I moved to everythingbraden.com

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AggieLife 2012: A Year Of National Attention

Multiple times during the year I've thought to myself; "Utah State is killin it on the national level this year." Always, just as I was thinking that, something else amazing happened! It never ceased to amaze me. Some things made you think more about the things you do and who you are, some things were funny and some things were absolutely awe inspiring... I wanted to put all these things in one place and marvel at the sheer awesomeness that #AggieLife has really been this year!

Love for USU

Bulletproof Skin
Right off at the beginning of the year USU Biology professor Randy Lewis got national attention for pioneering what is called 'bulletproof skin.' CNN did a whole story on it and you can catch the whole interview here.

How cool is this? Well, with nothing more than the skin they engineered, they stopped a bullet fired at a low speed from a .22 cal. Who knows what applications this could have in the future!


Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
While this wasn't a huge national attention bringing game is was a HUGE deal for the USU Aggies football. I was proud of our team for fighting hard through injury and discouragement. It was said "no team in the nation has been more snakebitten this season than the Aggies when it comes to blowing a lead in the final minutes of a game and ending up with a loss." That quote was all too fitting for the final game of the season. Even though we lost in a heartbreak, it was definitely a huge accomplishment for the team and next year is looking even better. True to his word, however, coach Anderson got a USU tattoo because of the hard work of the team.

Life and death situations

Motorcycle crash
This was without question the biggest news story to come out of Logan this year, for good reason. If I told you that a burning car was on top of a limp body and several onlookers ran up to it, without hesitating, and began to lift it off of the body and pull the victim out from under it, you might believe me and you would say wow. Here's the kicker: THE ENTIRE THING WAS CAUGHT ON TAPE. I know of nothing else that stirs emotion as powerfully and effectively as video. With millions of people able to feel like they were there, and experience the emotions involved every second of the way was one of the main reasons this was such a big story. People all over the US and even other parts of the world were buzzing about this because the video stirs so much emotion.
I honestly can't think of a single national news agency that didn't pick this story up. The heroes were all flown out and given the pampered treatment as they went on the Ellen show. I had the crazy opportunity of working with Inside Edition to capture some footage, interview some people, and track down some of the heroes/witnesses. Long story short, it was an awesome experience and an incredibly stressful 2 hours but I learned that I never want to be associated with the press ever again. Way too much stress and you have to be extremely pushy and nosy. Not my style.
Brandon Wright, the victim, is miraculously alive and well today.

Car in Logan canyon river
If pulling a limp body out from under a burning car wasn't enough to convince you that Cache Valley is home to some of the most selfless and courageous people on earth, this one ought to put the icing on the cake.
If you don't remember what happend, 3 children had to be rescued from a car that slid off the road in Logan canyon into the river in the dead of winter. Some passersby took action and saved the kids from the car. Once this hit national news for the heroism of the people involved Ellen got involved, yet again, and brought them onto her show.  Here's a couple articles on they whole ordeal from USA Today and CNN.
Passersby rescue kids in icy river crash
Onlookers pull 3 children from car in frigid Utah river

Taylor Sawyer: Texting and driving
Sadly, not all of the stories this year ended happily. USU student Taylor Sawyer was killed in a car crash as a result of texting and driving. Her story has circled around the nation as an example of what can really happen if you allow yourself to be distracted for even a few seconds at the wheel. Her parents have used this tragedy as a boost to get the message of the dangers of texting and driving out. They are trying hard to make a law that would make it illegal. 
Parents of Caldwell teen killed while texting, driving appear on Today Show

Viral Videos


Why men and women can't be friends: Jesse Budd and Patrick Romero
If your video makes it to the front page of the internet, it's probably pretty good. Jesse and Patrick set out to make nothing more than a video for a class project and stumbled upon a gold mine. Bringing to light such a controversial truth about relationships between men and women was the perfect thing to appeal to literally the entire world. Everyone can relate to this video. It's funny because every guy has experienced this all too much and every girl, after watching, realized their flaw in standards and had to share it with other girls because it was true. There are thousands of memes on Pinterest that deal with the fact that girls completely understand that they do confusing things to guys but don't care. For some reason when they're all together they love to share how ridiculously confusing they are and laugh with each other. This video hit just the right vein on men and women, hit the front page of Reddit and went straight VIRAL.

The real meaning of MPH
Everyone thought it was enough to have one viral video representing USU for the year. Who would have thought that we would have two, and that the second would be almost more far reaching than the first?! That's exactly what happened. Travis Chambers filmed a segment where he asked his wife how far you travel in an hour if you are going 80 miles per hour. She put together some elaborate math equation and Travis thought it was funny. Not realizing what would happen just three months later they posted it to YouTube to show their family. Somehow, it got passed around and enough influential people found it and shared it. Before Travis knew it, it had gone viral and there was nothing he could do about it. The controversy came because of the fact that everyone thought he was a horrible person for making fun of his wife like that.
This is the best explanation of the entire ordeal I've seen from the mouth of Travis himself: Ever Wonder Where Viral Videos Come From?

After being on GMA and Tosh.0, apparently they are at total celeb status because they turned down an invitation to go on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. The real reason was actually quite ironic; Chelsea has a math test :)

Proof, however, that Travis is really a good guy is right here in this tweet. I'm sure it was a rough time for their marriage but I saw them just yesterday and it seems like everything is as good as ever. I think they should make a video called the The Real Meaning of Marriage and help stop the divorce epidemic in this country because apparently they understand the real meaning of it... 

All in all it has been one hell of a year at USU. With as much that has happened this year, I'm all the more excited to get to spend one more year up here. Who knows what's in store for next year!

There is no privacy on the Internet

What up world!

As soon as I hit "publish" on this blog post, literally any person in the world will be able to see it, read it, comment on it, share it or copy it. The same thing applies to tweets, Facebook posts, Instagrams, Google+ posts, Foursquare check-ins, forum comments, websites and whatever else you do on the internet.

Creeping present participle of creep (verb)

verb: 1. The act of looking at someone else's voluntarily given info on the internet. Made famous because of Facebook. People routinely get upset if other people are looking through their pictures and reading their personal posts: "Were you creeping on my pictures, creep?!"

I was talking to a new friend on Twitter the other day @jessicadaniels who tweeted me a comment about a blog post I had written. I asked if she had read any of my other posts and she said no, she didn't want to be a creep. I was a little taken back. I try very hard to be 100% aware of what I put online and I know that it can and will be seen by the world. I don't like to think anything on my social media accounts is private. If I didn't want people to read my blog posts, look at all my FB pictures or go through all 4000+ of my tweets just because they can, I wouldn't be on the internet. (Jessica, you're not a creep; read whatever you want!)

Creeping (also see: stalking) is a term that has blown up in the last couple years. For some reason people have the idea that since it is THEIR Facebook page, or THEIR blog that they deserve a certain level of privacy.  I can see where they are coming from. Girls seem to be most upset by creepers. They love to post cute pictures of themselves so their girlfriends can comment and give them hoards of positive attention but the second some guy they don't know "likes" it or comments on it they are a CREEP. Really? I understand that you don't want weird guys looking at your pictures, but thinking that you can keep those things private ANYWHERE on the internet is as stupid as thinking you can jump in a pool without getting wet. If you want to share stuff that you don't want EVERYONE to be able to see do it over text, or better yet, in person.

If, for any reason, you believe that the things you post on the Internet are in any way private, you don't belong on the internet.
It had to be said...

Here's a quick checklist I made for anyone to use. Feel free to pass this onto your friends that need it. This doesn't apply only to girls, but truth be told they are the vast majority users of the word creep. Before you put something on the internet, anywhere, ask yourself these quick questions:

-Am I making a duck face?
-Do I care if a hooker from asia sees this and shares it with her pimp?
-If America got ahold of this in 10 years when I'm running for an office would it kill my chances of winning?
-Will my parents use this as blackmail someday?
-Do I realize my shirt is off and people can totally see I'm taking this picture in the mirror?
-Do I want to be fired from my job?
-Am I OK knowing that the creepy guy from Math knows where I am right now?
-Will a negative comment on this set me into a fit of depression?
-Am I OK knowing that the guy/girl I am not texting or calling back is reading all my Facebook/Twitter updates and is probably pretty upset about being ignored?

This is a great little checklist to help you realize what could happen from a little false security in the privacy you think you have on the internet. People need to learn that what they post online, isn't private. In protest of people who throw around the "creep" word too much I encourage everyone to not be afraid of being a creep. Get out there and go through people's pages, blogs, tweets EVERYTHING they have online. Learn about them. Who cares if they think you're creepy. They put the dog food in the dish, they have no right to be mad when the dog eats it. They posted it for the world to see; It's their problem if they think you are a creep. Just be aware though, everyone else is going to be doing the same thing to you... Don't feed the dog ALL your food, keep some things private like they should be.

(Image source: freepixels.com)

The 8 people you'll meet on Twitter

This is the most reliable and in-depth analysis of people and personalities you'll find on Twitter. All conclusions were not reached until extensive studies and experiments could not disprove the validity of each individual person. Here we go!

**(editor's note: These examples are not gender specific. Anyone can be a Joe Schmo CEO or a Sally "open book" Jones, male or female. For example you could be Jane Doe CEO or Johnny "open book" Smith. No one is excluded. Also, I've decided to take a crack at doing my own graphics. I'm sure it's obvious which ones I did)

1. Joe Schmo CEO


First up is Joe Schmo CEO. Don't just call him Joe Schmo... He worked hard to get that CEO on the end of his name. This guy thinks he is the shiz online and most of the time he is. He's always on his portable device checking in, replying to emails or just tweetin it up with other Joe Schmo CEO, SEO Joe Schmo or Joe Schmo "I run my own business" PRO about the latest tech gadget. These guys are important. They're the ones who are behind the scenes that make the internet work. Without them no one could make fun of their friend who had a horribly awkward Facebook breakup or tweet at Justin Bieber 50 times a day hoping to get noticed even if it means he blocked you... #stillnoticed : ) <3.

Even if he doesn't have a lot of followers, he'll still have a well rounded chunk of successful, influential people following him. The phrase "To be successful you have to surround yourself with successful people" is the motto he lives by. These are vital to the Twitter community. If you meet one, or follow one, it's wise to always keep a good relationship. If you make one of them mad, you're burning more than one bridge, all his buddies (SEO, PRO etc.) will know about it and it won't be good for you.  On the other hand if you manage to post something that gets RT'd by one of these people, you should pat yourself on the back.

It should be noted that there is a large group of up-and-coming Joe Schmos called Joe Schmo Tadpoles. These are usually college students just getting into the business world. If you are a Joe Schmo Tadpole, you have a great chance of success if you develop a strong school of other Tadpoles that you could eventually do business with or feed the egos of the Joe Schmo CEOs and brown nose your way into a job.


2. Sally "open book" Jones


Next is Sally. Sally uses Twitter because she loves telling people everything about her life. She would just use Facebook but she wants to share with ALL the friends she can and people started getting mad when she posted on Facebook too much so she uses both. There is never a doubt in your mind what Sally is thinking and how she is feeling. Be prepared for some emotional overload when she's having a bad day or if she just had a great date...

You always know where Sally is and, of course, who she's with. She probably has an account with Foursquare so she can brag when she is at a cool place like the beach, or even someplace as normal as the ice cream shop. She smiles a little inside because she knows she's rubbing it in everyone's faces.

If there was a hash tag that described Sally it would be #TMI, but if you asked her she would say the hash tag that best describes her is #everyonesfavorite.

Sally is important for Twitter though because when she isn't rambling on about her life, she is talking to you and making it fun to tweet! Most people exhibit a little Sally in themselves every once and awhile, it's natural. She loves to talk to people she can relate with and everyone loves to get responses to their tweets, it's a win win.

3. Lucy Fer

If you didn't laugh, read the name again. Lucy is usually an alter ego or multiple personality for most people, like the Hulk... you don't want to make her mad. Sometimes, Lucy just comes out and there was nothing you could do about it.

Lucy is going to hate on you, pure and simple. That's her job and she's dang good at it. The severity, however, depends on how mad Lucy is, who you are to Lucy and what you did to her. A common tweet from Lucy would be the passive aggressive rant, and sound something like this: "The fat kid sitting next to me just tried to get my number #gross #inyourdreamsfatty"or "I hate when best friends stab you in the back... Hope you like gum in your hair #skank".  Sometimes she tweets rants because she thinks the people they are about aren't on Twitter and will never see it. It's how she vents. If she's really angry, she could care less. In extreme cases she @ mentions you in the tweet, starting a war that will only end if she dies or you give up.

I recommend that you try to control the Lucy within. She'll always get the best of you and once she's done her deed she disappears and you're left to clean up the mess. If you see yourself tweeting anything prideful or derogatory, shut your mouth and put Lucy back where she belongs... somewhere she can't be heard.

4. ESPN Sven

You might have guessed from the name that Sven loves sports. Sven is the lifeblood of sports teams. He always has an opinion about every game. If there is an amazing play he's tweeted about it faster than the cameramen can whip up a replay.  When it comes to sports, it's always clear who his teams are and there is no doubt he follows every player, superfan, coach and team account there is... big or small he's not going to miss an update!

Before Twitter, Sven had a hard time if he was somewhere he couldn't watch the game. Now, Sven can  go out and do what he does without worrying that he'll miss a play because he follows every sports analyst and announcer. Really the only thing he misses is looking at the cheerleaders. (Although, he probably has the cheerleaders as his screen saver so in reality, I guess he really isn't missing anything!)

Warning: If ESPN Sven and Lucy Fer join forces, get ready for a war of trash talk. Days before the game Sven and Lucy will fight to the death in support of their team. Lucy will take the opportunity to move from trash talking the team to trash talking you. Personal insults will reach new levels if you keep the fire burning with comebacks. Depending on your deep rooted love for the team, either duck and cover or set up base and recruit more soldiers; it's about to get ugly! In the end the only thing that will end the war is the final score.
**(editor's note: In-state games against BYU are an exception. Even if the game is over and they lost, they'll still find any and every excuse to trash talk your team. It's ingrained in their DNA. My advice? = just reply to anything they say with #scoreboard. It'll drive them nuts, but only if you're consistent.)

5. Egbert  

Egbert is pretty self explanatory. He's that dude that still has an egg for his profile pic. That may seem pretty simple but there is more than meets the egg here. Egbert has a whole load of brothers and sisters, all ironically named Egbert. Like fraternal twins (or billiontuplets?), each one has their own personality.

One of the Egberts you'll run into is very shy and reserved, following exactly 2000 celebrities (follow cap), but never tweets a thing. He is always listening and paying attention but sees no need to contribute his own opinions (or personal picture) except on rare circumstances where he could RT and win an iPad2 (scam). Among all Egberts, a more common guy is the one that has 0 followers, 0 following and 432 tweets. I like to call him a spammer. There is a button to push and report him. I do it frequently. (No, I won't click your suspicious link)

Egbert can also be that awkward kid that always tries to be cool and fit in with the other kids. You know who I'm talking about. He ends up making a fool of himself while at the same time providing lots of genuine entertainment for those around him. Yes, this is the guy that sends a normal tweet thinking he is just talking to one person. This is the guy that MTs people who don't exist or aren't who he thinks. He may use the @ instead of a hash tag or even #hashtagentiresentencesbecausehethinksithelpshimfitinandbecoolbutreallyitjustprovesthatheisanoob. (You get all that?)
**(editor's note: Watch out for Egberts in bird's clothing. They give off the appearance that they have "hatched" because their picture is no longer an egg. Check their tweets. If they exhibit any of the above mentioned signs, they're probably trying to pull one over on you. Don't fall for it!) 

Let's be honest, Twitter wouldn't be what it is without Egbert. He's the one guy we can all laugh at because deep down we know that we all used to be there... some of us longer than others.

6. Phil Yuen 

Phil is a living breathing newspaper. It's pretty easy to know if you're following a Phil. Based on a study done at the Lumberjack Couch Academy, it's been proven that at any given time 2 of the tweets in your timeline are from him. There are all kinds of Phils. Phil Yuen on Politics, Phil Yuen on World, Phil Yuen on Local, Phil Yuen on Celeb Gossip etc. He'll fill you in on anything!

He loves to follow all the accounts like CNN Breaking, Huffington Post and New York Times and ironically enough, it is most definitely a Phil that is tweeting behind those accounts. Be careful though, If he is really passionate about something he'll retweet the crap out of things and you'll find yourself on the brink of clicking that unfollow button. Be careful though because Phil can be a great person to keep good terms with. When you're in a bind and need a question answered, Phil will be your go-to guy. He'll send you a link with your answer and it will make putting up with his Twitter binges all worth it.


7. Sir Laffselot

Sir Laffselot is one of my favorite people on Twitter. I'm convinced that everyone at, at least one point in their life, wants to be him. He is truly the favorite child, the popular kid, the class clown and the one that everyone wants to be friends with.

Sir Laffselot was just fine living his life, cracking jokes in class every chance he got even if he only made 1 kid laugh. Perhaps he was a comedian who toured the US but never got any global attention.  Then one day Twitter came along, and suddenly his jokes and funny sayings could be broadcast to millions of people world wide. His realm of laughter was no longer restricted by his physical location. And so it began; his mind became the ultimate comedy creating machine that would help win him the laughs and attention of as many people as possible. Even if it meant lying about his own personal situations to get a laugh, nobody cared, everyone loved it.

Addicted to the potential for more attention, Sir Laffselot decided that his ingenious ideas could be channeled into parody Twitter accounts. Soon things started catching on like #thatawkwardmomentwhen, celebrity parodies, fails, #whitegirlproblems/#mormonproblems, animal and even dead terrorist accounts. Laffselot has successfully created a comedic empire and everyone can't get enough! (I know I can't)

While there are now millions of these parody accounts,  He still tweets great stuff from his personal account and takes pride in seeing how many RTs he gets.
**(editor's note: Be careful reading some of these tweets during class as involuntary bursts of raucous laughter may occur and make you feel like an idiot when the whole class is staring at you. Read these tweets in a "safe to laugh" environment for best results.)

8. Gabby

Last but not least we have Gabby. Gabby is, pure and simple, a social butterfly. Twitter is her flower garden and she pollenates the shiz out of every flower there is. Gabby sometimes gets carried away and tweets more than she texts. It's not uncommon for her to use Twitter on her phone and send a tweet instead of a text. Why?... That is yet to be determined.

Gabby loves to talk and socialize. She'll often MT 4 or 5 people in a single tweet and start a MEGA-Tweet sesh that can go on for some time. When everyone has an opinion and hits reply all, everyone else has to hear it, regardless of if it applies to them or not. Sometimes this is fun but other times it's just plain annoying.

Just like not many people know that Lil' Wayne invented the term "Bling Bling", not many people know that Gabby started #TeamFollowBack. She loves to talk to people and make new friends, why not organize a team of people that love to do the same? She doesn't care who you are, as long as you're able to tweet, she'll be your friend.

Another little known fact... Gabby is Sally Jones' sister; she carries a lot of the same traits. Sometimes she is the hopeless romantic looking for someone to give her attention and other times she is the positive vibes, motivational tweeter that always has a good quote or saying to tweet out there.
**(editor's note: Keep your eye's peeled for MEGA-Tweet sesh's with a bunch of Sallys and Gabbys. They get pretty intense and have been known to run on for days at a time.) 

The Challenge

Now that you have a basic understanding of the main people on Twitter, go to your timeline and examine your last 10 tweets. Based on what is said above where do you fit? The results might surprise you. If you're man enough (or woman enough) to post who you think you most resemble, post it in the comments and let the people decide if you see yourself correctly or if you're blind to your own personality. :)

I'll start. (and I'll make it big and bold because I'm not afraid)

I believe the majority of the time I am a mix between Sally Jones, Sir Laffselot and Joe Schmo Tadpole. What do you think?

I'm sure I missed a few people. let me know if you can think of any other personalities and I'll do some hardcore research and post a follow-up.

Short people got no reason to live

I've never been considered tall. In fact, I don't think I've ever heard "tall" and "Braden" in the same sentence.

Here are fun facts you might not have known about me:

-I was pulled over 4 times when I was 16 for "not looking old enough to drive". One of those times 2 cops blocked me and surrounded me... I guess they thought I was going to run? I kept a running tab on a sticky note in my car of how many cocky cops I had the pleasure of sending back to their squad car after I showed them a valid drivers license. It was how I found joy where others might get offended.

-I have no idea what the top of the fridge looks like
-I technically didn't weigh enough to sit in the front seat of a car without a booster seat until I was 15
-I was 4' 8" the summer before my freshman year of high school

I've since reached the towering height of 5' 7" --on a good day-- :). I learned that when you let the things other people say roll off your back, people eventually gain respect for you and leave you alone.

Even though I hated being short for lots of reasons, I learned to deal with it and use it to my advantage.

-When I ran for student government, one of my campaign platforms was "Vote for me I'm 4 foot 3!" 
I won.
-My license plate all through high school read "SHORTY"
I got pretty well known for that and people made fun of me less because they figured if that was my license plate, there wasn't much else to call me. It's like when you acknowledge what you did wrong to someone who is mad at you taking away all their bullets. #win

Although I made peace with myself, I'm quite different than a lot of kids out there. If you're short, you will always get made fun of. Grown up or not people don't hold back. It's like there is some unwritten rule that making cracks about people's height is OK. I'll never understand it. To prove my point let me share a story from 9th grade.


It was the first day of school. I'm 4 foot 10 and I was a little nervous to start a new year. I had my new clothes and shoes on like every other kid and I was determined to have a good year and make a lot of new friends.
The bell sounded and it was time for me to head to class. I walked into the hallway and looked around to find the right class. The teacher was standing outside the door and I walked in hoping that I had at least a few friends in that class. Right before I walked in the door the teacher looked down at me and says "hey kid, kindergarten is the other way".


I was pretty disturbed by that comment. I'll tell you that was one hell of a first impression. I hated that teacher for a long time. Like I said I learned to let things like that roll off my back, but this one hurt. Now, I'm sure you'll agree that probably wasn't the best comment he could have made. I eventually learned to like the teacher and things worked out. It was just another experience that made me stronger.

To put this in perspective, let me just change one thing in the story and you tell me if the ending would be the same.


It was the first day of school. I'm 50 lbs overweight and I was a little nervous to start a new year. I had my new clothes and shoes on like every other kid and I was determined to have a good year and make a lot of new friends.
The bell sounded and it was time for me to head to class. I walked into the hallway and looked around to find the right class. The teacher was standing outside the door and I walked in hoping that I had at least a few friends in that class. Right before I walked in the door the teacher looked down at me and says "Hey kid, I'm sorry but there is no way you're going to fit through this door."

I would dare say this is something that would make it on the 5 O' Clock news. The teacher would be severely reprimanded and the parents would be furious. The whole thing would be a pretty big deal...

Tell me I'm wrong... 

Why is it totally cool to make fun of the kid who is short (something he can't help at all) but people step on eggshells around fat people because there is some unwritten rule that you're not allowed to make any comments about them because they'll get their feelings hurt easily?..

Next time you want to poke fun at the short kid, give it some thought. Making fun of someone does the same damage no matter what is different about them... fat, short, tall or skinny.

Food for thought.

Cram, Memorize, Forget: Why TESTS are the problem with higher education

I have been in college for almost 4 years now. In that time I have taken roughly 25 Final exams and if I guessed low (assuming each class has a final, 1 midterm and 2 quizzes) I've been tested over 100 different times. This is mostly the same with every college student. On top of that I have maintained around a 3.75 GPA. So I'm not just floating along getting C- grades. If grading and tests work, it's safe to assume I should know a lot about a number of different subjects right?

Let me attempt to recall any specific math problem, stat, theory, scientific name, principle, law of nature, scientific equation or anything else I should know in the 85th percentile.

...

...

...

...

...

I'm having a difficult time remembering. Give me a sec. I know there has to be something...

...

...

...

...

I know my chemistry teacher was a little weird. 

The girl that sat by me in sociology was really cute. 

If I ever forgot a fact that I needed for a paper I could just google it. 

Science was boring.

If I move the decimal 2 places to the left after a percent it's the same thing. (85% = .85)

There "might" be life on other planets (wasted a whole semester on that one...)

I'm sure there are at least a couple more things I remember from my tests... I'll get back to you.

General education requirements and the testing system is killing it! I know so much! I'm so glad that passing a class is determined by how much we could regurgitate correctly on exams than by how much we could actually apply it in real life. It is BY FAR the best way. 

This is the downfall of the Korean people. I love them to death but I'll let you in on a little secret. If you were to have an english conversation with a Korean person that scored well on the TOEFL (english foreign language test), most of the time you would be surprised at how bad they are at holding a conversation. Those asians study for hours and hours and hours and hours. Studying is the most important thing to them because if they don't pass their tests they are screwed for the rest of their life. Most Korean people know more about english grammar than Americans. They would pass our english classes with flying colors but yet they cannot speak it. They never learned to actually apply what they learned. What is the use of knowing a language if you can't actually speak it?! Applying concepts is what gets you far in life, not your ability to memorize and regurgitate. 

Regurgitating 

I'll admit, I do have a slightly easier time memorizing things quickly than other people. The only advantage this skill gives me in taking tests, however, is time. The majority of people are totally capable of memorizing just as well, it may just take them a little longer. With that being said, taking tests is like regurgitating. We cram all the info into our head that we think we will need, regurgitate it all onto the test, and walk away. If we were to be tested on the same material even a few days later I would be willing to bet people's scores would be significantly lower. Comment if you think I'm wrong, but this is what I've observed.

I've found the loophole!

Are students learning the material? Or are they just learning how to memorize and take tests according to what their teacher expects. When I start a semester, the first test in every class is usually a lower grade than the ones that follow. After that, I figure out how the teacher tests, and change my studying to match what I will be required to know. (i.e. Andy Anderson tests extensively on tiny little details in "did you know" boxes from the book. Studying just those would almost yield a higher grade, than reading the entire chapter.) 

Some teachers try to make their tests seem like they are a better measure of what students know by giving fill in the blank or open ended essay questions. This may be a little better, and certainly harder for students but I've still passed my fair share of those by simple memorizing and regurgitating as well. It just took me longer.

Newsflash: STILL DIDN'T ACTUALLY LEARN ANYTHING!

Class projects

Now, here is a better idea. Get students working and applying what they learn in the classroom. This is the best way I see that teachers can help their students actually learn. Applying the knowledge you are supposed to be understanding, and learning from your mistakes is a surefire way to retain important information. This is where I grew the most in college. 

For example: in a marketing class, if I can successfully create a plan to enter a new product into a market, and get a decent return on my investment, why does it matter if I can regurgitate some textbook author's idea of the 5 "must know" steps of marketing. Every author and teacher has their own different idea of what is right. I hear teachers rag on the books they teach out of ALL THE TIME. So why are you teaching it to us? Why do we have to learn these opinionated ideas and count them as sure fact?

---The problem: Even when teachers do this, they all still have it stuck in their mind that if they aren't giving you a written test on the material, you aren't learning it. ---

Really?

So how in the hell did I do the project and get the grade I did? (Assuming I got decent grades on my project). I must have just been able to BS my way through it and pull the wool over the teacher's eyes really good. If I can do that, they're giving out the wrong assignments or they shouldn't be teaching...

Side note: If this blog post was a slice of bread, the sarcasm I'm buttering on would be an inch thick. Try fitting that in your toaster.

If a teacher teaches the material well enough, and students learn to apply it in some kind of project or paper, they shouldn't have to be forced to regurgitate useless numbers and information that could honestly be found in the real world by going to Google. Are you trying to tell me that when I get a job, Google will cease to exist so we better turn our heads into a search engine full of knowledge we may only need once in our lives? Great teaching strategy. Although, I guess that could make sense if we're not by a computer, because technology will never get to a place where you could do that kind of stuff on a portable device you carry with you everywhere...

Group projects. Those are great but they also have their bad aspects. There is always the student that goes for the free ride and lets everyone else do the work but still benefits from the grade. Fine! There are ways to deal with that like group evaluations that you give to the teacher, it's still better than giving a test.

Oh! I just remembered some other things I learned and retained from some of my classes. The thing is, I didn't learn them from being tested... 

-In english I learned that energy drinks are responsible for a lot of problems, but the main addiction is not from caffeine, it's from a lifestyle addiction. I learned this because our teacher had us pick something we were interested in, apply the analysis and writing skills we were supposed to be learning in that class, and write a paper on it. At the same time I learned how to analyze information and write it in a professional matter. I couldn't tell you the name of specific rules of writing and skills I learned but I'm using those same analyzing and writing skills in this very blog. 

-I learned in economics that if I buy movie tickets for one night, but I have friends say they want to do something more fun that night, I go with my friends and that is an economic principle. I'd rather do the fun thing and not go to the movie, than go to the movie and miss out on the fun. I'm only lucky that I had that situation come about as I was in that class or I never would have remembered it. I couldn't tell you how to graph that info or what all the economic terms involved are, but the things I remember about economics I learned from actually applying it. 

-I learned in a marketing project how to put together a national marketing campaign for a product. I am in that class right now and honestly couldn't tell you all the technical terms associated and what "5 habits" from the book we applied. I could definitely do it again and from my professor's criticism, could definitely do it better next time.  

Just some stuff to think about. I can safely say that almost NONE of the things I have learned and retained from college came from a test. (There are those random things that stick around for who knows why but, other than that, real learning came from application or personal pondering of ideas.

A lot of people can get through college without learning a thing in the classroom. I won't blame it all on the teachers, because some teachers do a very good job. In spite of bad teaching, those students that want to learn... will. Whether teachers are smart enough to make learning easier by how they teach in the classroom is up to them. 

If you are a teacher and decide to teach "effectively," I say, don't kid yourself by thinking you still have to give written tests. That's what the world wants you to do. That's what they expect. In a world where we are "taught" to be creative and try new things, why are the "teachers" the ones still lagging behind?

I would love to see less emphasis on final exams and written tests, and more on using the time we have during a semester, to apply and critique student application of the concepts required.

EXCEPTIONS: There are some exceptions. Among others doctors and lawyers have to rely on their vast knowledge to treat patients or win cases. To pass the MCAT or the LSAT takes a lot of memorization. However, this isn't the regurgitating kind of memorization because it's vital for their career. If they forget they are SOL. Doctors do it right both ways though by making students do clinic duty before they can be a professional. This way they can see how the facts that they learned work out in a real world setting. If you're a med student or law student kudos to you. I can't do that. I tried. 

One last thing to think about. Med students need tests. Art students need to create things. Business students need to learn leadership skills. Engineering students need to build models. If all majors and disciplines are so different, 

why is the universal way of grading success based on written testing?

Let me know what you think. I'm just one person with my own ideas. If yours are different I'd love to hear them. I'm open to any different opinions.

Keep it real out there. Do what you gotta do.

B

My SIC preview: A look at how innovations have transformed our world.

I know you may have blocked it from your mind but there was a time when smart phones didn't exist... Gasp! Yes, dig deep in that little memory of yours, I know it's in there! Go back way before even cell phones were around. Phones used to have cords (I know, it's weird to me too) Remember  how annoying it was being stuck to the wall whenever you had to make a phone call? 

I still remember the day we upgraded from the 3ft to the 20ft cord. I remember because I could distinctly hear angels singing in the heavens... Along with the longer cord came the "how many times can I wrap the curly cord around my finger before it turns blue and falls off" game. (Fact: I was the reigning undisputed champion of the house up until we got a cordless)

As great as that all seemed at the time, the way technology has transformed makes corded phones seem as exciting as pocket lint.

When I think of transformations the first thing that comes to mind is Transformers. I appreciate Michael Bay's understanding of what transformation means. Everyone thought cars and planes were fine and dandy until Mike decided they could be more than that. Mike is an innovator.

The way interactive technology has transformed from wall phones to smart phones is just one example of the benefits of embracing innovation and change. People are always hesitant to embrace change, yet if nothing ever changed we would all be running around in loin cloths throwing rocks at each other. Instead, we run around with all kinds of different clothes throwing angry birds at wooden structures on our personal portable devices. (sounds a lot better huh?!) Change can be a good thing.

To me the fact that technology has transformed so much over the past few years just means that we have some brilliant minds out there. If I had to sum up the meaning of transformation I would probably say something like this:

Transformation is the acceptance of innovation and creativity by the general population.

Whether something is good or bad doesn't matter. If the general population embraces it, it is going to transform them. We have to be careful about what changes we accept. As much as transformations have made our world better there is always the possibility that they will make it worse. My advice? As they say on the slopes: "Keep your tips up" 

Innovators and entrepreneurs are an elite group of people who change the world. They challenge the norms and aren't happy until they've created something new and different. That's exactly the kind of people I see when I look through the list of speakers for this year's SIC (Seattle Interactive Conference).

I am most excited about the lectures to be given at SIC. As an aspiring entrepreneur and innovator, I could not be more intrigued about what things they will have to say. They really are some of the people that have transformed the world we live in. They have all climbed the ladder of success and can tell you which rungs are slippery and where the best places to hold on are as you climb it yourself. The easiest way to be successful is to learn from the experiences of others. (There is a reason the Trojan Horse only worked one time. After that everyone learned from the experience and didn't let unidentified wooden horses come through their city gates.)

Learn from others and embrace innovation. Let it continue to transform the world for the better. I can't wait to see the inventions that make smart phones seem as exciting as pocket lint...

No more instant updates: Why I think people are making themselves busier than they need to be.

As inspired by a tweet I happened upon earlier today I took the liberty of pondering on some very important things... I actually did decide to double up the amount of chocolate I used when making muddy buddies and I'm glad I did!..  but I want to talk about the other thing I pondered on today.

Here is the tweet: Read the linked article, it explains everything.

@brysonwhiteBryson White

Why I Dumped My iPhone - And I'm Not Going Back bit.ly/pshxCK

Bryson, you'll always be the truest G thug gangsta there ever was in my eye (that's a good thing, I promise) :)

The article brought up some very interesting points.

Let me give you some info about me. I like to think I'm important and that I need to be busy all the time because I am doing very important things. I have this strange idea that I always need to be there for everybody within 30 seconds because it's CRUCIAL that I give people what they want!

As bad as that sounds I'm glad that I realized it and can openly admit it to the world. (I'm not THAT important) I don't want to be like that anymore. It's got me nowhere.

After reading the above mentioned article, I realized that I have only been living half of the life I could be. Whenever I am physically somewhere I'm still only mentally half there. I'm usually checking and responding to emails or texts and making sure that I'm not getting left behind all the cool things that are going on in the twitter world... WHY? Today I took some time to think and realized that I'm not quite sure why I do that.

I tried an experiment and ignored my buzzing iPhone for 10 minutes while I had a conversation with someone whom I just met and was getting to know. I found out a bunch of really interesting stuff... I cared about what that person had to say. (A big step up from who I normally am)... I'm basically roasting myself in this post, I know, but I'm sure there are other people out there who do the EXACT same thing. I MADE THIS FOR YOU!! (Julian Smith voice) if you don't know what the heck I'm talking about just watch this... http://youtu.be/NwTsZHGQ6FE

Holy Fetch! I cared about a person I didn't even know? Dale Carnegie would be proud! (Enter "How to Win Friends and Influence People" reference here)

My point is when I momentarily ignored the world who so often ignores me, and lived in the moment I was in, I came out of it a better person.

Btw Korea is #helladopetight

Example: I served a 2 year mission to South Korea. ( 대한민국 화이팅!! ) For 2 whole years I did not watch TV,  read the news, or do anything that wasn't directly related to furthering the work of the Lord.... GUESS WHAT?
A bajillion and a half (Trust me on this number, I took the time to count) crucial things happened during those 2 years. To name a few... the economy crashed, we elected a black president, people got shot at a university, a couple people won American Idle (Idol?) and I know they had a couple Super Bowls and NBA finals.

I came back from Korea having little knowledge about those happenings and it made no difference. I had made lifelong friends where I was. I learned an incredibly difficult language. I developed a greater love for my Savior and the people I served. I made a real difference in people's lives by showing them I cared about them by not distracting myself with other things.

 Sure there was a lot of job problems and things going on in the world that I had to deal with when I got back but in the big picture there really wasn't much more to worry about than before I left. Staying up to date minute by minute those 2 years I wouldn't have been any better off. I probably would have been worse off (I heard stressing about things is not good for your health)

Keeping up to date every second with everything that is going on really isn't that important and it's quite annoying for the people who are in your physical presence as well. I've decided to be better about that ( I know I got a long ways to go) and see what new opportunities come my way. I can wait til later to know what Taylor Swift thought of the city she sang in that day... (as difficult as that sounds!) Last I heard she was doin something with Usher...

@taylorswift13taylorswift13 

I got to say 'peace up, A-town down' in atlanta then @UsherRaymondIVcame out and sang 'Yeah!' with me. I'm thinking 'is this real life?'

If I can do it so can you!
Take it or leave it. That tharr be the truth!

BST