#applied knowledge

It’s easy to blame the rich for the worlds problems. So many of loathe religious institutions and call for a more rigid asceticism in light of spiritual understanding. However, thinking along those lines actually leads us into another snare. To separate from the world is to miss Yeshuas wisdom completely. Click the link for more.

Intelligence, genius, as quantitative as it is, is limited while stupidity is not. Stupidity might as well be awarded a golden star sticker. The kind that lifted spirits in kindergarten when kids did the absolute bare fucking minimum. These people literally have the biggest resource of information in the palm of their hands with broadband internet speed.

गगनीं गगन लया जाये । ऐसें जें कांहीं आहे ।तें अनुभवें जो होये । तो होऊनि ठाके ।। ३१० ।। ज्ञानेश्वरी अध्याय सहावा ओवीचा अर्थ – चिदाकाशांत मूध्निंआकाश लयास जातें, अशी जी कांही स्थिति आहे, ती अनुभवानें जो होईल, त्यालाच ती प्राप्त होईल. ‘गगनीं गगन लया जाये’ — म्हणजेच आकाश स्वतःच चिदाकाशात लय पावते. ही जी काही अद्वितीय अवस्था आहे, ती केवळ अनुभवानेच समजू शकते, आणि ज्या व्यक्तीने ती अनुभवली आहे, तो…

There is a depth to the story behind Christ's temptation that gets easily overlooked. Very few of us take His direction and relate the story to how we can overcome aspects of ourselves we don't like. Rock with me as we take the journey within.

In the post called Symbolism Calls Us Deeper we discussed the esoteric elements behind Yeshua’s conversation with Nicodemus. Today, I’d like to relate that conversation to our own experience and describe how the Temptation in the desert gives us a playbook on how to overcome the triune elements of our being and realize the Kingdom here and now. Remember: the Kingdom Doctrine directly ties in how…

The application of knowledge is the primary tenet college advising. When it comes to working with your students, they depend on you to relay accurate and relevant information to aid them in their process of what to do after their senior year of high school. This direct transaction relies on theoretical foundations of how to best support students in different capacities and how to help them be successful in whatever avenue they choose. I have been a gatekeeper of this information to my students within different capacities for the past 5 years. From working with high school students in a small rural town, to supporting students virtually across the country, and currently serving as a college adviser with the Emily K. Center, these experiences have taught me, and continue to teach, the importance of how important it is to apply our knowledge with our students.

This past Saturday (February 9th), I joined 29 high school juniors from Durham (20 from EKC, and 9 from another access organization in Durham, StudentU) on a trip to Davidson College. Davidson was hosting their annual Junior Day event where high school juniors and their families attend the campus to garner information on the college application process, Davidson specific knowledge, and a campus tour. It had been almost a year since I had been to some sort of informational workshop on a college campus. Since starting graduate school, between classes, my assistantship with Poole, and working at EKC, it’s been incredibly difficult to attend workshops, conferences, and webinars at the same rate that I did while with College Advising Corps. What I realized was that this was the first time I have been able to apply my knowledge in an advising setting outside of direct interaction with the students.

Being at Davidson brought about important moments to acknowledge when thinking of the application of knowledge:

College knowledge in general:

I still know what I’m talking about (for the most part)

Importance of continuing the gaining of knowledge. Things change quickly and to maintain telling students accurate information, you have to take the time to listen.

The importance of nuances that are projected by schools

Students asking me questions about if Davidson was a PWI

How are they processing being in predominantly white spaces, how am I giving them the space to think through these out loud?

How are we talking about it in my advising practices and the overarching decisions to attend college?

The importance of repetition

I’m able to recall this knowledge because of the years saying it over and over, but with new knowledge, new lenses and tools, and new understandings repetition is key for ingraining it into my work and actions.

I need to be aware of how my own biases and assumptions are repeated through my actions as well, how this is reinforced implicitly, especially as my role is that of a gatekeeper of knowledge

As a gatekeeper, how am I educating students to take this knowledge beyond the direct interactions?

#Biblicalwisdom is like #appliedmathematics. It doesn't do much until I use it properly. #Godgiveswisdom #askseekknock

I remember when my dad sat in on my older sister’s 10th grade geometry presentation during Parent/Teacher conferences back in the day.  The soon-to-be-retired teacher basically told the attending parents that geometry wasn’t all that important.

You just don’t say that parents, particularly one who is a Professional Engineer…

Dad must have been chewing on his slide rule to prevent himself from…

Me: (only one eye cracked open) Good morning, Hank.

Hank: (playing Animal Crossing New Leaf) Good morning, it rained.

Me: (grateful relief) It rained all night long!

Hank: So good.

Me: Indeed. How are you this morning?

Hank: (focused on his game) Not the best. I woke up wrong.

Me: Oh. (sitting next to him at the table, ignoring my brain screaming for coffee)

Hank: When my alarm went off I was like, “Hank, you don’t have to get up. You don’t have to get dressed, take a shower, do your hair and look nice. Sleep until 8am and then run to school. No one cares, but you.”

Me: But you’re up: showered, dressed, looking nice and smelling nice and it is way before 8am.

Hank: Because I was like, “Hank, don’t listen to your lying brain. You have a math test today and you like looking nice and you like being the only one awake in the house and to get ready without a rush.” So I got up. (focused on collecting fruit in his game)

Me: Bravo.

Hank: It’s not a big deal.