faith

Pastors and churches, too, should consider providing their congregations with metacognitive check-ins! [Christian]

On 03/24/2018, in Daniel S. Christian, faith, learning, learning ecosystem, learning theories, memory, metacognition / metacognitive skills, pedagogy, society, by Daniel Christian

From DSC:
For those of you who attend services in churches/temples/synagogues, if I asked you to tell me what the 2-3 main key points were — along with the accompanying scripture(s) — from the last sermon that you heard…would you be able to tell me? Would you be able to retrieve those key points from your memory?

With all these reflections going on in my mind about metacognition and Self-Regulated Learning (SRL) these days, I did a mental pivot the other day and I moved the focus off of professors and teachers — and re-focused it towards the church…to pastors. I thought to myself…at the end of each sermon, wouldn’t it really help “solidify the message,” facilitate active reflection, and hopefully have more practical impact if pastors/churches would provide:

An extremely pared down list of the the main 2-3 key points; again using very few words (many churches already do this, I’m sure)
For a little more detail (but not much more), the pastor could provide the outline of his/her sermon in printed form (some churches do this via a fill-in-the blank pre-printed sheet), or put it up on a slide that’s projected at the end of the service, or put it online even before the sermon was given that day
A list of metacognitive check-in type of questions such as:
- What did you understand in my sermon?
- What didn’t you understand in my sermon?
- What do you agree with?
- What do you disagree with?
- How can you apply this sermon this week?

By doing this, pastors would help move their main point(s) into more of the long-term memories of the people attending services within their congregations.

#SelfRegulatedLearning | #Metacognition

Psalm 139:17-18

On 03/07/2018, in faith, global / globalization, relationships, by Daniel Christian

Psalm 139:17-18 New International Version (NIV) — from biblegateway.com

17 How precious to me are your thoughts, God!
How vast is the sum of them!

18 Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand—
when I awake, I am still with you.

Image from hdwallsource.com

Psalm 98:4-9

On 02/16/2018, in faith, global / globalization, relationships, society, by Daniel Christian

Psalm 98:4-9 New International Version (NIV)

⁴Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth,
    burst into jubilant song with music;
⁵make music to the Lord with the harp,
    with the harp and the sound of singing,
⁶with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn—
    shout for joy before the Lord, the King.
⁷Let the sea resound, and everything in it,
    the world, and all who live in it.

⁸Let the rivers clap their hands,
    let the mountains sing together for joy;
⁹let them sing before the Lord,
    for he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness
    and the peoples with equity.

Philippians 4:8

On 01/26/2018, in faith, global / globalization, relationships, society, by Daniel Christian

Philippians 4:8 — from the New International Version (NIV)

8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true,
whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure,
whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything
is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Philippians 4:8-9 from The Message:

^8-9Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling
your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable,
authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst;
the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse.
Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard
and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything
work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.

Psalm 8: Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

On 01/24/2018, in faith, global / globalization, hearts -- matters of the heart, relationships, by Daniel Christian

Psalm 8 New International Version (NIV) — from biblegateway.com
For the director of music. A psalm of David.

1 Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory
in the heavens.

2 Through the praise of children and infants
you have established a stronghold against your enemies,
to silence the foe and the avenger.

3 When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,

4 what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
human beings that you care for them?

5 You have made them a little lower than the angels
and crowned them with glory and honor.

6 You made them rulers over the works of your hands;
you put everything under their feet:

7 all flocks and herds,
and the animals of the wild,

8 the birds in the sky,
and the fish in the sea,
all that swim the paths of the seas.

9 Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Matthew 7:12 (NIV)

On 01/19/2018, in faith, global / globalization, hearts -- matters of the heart, relationships, society, by Daniel Christian

Matthew 7:12 New International Version (NIV) — from biblegateway.com

¹²So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

Some verses from Psalm 118

On 01/11/2018, in faith, global / globalization, hearts -- matters of the heart, relationships, society, by Daniel Christian

Psalm 118:22-24 (NIV)

¹Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his love endures forever.

…

²²The stone the builders rejected
    has become the cornerstone;
²³the Lord has done this,
    and it is marvelous in our eyes.
²⁴The Lord has done it this very day;
    let us rejoice today and be glad.

…

²⁸You are my God, and I will praise you;
you are my God, and I will exalt you.

²⁹Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his love endures forever.

Merry Christmas! Some scripture from the Book of Luke re: the birth of Jesus.

On 12/22/2017, in faith, global / globalization, relationships, society, by Daniel Christian

Luke 1:26-33 New International Version (NIV) — from biblegateway.com

The Birth of Jesus Foretold
²⁶In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, ²⁷to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. ²⁸The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

²⁹Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. ³⁰But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. ³¹You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. ³²He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, ³³and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

——

Luke 2 New International Version (NIV)

The Birth of Jesus
2 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. ²(This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) ³And everyone went to their own town to register.

⁴So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. ⁵He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. ⁶While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, ⁷and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

⁸And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. ¹¹Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. ¹²This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

¹³Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

¹⁴“Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

¹⁵When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

¹⁶So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. ¹⁷When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, ¹⁸and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. ¹⁹But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

²¹On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived.

Merry Christmas!

From Psalm 100 – “Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise”

On 11/22/2017, in faith, global / globalization, hearts -- matters of the heart, relationships, society, by Daniel Christian

Psalm 100

A psalm. For giving grateful praise.

¹Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
²Worship the Lord with gladness;
    come before him with joyful songs.
³Know that the Lord is God.
    It is he who made us, and we are his;
    we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

⁴Enter his gates with thanksgiving
    and his courts with praise;
    give thanks to him and praise his name.
⁵For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
    his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Trying to count my blessings is like…

On 11/17/2017, in Daniel S. Christian, faith, hearts -- matters of the heart, relationships, by Daniel Christian

…which reminds me of Psalm 40:5 (NIV)

⁵Many, Lord my God,
    are the wonders you have done,
    the things you planned for us.
None can compare with you;
    were I to speak and tell of your deeds,
    they would be too many to declare.

A doxology from Romans 11:33-36

On 11/06/2017, in faith, global / globalization, hearts -- matters of the heart, relationships, society, youth, by Daniel Christian

Romans 11:33-36 New International Version (NIV)

Doxology

³³Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
    How unsearchable his judgments,
    and his paths beyond tracing out!
³⁴“Who has known the mind of the Lord?
    Or who has been his counselor?”
³⁵“Who has ever given to God,
    that God should repay them?”
³⁶For from him and through him and for him are all things.
    To him be the glory forever! Amen.

The LORD Speaks to Job — from Job Chapter 38

On 09/22/2017, in faith, global / globalization, hearts -- matters of the heart, relationships, religion, society, by Daniel Christian

Chapter 38 from the Book of Job

The Lord Speaks

38 Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm. He said:

²“Who is this that obscures my plans
    with words without knowledge?
³Brace yourself like a man;
    I will question you,
    and you shall answer me.

⁴“Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?
    Tell me, if you understand.
⁵Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know!
    Who stretched a measuring line across it?
⁶On what were its footings set,
    or who laid its cornerstone—
⁷while the morning stars sang together
    and all the angels^[a] shouted for joy?

⁸“Who shut up the sea behind doors
    when it burst forth from the womb,
⁹when I made the clouds its garment
    and wrapped it in thick darkness,
¹⁰when I fixed limits for it
    and set its doors and bars in place,
¹¹when I said, ‘This far you may come and no farther;
    here is where your proud waves halt’?

¹²“Have you ever given orders to the morning,
    or shown the dawn its place,
¹³that it might take the earth by the edges
    and shake the wicked out of it?
¹⁴The earth takes shape like clay under a seal;
    its features stand out like those of a garment.
¹⁵The wicked are denied their light,
    and their upraised arm is broken.

¹⁶“Have you journeyed to the springs of the sea
    or walked in the recesses of the deep?
¹⁷Have the gates of death been shown to you?
    Have you seen the gates of the deepest darkness?
¹⁸Have you comprehended the vast expanses of the earth?
    Tell me, if you know all this.

¹⁹“What is the way to the abode of light?
    And where does darkness reside?
²⁰Can you take them to their places?
    Do you know the paths to their dwellings?
²¹Surely you know, for you were already born!
    You have lived so many years!

²²“Have you entered the storehouses of the snow
    or seen the storehouses of the hail,
²³which I reserve for times of trouble,
    for days of war and battle?
²⁴What is the way to the place where the lightning is dispersed,
    or the place where the east winds are scattered over the earth?
²⁵Who cuts a channel for the torrents of rain,
    and a path for the thunderstorm,
²⁶to water a land where no one lives,
    an uninhabited desert,
²⁷to satisfy a desolate wasteland
    and make it sprout with grass?
²⁸Does the rain have a father?
    Who fathers the drops of dew?
²⁹From whose womb comes the ice?
    Who gives birth to the frost from the heavens
³⁰when the waters become hard as stone,
    when the surface of the deep is frozen?

³¹“Can you bind the chains^[b] of the Pleiades?
    Can you loosen Orion’s belt?
³²Can you bring forth the constellations in their seasons^[c]
    or lead out the Bear^[d] with its cubs?
³³Do you know the laws of the heavens?
    Can you set up God’s^[e] dominion over the earth?

³⁴“Can you raise your voice to the clouds
    and cover yourself with a flood of water?
³⁵Do you send the lightning bolts on their way?
    Do they report to you, ‘Here we are’?
³⁶Who gives the ibis wisdom^[f]
    or gives the rooster understanding?^[g]
³⁷Who has the wisdom to count the clouds?
    Who can tip over the water jars of the heavens
³⁸when the dust becomes hard
    and the clods of earth stick together?

³⁹“Do you hunt the prey for the lioness
    and satisfy the hunger of the lions
⁴⁰when they crouch in their dens
    or lie in wait in a thicket?
⁴¹Who provides food for the raven
    when its young cry out to God
    and wander about for lack of food?

3 brief reflections on Philippians 4:8 (NIV)

On 09/12/2017, in 21st century, colleges, Daniel S. Christian, faith, society, United States, universities, by Daniel Christian

Philippians 4:8 New International Version (NIV)

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

From DSC:
Three brief reflections here:

What we think about is important. I know I need the LORD’s help here for sure; but I’m trying to watch what I’m thinking about. The college where I am an adjunct faculty member, Calvin College, seeks to impact the hearts and minds of our students. The mind involves what we think about. As such, the Apostle Paul gives us some solid advice here.
There is power in ideas — for good, or for ill.
Philippians 4:8 is my alma mater’s motto (i.e., Northwestern University) — though I’m sorry to say that Northwestern has drifted far from its original roots and its original worldviews. The current emphasis at NU is to think about oneself — look out for #1 has become their new motto throughout the last few decades. That type of motto asks:
- How much money will you be able to make? What will your salary be?
- How many people report will be reporting to you?
- Where will your office be?
- What kind of car will you be driving? What # in the series will it be?
- In which area of the city or suburbs will you be able to live?

(By the way, I’m still trying to unlearn that type of perspective and move more towards a 1 Peter 4:10 perspective: Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.)

Several faith-based resources

On 08/22/2017, in faith, global / globalization, hearts -- matters of the heart, relationships, religion, society, workplace, youth, by Daniel Christian

Several faith-based resources:

Trying to develop a general AI illustrates that some serious glory & honor is due (again)

On 07/22/2017, in 21st century, Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, bots, computer science, Daniel S. Christian, faith, Google, human-computer interaction (HCI), programming, by Daniel Christian

Google’s AI Guru Says That Great Artificial Intelligence Must Build on Neuroscience — from technologyreview.com by Jamie Condliffe
Inquisitiveness and imagination will be hard to create any other way.

Excerpt:

Demis Hassabis knows a thing or two about artificial intelligence: he founded the London-based AI startup DeepMind, which was purchased by Google for $650 million back in 2014. Since then, his company has wiped the floor with humans at the complex game of Go and begun making steps towards crafting more general AIs.

But now he’s come out and said that be believes the only way for artificial intelligence to realize its true potential is with a dose of inspiration from human intellect.

Currently, most AI systems are based on layers of mathematics that are only loosely inspired by the way the human brain works. But different types of machine learning, such as speech recognition or identifying objects in an image, require different mathematical structures, and the resulting algorithms are only able to perform very specific tasks.

Building AI that can perform general tasks, rather than niche ones, is a long-held desire in the world of machine learning. But the truth is that expanding those specialized algorithms to something more versatile remains an incredibly difficult problem, in part because human traits like inquisitiveness, imagination, and memory don’t exist or are only in their infancy in the world of AI.

First, they say, better understanding of how the brain works will allow us to create new structures and algorithms for electronic intelligence.

From DSC:
Glory to God! I find it very interesting to see how people and organizations — via very significant costs/investments — keep trying to mimic the most amazing thing — the human mind. Turns out, that’s not so easy:

But the truth is that expanding those specialized algorithms to something more versatile remains an incredibly difficult problem…

Therefore, some scripture comes to my own mind here:

Psalm 139:14 New International Version (NIV)

¹⁴I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.

Job 12:13 (NIV)

¹³“To God belong wisdom and power;
counsel and understanding are his.

Psalm 104:24 (NIV)

²⁴How many are your works, Lord!
In wisdom you made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures.

Revelation 4:11 (NIV)

¹¹“You are worthy, our Lord and God,
    to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
    and by your will they were created
    and have their being.”

Yes, the LORD designed the human mind by His unfathomable and deep wisdom and understanding.

Glory to God!

Thanks be to God!

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