his or
her field
[12:59] You: While I was the most famous American at a period in time.
[12:59] You: And I am featured on the 100 dollar bill, I didn't care.
[13:00] You: I was never satisified, I was always trying to improve. To learn
more, to gain more knowledge, to discover knowledge.
[13:00] Catherine Chesnokov: as long as you did something and
made changes, you were and are a leader
[13:00] Beverly4 Iwish: I think that is good that you are modest.
[13:00] You: The key was looking for new ideas, diverse ideas.
[13:00] Beverly4 Iwish: Yes, everyone has room to improve, and leaders help
people improve.
[13:00] Catherine Chesnokov: even people can see you on the 100
dollar bill, what you did is wat people are more concerned about
[13:01] Catherine Chesnokov: new ideas, diverse ideas could come
from commoners
[13:01] Catherine Chesnokov: not necessary from leaders
[13:01] You: He that falls in love with himself will have no enemies, I
have always said.
[13:01] Catherine Chesnokov: thats why i said everyone can be a
leader sueway
[13:01] Catherine Chesnokov: "fall in love with
himself"?
[13:01] You: Leaders are those who can listen to those new, diverse, ideas and
bring them together.
[13:02] Catherine Chesnokov: not every leader falls in love with
himself or herself
[13:02] You: That was something Poor Richard said, don't worry about that.
[13:02] You: It was a joke about how modest I was... Hah.
[13:02] Catherine Chesnokov: as leaders, we need to somewhat fall
in love with ourselves
[13:02] Catherine Chesnokov: but more importantlu
[13:02] Beverly4 Iwish: So do yall think leadership has any effect on
diversity?
[13:02] Catherine Chesnokov: we need to fall in love with other
people
[13:02] Catherine Chesnokov: yes
[13:03] You: In what ways?
[13:03] Catherine Chesnokov: leaders can bring new ideas for
people, and make the world more diverse
[13:03] Catherine Chesnokov: by encounting with people, who have
different ideas
[13:03] You: Leaders must bring diversity, and embrace it.
[13:03] Catherine Chesnokov: i am edperiencing the world in a
totall persfectives
[13:04] You: Leaders are responsible for creating the forum, the diversity, to
improve the community.
[13:04] Beverly4 Iwish: I agree. Leaders can bring out the diversity of people.
Different people are good at different skills and good leaders can help bring
these out in people.
[13:04] Catherine Chesnokov: bring diversity and embrace it, I
totally agree
[13:04] Catherine Chesnokov: do yoll think we have enough
diversity in this country?
[13:04] You: I promoted the diversity of ideas in Philly, I created the
first library, so those in the community could read and therefore learn, and
gain their own diverse knowledge.
[13:04] You: I afterall, am a founding father, and I know much about this
country.
[13:05] Catherine Chesnokov: even tho, there are people from
different parts of the world live in the same country
[13:05] You: This country was born out of intellectual diversity.
[13:05] You: While we at the Founding Fathers, may have all been old, white,
men.
[13:05] Catherine Chesnokov: there are still places diversity is
not enough at all
[13:05] Betty Questi shouts: Very nice, Shakespeare!
[13:05] Beverly4 Iwish: I help promote diversity by encouraging and supporting
everyone in my family. I encourage them to be who they want to be and to do
what is best for them.
[13:05] You: We all came from different backgrounds, and looked at things
differently.
[13:05] Catherine Chesnokov: one of my responsibilities is to
promote diversity
[13:06] You: I sat in the Constitutional Convention, I know how diverse the
ideas where, and I sat and listened.
[13:06] Beverly4 Iwish: I think we have so much diversity in our country.
[13:06] Beverly4 Iwish: Everyone is different and has different ideas.
[13:06] You: And learned from all the diversity, until we worked together,
embracing that diversity of ideas to create America as we know it today.
[13:06] Catherine Chesnokov: because of these different
persfectives, we, as leaders, can lead better in different fields
[13:07] You: And that document which we drafted in that extremly hot room,
did I mention I was so old then. That document embraces diversity.
[13:07] You: It encourages it, along with the bill of rights. We have the
freedom to be diverse.
[13:07] Catherine Chesnokov: since you mentioned Constitution, I
remember that the Preamble said something about our nation
[13:07] You: To think differently, to worship differently, to do anything
we want diversely.
[13:07] Catherine Chesnokov: "we the people f the United
States, in order to form a more perfect Union..'
[13:08] You: That is why this country is great.
[13:08] Catherine Chesnokov: to form a more perfect Union, doesnt
we need diversity?
[13:08] Catherine Chesnokov: yes we do i believe
[13:08] You: that and the guy who is on the 100 dollar bill. He is so good
looking.
[13:08] Beverly4 Iwish: Yes, I think it is great that our country has so much
diversity and promotes it.
[13:08] Catherine Chesnokov: yes he is......
[13:08] You: Union--That means together.
[13:08] Catherine Chesnokov: union- together, who are together?
[13:09] You: I created a political cartoon during the war, "Join or
Die" it said, showing the colonies as a cut up snake.
[13:09] Catherine Chesnokov: people with different backgrounds
carry different ideas are toegther
[13:09] You: America as a nation must unite, through its diversity, to
become strong, to form that "union."
[13:09] Beverly4 Iwish: Yes, I think that the leaders bring together a diverse
group of people into one unified country.
[13:09] Catherine Chesnokov: as a state judge, i have to promote
diversity
[13:09] You: If we don't join, we die.
[13:09] Beverly4 Iwish: Catherine, how do you promote diversity?
[13:09] Catherine Chesnokov: "must be unite" thats why
our country is called "the UNITED states"
[13:10] Beverly4 Iwish: I completely agree. We must depend on others to
survive.
[13:10] You: He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything
else.
[13:10] Catherine Chesnokov: in some of the case that i have
presided in the past, I have to make sure I need to equal to everyone
[13:11] You: We must not make excuses, but instead embrace our different
talents, that is what a leader does.
[13:11] Catherine Chesnokov: because of the diversity, i have to
understand people in different points of views
[13:11] Catherine Chesnokov: in other words, i was trying to find
a way to understand the diversity and promote diversity
[13:11] Beverly4 Iwish: How do you accomplish this?
[13:11] You: A leader is able to unite different ideas, different people. For
the betterment of the group.
[13:11] Beverly4 Iwish: How can leaders understand and promote diversity?
[13:12] Catherine Chesnokov: thinking in other's points of views
[13:12] Catherine Chesnokov: thats one way of understand the
diversity
[13:12] Beverly4 Iwish: I agree
[13:12] Catherine Chesnokov: wat do you think, Mr. Benjamin?
[13:12] You: A leader must be open to everything, and curious to discover
different things, and thus find out and discover true knowledge.
[13:12] Catherine Chesnokov: open to everything
[13:12] Catherine Chesnokov: thats important too
[13:13] You: Well I am open to anything, except continuing this chat,
because it is over.
[13:13] Catherine Chesnokov: discover knowledge is another way to
understand diversity
[13:13] Catherine Chesnokov: nice talk
[13:13] Beverly4 Iwish: Great to meet yall!