For this seventh week of my Independent Learning Project, I wanted to delve into glorifying my God through both victories and defeat. It is essential to acknowledge our Lord in whatever we do because without Him, absolutely nothing would be possible!

Whether we are dealt with a win or a loss, giving our utmost for His highest should be our number one priority!

We will kick things off with giving God the glory when we are victorious! When things are going well and we are seeing success, a lot of the time we tend to think that we did this on our own, which is not the case.

Our Heavenly Father along with all of the people and resources that we are blessed with helped us to get to this point! It can prove to be difficult, but when we are filled with joy and pride from an exciting win, our words and our actions must point to the one who brought us here! It is through His divine power and ultimate will that we have the ability to see success!

To take this to a practical level, let’s take a look at some specific examples of what this might look like. Instead of celebrating a win with bringing the attention to ourselves, a small act of reverence to the King of kings could make the world of a difference!

A small prayer, pointing up to God, remaining humble, respecting our opponent, and giving credit to God in post-match interviews are all great ways in which we can acknowledge our Lord and Savior! Who knows? Maybe someone who was watching you saw a tidbit of the Gospel. This small act can cause a ripple effect in the Lord’s Kingdom purposes!

Now let’s take a look at the hard pill to swallow. On the flip side of the coin, we are called to glorify God when we are dealt with a loss too. It’s hard to think that “God is good” when we are handed a defeat. We must have faith that, even when life is tough and things don’t go our way, it is all ultimately for our good and His glory!

A lot of the time, our true character surfaces when we face adversity. When people see that, even when we come up short on the scoreboard, our true source of purpose and identity lies in something greater than ourselves, they will take note.

It might be one of the hardest things to do, but giving credit where credit is due in a loss can make a larger impact on those who might be watching! Having people witness the Lord working through you can be one of the greatest ways to portray the Gospel!

What exactly might this look like on the mat, or in other forms of competition? Not throwing a fit after the contest, remaining cool, calm, and collected, saying another small prayer, taking part in a small act of faith, still respecting all opponents, coaches, and officials, walking away from the area with your head held high, and glorifying God in post-competition interviews just the same are all specific ways to honor the Lord in a loss.

Exalting our Heavenly Father in defeat proves to be just as important as doing it in victory!

Whether we win or lose, giving credit where credit is due is crucial in a Christian athlete’s career! Taking faith in that, no matter what happens in competition, as long as we give our very best for our God, the result will always be for our own good and His glory! Believe it or not, there is extreme joy, freedom, and peace as a result from this too!

What is a Personalized Learning Network? … My Experience

A Personalized Learning Network (PLN) can be a tremendously useful tool for anyone! According to TeachThought, a PLN is “a way of describing the group of people that you connect with to learn their ideas, questions, reflections, and references.” It is a fantastic way to acquire new skills and knowledge under one’s own area of choice!

Through the guiding of this week’s assignments, I was able to create a foundation for my own PLN! Since I am looking to be a teacher and a coach someday, I was looking for some wisdom and inspiration within the areas of education, mathematics, coaching, wrestling, and spirituality! These five areas make up a large portion of my future in my career as well as my life in general!

This is an example of a tweet that I found that fits right into my PLN!

Since a major part of one’s PLN is founded online, I took a generous amount of time to follow appropriate individuals on my Twitter and Feedly accounts! In just the time that I spent following these accounts, I have already stumbled across some valuable information and material that I plan on implementing in the classroom and on the field of competition! I am looking to continuously build upon my PLN so that I can keep growing in my career field and as an individual!

I also learned from experience and from reading “How to Cultivate Your Personal Learning Network” that our PLN’s are not just merely following other experts and co-learners, but also interacting with them! Research, reflections, asking questions, follow-ups, sharing information, consistent fine-tuning, and providing feedback are all essential components in maintaining an effective PLN! The more time, effort, and energy you put into your PLN, the more it will give back to you!

In the work that I have put into my PLN so far, I can already see some fine-tuning that needs to occur. Some of the accounts that I chose to follow might not have my best interests in mind or are just simply not worth my time to follow. They seemed like valid candidates from the get-go, but deeper research should be done to determine whether or not they are worthy of my attention.

Continually feeding my PLN should be a priority as well. Engaging with my network will not only help others, but myself in the process too. Asking and answering questions, providing feedback, and sharing quality information should all be done to help cultivate my PLN to its fullest extent! Retweeting, sharing blogs, commenting on material, following new people, unfollowing unsuitable people, and replying to fellow comments are all tangible ways in which I look to refine my PLN!

Hopefully, with this work, not only will I find inspiration from others, but also provide inspiration to others seeking it! Personalized learning networks can be a phenomenal resource for those looking to improve within their desired area of choice. It takes some work to create and maintain one, but in the long run, the benefits far outweigh the costs!

In this sixth week of our Independent Learning Project, I really wanted to breakdown FCA’s Competitor’s Creed and what it means to me. It is basically a solid prayer that helps Christian athletes to recall their true purpose in their sport and how they should be living and competing! I have the Competitor’s Creed hung up in my wrestling locker and in my dorm room. It has truly helped me in tough times to keep the right perspective on life and wrestling!

This creed is comprised of six stanzas that all have a different yet inspiring messages! The six components have themes of identity, competition, glory, attitude, physicality, and being the Lord’s warrior!

Here is a photo of the creed itself:

The first chunk of this prayer has to do with our identity in Christ. It reminds us that first and foremost, we are Christians, created in the image and likeness of God. We were created to bring Him glory, and our lives should reflect that! Whatever it is that I am doing on any given day, Christian athletes like myself must remember that we are part of the Lord’s army. Whether that be early morning workouts, weight lifting, conditioning, practicing, recovering, meetings, or watching film, we must always do our best to bring glory to our Father in Heaven!

In the Bible, Colossians 3:23 states that, “Whatever you do, work at it with all of your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.”

The second portion of the creed takes a look at how we should be preparing and competing within our sports. As athletes, God created us to showcase our abilities that He has blessed us with! In everything we do, we must put on the face of Christ. It is essential as Christians to conform to the image and likeness of Christ to portray truth and bring about the Lord’s sovereign will!

Romans 8:29 reminds us that, “For those God foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son…”

In the third stanza, the creed calls us to take a look at why we compete in our specific sports. It helps us to remember that we should not trust or boast in our own abilities, rather, rely solely on the power of God. It is His power and His will that provides us with the opportunity to participate within the platform of sports!

St. Paul writes in a letter to the Corinthians, “But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest upon me.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)

The fourth component brings about what our attitudes should reflect. In preparation, practice, or competition, our attitudes should be consistent with Biblical principles! We are called to submit to the authority that God has put in place. It is imperative to respect all coaches, officials, teammates, and competitors out of respect for the Lord! Even though it can be tough to give regard to all individuals, we must always try to remember what Jesus would do in our particular situation!

“Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.” Romans 13:1

The fifth portion of the Competitor’s Creed deals with our bodies. Our bodies are the temples of God. Nothing shall enter into us that does not honor the living God! Committing every last aspect of our physical beings to the Lord should be our priority! Our workouts, diet, sleep, and other things we consume should all align with what God wants for us! It takes some discipline to stay in check with all of these components, but it will all be for our own good and for His glory!

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 reminds us that, “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your bodies.”

And last but certainly not least, the sixth and final section of this prayer summons us to be warriors for the Lord. We must give our all, all the time. Giving up, giving in, or giving out should not be in our vocabulary! Our confidence should be unreasonable because our confidence lies in Christ, not in ourselves! He has already won the ultimate battle! Our utmost effort must result in His glory!

Colossians 3:17 declares, “And whatever you do, whether in word or in deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him!”

The Competitor’s Creed is a great resource to keep our hearts in check within the realm of sports and life. It has and still continues to help me remember why I am still scrapping on the mats today!

To say that technology in this day and age is mind-blowing would be an understatement. There are so many resources out there at our fingertips that it can be a bit overwhelming! Utilizing these tools, tips, and tricks can be both beneficial and destructive. It is our responsibility in this digital age to make sure that we are using technology for our own good!

Creation plays a major role within the realm of digital literacy. There are a variety of different methods one implement to create something. Video, writing, audio, illustrations, photography, coding, animation, and documenting are just a few of the main examples one could apply to portray information, express opinions, or share a story! With all of these ideas, there are both advantages and disadvantages that are associated with each of them!

An advantage that comes along with technological creation is variety. The amount of variety that is at our disposal for creation seems endless! There are very few reasons why someone might not be able to fully express themselves through their creation other than simply not having access to desired resources. With these opportunities to enhanced creation comes a greater understanding of conveyed ideas as well. With technology rapidly advancing, we also have the opportunity to open our minds to the people and the world that surrounds us!

As with anything, there are also disadvantages when it comes to creation within this digital age. There is a large amount of material out there that could prove to be harmful to our being. Negativity, violence, and lawlessness can be just as easy to come across as valuable information and resources! Being aware of what is out there is essential for our health and overall well-being! Not to mention how easy it is to lose track of how much time you are spending towards trying to create something!

Non-traditional narratives are also playing a part in digital creation. With the substantial amount of technology that is arising, the non-traditional narrative is starting to surface more and more. These experiences might not be the most preferable to some audiences, but these people cannot deny that it is a substantial, eye-opening opportunity!

These types of technology can also play a major part in classrooms today. Allowing students to express themselves through their own creations can prove to be beneficial in many different areas! Using technology to write, video, and draw will probably be the most common methods of creation that I will incorporate into my classroom! Making sure that the creations of the students are positive, constructive, and appropriate will be major point of emphasis for me. It is all too easy to veer off of given directions with the tools and technology we have today!

Creation within this digital age can prove to be both beneficial and disadvantageous! It is our responsibility as individuals, educators, and digital citizens to utilize the resources at our fingertips for our own good and for the good of our society!

Netflix Original: Black Mirror: Bandersnatch

The Netflix original series, Black Mirror: Bandersnatch, is an interactive film that allows its viewers to take part in the unfolding of the plot! It is one of the first of its kind, breaking the traditional mold of choosing a film, setting down the remote, and watching the story unfold. Instead, those who take part in this film have control over what decisions to make for the main character and go down a specific path until they get to one of many alternative endings. It is truly a non-traditional narrative and gives its viewers a whole new experience!

I chose to interact with this non-traditional narrative because it looked extremely intriguing to me, and once I got started, I pretty much got sucked in. With every decision you make within Bandersnatch, you head down a different pathway that will ultimately take you to one of the numerous endings they have in store. I can only imagine how long it took the producers to come up with every possible scenario and alternate ending! It truly provides an unusual and contemporary experience for its audience!

Black Mirror: Bandersnatch is a Netflix original series written by Charlie Brooker, produced by Russell McLean, and directed by David Slade. It stars Fionn Whitehead, Will Poulter, Asim Chadhry, Craig Parkinson, and Alice Lowe. It was released by Netflix in December of 2018, first in the United Kingdom. If the viewer takes the default path throughout the whole film, it should take about ninety minutes to complete. Viewers have claimed to finish the storyline anywhere within forty minutes to over two hours!

This film displays traits that are very nontraditional in a number of ways! People these days are so used to choosing a show, kicking back, and watching a linear plot take place without any personal involvement! This standalone film requires you to make decisions for the main character and requires you to get involved with the film in an entirely different way! Not to mention that the plots and scenes to this story tend to be a bit mindboggling and uncomfortable. With the variety of separate pathways, the number of different plots seem endless! For this reason, it could cause some viewers to interact with this film time and time again and tell their peers of its novelty!

With so many alternative pathways that are offered, one cannot truly tell what the main storyline of the film should be! However, it does start off with the main character, Stefan Butler, in the 1980’s, who is attempting to create a fantasy video game that allows you to make decisions for yourself! The viewers then go from there to see for themselves how the story unfolds!

As mentioned above, if someone wants to pick a show just to watch it, Black Mirror: Bandersnatch would not be the most viable option. With this film’s innovative interactivity, its audience is guaranteed to have a new, eye-opening experience!

In week five of my Independent Learning Project, I planned on reflecting and implementing ways that I can directly apply my faith into my wrestling!

The three largest areas that I wanted to look at are prayer, fellowship, and commitment! I am aiming to contemplate on the aspects that I am doing well in, the areas that need improvement, and tangible efforts towards becoming a more Christ-centered athlete!

In the first area, I wanted to dive into my prayer life. On a typical day, I only seem to pray when things get tough, when I need something, or when I am grateful for something.

The Bible instructs us to pray unceasingly, not just when we feel like it! Praying unceasingly and having constant communication with my Lord is pivotal to me! Giving thanks, rejoicing, asking God questions, presenting my requests, and even taking it to Him when things don’t go the way I think they should are all specific examples of prayer that I like to instill on a daily basis! (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

To narrow it down into my wrestling, I usually do a good job of praying before practice and competitions, when it gets tough and I need His mighty power, and after practice and competitions, thanking Him for one more opportunity to take part in this sport. What I need to improve upon is praying during my practices and competitions and just reminding myself of the ultimate reason why I am scrapping on the mat that day.

In my opinion, prayer is essential. Constantly implementing it on a day-to-day basis is something I am working towards!

My second area of choice falls into the fellowship column. I was placed on the Chadron State Wrestling team for a divine purpose, astronomical intention, and eternal significance!

Ultimately, my number one goal should be to reflect Christ in the way that I live, the way that I love, and the way that I wrestle! Lies about striving only for personal success creep in oftentimes, but God always finds a way of reminding me of what my true purpose should be!

Seeking Godly fellowship with my teammates and my coaches should be a priority! Some days are better than others, however, as a whole, I would say that my relationships tend to have a Biblical basis!

Speaking life, encouragement, building up, proclaiming truth, serving the team first, sharing the Gospel, displaying acts of love and kindness, living by example, not being judgmental, remaining humble, refraining from indecent speech, working wholeheartedly, relating with others, getting along, being stubbornly positive, portraying delusional optimism, and displaying passion, intensity, energy, and fervency are all specific examples of ways that I attempt to bring spirituality into the Eagle Wrestling team (Romans 12:18/Hebrews 12:14)! It proves to be a difficult task at times, but, all in all, I love each of my teammates, my coaches, and attempt to portray it!

Lastly, something that I am working towards is committing my whole sport and being to my Father in Heaven (Colossians 3:23)! With this month of February, the wrestling season is starting to come to a close. Lately, I have been working my hardest to maximize my potential all while committing it to the Lord’s good, pleasing, and perfect will!

I am viewing these last weeks as a sprint in the name of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! I need not to do this for myself, my family, my teammates, my coaches, the fans, the college, the community, or anyone else. I am committed to glorifying my Father in Heaven in all that I do!

For these reasons, I am honing in on improving my prayer life, fellowship with others, and committing it all to God! This week has been a tough one, but good for my faith overall. I am looking forward to incorporating these specific examples on the mat and in everyday life!

Children Under the Age of Sixteen Should NOT Have Social Media Accounts

Social media has become one of the largest platforms in world. Every individual that owns a cellphone or a computer has a likely chance of using at least one type of social media! Now, as with everything, this topic has two sides. Social media can be beneficial, or harmful, depending upon the context of its usage!

I believe that all children under the age of sixteen should not be allowed to have any types of social media!

You might ask why, and my general answer would be to let the kids be kids! However, I will also go into depth as to why younger children should not be so succumbed to social media.

The facts that our children are losing their direct communication skills, the apparent signs of social media addiction, and distractions leading to poor academic and other activity performance are all reasons why younger adolescents should not get involved in social media yet! There are a number of other reasons that I could touch on, of course, but we will keep this blog post to these three points!

For my first point, kids tend to be so glued to their phones nowadays that they lack direct communicational skills! Sure, one can look to be “social” on their various social media accounts, but what happens when they get out into the real world and have to interact and build relationships with other people? Pushing back the required age of holding social media accounts would open new doors and help our youth to build a solid foundation of person-to-person connection!

Secondly, and to be brutally honest, sometimes I fall into this category, is being addicted to your online persona. Research has been done to find that social media usage can affect the brain in similar ways to that of drug addiction! Now isn’t that scary? When we receive attention from our own posts, dopamine releases happen in the brain, which induces pleasure. This can lead us to a hunger of wanting more and more “likes” that might not ever get satisfied! Is this what we want for our children?

Lastly, social media can prove to be a major distraction when it comes to school and other extracurricular activities. Teens and adults nowadays are spending hours upon hours a day on their different social media accounts, bouncing back and forth from application to application! This can potentially lead to decreased dedication in studies and other endeavors, which results in poor overall performance in aspects that can affect the quality of their future! Less time on social media equals more time towards things that matter!

Because of the decrease in direct communication skills, scientifically proven signs of addiction, and dwindling academic and activity performances, kids under the age of sixteen should not be allowed to have social media quite yet!

Let’s let our kids be kids and experience the real world, not the world within their devices! Playgrounds, bikes, rocks, sticks, and dirt should be the source of our children’s entertainment!

In the recent era, video games have become a large part of our youth’s lives. Whether that is a good or bad thing is a hot topic of debate.

Growing up, I was a part of this crowd. I took part in the virtual realities on my PlayStation, Wii, Nintendo, and personal computer systems. To be upfront, hours upon hours, which would add up to days upon days, were spent playing a wide variety of video games. Sports, Pokémon, Donkey Kong, and Mario were my areas of expertise!

Was it wise to dedicate this much time of my life to an area that seemed to add no particular benefit to my life? The answer is probably not. Nonetheless, kids will be kids, and video games will always grab the attention of our children, young adults, and even fully grown adults!

Finding a balance where these games do not consume too much of this generation’s lives and finding the “right” games to play are essential!

Presently, I am not a huge gamer, as I try to dedicate a majority of my time to my studies, wrestling, and other extracurricular activities. I believe that I do not have enough time in my day to sit down and play hours upon hours of video games every week! Balancing my school, my sport, my social life, and my physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health is challenging enough! Personally, I am glad that I do not get too wrapped up in virtual realities. Although, if it is a major means of entertainment, relaxation, personal development, and pleasure for others, then all the power to them!

Games that provide mental stimulation, growth, and personal connections should be valued over others that provide no advantages whatsoever! Especially in the lives of our younger children!

Looking into today’s popular video games for kids, I found one specific example that not only provides a source of entertainment, but also an opportunity for personal growth!

According Origin USA, “Cities: Skylines” is a modern adventure on classic city simulation. This game incorporates innovative elements to experience the “thrill and hardships” of creating and maintaining real cities all the while expanding upon the theme of city building! This particular example is a great way to get people “thinking” in new and experimental ways!

As a future educator, I also firmly believe that “gamification” has its place in the classroom! There are scores of different resources out there that can expand upon the overall interest and learning experience of our students! Games such as Kahoot It, Chidtopia, Funbrain, and Poptropica can really get our kids’ mental motors running!

Here is a link to free, educational, online games that a large amount of teachers utilize within their classes!

https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/34761/10-free-online-educational-game-sites

Video games play a significant role in this generation’s lives. Maximizing our learning experience whilst taking part in these sources of entertainment is highly preferable!

“Bringing God Into Sport”

For this week, I really wanted to dive deep into some potential role models that use the platform of sports to glorify the Lord! Once again, I zoned in on the sport of wrestling, as it is my main focus.

I really took some time to dig into the FCA Wrestling website. For quite some time, I have always known about this website, but finally after dedicating some time to explore it, I found a large amount of quality material that could fit into my Independent Learning Project! Here is a link to the website if anyone has any interest!

https://www.fcawrestling.org/

Like I mentioned before, I was aspiring to find some inspirational athletes and some of their stories. The FCA Wrestling page provides a substantial amount of short videos of specific wrestlers and their testimonies!

Shamelessly, I spent at least an hour watching video upon video of a score of different wrestlers, both past and present! They were truly inspiring and encourage me to not only wrestle with their perspectives, but to live life this way as well! The wisdom supplied within these clips will not only help me on the mat currently, but also in the future for when I become a wrestling coach!

Some of my favorite testimonies included those from Jordan Burroughs, Tom Brands, Tervel Dlagnev, and Bill Zadick. It also happens that these gentlemen, along with several other wrestlers, play major roles in the face of the USA Wrestling Team! Is this a coincidence? I would definitely like to think that it isn’t!

Here is a video of Jordan Burroughs’s brief testimony! He is not only one of the best wrestlers on the face of this planet, but also one of the greatest in USA Wrestling history!

Kyle Snyder is another widely known name in the wrestling world. Even though his list of awards is extremely extensive, I will narrow it down to a brief list. Mr. Snyder was a three-time high school state champion (did not compete his senior season to train for international competition), three-time NCAA Division I champion, three-time World Champion in freestyle, and an Olympic Gold Medalist!

Most recently, in his last World Championships, Snyder suffered a quick loss in the finals. It was not the particular loss that caught the media’s eye, rather his post-match interview. Despite his shortcoming, he still displayed words of gratitude, humility, peace, resolve, respect, wisdom, identity, and not to mention the solid foundation he has in his faith in the Lord, Jesus Christ! Here is another video of this inspiring post-match interview!

All in all, my time spent researching, developing, and answering questions on my topic proved to be exceptionally enlightening! What wrestlers are involved in these concepts, how they incorporate their beliefs through practice and competition, and how they live their lives all got answered throughout the course of this week’s assignment! Not to mention how much inspiration I found in the videos that I looked into!

There are still a few questions that surface that I would really like to dig into throughout the entirety of this project. What specific ways can I implement these ideas into my training and competition? Do I want to include these perspectives into my future career in coaching and teaching? If so, how deep do I want to go into it? Or is there a whole other calling on my life that might include the FCA Wrestling program?

Truthfully, I cannot wait to dissect these questions and progress further into this project!

So, for my blog post about learning a video game, I opted out to the second option of the assignment. This portion included two comical videos about children teaching their parents how to play one of the most popular video games at this present time, Fortnite!

Fortnite, by far, is one of the most widely played games in the world right now. Also, I can personally vouch for this. Some family, my friends, and a large amount of my wrestling teammates play this game religiously! Even though I do not participate in these practices, I feel like this game can be extremely addicting as it seems to be so fun! At times, I purposely refuse to play this game so that I don’t get sucked into this virtual reality! It’s humorous, I know.

This survival game of Fortnite Battle Royal is a player-versus-player for up to one hundred players. One can either play alone, a team of two, or in a squad that usually consists of three to four players. The goal is to be the last player standing while other players get eliminated throughout the course of the game. It also involves a giant map, a battle bus, building skills, a lethal, engulfing storm, destructible environments, and intense player combat. The time it takes to play a game ranges widely! It can go from seconds to upwards towards an hour, depending upon how fast you get killed or win the entire field!

Millions upon millions of people play this game internationally, and the average player spends around six to ten hours per week seeking the coveted number one victory royale! These facts are a bit mind-blowing! One can play Fortnite on PlayStation, Android, iOS, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, or their PC!

Watching the children try to teach their parents how to play Fortnite was as entertaining as it was eye-opening! Personally, I tend to side with the parents on this aspect as I do not play the game very much, if at all. The initial experience of the game can be overwhelming at first, but as with anything, with a little time and practice, one can learn to “master” some of the skills and become a high-quality player.

I can see where players are coming from when they say that Fortnite is an addictive game! The graphics are phenomenal, there are some awesome ways to customize your character, the thrill of one on one combat, the satisfaction of winning, team comradery, a mind-boggling map, insane weapons, daunting storm, and endless strategies all count towards this video game’s massive popularity!

Like I mentioned before, Fortnite seems almost too fun to be getting involved in, in my opinion. So for now, I will let the other hundreds of millions of players take care of business! I can confidently say that this video game has truly shaped entertainment in the world today!