Magazine Articles and Initiative Stuff

As you might have heard, or read, I've officially started my educational initiative/project, but there is more news. There is a game industry magazine called Game Theory Magazine, that I am writing an article for on the contents of my book project. So, before finishing the first draft, and before publishing it, somebody has a serious interest in it. I'm stoked.

The editor and chief of the magazine is one of the people I asked to give pre-publishing feedback. The reason is that I'm a game designer creating a resource that I think can help people in the game industry. When I asked if there would be an interest in articles related to the content, the response was a definite yes. So, now I'll be writing an article, hopefully more, for possible inclusion in a magazine.

Yes, this is advertising for me, but it's also helping others. Game designers and developers need to be good at problem solving as much as anybody else. Playing games involves a lot of problem solving, so it's also useful to gamers. With all the content ideas I have for other aspects of my efforts, writing an article every couple of months for Game Theory Magazine shouldn't be hard. Blog posts, magazine articles and maybe another one or two things should be plenty of content creation to keep be engaged. Of course, then there is continuing the book project, as it is a project, not just a booklet.

See this is the interesting part; it's an ongoing project to create an awesome little book. The first version started as an effort to get the project organized. I had ideas, and content written, but it wasn't balanced or organized. That's when the idea to write a short blurb about all of the points, sections and so on came to mind. It's to share the approach I have recognized and use, but I had to start somewhere to get it done. Biting off more than you can chew at first can easily kill a project. Facing that fact, I cut it back to what I knew I could do, rather than let the project die. Having done it, I'm focused on the next version and creating more content for it. That's one more success to add to creating the project site, positive content reviews and the interest in articles on the content.

Have fun, spread the word and tell me what you think,
Igen Oukan
Read more!

Magazine Articles and Initiative Stuff

View Blog Reactions

Starting My Learning Initiative

It's been about a year and a half since I started this blog with the intent of helping my learning initiative ideas. Now, after a few attempts, I've started my giant umbrella project and it's first sub-project. The name of the umbrella project, which I've had since before starting this blog, is Legacy Of Lore (LOL :P), and the starting project is a booklet on the approach to learning and problem solving. Who doesn't learn and solve problems.

First off, the book project is specifically designed to help with further education initiatives. One example is the huge resource framework idea, because it should help people deal with resources better. Another idea is that if I am helping learners in person, having a short thing for them to read that helps them understand my approach, things should go better. That's actually how it would work with the current idea I submitted in a Statement of Intent to The Mind Trust. By helping students become better learners and problem solvers they should do better in general.

With that said, the book project is just the start of a whole list of ideas I want to get going. The resource/OER collection network and framework is just one of them. Another idea if for an after school club to give people an activity to practice the learning and problem solving approach with. A couple ideas are to help writers with their stories. However, the book is the first one I'm ready to seriously start using, so I'm starting with it.

I do have a hope to create a non-profit to handle these projects. Then the finances might be a little easier to handle. By that I mean tax exemption and deductible donations. The non-profit approach appeals to me in that it's not allowed to pay absurd amounts of money to anybody without a good reason, or get penalized, even the person in charge has to stick with reasonable pay and benefits. like that because the focus is on achieving the purpose of the non-profit, not making people rich. I also don't like the growth focus of stock holders influencing the directions of the company. Sometimes a company needs to settle, or even shrink, to really improve.

Have fun, spread the word and tell me what you think,
Igen Oukan
Read more!

Starting My Learning Initiative

View Blog Reactions

Why I Don't Clean House

If I meant my real house I'd be in trouble, but instead I mean this blog, one of my homes on the internet. There have been several times I've thought to myself that i should delete some posts, clean up some things and so on, but in truth I just fix some typos and such and move on. While I never was sure of the reason behind my lack of motivation, I may have today. It shows the path I have walked to get where I am. That's important in and of itself, and so, it shall be kept as it is, and has been, for all to see.

This came to me while reading other blog posts, that the history, the journey, is just as important for people to be aware of as the results. Knowing about the person, or people, behind something, how they get things done, and what their views are is just as important as the things they do in public.

People don't just up and do something big one day usually. So the history also has the value of showing how others might be able to pursue their dreams. It's been a few years since my educational initiative ideas came to mind, and by sharing the hardship and journey with others I might be able to inspire people to help and persevere. That would be worth the effort of blogging.

Have fun, spread the word and tell me what you think,
Igen Oukan
Read more!

Why I Don't Clean House

View Blog Reactions