108 Matching Annotations
  1. Jun 2024
  2. May 2024
    1. It should include severalbasic pieces of information:• A time frame for replies to email communicationsand questions posted on discussion forums, withencouragement to ask questions in advance ofassignment due dates• A time frame for providing feedback on assignments• Commentary on how the instructor plans to participatein online asynchronous discussions (e.g., I do readevery post, but will not reply to every post so as not todominate the conversation; I will post a summary ofdiscussion highlights at the conclusion of each unit.)• Commentary on other ways the instructor plans to remainactively involved throughout the course and how urgentor timely information will be communicated (e.g., viaannouncement or email)

      Steps for instructor plan of engagement

    1. Instructor presence is required for social presence to occur, and social presence is necessary for cognitive presence (Akyol & Garrison, 2008; Garrison, et al., 2001; Shea & Bidjerano, 2009).  Furthermore, Shea & Bidjerano (2009) purport that “teaching presence predicts variance in cognitive presences directly” (p. 545). As an example, they found that when the instructor focused and participated in discussion, teaching presence correlated to higher cognitive presence.

      Instructor presence leads to social presence which leads to cognitive presence.

    2. The quadrants are cognitive presence indicators, illustrating the sequence of critical thinking: Triggering event – A question or problem; Exploration – The search for information to answer the question or solve the problem; Integration – Making sense of the knowledge found; and Resolution – Applying the idea for confirmation. Garrison et al. (2001) later refined the model and considered integration as a pivotal part of the inquiry process. They noted that it can be difficult to recognize, and must “be inferred from communication within the community of inquiry” (p. 10). In this phase, “teaching presence is essential in moving the process to more-advanced stages of critical thinking and cognitive development” (p. 10), because without it, students may remain comfortable in the exploration phase, and not move into integration or resolution.

      sequence of critical thinking

    3. Garrison et al. (2000) consider cognitive presence a “vital element in critical thinking a process and outcome that is frequently presented as the ostensible goal of all higher education”

      cognitive presence is vital in critical thinking

    4. One of the advantages for the instructor in an online environment is that there is a “concrete interactive trail” (Lamb & Callison, 2005, p. 30), leaving the instructor with a tool for analyzing the paths of cognitive presence throughout the course and among students. Several studies showed that students with high social presence also had increased perceptions of quality learning as well as satisfaction with their instructors

      online environment leaves a trail for analyzing cognitive presence

    5. the extent to which cognitive presence is created and sustained in a community of inquiry is partly dependent on how communication is restricted or encouraged” (Garrison et al., 2000, p.93). Cognitive presence is also evident when students purposefully and collaboratively construct knowledge (Garrison, et al., 2001), resulting in deep meaning, retained knowledge, and critical thinking (Nagel & Kotzé, 2010).

      cognitive presence depends on communication is restricted or encouraged

    6. Garrison et al. (2000) explain that cognitive presence “can best be understood in the context of a general model of critical thinking” (p. 98), and that “what to think…is domain-specific and context-dependent” (p.98).

      cognitive presence -

    7. Michael Graham Moore (1989), editor of the American Journal of Distance Education since 1987, identifies three distinct types of interaction: learner-to-content, learner-to-instructor, and learner-to-learner.  Learner-to-instructor interaction is described as encouraging interest and modeling, organizing information and assessing progress, maintaining individual contact with the learner, interacting frequently, and fostering the learner-to-learner interaction (Moore, 1989).  It is Moore’s (1989) contention that these connections are keys to effective distance learning.

      3 distinct types of interaction Learner to Learner Learner to Content Learner to Instructor Encouraging Interest organizing information and assessing progress maintaining individual contact with learning interacting frequently fostering learner to learner interaction

    8. He believed their mission was to guide students to handle social influencers and to foster a continual construction of knowledge.

      In 1929 they felt the need to guide students to handle social influences.

    9. Despite frustration with the course I was taking for my academic program, I, and my fellow students, began to take charge and support one another as we approached the final weeks of the semester.  While some of us continued to flourish in this newfound community, others appeared lost.  The lack of feedback and direction from the instructor was frustrating with the final project deadline looming.

      When instructors are not actively driving the course students may take over, but not all students will be on that train.

    1. At its core, instructor presence means being there for your students.

      Simple definition of Instructional presence.

    1. The designer of online courses needs to consider how he or she and others teachinga course will be able to leverage design features such as built-in interactions andavenues for communication

      instructor presence

    2. Regularly communicate with the class in a consistent, predictable, and publicmanner, whether in the discussion forums, class e-mails, or announcements(Arbaugh & Hwang, 2006; Lowenthal & Thomas, 2010)• Occasionally send individual e-mails or messages to students (Dunlap &Lowenthal, 2010)• Provide timely and detailed feedback (Borup et al., 2015; Cox et al., 2015; Dunlap& Lowenthal, 2014; Ice et al., 2007)• Have students post assignments in discussion forums rather than in digital dropboxes (Lowenthal & Thomas, 2010)• Self-disclose and share personal stories (Lowenthal & Thomas, 2010)• Address students by name (Rourke et al., 1999

      communication strategies to establish instructor persence

    3. Clearly set expectations and how instructors see their role in class discussions (asDennen, 2005, found, there is not one right way to facilitate discussions) (Shea,Hayes, & Vickers, 2010)• Add humor when appropriate (e.g., post content-related comic strips) (seeGunawardena & Zittle, 1997; Rourke et al., 1999; Sung & Mayer, 2012; Wiseet al., 2004)

      Could you create "master courses" that allow instructors to select some things - instructor choice - to allow more instructor presence.

    4. to design courses that reflect not only your personality but also,most importantly, your own instructional values

      argument for allowing faculty to have some control over course design.

    5. establishing instructor social presence in online courses is find-ing ways to establish one’s personality—or what Dennen (2007) termed persona.

      persona

    6. The study reported thetop 10 techniques used by the instructors for establishing their instructor presence as fol-lows: using names (cohesive), using greetings (cohesive), referencing groups (cohesive),acknowledging work (interactive), clarifying for instructional purposes (direct instruc-tion), providing tips for how to succeed in the course (facilitating discourse), providinggeneral information or just-in-time information about the course (design and organiza-tion), offering praise and encouragement (interactive), using unusual punctuation orparalanguage to express nonverbal emotions (affective), and using emphasis to heightenawareness (affective)

      techniques to crate instructor presence

    7. investigated instructor social presence in accelerated onlinecourses which the instructors did not design and in which they did not have authoringaccess to the courses. In courses like these, the instructors could only share things aboutthemselves—and that they were “real” and “there”—through the course discussions andthe grade book. In this mixed-methods exploratory study that focused solely on analyzingonline course discussions, Lowenthal found that instructors spent some time establishingtheir own social presence (e.g., greetings and salutations, inclusive language, empathy)but that they quickly shifted their focus from social presence behaviors to teaching pres-ence behaviors (e.g., dealing with course logistics), most likely because of the lack of timein eight-week accelerated online courses

      instructor presence in courses they did not design or have the ability to modify

    8. concept of intimacy (Argyle & Dean, 1965), which in instructional terms can be thoughtof as supporting and meeting the needs of individual learners. Although an instructor’ssocial presence, and specifically this type of immediacy and intimacy, depends largelyon teacher-to-student interaction, it also depends on the design and development deci-sions that permeate all aspects of a course, including individual projects or assignments

      course design impacts instructor social presence and intimacy

    9. Likewise, research hasshown that instructor immediacy is important in face-to-face courses (Witt, Wheeless,& Allen, 2004) and online courses (Baker, 2010; Hutchins, 2003), even if it might beaccomplished in different ways.

      instructor immediacy in face-to-face and online modalies

    10. ocial presence has also been linkedto student retention and intention to reenroll in online course rates

      social presence influences retention

    11. esearch has also shown that social presence can influ-ence students’ learning experiences, including students’ participation and motivationto participate

      student motivation

    12. Online students care about getting a sense ofwho their instructors are and that they are “real” people and “there”—namely, their socialpresence

      teacher importance even in the age of AI

    13. Research has shown us that students’ relationshipswith faculty have a direct and significant effect on their scholarly engagement

      instructor - student relationship

    14. cognitive presence, is “the extent to which the participants in . . . acommunity of inquiry are able to construct meaning through sustained communication”

      cognitive presence - participants are able to construct meaning through sustained communication.

    15. The second element, teaching pres-ence, involves instructional management, building understanding, and direct instruction

      teaching presence - instructional management, building understanding, direct instruction

    1. five integrated elements:affective association, community cohesion, instructor involvement,interaction intensity, and knowledge and experience. Examining theconcept of social presence through this lens allows us to understand howthese elements relate to satisfactory online experiences

      5 integrated elements of Social presence affective association, community cohesion instructor involvement interaction intensity knowledge experience

    2. One way in which students report experiencing the social presenceof an instructor is the immediacy of response and type of feedbackreceived

      feedback - social presence

    3. who determine the five most important elements of social presenceto be social respect, social sharing, open mind, social identity, andintimacy. All these facets are areas in which video and voice can enrichonline students’ learning experience.

      5 most important elements of social presence social respect social sharing open mind social identity imtimacy

      enriched by video and voice.

    4. Social presence is increased when the class moves away frombeing purely text based and incorporates voice and video

      Voice and Video increases social presence

    5. Findings from the study indicated that emotional expression,open communication, and group cohesion were key elements in studentperceptions of teaching and learning in their online MAEd program

      Key elements emotional expression open communication group cohesion

    6. when there is a high level of trustbetween the instructors and students, the learning space fulfills a certainpurpose in students’ lives and increases the likelihood of learning;

      student - instructor trust

    7. only thequality of interpersonal interaction within a course relates positively andsignificantly to student grades

      study on importance of Social presence to student achievement.

    8. Their analysis revealed that social presence has asubstantial effect on learning interaction, which in turn affects learningperformance.

      social presence - learning interaction - learning performance

    9. but with social presence havingthe most significant correlation coefficient

      social presence has the most significant correlation coefficient to successful online learning.

    1. where we see that those who chose a face-to-face class as thebest were both more likely to say the instructor was the most important factor in that selection and morelikely to rank their relationship with the instructor and the instructor’s attitude as important.

      face-to-face - instructor relationship was important factor in value of course

    2. . Moore (2013) found thatTD was the single biggest predictor of student satisfaction in online classes, a finding confirmed by morerecent research as well (Weidlich & Bastiaens, 2018). Low online retention rates are explained, in part, bythe potentially high barrier to contact and relationship-building between faculty and students in onlinecourses.

      importance of transactional distance and instructor presence

    3. These findings support the need for increased faculty professionaldevelopment in online course design and facilitation focused on student experience as well as facultyexpertise.

      Need for training of faculty on creating presence

    4. However, students responded that instructors matter more in face-to-face courses, where they can establish personal relationships with students, whereas assignments “standin” for instructors in online classes.

      student perceptions of instructor importance

    1. Selecting two or three key points (e.g. two stars and a wish; stars & stairs) or connecting to important learning goals will minimize a rambling feedback message or a missed ‘teachable moment.’

      feedback structure 2 stars and a wish

    2. Garrison, Anderson & Archer (2001) define teaching presence as “the design, facilitation, and direction of cognitive and social processes for the purpose of realizing personally meaningful and educationally worthwhile learning outcomes.”

      teaching presence design facilitation direction of cognitive and social processes for the purpose of realizing personally meaningful and educationally worthwhile learning outcomes

    3. Humanizing elements in feedback incorporate the content, strategies, sequence, and tools. Content elements include the focus, function, valence, clarity, and specificity. Feedback strategies incorporate timing, amount, audience, and mode. Considering the sequence for feedback – listening, summarize-explain-redirect-resubmit (SE2R), connecting, creating, and tracking will assist instructors to humanize their actions. A survey of available technologies and tools to create feedback messages with text, graphic, audio, image, and video, and integrated multimodal production technologies is presented. A

      Feedback -Humanizing Elements * Content Focus Function Valence Clarity Specificity * Strategies Time Amount Audience Mode * Sequence Listening Summarize - Explain redirect resubmit - SE2R Connecting Creating Tracking * Tools Text Graphic Audio Image Video Integrated multi-modal

    1. we aren’t just trying to replicate some of the humanizing interactions in face-to-face courses (such as: eye contact, nodding, and casual banter). We’re also talking about intentionally creating moments of exchange, feedback, and personal framing for the learning that our students experience.

      Sometimes you don't get instructor presence in on ground courses....if the instructor is only lecturing and holding discussions

    2. “[instructor presence is]  the instructor’s interaction and communication style and the frequency of the instructor’s input into the class discussions and communications

      instructor presence definition interaction communication style frequency

    1. You can’t make a student do the work or be successful in your course, but you can let them know you’re there if they need it!

      Good quote - you can't make students work, but you can let them know you are available if they need you. That's your responsibility; theirs is to do the work and reach out when they need you.

    2. (Flipgrid can help with this!).

      Using Flipgrid to help with discussion boards....

    3. Respond within a given time frame. Let students know when they can expect a response from you via email or in the LMS and stick to it. Students should know that they’ll be able to get answers or assistance in a set amount of time.

      Importance of creating grading expectations and living by them.

    4. Even if your course is largely asynchronous, giving students the chance to interact with you and other students in a live format can help them get to know you better and may help many feel more comfortable asking questions. Attendance in these kinds of interactions can be low, despite them being highly beneficial to students, so it’s a smart idea to require that students attend a set number throughout the term.

      Interesting idea - to require students to attend a set number of live interactive sessions - but not all of them.....

    1. Some practices that promote instructor presence can include: Sending out welcome letters Posting announcements30 highlighting connections between course content, activities, and assignments Facilitating in-depth thinking through online discussions Providing detailed specific feedback Reaching out to struggling students Making connections to real world applications and providing clarification when needed.

      6 ways to build instructor presence

    1. By definition, instructor presence is “the design, facilitation, and direction of cognitive and social process for the purpose of realizing personally meaningful and educationally worthwhile learning outcomes.”

      definition of instructor presence

    1. Instructors in online classes must take extra measures toestablish a social presence for themselves and for their students.These efforts not only increase student satisfaction with onlinecourses, but result in increased learning outcomes. Picciano (2002)found that students with higher levels of social presence performedbetter on written assignments compared to students with lowersocial presence

      It's interesting that social presence impacted abilities in written assignments.

    2. Thus, being in the physical presence ofothers might give the illusion of interaction in face-to-face classeswhich presents a challenge for online learning. It is possible thatthe interaction to which students are referring involves mostlythe physical aspect of human interaction. Electronic interaction, nomatter how frequent, may not be filling that aspect of the students’needs for social interaction

      physical presence with others - illusion of interaction

    1. Instructors’ Perceptions of Instructor Presence in OnlineLearning Environments

      Title

  3. Sep 2023
  4. Aug 2023
  5. Jul 2023
    1. Moving Beyond Problem Solving: A Potential-Based Approach
  6. Mar 2023
    1. Presence

      Still really the operative term. The teacher needs to be...there. In the discussion. In the case of social annotation, in the text.

    2. Be easily accessible to your students. Provide multiple regular opportunities for connectionand support via email, virtual office hours, prompt feedback, and virtual study sessions orstudent conferences

      I think it's interesting to think about social annotation as a vehicle for this availability/accessibility of the instructor.n What's more isolating than the reading? What's more power than having your instructor present IN the reading?

  7. Jan 2023
  8. Apr 2022
    1. connection, contact and sense of reality, and immediate social presence are strong influences as well as the sense of community (Melrose & Bergeron, 2006; Rettie, 2003, Sallnäs, 2004).

  9. Mar 2022
    1. Perhaps most important, gesture generates the sense that an asyet immaterial enterprise is a palpable reality in the present moment

      Gesture used in communication has the ability to conjure or imply the immediate physical presence of ideas or objects that are otherwise either distant or which don't yet exist.

    Tags

    Annotators

  10. Feb 2021
    1. David Dye. (2021, January 26). So if you work somewhere already like this maybe suggest how to really run a WFH/mobile collaboration uni, and how we re-tool the physical meeting place we then in light of that? Maybe the philosophers already know this?? [Tweet]. @DavidDye9. https://twitter.com/DavidDye9/status/1354176181042556929

  11. Oct 2020
    1. Digital learner presence and online teaching tools: higher cognitive requirements of online learners for effective learning

      The authors study blogs, virtual worlds, discussion boards, and wikis and gathers student feedback on integrating those technologies into a class. The authors believed that students needed a digital presence to be successful in online learning. Instructor presence is also important and both can help participants in the class realize that there are real people in the class. The results of the studies show that integrating technology for collaboration should be done with careful design by the teacher, that as students are exposed to tools they find ones that work best for them, and that for students who have little exposure to technology the teacher should provide scaffolding to help them develop a digital presence. The studies were conducted in one region in Australia and I would like to see similar studies with learners from a broader area. 8/10

    1. Internet LearningVolume 4Issue 1Spring 2015Article 2May 2015Strategies for Virtual Learning Environments:Focusing on Teaching Presence and TeachingImmediacy

      This article explore teacher presence and teacher immediacy. Both online and in-person classes have integrated technology by creating technology-based environments. When using technology to host an online class, it is important for students to feel they are a community of learners. Teaching presence is important for students and can enhance critical thinking. Instructor immediacy can boost student engagement. This study analyzed existing literature and proposes quantitative and qualitative future studies to continue research into student engagement using technology. The most interesting section is the description of teacher roles in an online environment. 9/10

    2. Strategies for Virtual Learning Environments:Focusing on Teaching Presence and TeachingImmediacy

      Through a literature review of 50 articles published between 2003-2014, the authors explored aspects of online learning (teacher presence, teacher immediacy) that impact learner interest and motivation in the online environment. Recognizing that these aspects are key, the authors explore various approaches to retention the virtual setting. The multifaceted role of the instructor is reviewed as well as virtual facilitation strategies. The literature search revealed a positive correlation between teaching presence, teaching immediacy, and learner engagement and motivation. 6/10

  12. May 2020
    1. A grade book to record student progress. Web pages or sites that allow you to present text, videos, or links to other sources.Assessment tools so students can submit their assignments, or take a quiz or an exam.Discussion forums that enable students to engage in conversations about class content with you and with one another.

      this also connects to the teaching presence since it resonds to how a teacher sets up the course and focusing on the assessment of student learning

  13. Mar 2020
    1. Si je suis convoquépar la direction ou un professeur, suis-je obligéde me déplacer? Non, les déplacements et réunions non indispensables doivent être évités. Des moyens adaptés d’échanges avec l’équipe pédagogique qui suit votre enfant vous seront proposés.
    2. Ai-je le droit de rencontrer les parents ou les élèves en dehors de mon établissement ?Afin de limiter les risques de propagation du coronavirus, l’accompagnement des familles devra reposer sur des solutions à distance pour permettre le lien continu avec les élèves et les familles (téléphone, courriel, point de dépôt de documents...). Il convient de se référer aux préconisations du ministère des Solidarités et de la Santé, régulièrement actualisées.
    3. Dois-je être physiquement présent dans le collègeou le lycéependant la période de fermeturede l’accès aux élèves?L’accès aux collègesest fermé aux élèves. S’agissant des adultes, ne doivent être présents que les personnels strictement et absolument nécessaires. La continuité pédagogique est assurée uniquement à distance. L’ENT et/ou le site du collège, s’il y en a un, doit être actualisé en fonction de l’évolution de la situation.
  14. May 2019
  15. Apr 2019
    1. These are cues that can be tied to Social Presence (Affective). supports the case that these cues can be communicated via instructor video - foundation for non verbal cues as part of communication.

  16. Dec 2018
    1. eople prefer to know who else is present in a shared space, and they usethis awareness to guide their work

      Awareness, disclosure, and privacy concerns are key cognitive/perception needs to integrate into technologies. Social media and CMCs struggle with this knife edge a lot.

      It's also seems to be a big factor in SBTF social coordination that leads to over-compensating and pluritemporal loading of interactions between volunteers.

  17. Nov 2018
  18. Aug 2018
  19. Jul 2018
    1. Leshed and Sengers’s research reminds us that calendars are not just tools for the management of time, but are also sites of identity work where people can project to themselves and others the density of their days and apparent ‘success’ at doing it all[26]. These seemingly innocuous artifacts can thus perpetuate deeper normative logics a

      The dark side of time artifacts and the social pressure of busyness/industriousness as a virtue.

    1. tries (Prado 2013). Here again, instead of looking at the present as a heterogeneous context, the present isconsidered as uniform and following a linear trajectory toward

      This is an important caveat for the study of sociotemporality in humanitarian crises. Need to stay grounded in the present and how even some immediate, incremental steps toward improving the representation of time in the data and in the data gathering process can be serve the larger, future goals of attaining real-time situational awareness.

    2. gs done. Accepting an invitation for reflection inherent in the design means on the other hand that time willappear, i.e. we open up for time presence” (Hallnas & Redstrom 2001). A slow technology would not disappear, but would make its

      The idea of making time more present/more felt is counter-intuitive to how time is experienced in crisis response as urgent, as a need for effiicency, as an intense flow (Csikszentmihalyi) that disappears.

    3. In Slow Technology, Hallnas & Redstrom (2001) advance the need for a form of design that emphasises reflection, the amplification of environments, and the use of technologies that a) amplify the presence of time; b) stretch time and extend processes; and c) reveal an expression of presenttime as slow-paced. Important here is the concept of “time presence”: “when we use a thing as an efficient tool, time disappears, i.e. we get things done. Accepting an invitation for reflection inherent in the design means on the other hand that time willappear, i.e. we open up for time presence” (Hallnas & Redstrom 2001). A slow technology would not disappear, but would make its

      Definition of "slow technology" and its purpose to make time more present for the user.

  20. Apr 2017
    1. presenceofasituation.

      This almost seems redundant...almost. I guess I usually think of the word "situation" as being inherently pregnant with an assumed "presence" or "place" and that it wouldn't be necessary to indicate a situation's existence or appearance. I think this reveals Bitzer's conceptualization of situation as not only mobile (in that a "situation" can be present or absent) but also conditional.

  21. Mar 2017
    1. Back to the presence I suppose this is what Maha was talking about as "3rd Discourse"? 

      Social presence

    1. The picnic was clearly not in the Tribble Valley as the cockerels, (roosters  as Terry says) were calling in dawn, Keith was sun-tanned in Florida, Terry was all backlit Dutch painting.

      Yearning to reach out and be really present with the people on line.

    2. Meanwhile back at the picnic spot, Terry and Keith had turned up. It was six and seven o'clock in the morning for them and they had dropped everything to spend a little time at a picnic to chat with friends.

      Timezone confusion. Competence

    3. Marcin and I's relationship has no doubt been enriched by visiting each other's homes and countries this year, a dream for many people who have extended online personal networks and the ties which bind us I feel are profound - perhaps because of the distance.  There is a part of Poland in me now.

      Being able to picture the person in a physical context in which one has walked.

    4. but the immediacy of being in a room in Krakow, from a room in Clermont Ferrand was absolute, to the extent that I was able to butt in to respond to questions from the people attending our conference..in Poland.

      Virtual Connection. Real Connecting

    5. Then it was Maha's Birthday, why don't we sing 'Happy Birthday' I thought, - well why not?

      Distant Presence Friends

    6. First day in class, we had students chatting with a friend of mine working on a Ski Resort in Australia,

      Porous walls. Hybridization. Change narrative

    1. This effort to reach past language to the reality it names is what Derrida calls "the metaphysics of presence."

      *The metaphysics of presence" has been haunting us all semester.

  22. Oct 2016
    1. A teacher’s presence in learning activities and as part of community in online learn-ing environments is motivational (McIntyre 2011).
  23. Jan 2016
  24. christmind.info christmind.info
    1. Now, you have just had “an interruption” by Chris, but you chose not to interpret it as something at odds with our conversation. You found that you were able to be present for him from your Center with relative ease, and as a result, the “interference” was very brief. If, however, it had been treated as an interference, and if you had chosen to shift your attention from Centered attentiveness to external attentiveness, with a certain degree of botheration associated with it, the event would have been prolonged and Christopher would not have felt you had been present with and for him. To be from your Center inevitably causes experience to be simple and clear and full.

      This is back to the basics of psychology, 'we feel and act according to whatever we believe', not events situations and encounters. If the interruption was believed to be an interference and attention was shifted to focus on this in 3d it would have taken away from Centredness.

    2. Now, this graduation is constituted of a commitment to Reality and an abandonment of the illusory sense of self; a commitment to Knowing, which it now will be much easier for you to make since I am making it clear to you that you are not listening to something other than your Self, and therefore there is not a listener of dubious integrity. The presence of the experience of Knowing is truly an experience of Self, and not of someone else who is Valuable. Why, indeed, would you continue to make an investment of trust and commitment in something that is Real and thus apparently borrow some value which never truly becomes yours, and therefore leaves you in your illusory sense of incompetence and limitation?

      "The presence of the experience of Knowing is truly an experience of Self, and not of someone else who is Valuable."

  25. Nov 2015
    1. It should be becoming clear to you that, since there is no evil power, presence, or force, you do not need to protect yourself from it under any circumstances. Certainly not in order to speak with me.

      He clearly shares here that any need for protection is born out of fear.

    1. To be alone with one’s Being is to be totally Present, Universally Present, without one iota projected “out there.” It is to have no other Mind but God. Notice that Its intent is not directed at you. Notice that It does not try to coerce you. Notice that you are not aware of a separate selfhood upon which It can act. Don’t try to reason it out or figure it out. Just notice It. At the present moment, you are not completely free of the inclination to believe that you are what ego says, and that you are in a pickle. On the other hand, you are not buying the story, either. Just notice.

      Raj defines 'presence' as to be alone with one's Being and conscious that there is only the Mind of God.

      Raj prompts Paul to notice that in 'presence' there is no sense of separateness.

      Again Raj suggests to just observe, to just notice the ego and its antics...

    2. PAUL: Okay, Raj, I’m alone… RAJ: Although you caught it, I want to amplify on it. “Alone” is a three-dimensional concept implying that there’s everyone else, and then there’s “me.” This is ego. You’ve got to be alert. Notice that your body is having physical sensations that you recognize as feeling disheartened, worried, or fearful. Notice that it has an intent; it is not just a feeling. It is there to motivate you to “do” something objective. Notice that in observing it, the I that is You that is observing is clear, unmoved, and at peace. To be alone with one’s Being is to be totally Present, Universally Present, without one iota projected “out there.” It is to have no other Mind but God. Notice that Its intent is not directed at you. Notice that It does not try to coerce you. Notice that you are not aware of a separate selfhood upon which It can act. Don’t try to reason it out or figure it out. Just notice It. At the present moment, you are not completely free of the inclination to believe that you are what ego says, and that you are in a pickle. On the other hand, you are not buying the story, either. Just notice. You have never had to go all the way before, so this is new territory for you. But, as long as you don’t relinquish any of the territory you have gained so far, you will find yourself moving forward. You will not lose any ground. Okay, Let’s get back to your opening statement.

      The belief that I can be alone is ego. Notice the feeling and intent of being alone. It is there to motivate you to do something objective.

      This presents a deeper perspective than I've previously considered. The Experience of aloneness stemming from ego generates a physical feeling and an intent directed outward.

      And now he contrasts that with being alone with one's Being. This is being totally Present with nothing projected outward. Being Present is to have no other Mind but God...

      Isn't this a description of Conscious Being given in terms of Presence?

      Paul is still inclined to believe what the ego says - but he does not buy it completely. Moving forward implies that the temptation to agree with ego decreases.

    1. You can see that it truly, completely, means getting yourself out of the way. This is the grand lesson. Do not be afraid of being “out of control.” So many times people feel that if they are out of control, they will be wide open to being controlled by other entities, forces, or powers. But the omnipresent I Am—the infinite, divine Mind that constitutes the Being of every being that be’s—is the only Presence and Power which can exert and manifest Itself, and be the center and circumference—the Alpha and Omega. Therefore, such concepts or beliefs are groundless, and one need never be afraid to let go and say and be the statement, “Thy Will be done.“

      Raj is telling us/me to not fear loosing control because "the the infinite, divine Mind that constitutes the Being of every being that be's—is the only Presence and Power which can exert and manifest Itself, and be the center and circumference."

      Therefore he assures us that there is never any need to fear letting go and relaxing and surrendering to Thy Will be done.

      According to Almaas in the book Facets of Unity, the Holt Idea of the Enneagram 2 is Holy Will.... there is only one Will because our Being is an aspect of the Light.

    1. RAJ: Paul, do not resist that feeling, but simply do not invest too much attention in it. You can move away from it, where you will not be reached by the apparent dynamics of its meaning. Even if it does not appear to resolve anything from your present point of view, you will, nevertheless, be in the best position possible to have the answer be revealed as your conscious experience. I will ask you to do that this evening before you go to sleep, in preparation for the work we will do while you are sleeping.

      To acknowledge our feelings yet to not 'go down the rabbit hole' with them.

  26. Oct 2015
    1. RAJ: This Light energy, which is constituted of the Christ-consciousness—God’s view of Himself—is what constitutes your consciousness and your experience, Totally and Completely. you must understand that there is nothing else going on—no other Presence but this Light. It is the Light of Living Love.

      Christ Consciousness is God's view of Himself, is what constitutes Light.

      Light constitutes your consciousness and experience totally and completely.

      There is nothing else going on - no other Presence but this Light, the Light of Living Love.

      This is a description of Christ and of Heaven.

    2. This Light energy, which is constituted of the Christ-consciousness—God’s view of Himself—is what constitutes your consciousness and your experience, Totally and Completely. you must understand that there is nothing else going on—no other Presence but this Light. It is the Light of Living Love.
    1. You are also correct that the reappearance of the Christ, even to those who have longed for His reappearance and who would give their right arm to be in His Presence, will not necessarily find themselves able to let go and acknowledge that it is truly Him.

      By not letting go and identifying with and holding onto our perceptions in our 3d world we do not come to acknowledge our True Self as Christ.

    1. Yes, Paul, Maitreya is on this planet, and He will be making Himself known. But the making of Himself known is not that the Person, Maitreya, is here—but the Christ Light, the Christ Energy, the Christ Love is here. It is an active, living Presence. It is here to bathe, wash, and heal the spirit of all mankind on earth.

      Becoming aware of the Christ within, the true Self...

    1. Paul, I mean it both ways. All of you is always present. Yet, in that omnipresent Action of your Being, there are cycles—cycles of time and cycles of growth. This is why I referred to the “fitness of time” the other day. I indicated that you must wait until the fitness of time in order to discern and understand what is happening here.
    1. Again, all of you is always present, no matter what level of consciousness you are apparently operating from at any given moment. And you are learning this.

      It is all happening at once, it depends on where we choose to focus our attention.

  27. Sep 2015
    1. Rabinow links the growth of modem forms of political power with the evolution of aesthetic theories and shows how the

      the quote continues on to discuss how the French showed their superiority through the presence of their architecture

  28. Feb 2014
    1. Github As The Central Presence, Definition, Configuration, And Source Code For Your API Posted on 02-05-2014 It is easy to think of Github as a central repository for your open source code—most developers understand that. I have written before about the many ways to use Github as part of your API management strategy, but in the last few months I'm really seeing Github playing more of a central role in the overall lifecycle of an API.