Some of you seemed interested in my blog about the webzine and I just noticed some breaking news on it myself.
A webzine is dedicated to further the voice of contributing collaborators and creators. Absolutepunk.net has recently taken another large step. As I had previously mentioned it was site dedicated to larger acts like Blink-182 and such for news postings as well as other happenings. It has since expanded into a forum for over a million users far and wide.
I recently discovered that the zine is now even displaying their users in ways they may not have had access to. In today's times where anyone can get a myspace and get a band together and get some good exposure this growing webzine has decided to really give back to their community.
Although the forums can often get incredibly critical and otherwise annoying the zine recently put together a compilation of frequent users' music. Twenty tracks from the twenty most involved people on the website. The forums were full of compliments and congratulations. It was good to see an online community that has the capability to be so negative actually band together when the website gives a lot back to the community.
The Evidence.
Monday, April 30, 2007
In Regards
I noticed various things throughout the third chapter of Renee Hobbs book Reading the Media: Media Literacy in High School English and began to formulate my own perceptions of the classrooms discussed. In teaching students to read and write through media I noticed something that really struck a chord with me. I was quite impressed with the thorough dissection of texts and encouragement to formulate independent ideas.
I feel like the class was morphed from just a normal classroom into a newsroom. Every student was encouraged to become a journalist in a sense. The classroom was focused both on media literacy and core issues in an English classroom. The collaboration was incerdibly thorough and defined. It sets rules in concrete for students to become self-learners, giving them definite aspects to focus on, but too vague to give them a definite answer. All of my life I have been told there is no right answer in an english classroom. The Concord High School has not just made that another statement of a teacher in which students debate the plausibility of, but rather a fact.
Students in these classrooms are to find their own means of media and decipher it in their own opinions. The papers in which they were to right were subjective to each and every student. There was finally no "right" answer. So many educators say these words but don't understand the meaning. They say this for purposes of consolement and false empathy. Every student detecting the slightest interpretation of teacher's opinion on a text they are reading will influence their writing. High school, especially, is a place where students can't really feel their independence in fear that bad grades will directly impact their future. The impact of a teacher's opinion and a student's input on that opinion will, in thought, help them achieve a better grade.
The critical criticisms students are encouraged to formulate totally and completely free their slates of any other influences other than their own. Even if a teacher voices their opinion on the matter I feel that a forum in this format will still make students formulate their own opinions even if they are contrary due to the fact they are so indulged with details and facets to get such things.
Finally, I would also like to say that the impact of the sparking event will also make or break this entire scenario. By introducing a project with such vitalizing subjects that students are interested with will further their interest in the rest of the project. The content also has to be interesting so students participation does not level off. Using an incredibly current event such as the Clinton scandal was a brilliant idea because at the time the news was still breaking and could keep interest peaked.
I feel like the class was morphed from just a normal classroom into a newsroom. Every student was encouraged to become a journalist in a sense. The classroom was focused both on media literacy and core issues in an English classroom. The collaboration was incerdibly thorough and defined. It sets rules in concrete for students to become self-learners, giving them definite aspects to focus on, but too vague to give them a definite answer. All of my life I have been told there is no right answer in an english classroom. The Concord High School has not just made that another statement of a teacher in which students debate the plausibility of, but rather a fact.
Students in these classrooms are to find their own means of media and decipher it in their own opinions. The papers in which they were to right were subjective to each and every student. There was finally no "right" answer. So many educators say these words but don't understand the meaning. They say this for purposes of consolement and false empathy. Every student detecting the slightest interpretation of teacher's opinion on a text they are reading will influence their writing. High school, especially, is a place where students can't really feel their independence in fear that bad grades will directly impact their future. The impact of a teacher's opinion and a student's input on that opinion will, in thought, help them achieve a better grade.
The critical criticisms students are encouraged to formulate totally and completely free their slates of any other influences other than their own. Even if a teacher voices their opinion on the matter I feel that a forum in this format will still make students formulate their own opinions even if they are contrary due to the fact they are so indulged with details and facets to get such things.
Finally, I would also like to say that the impact of the sparking event will also make or break this entire scenario. By introducing a project with such vitalizing subjects that students are interested with will further their interest in the rest of the project. The content also has to be interesting so students participation does not level off. Using an incredibly current event such as the Clinton scandal was a brilliant idea because at the time the news was still breaking and could keep interest peaked.
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
The San Francisco Forty-Ziners
This article was especially interesting to me. I really do enjoy english thoroughly and can not wait to start teaching it in a high school setting. However, as this blog probably displays in many at times annoying ways I have a healthy love for music as well. I have been reading an online music zine over the years, absolutepunk.net which started as the article says as one person formally providing their ideas on an online format for the world to read. However, it quickly bloomed into an internet phenomenon of sorts and now employs over 20 contributing writers to aid in accessing and assessing numerous music related news. I know that this doesnt have much to do with english technically but it is a shining example of what the zine can do, how it can grow exponentially. The web can take such inate little scribblings and thoughts and provide a forum that can grow to massive proportions. It is a good example to show students what their simple task of creating a zine can become.
As of now the aforemtentioned website has over two million users and subscribers and has set the tone for other music related zines' standards. For english students they can begin projects on genres and pieces that they thoroughly enjoy. I also thought heavily on the subject that the NCTE link provided in aesthetics. Students needed to be versed that not only what they write counts but the look of what they write also does. The presentation of the zine is key as it has been numerous projects we have already accomplished in 307. The websites created have all been aesthetically pleasing and intrigue the reader to check more into the website itself while viewing the content. The wiki has to be presented with a formal phase of writing and can not be resorted to shot hand internet jargon because it is a place for information and research not a place of subjective ideas and dialects.
As of now the aforemtentioned website has over two million users and subscribers and has set the tone for other music related zines' standards. For english students they can begin projects on genres and pieces that they thoroughly enjoy. I also thought heavily on the subject that the NCTE link provided in aesthetics. Students needed to be versed that not only what they write counts but the look of what they write also does. The presentation of the zine is key as it has been numerous projects we have already accomplished in 307. The websites created have all been aesthetically pleasing and intrigue the reader to check more into the website itself while viewing the content. The wiki has to be presented with a formal phase of writing and can not be resorted to shot hand internet jargon because it is a place for information and research not a place of subjective ideas and dialects.
Digital Divsions
I felt more in touch with this link. I agree that the technologies students utilize in the classroom and in their personal lives are two totally different realms. We talk about how technology gives more students the freedom to do what they will to accomplish tasks we put in front of them. However, what is the point of endowing them with such a freedom is we are just going to suppress that service whenever possible. Censorship is such a double edged sword in the way blocking sites will prevent students from getting off task but may also disable them from getting a wider variety of knowledge for research purposes.
As we ask more and more from students technologically our rules and enforcing of those rules have got to have a broader vision. I was exteremely surprised to read that 95 percent of technologically enabled classrooms are on high speed feeds but again what's the purpose of faster loading times when there is no content to load? In order for teachers to fully embrace technology in their classrooms and giving classroom assignments based off that technology we are going to have to embrace all facets of technology. I have no problem letting a student listen to music on headphones while doing computer-aided work because that is how I always complete computer related tasks. If I can't have all the assests of technology at my fingertips it is easy for me to find an outside distraction to entertain me from tedious boredom.
As we ask more and more from students technologically our rules and enforcing of those rules have got to have a broader vision. I was exteremely surprised to read that 95 percent of technologically enabled classrooms are on high speed feeds but again what's the purpose of faster loading times when there is no content to load? In order for teachers to fully embrace technology in their classrooms and giving classroom assignments based off that technology we are going to have to embrace all facets of technology. I have no problem letting a student listen to music on headphones while doing computer-aided work because that is how I always complete computer related tasks. If I can't have all the assests of technology at my fingertips it is easy for me to find an outside distraction to entertain me from tedious boredom.
Alternatives
The lecture at Lehman was incredibly interesting. I really did have any preliminary thoughts going into the lecture but the first five minutes there I was surprised. The amount of freedom both the students and faculty have there are unparrallelled. I'm a pretty laid back person and hope that flows over into my teaching career. Throughout my education career I have not had too much success with the overbearing, highly structured, really intense teachers.
For the students to call you by your first name is a bigger step than I thought. School is so formal and I think that's why a lot of kids get so psyched out by the institution itself. Students who are good students may get psyched out by the formality of standardized tests and the steps it takes to get to that point. In an alternative classroom I think it is a healthy environment for a student to really flourish and show the teacher and their cohorts what they are really made of because the formal barrier is broken and a new comfort level is attained.
I also like the alternative learning approaches that can be utilized in an alternative school setting. Using film to teach english is a brilliant idea that I have lobbied for in previous posts and the use of technology may also flourish. There is not an entirely paperless classroom but I think there is a healthy division that can spark the best results using both facets of technology and traditional teaching applications.
For the students to call you by your first name is a bigger step than I thought. School is so formal and I think that's why a lot of kids get so psyched out by the institution itself. Students who are good students may get psyched out by the formality of standardized tests and the steps it takes to get to that point. In an alternative classroom I think it is a healthy environment for a student to really flourish and show the teacher and their cohorts what they are really made of because the formal barrier is broken and a new comfort level is attained.
I also like the alternative learning approaches that can be utilized in an alternative school setting. Using film to teach english is a brilliant idea that I have lobbied for in previous posts and the use of technology may also flourish. There is not an entirely paperless classroom but I think there is a healthy division that can spark the best results using both facets of technology and traditional teaching applications.
Group Work
I had a good time making the Imovie. We met a ton of times and probably but in at I would say at a minimum twenty hours of outside the classroom work, but in reality it was probably 10-15 hours more than that. That's a lot of time out of class with other classes to take, but I didn't really even mind. We had a good time actually making the movie and were able to learn a lot from each other. We learned that some of us were more technical than others and had a far better understanding of things, but didn't let the ego come out to make everyone else feel bad. Instead of setting everything in stone we usually made scenes a collaborative effort and brainstormed when an idea was fed out into discussion. It went pretty smoothly, we hid a couple of ruts where we weren't able to get things really going, but I think the end product came out pretty, pretty, pretty good. Oh, and we were able to pay homage to numerous films we all enjoy and Third Eye Blind makes an audio appearance, so I'm already happy about that.
YouSue
As I watched the Colbery Report last week he had a very interesting guest on his show. It was a man who worked for youtube and had edited clips of the Colbert Report in mocking fashion and placed them on youtube. The parent company of Comedy Central, Viacom, then told the man to take the videos down. Now the same man is suing Viacom for infringing rights of free speech in return to their allegations of breaking copyright laws. This is really something that is stirring around youtube. The IRAA is cracking down on youtube and is threatening lawsuits on people who make their own music videos or videos containing music.
This has a major impact on our classroom in direct regard to Imovies. I think the guy who filed a suit against Viacom is in a way right and wrong. Colbert came right out and stated that Viacom did indeed own him. However, I feel that when Cd burners and other such technology came out that the major worry was self profit. I don't believe there should be any penalties for using information if you are not making money off it. You're just giving the person/people/artist at hand more exposure.
This has a major impact on our classroom in direct regard to Imovies. I think the guy who filed a suit against Viacom is in a way right and wrong. Colbert came right out and stated that Viacom did indeed own him. However, I feel that when Cd burners and other such technology came out that the major worry was self profit. I don't believe there should be any penalties for using information if you are not making money off it. You're just giving the person/people/artist at hand more exposure.
Viral
Has anyone else heard of the youtube campaign virus? From what I heard on the news but wasn't able to catch the whole thing somebody from Barrack Obama's party created a "dirty" campaign video shunning Clinton. Apparently the video once watched was passed on much like any other computer virus to others through e-mails and i/m's. If anyone else has any information on this or also saw this please drop a line and let me know what is really going on with it. It seemed really interesting but I was not able to grab all the details.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Tell Tale
Growing up who really ever thought so much went into teaching? Outsiders looking in see the profession and say "alright, enjoy your vacations". Everything looks better from the outside. Most teachers I had, the younger ones, still had to work every summer to keep their head afloat (student loans, not looking forward to repaying those). In my high school as I spent my years there you could see a major turnover in the old to young ratio. More younger teachers were flooding the hallway in an effort to revamp the school as a whole.
Actually most older teachers were ousted from the profession altogether to make room for the younger teachers. Experienced teachers were loaded with hefty benefit and retirement packages to pave the way for the fresh crop. The deals were apparently too good not to go for so this was the case. The district just felt that their lessons and methods were dated and the school being as large as it was and the reputation it had was getting an influx of applications. As I noticed more experienced teachers leaving and the younger ones emerging I also noticed something brewing from that middle hierarchy.
Teachers who were once heavy advocates of reading textbooks and writing massive papers were all of the sudden bringing the class down to the library to get associated with a computer lesson and later on I don't think I had one class that didn't meet at least a couple of times in the library. Technology, as corny as it sounds, seemed to form the generation gap between teachers, nobody was really that much further ahead of another they all seemed to feed off one another to keep themselves surviving the struggle of a younger workplace.
Call me "old school" but I'm a laid back guy. I don't mind the thought of staying in one district for as long as I can. I understand the trials that can arise but if I could have it my way that's what I would do. I understand now that it is not at easy as it seems. You have to stay up to date. you have to learn just as your students do and survive the workplace struggle. Then again maybe I can get a nice retirement package!
Actually most older teachers were ousted from the profession altogether to make room for the younger teachers. Experienced teachers were loaded with hefty benefit and retirement packages to pave the way for the fresh crop. The deals were apparently too good not to go for so this was the case. The district just felt that their lessons and methods were dated and the school being as large as it was and the reputation it had was getting an influx of applications. As I noticed more experienced teachers leaving and the younger ones emerging I also noticed something brewing from that middle hierarchy.
Teachers who were once heavy advocates of reading textbooks and writing massive papers were all of the sudden bringing the class down to the library to get associated with a computer lesson and later on I don't think I had one class that didn't meet at least a couple of times in the library. Technology, as corny as it sounds, seemed to form the generation gap between teachers, nobody was really that much further ahead of another they all seemed to feed off one another to keep themselves surviving the struggle of a younger workplace.
Call me "old school" but I'm a laid back guy. I don't mind the thought of staying in one district for as long as I can. I understand the trials that can arise but if I could have it my way that's what I would do. I understand now that it is not at easy as it seems. You have to stay up to date. you have to learn just as your students do and survive the workplace struggle. Then again maybe I can get a nice retirement package!
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Just a thought
As I sat here studying for a spanish quiz and thinking of all the work I had to get done I just thought for one second. There is all this talk flourishing throughout our class of a paperless classroom and a reinvention of the education practice. I just thought about what is the point of a paperless classroom? What is to stop a paperless classroom from creating nothing but online courses? Sure you can bring in the disciplinary actions, but with the evolution of podcasts brewing what is to stop simultaneous live podcasts from occurring? That could be way ahead of time, but I just really don't see a paperless classroom really taking off anytime too soon. Yes, at one point it may happen, but I am skepical of it's timeframe being upon us so soon. Just a thought, nothing really more.
If the World is Flat All I Have to do is Fold a Map to Travel
Textbooks are textbooks right? That's exactly what I thought. However, as it turns out I was nothing but terribly wrong about our Friedman book. As I traveled down to Florida for Spring Break to hang with my cousin I was overwhelmed by the amount of sightings and recommendations I saw of The World Is Flat. It was pretty much in every airport newstand with a huge display, but I didn't really think too much of it. Then upon arriving in Florida it was the talk of the town. Here I was trying to escape classes and school for a solid week only to be dragged down by these reminders.
I do like the book even though it is a bit dense with everything being broken down to simpler matters, but I think that is what people need. With the onset of technology every place we look those who are not savvy on the issue need a supposed guide to this new world. This book has answers and explanations that we maybe could not find elsewhere. This is pretty ironic if you think about it that it is in a text and not a web based source if you think about it. As I flew south and spoke with my uncle for a few minutes to catch up this book came up. He absolutely loved it and got my aunt into too (who doesn't really dig reading books to begin with). I just read the book, kind of liked it just read it for the sake of purpose, but after speaking about it I realized it really is everywhere you go from the explanation of Southwest's online boarding passes to perfect English speaking employees in India taking service calls.
I do like the book even though it is a bit dense with everything being broken down to simpler matters, but I think that is what people need. With the onset of technology every place we look those who are not savvy on the issue need a supposed guide to this new world. This book has answers and explanations that we maybe could not find elsewhere. This is pretty ironic if you think about it that it is in a text and not a web based source if you think about it. As I flew south and spoke with my uncle for a few minutes to catch up this book came up. He absolutely loved it and got my aunt into too (who doesn't really dig reading books to begin with). I just read the book, kind of liked it just read it for the sake of purpose, but after speaking about it I realized it really is everywhere you go from the explanation of Southwest's online boarding passes to perfect English speaking employees in India taking service calls.
You Have Killed All the Buffalo for the Season
I am on the fence about videogames in school settings. I never really felt Oregon Trail really served a purpose as a learning tool I thought it was more of a reward than anything else. With all the technological advances schools are receiving I am fearing more and more about being overly intrusive in a student's life. I think there should be a division between work and play and I wonder about the effects of intergrating so many elements from a student's personal and social life into a school setting.
On the other side of the argument maybe such integration will help students with their social skills making the educational environment more humble. Videogames, however, I just don't really see much educational value in them. I think entertainment will always outweigh education in a school setting because most students become bored with scholastics in a school setting. So how much will they actually retain from playing a videogame. I feel students will get more caught up in the entertainment value and forfeit anything educational that you can learn. Of course there will be some who will realize the value of what they are doing and I'm sure most will enjoy something they can relate to in order to make learning more fun and easier.
On the other side of the argument maybe such integration will help students with their social skills making the educational environment more humble. Videogames, however, I just don't really see much educational value in them. I think entertainment will always outweigh education in a school setting because most students become bored with scholastics in a school setting. So how much will they actually retain from playing a videogame. I feel students will get more caught up in the entertainment value and forfeit anything educational that you can learn. Of course there will be some who will realize the value of what they are doing and I'm sure most will enjoy something they can relate to in order to make learning more fun and easier.
The Imagination
Last week at the conference there were some interesting presentations. One of which was on Teaching Through Drama. The idea always kind of interested me. In a shakespeare class I took last semester we were required to act out a scene from a chosen work and it went alright, pretty laid back, but it served it's purpose and the teacher really enjoyed it. However, what I learned through this seminar was to engage imagination even more so. Instead of acting out the work students would set up a scene in a freeze frame type of way. Then the rest of the class would close their eyes as the students set up the next scene and they opened their eyes when the others were ready. It was quite interesting because the students performing have to choose the best way to represent the scene without dialogue and with just a narrator. It gives the students a chance to both express themselves physically and others vocally while engaging their imaginations to be put on the spot. They were only granted about 5 minutes to prepare which really caused the groups to focus right away and get everything together. I thought it really was a great exercise.
Sunday, March 4, 2007
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
The Price We Pay
New York Times
The article above raises numerous eyebrows (I'm assuming) with its content. The fact that 45% of high schoolers already enroll in school and the argument that just how do the finances have to be shifted if there is already such a high number enrolling. Well then we're forgetting 55% of people who still can't afford college but have the intellect and motivation to do so but get held back by financial restraints.
People argue college is not for everyone and it is true that it is not, but why not give it the ole' "college try". College can be a pivotal "get serious" event in an individual's life. Myself, I've always banked on my coasting abilities and to come here and have myself whipped into some studious shape did have a bit of shock value. I never knew how to "study" before I got to college but it was a talent I had to learn as the days ticked by before a test. I found out that this idea I had in my head of standing in front of classroom telling students how to spell onomatopoeia was not as easy or as bland as I once thought. You go into a room, you teach, you go home and enjoy your vacations. There is much more to it than that, a ton more, and now I know that the idea of what I wanted to do was just the tip of the iceberg and now I know I chose the right path for myself.
Colleges do teach numerous other life lessons as the article goes on to mention. It encourages your skills to adapt to life outside of a place you may have known for 17 years. It teaches you that you can persevere if you test yourself to. It can teach you early to budget your earnings so you can focus on things such as your education.
The article above raises numerous eyebrows (I'm assuming) with its content. The fact that 45% of high schoolers already enroll in school and the argument that just how do the finances have to be shifted if there is already such a high number enrolling. Well then we're forgetting 55% of people who still can't afford college but have the intellect and motivation to do so but get held back by financial restraints.
People argue college is not for everyone and it is true that it is not, but why not give it the ole' "college try". College can be a pivotal "get serious" event in an individual's life. Myself, I've always banked on my coasting abilities and to come here and have myself whipped into some studious shape did have a bit of shock value. I never knew how to "study" before I got to college but it was a talent I had to learn as the days ticked by before a test. I found out that this idea I had in my head of standing in front of classroom telling students how to spell onomatopoeia was not as easy or as bland as I once thought. You go into a room, you teach, you go home and enjoy your vacations. There is much more to it than that, a ton more, and now I know that the idea of what I wanted to do was just the tip of the iceberg and now I know I chose the right path for myself.
Colleges do teach numerous other life lessons as the article goes on to mention. It encourages your skills to adapt to life outside of a place you may have known for 17 years. It teaches you that you can persevere if you test yourself to. It can teach you early to budget your earnings so you can focus on things such as your education.
Wireless Woes and Praise
I remember a time when I did not know that much about computers or the wireless internet. I said to myself "wireless? I can go outside with my laptop and into the middle of nowhere and still have internet?" Turns out that wasn't the case. I see the pros of a wireless connection with a lap top roaming around your house and not being cornered in your room for hours typing a paper or what not.
Now that I moved off campus we got a wireless connection for our modem. Perpetually it is a good way to "damn the man" so that you and your roomates can all use the internet without having outrageous bills. However, living in this setting you also have to deal with certain interfernces. I often have to reconfigure the signal and reset the modem and what not which becomes an annoyance. Also sometimes I pick up alternate signals which confuses me and my computer alike taking the internet longer to load. It is a step in a good direction though seeing that computers used to be as big as rooms you can now cut down on annoying wires and entanglements and if you're lucky enough to have thought to get a laptop you can roam your house, pick your favorite spot in the living room hang out with your friends, watch tv, and still get your work done.
Now that I moved off campus we got a wireless connection for our modem. Perpetually it is a good way to "damn the man" so that you and your roomates can all use the internet without having outrageous bills. However, living in this setting you also have to deal with certain interfernces. I often have to reconfigure the signal and reset the modem and what not which becomes an annoyance. Also sometimes I pick up alternate signals which confuses me and my computer alike taking the internet longer to load. It is a step in a good direction though seeing that computers used to be as big as rooms you can now cut down on annoying wires and entanglements and if you're lucky enough to have thought to get a laptop you can roam your house, pick your favorite spot in the living room hang out with your friends, watch tv, and still get your work done.
Get Rid of Who Again?
Schooling the Industry
Sure, education needs to be reinvented by processes that we discuss in class. The classroom needs to be integrated with the assistance of computer programs and other technological assests (TVs , DVDs), but as the school begins to appear more and more like an office building it still has to strive to define itself as its own entity.
Schools are not created to churn out individuals like an assembly line. We've all heard in our school years the classic line of "This isn't a democracy in here" regarding the classroom, but with a CEO-esque administrator dictatorships will pop up all over districts. I really appreciated Steve Jobs before I read this. His outlook on iTunes (he wanted to make songs cheaper than .99 and lobbied for them not to go up in price). He actually seemed to be a down-to-earth administrator, but I do take great offense to the actions he wants to take. Administrators and teachers alike hope to get their students to pursue educational careers past high school.
However, I feel the more you pressure and push kids the more disenchanted they are vulnerable to become. By opening avenues such as computers they can explore life inside and outside the classroom. I feel that the integration and a personal life is already bordering on intrusion to some students. I feel if it gets for a lack of a better term shoved down their throats their potential interest and furthermore success may peak too early and discourage them from performing tasks that will now become tedious. We strive to reinvent a classroom using technology, but with these advancements we have to wonder how long the reinvention of interest will last and when will it be time to revamp the system again?
Sure, education needs to be reinvented by processes that we discuss in class. The classroom needs to be integrated with the assistance of computer programs and other technological assests (TVs , DVDs), but as the school begins to appear more and more like an office building it still has to strive to define itself as its own entity.
Schools are not created to churn out individuals like an assembly line. We've all heard in our school years the classic line of "This isn't a democracy in here" regarding the classroom, but with a CEO-esque administrator dictatorships will pop up all over districts. I really appreciated Steve Jobs before I read this. His outlook on iTunes (he wanted to make songs cheaper than .99 and lobbied for them not to go up in price). He actually seemed to be a down-to-earth administrator, but I do take great offense to the actions he wants to take. Administrators and teachers alike hope to get their students to pursue educational careers past high school.
However, I feel the more you pressure and push kids the more disenchanted they are vulnerable to become. By opening avenues such as computers they can explore life inside and outside the classroom. I feel that the integration and a personal life is already bordering on intrusion to some students. I feel if it gets for a lack of a better term shoved down their throats their potential interest and furthermore success may peak too early and discourage them from performing tasks that will now become tedious. We strive to reinvent a classroom using technology, but with these advancements we have to wonder how long the reinvention of interest will last and when will it be time to revamp the system again?
Last Week
Last week was a very important week for us to learn about new skills in which we can apply to classrooms.
I was quite impressed and surprised by the Webpage group. I remember making pages for bands years ago with the annoyance of html and tedious redundancy. However, as I am beginning to truly find out, the Mac is all about making lives easier. The ease that went into creating that webpage was very encouraging for myself, I know, to have the faith in myself to build another webpage. I think you guys did a great job and the way you presented made everyone I hope feel like they are also capable of creating their own webpage.
Podcasts were quite interesting. I never viewed one before the group went wednesday and now I can see the impact they have the potential to create. It can as the groups discussed keep students up to date and be an avenue for absent students to utilize to make up work. It can also just act as supplemental teaching. Since time restraints often make the life of a teacher harder the podcast can be another place to display a lesson so you don't have to fall behind.
I was immediately intrigued with the my43things.com aspect of the social bookmarking group although the other bookmarking sites did offer great interest as well. I just thought that would be a fun thing to do for students inside and outside of academia. I was very surprised by Librarything and the seemingly endless avenues to be explored through that website.
I was quite impressed and surprised by the Webpage group. I remember making pages for bands years ago with the annoyance of html and tedious redundancy. However, as I am beginning to truly find out, the Mac is all about making lives easier. The ease that went into creating that webpage was very encouraging for myself, I know, to have the faith in myself to build another webpage. I think you guys did a great job and the way you presented made everyone I hope feel like they are also capable of creating their own webpage.
Podcasts were quite interesting. I never viewed one before the group went wednesday and now I can see the impact they have the potential to create. It can as the groups discussed keep students up to date and be an avenue for absent students to utilize to make up work. It can also just act as supplemental teaching. Since time restraints often make the life of a teacher harder the podcast can be another place to display a lesson so you don't have to fall behind.
I was immediately intrigued with the my43things.com aspect of the social bookmarking group although the other bookmarking sites did offer great interest as well. I just thought that would be a fun thing to do for students inside and outside of academia. I was very surprised by Librarything and the seemingly endless avenues to be explored through that website.
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Curriki
What a great idea. I seriously use wikipedia all the time from looking up films and bands to doign research for projects. I am quite glad to see it getting some respect from teachers now taking it as a fairly credible site for researching.
The curriki idea is genius. The teaching profession is full of tediousness and sometimes a revamp is needed and now that is right at teachers' fingertips. As we speak in class at length about reinvention of more or less everything, I think this is a huge groundbreaking movement. I think that reinvention at certain points in teaching timelines is quite necessary not only for students but also for ourselves as teachers, I couldn't think of a faster way to burnout than teaching the same thing the same way for numerous years, although that does sound pretty good.
The curriki idea is genius. The teaching profession is full of tediousness and sometimes a revamp is needed and now that is right at teachers' fingertips. As we speak in class at length about reinvention of more or less everything, I think this is a huge groundbreaking movement. I think that reinvention at certain points in teaching timelines is quite necessary not only for students but also for ourselves as teachers, I couldn't think of a faster way to burnout than teaching the same thing the same way for numerous years, although that does sound pretty good.
Budget Woes
http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/business/16653852.htm
Again the cynic in me is getting the best. As always this is a great idea opening up new forums for every student and an unbelieveable step forward for appropriate school budgeting. However, as this tred is really taking hold I can not help but to think of my high school. It was three million just for 1200 students, I graduated with 600+ alone with a freshman class peaking near the 1000 mark. In some districts the idea of having the utopian technology facets may be a dream away. We always speak about how is it going to be possible for every student to be given an outlet to the technology we speak of. I just don't see how it can be possible to supply everyone with the technology, I find it a mighty obstacle to overcome. With so many students there are bound to be people left behind in the wave of technological advances and I just do not see how it is possible to accomodate the few that inevitably will fall through the cracks.
Again the cynic in me is getting the best. As always this is a great idea opening up new forums for every student and an unbelieveable step forward for appropriate school budgeting. However, as this tred is really taking hold I can not help but to think of my high school. It was three million just for 1200 students, I graduated with 600+ alone with a freshman class peaking near the 1000 mark. In some districts the idea of having the utopian technology facets may be a dream away. We always speak about how is it going to be possible for every student to be given an outlet to the technology we speak of. I just don't see how it can be possible to supply everyone with the technology, I find it a mighty obstacle to overcome. With so many students there are bound to be people left behind in the wave of technological advances and I just do not see how it is possible to accomodate the few that inevitably will fall through the cracks.
The Flexibility of Language
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gmP4nk0EOE
I guess I can go along with this thought that digital writing (or typing) is much more flexible than writing on paper. I just feel as an admirer of English as a whole that there is a certain loss of a major aspect of the subject. Handwriting is a very personal part of anyone even if you don't think so. You have been working to perfect a legible form for most of your life and over that time you have developed your own style given your works some personality.
With the emergence of type based texts I feel that writing is losing the personality it once had as you jot down thoughts on a post it or in the margin of a book. Through this emergence as you expand horizons you also uniform certain things in very subtle ways you don't have a font to make your own you have to choose what you would like to use, you don't get to pick how to dot your i's and cross your t's. Sure, the idea of a "paperless" classroom sounds appealing but at the same time it is taking away the individuality we stride to encourage in the classroom.
I guess I can go along with this thought that digital writing (or typing) is much more flexible than writing on paper. I just feel as an admirer of English as a whole that there is a certain loss of a major aspect of the subject. Handwriting is a very personal part of anyone even if you don't think so. You have been working to perfect a legible form for most of your life and over that time you have developed your own style given your works some personality.
With the emergence of type based texts I feel that writing is losing the personality it once had as you jot down thoughts on a post it or in the margin of a book. Through this emergence as you expand horizons you also uniform certain things in very subtle ways you don't have a font to make your own you have to choose what you would like to use, you don't get to pick how to dot your i's and cross your t's. Sure, the idea of a "paperless" classroom sounds appealing but at the same time it is taking away the individuality we stride to encourage in the classroom.
Wednesday, February 7, 2007
Reprise of Ideas
I read an article for another class which really made me think.
We are in essence giving children tools that they already know how to use. It is our duty to show them how they can use these tools to make something out of what they find. As we encourage students to explore the internet and "learn on their own" there are multiple consequences. As with most media related operations you have to take them with a grain of salt. We have recently been taught how to dissect the information we come across on the internet and growing up with the internet we have found that not all we see online is at it seems.
Perhaps the children of the next generation will already be able to decipher fact from fiction as technology is becoming more and more frequent in learning sitations at a younger age. But we have to take this knowledge they are attaining on their own and show them what to do with it. Telling a student to do research is one thing because with the internet at their fingertips it truly is quite simlple. Research to a student is pretty much just click and find it is that simple but it is much harder for them to compute it into something of their own opinion, I am always formulating my own opinions from things said and written but not every student looks into it that much. It is our job to show them how meaningful this information can become to make it their own and publish their thoughts and ideas of such a matter in a form resembling this, a blog.
A blog is a pandora's box of sorts though. It is very opionated and in times can lose focus of where the facts come from and whether they are valid or not. I may be a cynic but you have to take information found on the internet with a grain of salt. As stated before some students just click and take for granted what they researched without finding other sources to validate their find. It is a much more arduous process than what it seems and validation truly is needed and we need to branch out to students to realize this.
We are in essence giving children tools that they already know how to use. It is our duty to show them how they can use these tools to make something out of what they find. As we encourage students to explore the internet and "learn on their own" there are multiple consequences. As with most media related operations you have to take them with a grain of salt. We have recently been taught how to dissect the information we come across on the internet and growing up with the internet we have found that not all we see online is at it seems.
Perhaps the children of the next generation will already be able to decipher fact from fiction as technology is becoming more and more frequent in learning sitations at a younger age. But we have to take this knowledge they are attaining on their own and show them what to do with it. Telling a student to do research is one thing because with the internet at their fingertips it truly is quite simlple. Research to a student is pretty much just click and find it is that simple but it is much harder for them to compute it into something of their own opinion, I am always formulating my own opinions from things said and written but not every student looks into it that much. It is our job to show them how meaningful this information can become to make it their own and publish their thoughts and ideas of such a matter in a form resembling this, a blog.
A blog is a pandora's box of sorts though. It is very opionated and in times can lose focus of where the facts come from and whether they are valid or not. I may be a cynic but you have to take information found on the internet with a grain of salt. As stated before some students just click and take for granted what they researched without finding other sources to validate their find. It is a much more arduous process than what it seems and validation truly is needed and we need to branch out to students to realize this.
The Effieciency of the Computer
When we talk about cars we hopefully view them as efficient machines as amode of transportation. There is one thing in the heart of a car that makes it run so efficiently, in every new car there is an onboard computer that regulates the entire car. The computer is truly a tool of unimaginable effieciency.
The networking that Wal Mart created in lieu of the computer age has taken the world by storm. Sure, outsourcing is not the greatest idea for a pending American employment uprising, but it would not be able to happen without the conception of the computer as a marketing tool and communication device. The speed at which users across continents can manufacture ideas and information is unparralleled. What keeps Wal Mart rolling so smoothly is the inception of a modes of transportation of communication and facts. There would be a rift if you communication and facts could not be reached so swiftly and ideas and incoming competitive prices and shipments would throw production and success way off mark and cause a huge collapse of such an industrial juggernaut.
The networking that Wal Mart created in lieu of the computer age has taken the world by storm. Sure, outsourcing is not the greatest idea for a pending American employment uprising, but it would not be able to happen without the conception of the computer as a marketing tool and communication device. The speed at which users across continents can manufacture ideas and information is unparralleled. What keeps Wal Mart rolling so smoothly is the inception of a modes of transportation of communication and facts. There would be a rift if you communication and facts could not be reached so swiftly and ideas and incoming competitive prices and shipments would throw production and success way off mark and cause a huge collapse of such an industrial juggernaut.
The Computer, This Time It's Personal
In regards to an excerpt of Heid's ILife book the computer has become a beacon of personality. I remember a time when I had a computer that was an all black screen and typed in yellow font. What a lifetime ago. There is no way to contend that these days the computer isn't personal.
Music- Music expresses each person whether they like it or not. Media has become a foundation of communication with others. The outbreak of music related forums or forums in general have connected users in a way once though never possible. Spanning the globe people from the UK can introduce new bands or thoughts on european football with people in the US for instance at incredible speeds. The messages boards are a place to write down your opinions and get the interaction and find people with common interests that you may never find in the location you reside.
A music library is your library a trophy case of what you either really like or just recreationally like to listen to. Either way it is yours to make your own you dont have to satisfy anyone else's tastes but your own it is your own personal library.
The background you set for your computer the sites you visit are all expressions of yourself and no one else. The boundaries for you to make a computer your own are unfathomable. Any hobby you have is reachable on a computer. If you are into making music there are several programs out there to help you realize your visions. There are numerous transcripts of Shakespearan drama to fill your brain with, if your into anything from pottery to masonery you can find tips and "how-to's" somewhere looming around the internet all reachable by your fingertips.
I am really really looking forward to working with garage band. I have always wanted to try myself at music production. Garageband is the real reason I want to get my hands on a mac no matter what program I use on my PC nothing seems to really work to record guitar on or is it is almost impossible to use. My experiences with a Mac show a reasonable learning curve and most programs seem to be very user friendly and very simple to use and I am really looking forward to seeing if garageband can meet these expectations.
Music- Music expresses each person whether they like it or not. Media has become a foundation of communication with others. The outbreak of music related forums or forums in general have connected users in a way once though never possible. Spanning the globe people from the UK can introduce new bands or thoughts on european football with people in the US for instance at incredible speeds. The messages boards are a place to write down your opinions and get the interaction and find people with common interests that you may never find in the location you reside.
A music library is your library a trophy case of what you either really like or just recreationally like to listen to. Either way it is yours to make your own you dont have to satisfy anyone else's tastes but your own it is your own personal library.
The background you set for your computer the sites you visit are all expressions of yourself and no one else. The boundaries for you to make a computer your own are unfathomable. Any hobby you have is reachable on a computer. If you are into making music there are several programs out there to help you realize your visions. There are numerous transcripts of Shakespearan drama to fill your brain with, if your into anything from pottery to masonery you can find tips and "how-to's" somewhere looming around the internet all reachable by your fingertips.
I am really really looking forward to working with garage band. I have always wanted to try myself at music production. Garageband is the real reason I want to get my hands on a mac no matter what program I use on my PC nothing seems to really work to record guitar on or is it is almost impossible to use. My experiences with a Mac show a reasonable learning curve and most programs seem to be very user friendly and very simple to use and I am really looking forward to seeing if garageband can meet these expectations.
Cell Phone Expansion
In lieu of the recent comments I received, thank you everyone who commented and has some input, I am glad to see you agree to see both postive and negative side effects to this new cell phone age.
http://www.apple.com
The Iphone will surely revolutionize the entire cellphone industry. A cellphone with so many features will surely attract an ocean of consumers for it's technological advances. It is almost scary if you look back and see old cellphones which had to be carried along with a large battery pack. The emergence of the camera phone has brought along with it a vast expansion not only in the modes of communication but also expression and art. However, if you really dwell on it it could be viewed as a nail in the coffin of literacy. Think about it instead of penning postcards we find ourselves capturing landscapes and sending text messages in a new breed of language (shorthand). Call me a purist but I try my hardest not to ever use shorthand because I really take pride in my knowledge of the english language and I fear that I am cheating myself by using it. Moreover, this new form of language is quickly taking over and with the progress of using technological features in the classroom I believe it is very important to stress the advantages of these advancements but not losing grasp of traditional ideas such as fundamental writing.
To address the parent side of marketing. The Disney phone seems like a good idea if you really think about it. The major problem with the influx of internet, moreover, technological activity among children is the inability of parents to keep watch over what their children are participating in. With this new phone the market is for younger children so do I think the GPS control is bad, no, with young children I see myself even maybe a parent one day the worry of where your young child is could be an overwhelming burden of worry. However, in regards to Hulk Hogan you have to realize a point to let your child be who they are and can not be over their shoulder at every moment, to have the ability to shut off your child's car via online GPS tracking (as displayed in an episode of Hogan knows best) is ridiculous.
http://www.apple.com
The Iphone will surely revolutionize the entire cellphone industry. A cellphone with so many features will surely attract an ocean of consumers for it's technological advances. It is almost scary if you look back and see old cellphones which had to be carried along with a large battery pack. The emergence of the camera phone has brought along with it a vast expansion not only in the modes of communication but also expression and art. However, if you really dwell on it it could be viewed as a nail in the coffin of literacy. Think about it instead of penning postcards we find ourselves capturing landscapes and sending text messages in a new breed of language (shorthand). Call me a purist but I try my hardest not to ever use shorthand because I really take pride in my knowledge of the english language and I fear that I am cheating myself by using it. Moreover, this new form of language is quickly taking over and with the progress of using technological features in the classroom I believe it is very important to stress the advantages of these advancements but not losing grasp of traditional ideas such as fundamental writing.
To address the parent side of marketing. The Disney phone seems like a good idea if you really think about it. The major problem with the influx of internet, moreover, technological activity among children is the inability of parents to keep watch over what their children are participating in. With this new phone the market is for younger children so do I think the GPS control is bad, no, with young children I see myself even maybe a parent one day the worry of where your young child is could be an overwhelming burden of worry. However, in regards to Hulk Hogan you have to realize a point to let your child be who they are and can not be over their shoulder at every moment, to have the ability to shut off your child's car via online GPS tracking (as displayed in an episode of Hogan knows best) is ridiculous.
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Cell Phone-age, Man
Cell phones, these days what can't they do, seriously? These new Mososo systems, I think they might be, meh, a little too intrusive. A great step forward the idea that there is a timer set and you have to turn it off when you reach your destination is quite a solid idea. However, it makes a person almost too much like a machine that someone can watch over, it just seems weird Big Brother-ish to me. I own a cell phone and all but with all these new "advancements" I just don't know so much about how great they all are. GPS enabled phones to know where your friends are? There are so many problems with that entire idea I would rather not even get into it right now. If you look at all the pros that cell phones have recently advanced to you can find numerous high profile flaws with them, i.e. cameras, e-mails, blah, blah, blah I think we all know the stories of people getting their cell phone hacked or stolen, it's just weird how you can put so much of your life into such a small piece of technology. Of course I am a hypocrite and own a phone with a camera and all that but I guess the other side of the arguement is who really cares what is on my phone?
The Fever, The Focus
Some of you may already know but the title actually refers to a Brand New lyric from the album Deja Entendu. They have recently released an album that has furthered my points of the aforementioned preaching about the impact of media in the subject of English.
With the arrival of their new Cd The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me I was quite interested to hear about how the lyrics were documented in the album. The album itself is a question of self concept and self worth and a question of belief of a higher power. The lyrics are deep and at times dark with a lingering sense of hope, but as great as the lyrics were they were presented in a way to make them more than lyrics.
Patrons of the cd were asked to donate a dollar for unknown causes to receive a handwritten lyric booklet (mostly due to Interscope Records), but anyway even those lyric sheets were incorrect. Many phrases and words differ between the audio and the text and I think this further proves a very realistic point that there are different ways to interpret facts. The audience really has to listen to the song to get the text correct, they can read what they want but not all of what they read is true. It's pretty much a mockery of an allegory for the real world.
You can't really believe anything you read or hear and perhaps I just realized what this CD is really all about, finding things out on your own, which also leads me to think that technology also individualizes students but also making them a valuable part of the whole class. These blogs are great for students to share their minds and although each student has their own it is also great that they know they can interact and look at the rest of the class' views and perceptions of events occurring in the classroom.
I seriously suggest Brand New's newest album and Dustin Kensrue(Thrice's lead singer) solo debut.
With the arrival of their new Cd The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me I was quite interested to hear about how the lyrics were documented in the album. The album itself is a question of self concept and self worth and a question of belief of a higher power. The lyrics are deep and at times dark with a lingering sense of hope, but as great as the lyrics were they were presented in a way to make them more than lyrics.
Patrons of the cd were asked to donate a dollar for unknown causes to receive a handwritten lyric booklet (mostly due to Interscope Records), but anyway even those lyric sheets were incorrect. Many phrases and words differ between the audio and the text and I think this further proves a very realistic point that there are different ways to interpret facts. The audience really has to listen to the song to get the text correct, they can read what they want but not all of what they read is true. It's pretty much a mockery of an allegory for the real world.
You can't really believe anything you read or hear and perhaps I just realized what this CD is really all about, finding things out on your own, which also leads me to think that technology also individualizes students but also making them a valuable part of the whole class. These blogs are great for students to share their minds and although each student has their own it is also great that they know they can interact and look at the rest of the class' views and perceptions of events occurring in the classroom.
I seriously suggest Brand New's newest album and Dustin Kensrue(Thrice's lead singer) solo debut.
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Standards
With the technology movement really charging forward right now it is inevitable that media is going to have a major say in what will in years become history. I think the media possibly has the largest input with the English Education community. Media really opens up brand new avenues to each student who may or may not have really gotten into the subject of English by text-based means only. I was always given supplementary supplies to accompany my education in both high school and here in college. I was able to listen to Jimi Hendrix wail out the Star Spangled Banner at Woodstock because it heavily influenced a writer to write about their experiences with their father after his life was changed after the incident. I was granted the chance to almost lull myself back to sleep (no offense Johnny L and Co.) in an 830 poetry class freshman year to Eleanor Rigby which is so celebrated as a work of a poetry it finds itself in this university's textbook of choice.
Once again, the media is huge in and for English. Let's think about it for just a second. Your favorite movie is probably inspired by a book, usually the book is better (inspiration for a student to maybe try it out). On the other hand if the movie isn't based on a book it was built from a screenplay and without a good basis of knowledge of English how could that have been made possible. Movies aren't the only answer to providing more of an open universe to those interested and those not interested in the subject itself. Music is such a great transmitter for creating interest in English. Songs are in essence poetry put to music and with a great boom in spoken word poetry in the middle of songs it's artistic revival is thriving.
Also students should truly be encouraged to explore these other avenues and perhaps keep a blog of their reviews of various films and music promoting their creativity and opinions in an educational atmosphere.
Once again, the media is huge in and for English. Let's think about it for just a second. Your favorite movie is probably inspired by a book, usually the book is better (inspiration for a student to maybe try it out). On the other hand if the movie isn't based on a book it was built from a screenplay and without a good basis of knowledge of English how could that have been made possible. Movies aren't the only answer to providing more of an open universe to those interested and those not interested in the subject itself. Music is such a great transmitter for creating interest in English. Songs are in essence poetry put to music and with a great boom in spoken word poetry in the middle of songs it's artistic revival is thriving.
Also students should truly be encouraged to explore these other avenues and perhaps keep a blog of their reviews of various films and music promoting their creativity and opinions in an educational atmosphere.
The Future
All this talk about the future has got me really thinking about past hypotheses about the future and their lackluster results. The media has created caricatures of the future with hopes to far surpass most of anything with reason a person can comprehend. There is a fine line between science fiction and aspirations of a brighter future full of new technologies for any person to become involved with. Personally, I turn to movies as a big reason for the disappointment of what the future is to hold. Back to the Future II reflected a time and place where cars flew and pepsi was still around (in such an advanced society they would have gone back to 'Crystal Pepsi') and some club from Miami beat out the Cubbies for the World Series win. This all occurred in I believe 2025(?). Well we probably all should have thrown out the entire idea of such a world of technological advances could be proven entirely false seeing that the vehicle of choice for the protagonists was a DMC DeLorean produced for not even a half a decade. The point is at the time frame of this movie technology was only beginning to bud.
Aside from a break as well as an allusion of Back to the Future (the sequel), seriously technology has flourished and is now beginning to take the grasp in society it was always thought it had the potential to do. The modern concept of a computer is about the same age as myself, I don't consider myself that old but old enough to get by and make some changes out there in the real world. Think about that for a second a lot of us can say that very same thing. We're not at all done with learning or teaching and neither is what we're working on here. I'm pretty new to the concept of this whole technological deal too, I know how to do a number of things but nothing really complex. I can read a webpage, write a blog or a hefty paper (well light with a good amount of filler), download music and record a little, but ask me anything about html or java I don't even know what these things are. It's like what has been said in here you dont need to know that stuff any more everything is like plug and play making it a lot easier on everyone.
The whole technology movement is really taking off. This blog is shear evidence of that. This will be a part of our classrooms for years to come and from what was once thought a crown of gold in a the highest of schools (financially) is now being made available to an array of schools in different regions. It is our responsibility to keep up with these new technologies so that we may grow with the students. Technology also aids in the aspect that we can learn from every new person we encounter and the internet opened up those resources so that we may do that and continue to learn and grow as educators and the potential students to new technology that we will always be.
Aside from a break as well as an allusion of Back to the Future (the sequel), seriously technology has flourished and is now beginning to take the grasp in society it was always thought it had the potential to do. The modern concept of a computer is about the same age as myself, I don't consider myself that old but old enough to get by and make some changes out there in the real world. Think about that for a second a lot of us can say that very same thing. We're not at all done with learning or teaching and neither is what we're working on here. I'm pretty new to the concept of this whole technological deal too, I know how to do a number of things but nothing really complex. I can read a webpage, write a blog or a hefty paper (well light with a good amount of filler), download music and record a little, but ask me anything about html or java I don't even know what these things are. It's like what has been said in here you dont need to know that stuff any more everything is like plug and play making it a lot easier on everyone.
The whole technology movement is really taking off. This blog is shear evidence of that. This will be a part of our classrooms for years to come and from what was once thought a crown of gold in a the highest of schools (financially) is now being made available to an array of schools in different regions. It is our responsibility to keep up with these new technologies so that we may grow with the students. Technology also aids in the aspect that we can learn from every new person we encounter and the internet opened up those resources so that we may do that and continue to learn and grow as educators and the potential students to new technology that we will always be.
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