Paul Doyon | Independent Researcher (original) (raw)
Papers by Paul Doyon
Raffini (1996) has proposed five psychoacademic needs (autonomy, competence, self-esteem, belongi... more Raffini (1996) has proposed five psychoacademic needs (autonomy, competence, self-esteem, belonging/relatedness, and fun and enjoyment) the satisfaction of which "fuels" intrinsic motivation in an educational setting. However, the repeated failure to have these needs met may result in students forming entrenched self-defeating beliefs about language learning, learning in general, and themselves as learners, resulting in a lack of value perception in a course and/or activity that a student may be required to engage. Thus, even with an attempt by a teacher to satisfy these needs, a student's previously entrenched self-defeating beliefs may prevent her/him from perceiving value in the course or activity. Hence, what is necessary in order to reignite the motivational fire is a shift in beliefs and hence a shift in perceptions. How might teachers achieve such a seemingly difficult feat? This paper through the intertwining of anecdotal experiences and theory will demonstrate...
While a good number of studies have demonstrated that modern, man-made ambient electromagnetic fi... more While a good number of studies have demonstrated that modern, man-made ambient electromagnetic fields can have both stimulatory and inhibitory effect on immune system function, the precise mechanisms have yet to be completely elucidated. It is hypothesized here that, depending on the parameters, one of the means by which long-term electromagnetic field exposure has the potential to eventually lead to immunosuppression is via downstream inhibition of the enzyme calcineurin — a protein phosphatase, which activates the T-cells of the immune system and can be blocked by pharmaceutical agents. Calcineurin is the target of a class of pharmaceuticals called calcineurin inhibitors (e.g., cyclosporine, pimecrolimus and tacrolimus). When organ transplant recipients take such pharmaceuticals to prevent or suppress organ transplant rejection, one of the major side effects is immunosuppression leading to increased risk of opportunistic infection: e.g., fungal, viral (Epstein-Barr virus, cytomegalovirus), atypical bacterial (Nocardia, Listeria, mycobacterial, mycoplasma), and parasitic (e.g., toxoplasmosis) infections. Frequent anecdotal reports, as well as a number of scientific studies, have shown that electromagnetic field exposures may indeed produce the same effect: a weakened immune system leading to an increase in the same or similar opportunistic infections: i.e., fungal, viral, atypical bacterial, and parasitic infections. Furthermore, numerous research studies have shown that man-made electromagnetic fields have the potential to open voltage-gated calcium channels, which can in turn produce a pathological increase of intracellular calcium, leading downstream to the pathological production of a series of reactive oxygen species. Finally, there are a number of research studies demonstrating the inhibition of calcineurin by a pathological production of reactive oxygen species. Hence, it is hypothesized here that exposures to electromagnetic fields have the potential to inhibit immune system response by means of an eventual pathological increase in the influx of calcium into the cytoplasm of the cell, which induces a pathological production of reactive oxygen species, which in turn can have an inhibitory effect on calcineurin. Calcineurin inhibition leads to immunosuppression, which in turn leads to a weakened immune system and an increase in opportunistic infection.
The good student answers questions, but does not question answers." -Ira Shor A teacher I know -s... more The good student answers questions, but does not question answers." -Ira Shor A teacher I know -someone who is seemingly very knowledgeable in the area of critical thinkingmentioned to me how he was feeling dizzy and weak and also that he was having heart palpitations and believed he was suffering from heart arrhythmia. However, when he went to the hospital for a checkup, the tests showed that there was seemingly nothing wrong with his heart. Immediately, he felt better (due to the power of suggestion perhaps), and he instantly presumed that he must have just been imagining the whole ordeal without suspecting in the slightest that the tests might not have been showing the whole picture. More recently, a student missed one of my classes because she was also having heart palpitations and was referred to a famous heart specialist in the city of Santiago here in Chile. He interestingly asked her if she was using her cell phone excessively and whether or not she had WiFi in her home. The latter doctor seemed to be more aware of such information and was perhaps able to make a more informed diagnosis.
In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities; in the expert's mind there are few. Suzuki R... more In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities; in the expert's mind there are few. Suzuki Roshi Helgesen (2010) remarked that when people ask him what he teaches, he replies he teaches human beings.
In order for students to develop critical thinking skills, they first and foremost seriously need... more In order for students to develop critical thinking skills, they first and foremost seriously need to learn how to THINK, period. A few years ago I tried a little experiment with approximately 400 students at one of Japan's top ten universities. I told the students a true story about a comment a former prime minister of
The Teachers College Record, Jan 1, 2009
Asian EFL Journal, Jan 1, 2003
Higher Education, Jan 1, 2001
LANGUAGE TEACHER-KYOTO-JALT-, Jan 1, 2000
LANGUAGE TEACHER-KYOTO-JALT-, Jan 1, 1999
Raffini (1996) has proposed five psychoacademic needs (autonomy, competence, self-esteem, belongi... more Raffini (1996) has proposed five psychoacademic needs (autonomy, competence, self-esteem, belonging/relatedness, and fun and enjoyment) the satisfaction of which "fuels" intrinsic motivation in an educational setting. However, the repeated failure to have these needs met may result in students forming entrenched self-defeating beliefs about language learning, learning in general, and themselves as learners, resulting in a lack of value perception in a course and/or activity that a student may be required to engage. Thus, even with an attempt by a teacher to satisfy these needs, a student's previously entrenched self-defeating beliefs may prevent her/him from perceiving value in the course or activity. Hence, what is necessary in order to reignite the motivational fire is a shift in beliefs and hence a shift in perceptions. How might teachers achieve such a seemingly difficult feat? This paper through the intertwining of anecdotal experiences and theory will demonstrate...
While a good number of studies have demonstrated that modern, man-made ambient electromagnetic fi... more While a good number of studies have demonstrated that modern, man-made ambient electromagnetic fields can have both stimulatory and inhibitory effect on immune system function, the precise mechanisms have yet to be completely elucidated. It is hypothesized here that, depending on the parameters, one of the means by which long-term electromagnetic field exposure has the potential to eventually lead to immunosuppression is via downstream inhibition of the enzyme calcineurin — a protein phosphatase, which activates the T-cells of the immune system and can be blocked by pharmaceutical agents. Calcineurin is the target of a class of pharmaceuticals called calcineurin inhibitors (e.g., cyclosporine, pimecrolimus and tacrolimus). When organ transplant recipients take such pharmaceuticals to prevent or suppress organ transplant rejection, one of the major side effects is immunosuppression leading to increased risk of opportunistic infection: e.g., fungal, viral (Epstein-Barr virus, cytomegalovirus), atypical bacterial (Nocardia, Listeria, mycobacterial, mycoplasma), and parasitic (e.g., toxoplasmosis) infections. Frequent anecdotal reports, as well as a number of scientific studies, have shown that electromagnetic field exposures may indeed produce the same effect: a weakened immune system leading to an increase in the same or similar opportunistic infections: i.e., fungal, viral, atypical bacterial, and parasitic infections. Furthermore, numerous research studies have shown that man-made electromagnetic fields have the potential to open voltage-gated calcium channels, which can in turn produce a pathological increase of intracellular calcium, leading downstream to the pathological production of a series of reactive oxygen species. Finally, there are a number of research studies demonstrating the inhibition of calcineurin by a pathological production of reactive oxygen species. Hence, it is hypothesized here that exposures to electromagnetic fields have the potential to inhibit immune system response by means of an eventual pathological increase in the influx of calcium into the cytoplasm of the cell, which induces a pathological production of reactive oxygen species, which in turn can have an inhibitory effect on calcineurin. Calcineurin inhibition leads to immunosuppression, which in turn leads to a weakened immune system and an increase in opportunistic infection.
The good student answers questions, but does not question answers." -Ira Shor A teacher I know -s... more The good student answers questions, but does not question answers." -Ira Shor A teacher I know -someone who is seemingly very knowledgeable in the area of critical thinkingmentioned to me how he was feeling dizzy and weak and also that he was having heart palpitations and believed he was suffering from heart arrhythmia. However, when he went to the hospital for a checkup, the tests showed that there was seemingly nothing wrong with his heart. Immediately, he felt better (due to the power of suggestion perhaps), and he instantly presumed that he must have just been imagining the whole ordeal without suspecting in the slightest that the tests might not have been showing the whole picture. More recently, a student missed one of my classes because she was also having heart palpitations and was referred to a famous heart specialist in the city of Santiago here in Chile. He interestingly asked her if she was using her cell phone excessively and whether or not she had WiFi in her home. The latter doctor seemed to be more aware of such information and was perhaps able to make a more informed diagnosis.
In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities; in the expert's mind there are few. Suzuki R... more In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities; in the expert's mind there are few. Suzuki Roshi Helgesen (2010) remarked that when people ask him what he teaches, he replies he teaches human beings.
In order for students to develop critical thinking skills, they first and foremost seriously need... more In order for students to develop critical thinking skills, they first and foremost seriously need to learn how to THINK, period. A few years ago I tried a little experiment with approximately 400 students at one of Japan's top ten universities. I told the students a true story about a comment a former prime minister of
The Teachers College Record, Jan 1, 2009
Asian EFL Journal, Jan 1, 2003
Higher Education, Jan 1, 2001
LANGUAGE TEACHER-KYOTO-JALT-, Jan 1, 2000
LANGUAGE TEACHER-KYOTO-JALT-, Jan 1, 1999
Boundaries are mere artifacts that have little basis in reality. It is we ourselves who create th... more Boundaries are mere artifacts that have little basis in reality. It is we ourselves who create them, and the entities they delineate are, therefore, figments of our own mind. — Eviatar Zerubavel, The Fine Line, p. 3 I don't know the future. I didn't come here to tell you how this is going to end. I came to tell you it's going to begin. I'm going to hang up this phone, and then I'm going to show these people what you don't want them to see. I'm going to show them a world without you, a world without rules and controls, without borders and boundaries, a world where anything is possible. Where we go from here… is a choice I leave to you. — The Matrix
