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I chose the research study titled, "Does Santa Make You Selfish?". The main point of this study concluded that the current Christmas traditions, in a child's point of view, mainly values the act of receiving gifts, which creates a sense of selfishness. As mentioned in Influencer, children start to develop self-control and willpower at the age of 4, so there is a great importance implementing these practices with children starting at a young age. A great time to use deliberate practice for children would be during the holiday season. Teaching the young ones to value the act of giving over receiving, as well as gratitude though deliberate practice, will help them develop the skills to control their desires as they grow into adults. I plan to work with children in the future, so using this influencer tactic throughout my career will be beneficial throughout my career in order to promote a strong sense of willpower.

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1.  Focus and Measure - reflect on this concept and think about what you are really wanting to change and how would you measure that change and show success?
Through our Genius Hour Project, the Eco-nnect app will be used to increase participation in the natural environment and increase social connection within the community. As the app develops, it will be easy to measure our success by keeping track of the number the users of the app. As more people use Eco-nnect, the more we are making a difference and implementing change within the community.

2.  Find Vital Behaviors - reflect and select the one or two vital behaviors that are really driving the problem you are addressing.  What are the MOST IMPORTANT one(s) to address?
The main vital behavior is getting people connected though the means of outdoors recreation

3. Engage all Six Sources of Influence - reflect on the six sources of influence and think about your strategy and methods.  How would you plan to diffuse these into your project so you actually make a difference?
Personal ability &
Personal motivation: providing many different options that people can be active outdoors in a way that interests them, such as local beaches/parks and different types of pick-up sports. Also offering activities that all types of people can enjoy, including adults, children, and the elderly.
Social ability &
Social motivation: creating a way that is easy for people to join together and participate in activity as a group, this is achieved by allowing people to start up their own events to offer to the community
Structural ability &
Structural motivation: creating a culture/community that supports an active lifestyle. Eco-nnect achieves this by partnering with local businesses that provide promotions, prizes, and discounts to those who participate in activities

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Chapter 2:8 in Influencer and Chapter 3:7 in the Worksite Wellness That Works both address how to motivate individuals in changing behavior.  How would you use this information to create a motivating way to get people to adopt the behavior you are addressing in your genius hour project?

Incorporating the 5 intrinsic motivators will encourage participation in the natural environment, in the following ways:
Autonomy- This is achieved by providing the option to the users to start up their own event and choose what they want to attend
Competency- The users will be able to give reviews of their experiences which will help others decide whether or not they would like to participate in that activity
Relatedness-this is achieved by allowing the users of the app to share events to others that they are holding or attending
Purpose-providing a wide variety of events/activities to the users
Play-well, any type activity outside is fun and encourages play--so that's an easy one!

The app incorporates all the aspects Putnam mentions about participation.Connecting the businesses with the app and providing discounts/promotions acts as an incentive to encourage people to participate in outdoor activity.  The app also uses social connection to promote a sense of community within those seeking adventure and exploration.

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How does your Genius Hour project use or build social capital? Use specific ideas from the Influencer book to support your reflection.
Eco-necct builds social capital in a way by providing a means for the community to engage with each other in recreation-based events to encourage social connection. In the book it says, " an enabling group of individuals can make an enormous difference in influencing change", and our app does just that; it allows for groups of people to come together and encourage each other to spend more of their time being active outdoors. It is well known that people are more likely to be active if they have a partner to do it with.

Putnam Chapter 3:9 covers experiential learning and concepts involved in that model.  How can you help those you want to change behaviors use the experiential learning theory and develop the growth mind set?
The experiential learning theory can be used by encouraging people to try new things by doing it themselves and reflecting on their experience. In my future profession working in a position that involves outdoor recreation, I would use this theory by encouraging others to become vulnerable and escape their comfort zone by trying activities that they have never done before. This could involve trying a risky activity, like rock climbing or white water rafting. Letting others know that it is okay to fail and that skill improves with practice is important when influencing others to develop a growth mindset.

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How would you use Putnam's ideas of "Creating Meaning" for the population you are targeting in the topic for your Genius hour?  As the opening states, we have to help them know their "WHY."  What of the many ideas presented this week help you get buying from your group?

There are an array of health benefits associated with spending time in the natural environment. No matter who you are (age, gender, race, etc.), the outdoors is proven to boost your well-being in many aspects. With the advancements of technology, negative health outcomes have been prominent in today's society. Educating people that their social, physical, and mental health can be improved just by choosing the natural environment over the built environment during their day will allow them to realize WHY they should spend less time with technology and more with nature. Providing a community of outdoor enthusiasts, some stats on the heath benefits, and especially allowing people to experience themselves is what our app aims to do in order to help encourage more time spent outside.

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Why do I/we want to be an Influencer?
The focus of our genius hour topic is to encourage and promote others to spend more of their time in the natural environment in order to improve their physical, mental, and social wellbeing. I want to influence others to do this because there is a ton of research about how spending time outdoors can improve many aspects of your wellbeing. I think people spend way too much time in a closed environment, which can create feelings of isolation and discontentment. Turning to technology for entertainment is becoming the norm which is creating a sedentary and lazy society.
“Who do I/we want to influence?
As many people as possible! There is not a specific population, because all people can benefit from the natural environment. However, it may be important to focus on the younger generation (children, adolescents, young adults) more so than older adults  in order to have a stronger impact. Influencing people to get outside at a young age will set them up for success better than for adults, because we all know that behavior change is not an easy task, especially it involves breaking a long-term routine!

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How can you use the six sources of influence to create your solution to this problem?
Implementing the 6 sources of influence directly relates to our topic. Implementing outdoor activities that are enjoyable and do-able for individuals of all ages is important for this app. Since we want all people to take advantage of the beauties of nature, we must find events/ activities that attract various interests so that their personal motivation and ability are engaged. Creating a culture the supports an active lifestyle outdoors is also important to enhance the social ability of influence.

What information to date has been covered in the Putnam book that can help guide your in group's investigation into your topic?
Our group's mission is to encourage others to implement that natural environment into their daily lifestyle in order to improve their physical, social, and psychological well-being. Simply telling them to do so will not be effective. We need to use Putnams ideas to effectively educate and promote the benefits that the natural world has to offer. The idea of creating connections is essential for our genuis hour idea because it highly revolves around communication among the community. We are going to create an app that allows people to share and learn about social gatherings that are being held outdoors. Connections must be made in order for this app to be successful. In addition, because people ultimately lack the willpower to change their behaviors, we must alter the culture in order for this app to work. Shifting the sedentary lifestyle into one that is active and thriving will encourage people to implement a lifestyle that is different than that they are comfortable with.

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Can you identify one way all the material we have covered (through Wed. Feb. 20) links together in a best, promising, or emerging practice methodology?

Creating a culture of wellness in the workplace is essential in order to improve the health of employees. In order to do that, wellness directors of that company must improve many aspects of the company's environment to promote healthy practices, such as offering nutrient-rich foods in the cafeteria/vending machines, incorporating signs throughout the business that provide education and reminders of ways the employees can improve their well being, and also offering incentives to keep the employees active. Taking these steps involves an influencer who is able to implement these things and persuade others about the importance of being mindful of healthy practices. Creating a culture of wellness requires the analysis of the 'needs' that the company has, creating a wellness plan that focuses on every dimension and aspect of the individual, and developing SMART goal based on those needs.

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Ideas can change the world, but only when coupled with influence - the ability to change hearts, minds, and behavior.

Muhammud Yunus, Nobel Peace Prize Winner.

1. How can you interpret the information presented so far in the Influencer book to reflect on this statement?  What principles help you agree or disagree with the statement?
Being a successful influencer involves creating SMART goals that avoid fuzzy and infrequent measures. I agree it is important to focus on vital behaviors that drive results by incorporating the 6 sources of influence. Yourself, others, and the environment definitely have a strong influence on your actions, which is why it is essential to understand those three sources first in order to influence others.

2.  What is your vision of wellness using the principals promoted in Workplace Wellness that Works book?  Use Putnam's to imagine what is possible to create an innovative wellness program.
Wellness is dynamic and to improve one’s wellness, they should identify the stressors in life and then find the perseverance in themselves to change it. Wellbeing is congruent with Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, and even though wellness is never 'reached', there are certain ways that people can improve their lives in order to live a more comfortable life.To create an innovative wellness program, health promotion managers need to work with individuals in all of the 8 elements of well-being and influence a culture that promotes active growth within these elements. Doing so would cover many aspects in one's life.

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1. What made you curious this week?
How can I become an agent of change/influence in my future internship/career? Becoming aware of my strengths and practicing the qualities of a good leader are the first steps in becoming an influential health promotion manager.

2. What about your thinking, learning, or work this week brought you the most satisfaction? Why?
Reading the assigned chapters in the book has really sparked my attention and interest about the impact an influencer has in behavior change. I never really thought about the importance it is to be an influencer in order to promote and sustain a wellness plan, but I really started to think about ways I can be come this agent of change.

3. How did you help the class learn this week? If you feel you didn't add to class or feel the need to contribute more consider what can you do next week to help other learners more?
I contributed in class by sharing my ideas to give others new ways to think. I also answered questions and gave my view points during class discussion.

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1. What was something new or thought about in a different way that you learned this week and why?
Something new that I learned this week was the Social Contagion Theory. I thought it was very intriguing because I've never heard about this theory, but have noticed it in my everyday life. It has been caught to my attention recently that the relationships that I have in Stevens Point are connected in a network. Even with this school being moderate-large in size, the friends that I have are connected together in other ways than I am with them. This can overall have an influence on our behavior and well-being.

2.Based on best practices, how can you apply what you know in you career choice as a Health Promotion Manager?
Based on what I know about best practice, it is important to use those practices backed by research to ensure that I am helping my clients in a professional manor. Doing what I want and not following best practice is not the correct way a Health Promotion Manager should act.

3.What do you want to learn more about, and why?
I am interested in the best practice techniques used in a community setting (specifically, Parks and Rec Department) to grow as a professional in my field.