Adolescent

As I look back at the semester now that I have reached the end, I know that all aspects of this writing class are woefully underdeveloped. Actually, all of my classes were far below my usual standard. Having an apartment for the first time, more difficult classes and being a senior are all culprits, but not for one second are they excuses. If I had a time machine, I would have kicked myself in the ass in September with a note from the future saying "you will appreciate this. i promise you."

Viral Video/My Experiences with NeoVox

I am going to post my script for a potential Viral video to be used in the promotion of NeoVox. But first I want to say that this project was particularly frustrating. The actual project itself was not the problem, but the lack of communication amongst team members made me the only one to send out e-mails and I fear that my teammates won't know what to do and therefore hate me for a long time. I hope this isn't the case, but also I was unsure as to the format of the business proposal, so I chose to make a wiki page for my group. If it was supposed to be somewhere else, I had no idea and I apologize. At any rate, here is an idea for a viral video.

The Playstation

[Dave is sitting on his couch, looking dumbfounded at his television and hitting buttons on his Playstation controller. Enter his roommate Steve]

Steve: Hey man, what's good in the hood?
Dave: Nothing's good. Something is wrong with the Playstation. It's not working. I can hear it spinning, but nothing shows up on the TV.
Steve: Huh. That's weird.
Dave: I know and it's making me really mad because I wanted to play some Crash Bandicoot before I had to go to class.
Steve: Well, did you try and see if any other discs will work?
Dave: No. I didn't think of that.
[Steve throws a can at his head which hits Dave directly in the temple]
Steve: It's an honest miracle how you ever made it to college in the first place.
Dave: Shut up, it's not my fault that my Dad has like a billion dollars like yours does.
[Shuffling through a pile of discs on top of the television, Steve finds a CD covered in dust]
Steve: Hey, what's this? It doesn't have a label on it, [blows dust off] let's see what it is.
Dave: Probably something you made when I went home for the weekend. I noticed the living room was a little disheveled when I got back.
Steve (under his breath): Your mom was a little disheveled when I got back.
Dave: Losersaywhat?
Steve: Aw damnit. Hey. [Pointing towards television] What is the television doing? [Reading off of the television] You are the chosen one. You were sent to deliver the message. A message of hope for those who wish to hear it, certifiable misery for those that don't believe. You are sent to deliver the message. You are to tell - [television shuts off suddenly].
Dave: What the hell was that?
Steve: Dude, I have no idea.
[Steve walks over to the Playstation and takes out the disc. On the disc, there is only the words 'neovox.cortland.edu'. Camera pans to Steve and Dave's faces, frozen in wonder and awe.]
The End.

So that's a sample of what a video on the internet could do for promotion. I doubt that adults would see it, but if it somehow gained popularity, a majority of teenagers and young adults would probably see it. The video could be effective because it doesn't tell the viewer much, leaving a lot of mystery as to what NeoVox really is. And if filmed with enough humor, people might watch it just for the funny aspects of it.

World University Exchange

I joined my team today for the WUE. Well not joined, but I posted information about myself on the team page. What I noticed today is that they are moving forward and I think we have a good team. There is a strong notion of everyone being on the same page and everyone wanting to work together, with no real segregation between countries. I know that may seem ridiculous, but it's nice that it was made to be a point that everyone is equal in a world where some people may be much more knowledgeable than others. Speaking of which, there are people on the team who are not proficient at SL or can't even access Second Life on their computer. I empathize for that person, but I feel that it can't be an excuse for not doing your part (if it comes to that).

I am assuming the hardest part of this project will be learning how to build in SL but almost more importantly is finding time where we can all be on SL together. Since we are all in different time zones and all have busy schedules, I am optimistic that the project will be a lot of fun and enlightening but I am anxious that we won't be able to get the full advantage of the collaborative effort.

Second Life

So. This is a documentation of my experiences in Second Life as a greenhorn. As I noted on the wiki, my entry into this alternate universe was frustrating. I have used SL before, but not enough to be comfortable with moving around. But I found a second orientation island today, so I have my appearance set. Yet as before, although I can fly and drive and walk around I am still bored. I took a balloon ride, which was boring and I think since I am running Vista, my SL is sometimes very glitchy - a.k.a. I will get stuck underground sometimes or sink through the road. Needless to say this is frustrating, but I do see clearly the options presented by having an unlimited amount of potential space to build, learn and mingle with people from around the world.

Better Late than Never, I Suppose

Sorry for the delay. As with most of my classmates (I think), the concept of an online class is excellent until I forget that since we don't meet in a classroom, I forget to do the assignments. This is how classes will eventually be in the future, but for the present it takes some getting used to. So I guess this may be the intro to my (strictly) online education.

We were asked to talk about our online habits and our relationship with technology...I don't remember where it says this, but I'll provide a little insight. I love instant messenger, even though I don't get a lot of messages; same thing with text messaging. I don't consider myself to be a technological font of knowledge, but I don't use Internet Explorer, so I guess that puts me in the lead in some race (I use Flock). To me, Flock is in the same vein as what we are reading, about the immersion of everything we use in one easy place. It has and remembers links to blogs, you can bookmark videos with a simple click of a button. I feel that Microsoft will catch onto these advances eventually, so I figured I would try to get ahead of the curve for once.

Back Again For The First Time

Hello all. If you had Stearns for 307, this blog may be familiar to you if you read my blog, which if you passed the class, you probably should have. Since I already have a blog on here, I am recycling it for 209. Feel free to post and you never know, I just may post back.

OK so I am a liar...

This article makes me sick. I simply refuse to believe that a 12 year old girl had to go through psychological treatment and counseling just because of a movie about two homosexual cowboys. Granted, there are a couple explicit sex scenes in the film, but I've read the short story- I thought it was incredible and very touching, even though I have experienced none of the situations in the story. This relates to my reflection in a roundabout way, so I thought I would post it in here.

Goodbye for real this time.

But as you go, I will spread my wings...

This will most likely be my final blog for this course. Not "most likely"- definitely. As I am about to write my written reflection on the course, I look back on the work I have accomplished this semester in ENG 307. A whole new different world (haha) has awakened my senses. And this is why I decided not to become a high school English teacher.

If you are interested more in the topic, send me an e-mail and I can send you my final reflection. But the point of this post is to prime my writing for the big show. I was looking at the latest eSchoolnews post and this jumped out at me: [one of two themes] "the need to overhaul teacher education in the United States to produce a new generation of educators who are not only comfortable with technology, but expect it to be used in schools." From what I've seen in this class alone, this is imperative to the survival of your students in the working world. Even from what I've read in Friedman's book, the ability to become adaptable to the new technology that is constantly cresting in a tumultuous environment is the key to success. That one lady who started working in one position, then moved to another while learning new technology along the way. This is what the students need to obtain: the opportunity to become available to new positions wherever they work. Even if they work at McDonald's and decide to do nothing else in their lives, if they can work Excel and Word fluently that is management material that most of their co-workers may not have. This is not meant to sound facetious, but realistic.

Also, this shouldn't come as a shock to many people, but this article proves that our current president (to use an original phrase) "doesn't get it". He and his administration cut funding for technology because "It's not about technology, it's about teaching.'' Not only did he ruin chances for Katrina refugees (I've recently been enlightened to the horrible negligence that occurred in NO) but he is ruining the futures of our students. The older generations are saying that we are losing jobs to the Chinese, and after learning what I've learned this semseter, is this really a surprise to anyone? Kids in India and China are being taught that Americans are lazy and that we can outwork them. Not only do they have a better work ethic, but their governments realize that technology is the cornerstone to becoming successful to this flat world that we are currently living in.

So. This is it. Class has been interesting and challenging, to say the least. I've got to meet some cool individuals and this semester will not be forgotten for a long time. I am glad for everything I've experienced and I don't regret a thing.

Till we meet again.

Chris Turo.

Interview

Given the current scenario presented to me, I have created a wiki in about fifteen minutes. To show the teacher who is asking the question, it would not be difficult at all. What takes the longest other than actually writing your information or doing research, is setting up the account. When your account is all set up, the only thing left to do is make sure that you have a substantial and impartial post with enough content and you are, as Taco Bell would say, Good to Go. Check it out here.


Ah, but why a wiki instead of a webpage or podcast? Because Friedman says that we all need to become collaborators to stay relevant in the upcoming flat world. Because Richardson shows us how easy and powerful the wiki can be. The fact that a teacher can challenge their students to work together to become the best students that they can be and to encourage a sense of competitiveness in their students to create the best wiki in the class is solid motivation to help students achieve, especially who feel that school is rather dull. Wikis allow our students to work together to make their world a better and better informed place to live and to keep up a lifetime of learning; one that surpasses primary and secondary school. Not only can a student create a wiki, but they have the power to edit the posts of other people, if they find the information presented to be irrelevant, subjective, unfair or plain false. I think about the false death of Sinbad when this issue came to mind. Another good reason is that it forces students to write concisely and objectively about a topic that can easily turn into a strongly opinionated article.

To conclude, I chose a wiki because the collaboration factor that the wiki presents will be essential for our kids and students to master, because eventually (sooner than we think) people will start pooling their intellectual resources to make the entire world more enlightened. Also, wikis are simple enough as to where anyone to create and edit a post, as long as they have the correct information.

Connect-i-Final-Cut

I just read the article about the Stamford, Connectcut school that is employing high tech tech in their buildings. Right on the first page a couple things stuck out to me. First off, it says that with the high schools in SoCal, they have a 100% graduation rate. This understandably is surprising, but should it be, really? Using technology such as movie making is interesting. It's fun. I know I enjoyed it more than writing a paper or even making a wiki for that matter. I would love to go to school if I knew I was going to make movies all day and have fun and do projects that the stupid teachers consider "assignments"; I'm not learning anything, I'm having a good time. If we can get students to think like that (alright maybe not exactly but you get the point) then three quarters of the battle is over.

Another thing that struck me as a good sign is that it says in the article that the school is using Final Cut. I am not a huge software junkie, but from a couple of conversations I had at work with this fine chap named Mike is that Final Cut Pro costs around a thousand dollars (Ed. Note - I just looked it up and Final Cut Pro 2 costs $1,234.05). Regardless of the discrepancies in price, spending those copious amounts of ducats is something to behold, especially for a high school. For those that don't know (i.e. most of you) Final Cut is used to edit movies. By professonals. It's the Paul Bunyan of movie editing software. It's HUGE, Tom. Granted, there is a lot that can be done with iMovie and it is a good tool. But for serious movie auteurs, Final Cut is soemthing to strive for. It's the type of thing you save a summer earnings of mowing lawns and selling lemonade for. But I digress. The fact of the matter is that this school is committed to quality if they have purchased Final Cut for their students who probably aren't going to make movies for a living when they get out of high school. It shows a lot of promise and effort on the school's part to become interested in their students and their want for the students to take them serious and in turn become interested in what they are saying.

My last point is this paragraph: "Principal Paul Gross says the goal is to better equip students by giving them hands-on experience with technology, encouraging them to work in teams, and helping them attain the skills that business leaders agree are needed for success in the modern workforce." This smacks vaguely of something I recall reading...oh yeah. Friedman's Great Collaborators. This school is on the cutting edge of what will become a flat world and thank God (or whoever you choose to believe in or if you are an atheist, well thank goodness) that the students will be ready for it when it comes. Hopefully more of these schools with technology and the students' happiness and interest pop up in the future and based on current trends, this day isn't tat far away.

Beefalo

Looking at the assignments taught in th Buffalo school district, I see that the administrators are finally getting the picture. So much can be taught through using different types of media; it's almost getting easier and is definitely more interesting than traditional essay/ditto learning. What is even better than using different media solutions is that even the assignments are online!

I just watched a video done by a student named Mitchell Vasquez. The actors were very unprofessional, laughing in almost every scene. The director obviously has no idea what he was doing, the lighting is terrible and the wardrobes were horrendous...But other than that I thought it was an excellent alternative to the traditional institutions of education. Instead of writing an essay about the Third Reich or making a boring Powerpoint about the Fuehrer, they used some real creativity that I wish I had the opportunity to employ when I was in middle school.

Differentiations

Perusing the friendly confines of Renee Hobbs' Reading the Media, I stumbled upon Chapter Five, a chapter discussing the representation of different genders and opinions through the media. One of the first things that struck out to me was this line: "All media texts are 're-presentations' of reality" (74). One may not think of the media as such, but everything you read or see or listen to is an attempt from someone to influence your thinking or perception about a certain topic. This can be a real 1984 thought if you are one to give into conspiracy theory, but for the sane it brings to realization a sobering thought. Even now I am listening to Metallica sing about faded rock stars. On the surface, it doesn't mean much but when I really look into it, Papa Het is warning me not to take fame for granted and that even those that are great will indeed fade. Enter Percy Bysshe Shelley's Ozymandias here ("My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings, / Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!" (10-11)).
The point of that last passage, other than referencing a pretty sweet poem, is that everything we read is telling us something and even something as 'brainless' as a Metallica song (which is something I most certainly would not agree with) can have the relevance of a poem by a revered author such as Shelley (take your pick as to which one).
Speaking of which, Hobbs also talks about Frankenstein and the media's portrayal of the oft-misunderstood creature. If you have taken ENG 356 with Dr. Alwes, you may have read Frankenstein and if you did, you have seen her Frankenberry box. Being a child in the 90's, I most certainly have consumed a box or two and laughed at the silly monster on the box. And like most people that had never read Frankenstein, I was expecting to hear Mad Scientist Dr. Frankenstein summon Igor and shout It's ALIVE! But alas, I was surprised to see that the creature was not some beast under the control of Victor, but so repulsive that Victor was sick for months after his creation. In the book, I honestly felt bad for the monster; what kind of life can you lead when you are hated by everyone- especially the one who created you? Anyway, when they made the movies, they took an excellent story and made it into something that would make money; the bane of everything good in the world. Apologies for my tangential rantings, I have a point buried here somewhere. What I am trying to say is that Shelley used the Monster and his birth to be symbols whereas Hollywood used them as cash cows. Sometimes beautiful ideas are woefully misrepresented and sadly most people will never know the author's true intentions.

This post is about the future of education. First to the plate is Robert Epstein. Epstein's commentary talks about competency based learning, something clearly evident in the Alternative Schools; something I think that should be the future of education. He mentions his own son: he is fifteen and very "mature" for his age. This then leads into the discussion of why he isn't allowed to drive a car or vote or do other "adult" things, simply because he is only fifteen years old. From here he displays the history of child labor and education laws in the US which can be summed up with this: in the beginning there was no mandate that required kids to go to high school if they could prove they knew the material (competency) but because of all the poor starving immigrants and the Great Depression the wanted jobs for 'grown ups' so they started forcing kids to go to school.

Although Epstein doesn't exactly promote the idea of abolishing high school, he realizes that something has to change. Kids in other nations where there is no federally regulated education systems essentially have no teenage angst. But think about it; there is so much going on in a teenager's life, especially in America and especially when the rigors and demands of school are implemented. He mentions in one part that it is unfair to cram an entire education into twenty years of one's life; that we should be learning throughout our lives and the Internet makes this possible. This sounds vaguely familiar, I wonder where I've heard this...

In the Baltimore County Public School system, they now have an on-demand video service used throughout the entire district. Teachers work together to create curriculums. This collaboration is exactly what needs to happen for students to be fully engaged. If all of the teachers are on the same wavelength, then that will help streamline the student's own educational experience. This is also good news because everyone knows that all students learn differently; so to implement a school wide visual-learning based program, it will only compliment the lesson plans and encourage those students who are not reading/aural based learners to become more engaged.

The Technorati report reports that there are now 70 million blogs worldwide, 1.7 million posts per day (make that 1.7000,001), and over 120,000 new blogs a day. What does this mean? This means that people are becoming connected. They realize that they have something to say and are hoping that people will read what they write. People are becoming contributors to the machine; they are creating content that they want others to notice.

What does this all mean? That people, mainly educators but not excluded to, are realizing the benefits of our current technologies. In Baltimore, they realize that students will become the beneficiaries of a school wide video service. Epstein realizes that students shouldn't be forced to learn everything they need in life in two decades, we have the technology (and wikipedia) to make education a life long experience. The excess blogging shows that people are using technology to express themselves in ways that only diaries had seen before (and honestly, it's one thing to admit that you have a blog, but no one will 'fess up to owning a diary). Technology is the base of tomorrow's enlightenment.

Are you pumped?

Get Fuzzy

I don't know how many people read the comics, but I try to whenever possible and one of my favorites happens to be Get Fuzzy. Also, any time I see anything relating to Wikipedia I always try to post. So today I offer a perfect fusion of my favorite things.

Oh Mylanta

Call me a loser, but I spent most of my snow day reading stories by H.P. Lovecraft. One of the essential horror writers in early 20th century American Literature (think Edgar Allen Poe but with it's own mythology) Pretty incredible stuff, I might say. But anyway, I was looking up the stories on wikipedia, you know, to gain extra insight and analysis and I happened to stumble upon wikisource. Are you sitting down?

Wikisource is a compilation of literature across the annals of time. Want to read Dracula but are snowed in and can't get to the library? BAM. It's there. In it's entirety. Completely free. Lord knows what would compel you, but if you wanted to read the original version of The Canterbury Tales and don't have your handy Norton's English Literature Volume One on hand? Money in the bank.

Now normally this is something I wouldn't exactly share with my 'homies' so to say, but I can safely assume that since lovers of English are my predominate readership I think this is a handy tool; for if you are looking to peruse through some poetry or need to find a reference for some paper you are writing, this is an essential and invaluable resource that I am extremely surprised that I hadn't stumbled upon before. Similar to the previous references of the free education supplied by the likes of MIT, people in charge of technology are starting to get the hint: if you don't make it free and available on the internet, people will just have to steal it.

Or I guess technically you could visit your local, friendly library but memberships are just really expensive and it would require you to go somewhere, where wikisource is just oh so convenient.

Hmm

Apparently, people are controlled by their television. The show "The Office" had someone on there using wikipedia and now wikipedia has had to stop new people from entering content. Masses of people flocked to the site to add their decidedly less than two cents on what they will. I personally think it's pathetic that people are now travelling to wikipedia just because it was on a television show.

Tomorrow I am Eating a Breakfast of Champions

I just saw this tonight. Not that I was a personal friend or anything, but I feel a little saddened because I found out that Kurt Vonnegut, authors of two of my favorite books, passed away tonight. Here's the complete article. If you haven't read any of his works, do yourself a favor and borrow "Slaughterhouse Five" from the library or a friend. It's truly an amazing work of literature; it combines satire, humor, science fiction and even time travel in a humorous but ultimately sobering look at the effects of war. Another book that I've read of his was "Breakfast of Champions". It was slightly less cohesive, but still an entertaining and biting satire. So yeah, do yourself a favor and read his books, or at least check him out on wikipedia; it's almost as good as the real thing.

No Trees Were Harmed In The Making of This Blog.

In the O'Brien Chapter, in the beginning he says this: "When students perceived that they were successful, and they could set personally relevant goals and see that they were improving, they would read and write more, build fluency, and decide to perservere, even on tasks that they perceived as being difficult" (30). This rings true for us in 307. Being somewhat comfortable with computers throughout my lifetime, I was never hesitant about using new technologies, but I believe I have heard my classmates (in the beginning of the semester) talk about being apprehensive about using new technology. And now look at us. We have no problem learning and operating new tools that can be used to benefit our own eduation. I look at myself. I was not really comfortable with having all of my words on public display and now I am comfortable, even facetious at times. The same can be said for the students at Lafayette Jefferson. O'Brien talks about how "Youth and adolescents navigate in and out of" the 'media-centric' world all the time, yet they need to realize that this literacy is essential for students in today's crazy world.

I feel like I've heard this somewhere before. No? Alright, I guess it's just deja vu. Must've been in an episode of The Sopranos or something.

What I am coming to realize is that slowly and surely people in academia are realizing that print centered learning, while still important, is not the keystone anymore. Students are not engaged like they used to be with books, they have television. iPods. Cell phones with the internet. They realize that the important watermark for literacy is no longer if they can understand To Kill A Mockingbird but if they explain it to their buddy who is struggling through instant messanger. Being literate through alternate forms of media is obviously essential, hopefully the rest of the world catches up before they are left behind.

Holy New Content Batman!

This looks like something hinted at by Allen Toffler...

Click it.

Ha...sorry if anyone got excited...

As the title suggests, there have been some major changes to our graphic novel. We decided that because of the limited space and time frame for the assignment, my project, in all of it's grandeur, breadth, scope and absolute mastery, simply would not work with what we want to do. So I am taking my idea back and will use it for a novel or short story for some place in the future. I am sorry.

Instead, you are going to get something very scholarly. Namely, a Shakespeare translation!

We (Phil andI) were bombing ideas around and somehow landed on the idea of doing a translation. Mainly because there is a killer scene from Hamlet that will work perfectly for what we want to do corroboratively. Strangely enough, Phil has yet to read Hamlet. But you know what, some people still think that the Wayans Brothers are funny. Likewise, the same people think that the common public want to see movies where they super-impose grown up faces onto an infant's and therefor, the common man will think its be funny. Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction, indeed.

I forgot to post about the last project, the now infamous Burn 'em and Turn 'em. Well, maybe not infamous but hopefully nefarious or even gregarious would work. At any rate, I enjoyed working on this project immensely. If you want the specifics on the project, check out Phil's blog. To me the benefit of a project like this is that everyone has a say. If one person dominates what happens then people's feelings are going to get hurt. During our project, everyone had good ideas and everyone had bad ideas. We decided together as a group. And as I've said before, I like the movie because it shows that learning is more than just books and boring documentaries; it can be produced and be entertaining. Granted, I am sure it would be more enlightening to know where Area 51 really is, but we had a good time working together and creating content for others to share.

Oh by the way, it's on Youtube.

Get cultured.

It's Lonely on Top...

For the third block project, Phil and I are going to create a comic. More like a graphic novel. We are planning on using similar techniques that Kaitlin, Theresea and Jon used in their ComicLife project. We are still going to use ComicLife and use the pictures, but that is where the similarities end. Ours is going to have an actual story line and from our initial brainstorming at the Neub (while I was working) I think it's going to rather serious. See, when I think about making a comic for a class project, I don't think about it like it is some fluff piece. I think about it as an avenue for students who may not be articulate enough to write a short story, but still have ideas that they would like to convey. The idea that I had, and I think we might go with it, or at least work with, is based on an Old Spice commercial.

I know what you are thinking. This can't be good.

But if you watch a lot of TV or have a good memory, you may recall sometime last semester (and they could still be on) the commercial where there was one lone male surrounded by a world of women. But because he didn't wear Old Spice he stunk like a dumpster and no female would approach him. Silly I know, but somewhere deep down inside the gears started turning.

What happened if you really were the only man left on Earth?

I am sure for most women, this would not be a terrible thing.

But think about it. If there was one man left on Earth, whether it be due to violence or disease, he is responsible for an entire race of people.

Let me repeat that.

The entire human race. Homo sapien is your responsibility. And what is more pressing, say to a man who was hurt by society, or by someone he loved.

Would you sustain the population? With all the degradation of morality, corruption, greed and just generally terrible things that human beings do to each other, is the world worth saving?

Now before you call the suicide hotline on me, this was a short story I was planning on writing sometime in my career, I may still so don't go copping any of my ideas. I don't know how it's going to end, who the characters are, how society is, the time period or anything like that. All I know is that this is a possible idea but no matter what Phil and I choose to do is going to be good, guaranteed.

If you liked our movie you have no idea what's ahead.

Some people are smart cookies, while some...well let's just call them falafels.

Reading the lengthy chat session, we were asked to see who essentially "got it" and who were a couple minutes late to class. My first example is someone who didn't exactly get to the loading dock on time:

Andrew Schultz, ITE Supervisor:
Why do you, "Education Week", et al, persist in calling digital technology, "technology"? It is inaccurate and distorts the public's perception. The word "technology" is obviously much, much broader and more consequential than the narrow spectrum of silicon-based stuff. Technology really encompasses all human-made tools, and techniques and this begins in pre-history 100,000 years ago. To use this term so casually and inaccurately seems almost defiantly ignorant.

Well hot dog.

Look at who is ignorant here. Isn't digital technology encompassed in the overall technology? And if that is the case (which it is) then he is clearly contradicting himself. This person does not get it. Instead of trying to contribute to the discussion with helpful, meaningful questions he is attempting to hinder the progress of those trying to obtain knowledge.

On the other hand, the woman below him, Susan Victor, does indeed get it. She asks questions that are extremely relevant to what we have been reading and discussing, what is the greatest roadblock in regards to technology? The monetary gap or the lack of knowledge on the sides of the administrators, regarding the technology? The answer given by the staff writer, answers that as more teachers are becoming accustomed to using computer technology in the classroom, that more problems arise with regards to valid information (i.e. see my earlier post on Sinbad). These are the types of questions that will help people like myself understand the problems and concerns that teachers today are faced with on a daily basis.

Another lady who gets it is Ms. LaTonya S. Garner. She asked the question about the technology grants for her elementary students. I applaud the fact that she is concerned with having her students comfortable with new technology, for it only gets more complicated from here.

...But justice is blind

The student voice section starts out with testimony on technology by a high school student named Randy Herrera. At home he is a technophile. At school, he despises the computers for many useful sites are blocked. This is not a unique story. I can, as I am sure many of my colleagues can as well, relate to an experience such as this in high school, wanting to work on a project or waste time in Computer Applications, tried to visit a site and was denied. I think it's fabulous that schools are operating in a domain where most students are more comfortable but some of their ideas are counterproductive. It's similar to telling a dog to run free while you are holding onto the leash; the dog isn't stupid - he isn't going to try and run because he knows he isn't free. Students don't feel motivated to create content and become immersed with their work that could possibly become something enjoyable if they know they lack the freedom to really become engaged. Marc Pensky reflects my sentiments to a T:

“School represents the past. After-school is where they are training themselves for the future. The danger is that as school becomes less and less relevant, it becomes more and more of a prison.”


They also mention in the article teachers potentially using video games, MP3's, cell phones and other familiar technology to educate the students. Well, the presentation at the DATE conference showed the benefits of doing that. We've discussed this many times in class but it can't be said enough- teachers need to be able to relate to students, no matter what students are now into. If teachers can't adapt to the new climates being presented to them, then perhaps Steve Jobs was right and more teachers need to be canned that can't hack it.


But thankfully, all hope is not lost. The stories in the article of teachers embracing technology with open arms gives me hope that more school districts are getting the hint and starting to mold themselves into technological meccas.

...And justice for all

Reading the intro to a digital decade I see a lot of things that don't really surprise me that much. "Anecdotal evidence and research suggest that teachers’ integration of digital tools into instruction is sporadic. Many young people’s reliance on digital technology in their outside lives stands in sharp contrast to their limited use of it in schools". From what I've read and experienced in my own experience this is not shocking. When I was in high school the computers in each classroom were already ancient; I had a better one at home, so I would never use the computers when I was actually in school. Another point that strikes me is what they say as to the format for publishing their findings: "This year, for the second time, the state by state technology reports that once made up roughly half the print Technology Counts are being published exclusively online." Hmm. Go figure. The flattening of the world, not to mention research and a paperless classroom is happening sooner than anyone would think.

Alternatives

Last week the class went on a field trip to the Lehman Alternative School in Ithaca. When I walked into the front doors, I was taken aback. Partially from not having been in a primary school since 2004, but also because of the energy that was in the entire building. After being greeted by Chris Sperry's daughter, I caught the last minutes of the All School Meeting and it was here that I saw the future of education. I could not believe that the students ran the meetings. They proposed initiatives to the agenda. If this isn't the flat world, then I don't know what is.

We received a tour of the school from Sperry and in the gymnasium/cafeteria we were told about the vacations that students take. Every student is in some committee and the rewards are insane vacations that would NEVER have happened in my high school. One thing that was striking about the Alternative school, or at least this one, is that students are responsible for their education. I know when I was in high school, I could care less about half of my subjects that I was studying. But here, everyone wants to be a part of the action. And why shouldn't they. They operate on an entirely different plane of education and I wish I had the opportunity when I was younger to have been a part of it.

We are living exponentially.

"Nintendo invested more than $140 million in research and development in 2002 alone. The US federal government spent less than half as much on research and innovation in education." This is astounding. To me, this correlates with Friedman's new middle. He claims that in the near future, with the new flattening of the world, that new jobs will be created for the middle class. According to Friedman, if I plan on teaching and keeping my job, I had better be able to teach, make school lunch, read announcements, mop up puke, drive the bus, write everyones curriculum and coach volleyball and the horseshoe team. I agree that technology is changing and that new jobs will be created, but I highly doubt to the extent that he thinks it will. To relate back to the original quote, it does show how the world is adapting to technological changes. Nintendo realizes that it needs to step up it's cash flow if it wants to avoid obsolesence.

"The 25% of people in China with the highest IQ is greater than the total population of North America." Well. It's a stereotype that Asian kids are better at math than most others students, but this is crazy. Now with the flatteners in place, the Chinese have the technology to stay up to date with the current technologies, not to mention the incredible work ethic and thirst for knowledge that most every country has except for the United States. I do agree with Friedman that if Americans are to stay current and competitive, we do need to have the ability to adapt and to become great explainers, because not everything can seen and understood immediately.

For ELA teachers to stay current with this technological boom that is happening in front of our eyes, we need to make sure our students are not becoming lackadaisical. Our students can no longer afford to spend entire marking periods on one book. I think about when I was in high school, even in my 12 AP English class, we would still spend weeks on a novel. In ENG 440, we read six of Shakespeare's plays that would have taken most of the year in grade school. There simply isn't room for complacent students in the job field today, especially for those students who actually have ambitions.

And I Thought Jingle All The Way Was A Death Rattle...

If I could get a moment of silence, that would be great.







Ok, that's long enough.
Apparently, someone reported that Sinbad (yes, the Sinbad from First Kid, Good Burger, and his magnum opus Jingle All The Way) had died of a heart attack on Saturday.

I know. This took me by surprise too. Read the article here.

So.

This is the big fear about Wikipedia (other than erroneously killing off some of my favorite actors) is false reporting. Thankfully Sinbad wasn't harmed, in fact I am sure he appreciated it (there is no such thing as bad press). But because I am curious, I even checked out the history page on his wiki page and he is A-OK.

This is a good example of both sides of the Wikipedia argument. Sure, some person whether being malicious or sincerely trying to report his demise, falsely ended Sinbad's life. But within minutes, not hours, minutes, Sinbad's name was restored. Even a grave error (haha) was quickly corrected in the read/write web.

Translation: See you later, gator!

The second essay deals with the feared generation gap. What I found interesting in this essay was the different ways to deal with engaging your students when dealing with multi-media sources. I was concerned because of the idea of the 'implied teacher' and the concreteness of those who wish not to change. I recall the episode about the CD exchange and I thought it was a great idea. Get the students (granted they are older that middle and high school) engaged in discussion about the use of advertising in media. This is an excellent way to garner the attention and thoughts of your students. Take Ray for example: "Ray was a class leader for the first time: For the first nine weeks of the semester, he had sat in the back of the room...However, when Margaret asked students to bring their favorite CDs to class, he volunteered to bring in his own CD player" (109). The fact that the students were encouraged to participate in a subject that piques interest is what educating is all about. But when the discussion led to the conventions of teaching these materials, "conversations became less open, less speculative, more rigid, and more authoritative" (110).

This struck a chord with me. I realize, though this essay, something that I knew all along. Teachers must be able to keep the students interested and be able to educate without being boring, which sadly happens to pretty much everyone. This causes anxiety in my heart, because this way of thinking, this text first then maybe some other source of information, is firmly entrenched in the public education system. But I feel that when enough future teachers have this new wave of thinking and modes of educating readily equipped for battling illiteracy and ignorance, that students will hopefully want to come to school prepared to participate and ultimately learn something for once.

ill c u l8r g8r!

After reading the burly, burdensome and bulky text, I feel that I understand more about what future teachers such as myself are in for. One of the major themes I recognized in the Digital Detente was the struggle for control and authority. What we have learned so far in 307 is that we should not eschew new literacies in attempting to teach our students and to keep them ahead of or on top of the curve. Yet in the first essay, the challenge between print and media literacy is focused into a battle of controls: "The use of popular culture, represented by multi-media, may undermine the traditional control teachers enjoy when enacting prescribed curricula". And further down the page: "Students' competence with digitized multiliteracies must be delegitimated because it has the potential to destabilize teachers' control." (42) To me, this is entirely false. I see that while controlling every facet of your students learning is important in making the teaching process more comfortable, but the facts are that the world is changing. Students are more comfortable with working online than filling out dittos and reading from old, languid textbooks.

So certain people are concerned that they are losing control over the students with this new-fangled and surprisingly easy access to multi-media for personal entertainment and education. But yet, this is a huge breakthrough. Teachers can say that students can go play on computers when the work is done, but learning is still happening. Students are becoming more adroit with technology, which as we have learned over and over again, will become the forefront of education. And the faster that students become adept with mastering this technology, the better off they become: "Since information is ubiquitous, the learning goal becomes the transferable strategies that students use to critique and compare different information sources" (46).

The Only Guaranteed DATE I've Had In A Long Time

Two of the sessions I attended at the DATE conference were the Addicted to Dickens and Dealing in the Digital. And what I noticed in there was the same content that we have been discussing in 307. In the Dickens session, Georgia Peach and her peers at Skaneateles High School are teaching both Great Expectations and A Tale of Two Cities. Not in the book form, however. They are reading them in their orginal serialized fashion, available online. The benefits of the read/write web are clearly seen here. Students now have the ability to access the content wherever they have an Internet connection. Along with the immediate accessibility, there are websites that provide study questions to aid the reader with their comprehension of the material. This is a real and practical application of the boogeyman that is the paper-less classroom. I am still not a big fan of the idea of a paperless classroom, but with utilities that were seen in the presentation, it makes some sort of sense.

The other session regarding technology was the Dealing in the Digital: Explorations in Literacy. Dr. VanSlyke-Briggs discussed using the Internet and it's myriad resources to more actively involve and engage her students. A lot of the resources she pointed out we've either

a) discussed in class

b) used in class

And a lot of the things that can used for an educational benefit I use for fun. For example, one of her students used Youtube to create a video diary based upon one of the characters that they read about in one of their books (I think it was Speak....but don't quote me). I usually use Youtube to look at videos of super obese cats named Goliath.


To conclude, the technology presented at the DATE conference is what we have been reading about all semester. It helps sometimes to know that what you read and write about is actually being used; that it isn't just some theory out there in some think tank- this is real.

One Thing

Just so you know, I have another blog. There is a link to it on the side bar and it is more relaxed and non-educational based. I review movies, music, books and whanot. Safe for the whole family. Guaranteed.

Just thought I'd throw this out there.

RSS: Really Stellar Soup

The RSS feeds are something we have been using for awhile that I didn't even know about. The benefits of RSS feeds are, I think, very valuable to both teacher and student. By being updated on the newest and most relevant information on one website makes keeping track of all of your different sources viable. One use of the RSS feeds in the classroom is exactly what we did in our class. Set up a bloglines.com account and then suscribe to a variety of content. By becoming familiar with the process of subscription, students will then branch out on their own and find new things and learn new information constantly, without having to be prompted. Another use could be to have your students follow the blog of a certain person, probably a politician that they are interested in. Hopefully this person blogs often and then the students can see the usefulness of RSS' automatic updates in action and how useful it is not to have to search for new content all the time, for it is done for you. A third way to use RSS feeds is to suscribe to a news source (say CNN) and if you are not a big television watcher or don't read the paper much, then you will automatically be subscribed to the latest news information without having to leave your computer.

Tire Me

The NY Times article about College and it's prices in relation to what Friedman would think has raised some interesting issues for me. If Friedman read the article (which I'll presume he has, he does write for the NY Times as well), I'll say that he agrees with the issue of getting more from college than just an education. It exposes you to many different cultures (well at least most colleges do, but that's a completely different topic) and different technologies. Friedman travels all across the world and college students can experience somewhat of the same thing in your larger college campuses. And I think, I never would have heard of wikipedia or podcasts had I not been enrolled in college; or if I did stumble upon them I would have never used them to any sort of good to society, I'd use them for my own personal gains.

(Sweeping generalization warning!) Anyone who didn't attend college probably has some reason why they didn't and not having the financial means is not good enough (there is something called financial aid). Either they hated high school, have no ambition to do anything meaningful in life or are in a trade of some sort. If you are a plumber, electrician, carpenter or have some sort of skill in a trade and don't need to attend school, congratulations. You have found your niche and will probably make lots of money without spending any on a formalized education. But if you belong to one of the other two groups, you will miss out on a lot by skipping college. But try and get a job where you can make more than 20k out of the gate. Not only will you miss out on the culture of college and the fun of meeting hundreds of new people from different parts of the world and trying new things that you would never think possible.

But you will carry this stigma for the rest of your life: I never went to college.


This rings out clear to any employer who is looking for an employee with skills such as adaptability; you learn how to adapt to 18 credits and work and downtime in college and end up (somehow) successful. College is much more than an education; it teaches you what the world is going to be like in the future, how people will learn in the future. Look at this class! We have homework almost solely on the Internet! This class could be held on the Internet solely and it would have nearly the same effect towards my learning the material and the absorption of the message.

The room is getting smaller....

Looking back through my copy of The World is Flat (I needed to check in on 2.0/3.0) I realized that we were using the Globalization 3.0 in class last week with our presentations. Friedman says: "But Globalization 3.0 differs from the previous eras not only in how it is shrinking and flattening the world and in how it is empowering individuals" (11). In our projects, our entire class used technologies that individual students can use in the comfort of their own homes. This is incredible. By making the individual person responsible for what they are learning and giving them the reigns on making something important become of their education is truly, well, an education. This independence that they experience will benefit them greatly when they reach the "real world" of us and their parents.

Team Projects, a Reflection

Looking back on the projects that were presented, I liked all of them. I thought every group put a lot of work into their effort and it showed. I can see a lot of potential when looking at the information presented. With podcasts, teachers and students have a specific and unique way to publish their own content with an unlimited amount of variety. The websites are very useful because it is something that the entire class can contribute to and it's another way for students to use their voices in different ways and still participate in the classroom setting.

bow to your sen-sai!

This comes from somewhere out of left, left field but this could be a tool useful for students. It's a Grammar game featuring ninjas! Click it.

NCATES/NDOGS/NMICE

Although I have never been a big fan of standards being applied over a grand scale (such as standardized testing), I was pleasantly surprised to see that the NCATE standards for ELA do indeed include information about applying media literacy into the classroom. If I may quote: [pertaining to a candidate's TARGET result] "understand media's influence on culture and people's actions and communication, reflecting that knowledge not only in their work but in their teaching". Well, at least the big wigs enforcing our education standards understand the important of encompassing the mass media epidimic into education; something that both Hobbs and the PLS have understood.

To wrap up my ruminations: by incorporating the different facets of the media diamond in education, especially ELA, the students will benefit greatly from the different sources of information available and gain a greater and more rounded out education that the kind you would get from just a textbook. If students can incorporate a higher level of thinking by including media sources that they are very comfortable with, then it can apply to other areas of studies and help with their overall education.

My Belt is Awesome, Much Better than Kaitlin's Scarf, Which Is Sea-Green and Weird

Looking at the core values of PLS, everything it includes makes sense for me as an upcoming educator. Since almost every person is immersed in some form of media, it only makes sense to implement an atmosphere of education through use of the media at a young age. If you think about how much kids use the Internet, whether it be the Facebook or YouTube, it only makes sense to educate using a medium that children and familiar and proficient with. The media is so unavoidable that it only makes sense for us to use it to our advantage; as the old adage goes: if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. To build on this, since students already discuss what they watch on television and the silver screen anyway, why not attempt to have them a) talk about it in a way that encourages actual digestion of material and b) help them establish connections between what they may have seen on the TV or Internet and the books and other educational materials they will encounter in (and hopefully out of) school.

The Internet media is one of the most important and (usually) reliable source of information available to everyone. Politicians are using blogs/bloggers on their campaigns, wikipedia is helping to spread knowledge for everyone. If students are shown to use these sources for their own enlightenment, much less homework, then this will be a boon to themselves for the present and for the future.


I know I've talked about this before, but PLS also wants students to be able to use media to present their ideas. As we've discussed and read a lot of material on, this is definitely an advantage for the students, for publishing information on the Internet allows for the potential of mass feedback and interaction with an unlimited number of people.

Cause Every Girl's Crazy 'bout a Sharp Dressed Blog

Project Look Sharp and Hobbs' Reading the Media have a slew of similarities. One of the biggest and most important aspects is the attention being paid to media in terms of education. Pop culture has always been a prevalent factor in maintaining a rapport with different generations, but what is being investigated in PLS and Hobbs is essential for keeping our students' attention and helping to further their education.

Although what students may watch isn't necessarily supporting a learning environment per se, from what I read in the beginning of the first chapter in Hobbs is very thought provoking. If a teacher can engage her students in meaningful student-led discussion where major concepts and ideas are being proposed and considered by the entire class, then I am all for it. And it doesn't just have to be about television. Being somewhat of an amateur film critic (not to mention an English kid), I spend a lot of time during the movies I watch dissecting and comprehending the different symbols and themes being presented by the author. I think about things that I would notice in literature; why does this seemingly unimportant doorway keep popping up? Did this guy really have something to say about the war in Iraq when he said this? I feel that if I watch a movie and I don't understand every aspect of it to my satisfaction, then I feel like I am missing out. And if we can get students to think critically about everything they watch, then hopefully this type of thinking will spread to other parts of their lives, (insert lightbulb here)
such as homework!

The Machine is Using Us for Us

I just watched that video on Youtube and I thought it was rather cool. What struck me about it, is that it corresponds with everything we have been learning in our class and it makes sense. The way that we are publishing our thoughts and ideas is so much different then it was twenty, hell, five years ago. The fact that we are indeed using technology that was potentially scary to make our lives easier is incredible. We can publish our thoughts and people will read them. People can respond to our thoughts by clicking a button. No need for phone calls or text messages or even telling the person face-to-face what you think. Web 2.0 is radically changing the way we operate as people with something to say. I know this horse has been beaten dead a long time ago, but I feel that it's still worth repeating.

In other news, our Wiki is up. We had a meeting yesterday and got a lot accomplished. I like the fact that we, as students (as compared to professional educators) now have the opportunity to educate our peers and others in Web 2.0. So check it out and make any edits or changes that you want to, as long as it's correct and impartial!

I really don't think unlearning is a word...

After browsing through all of the different elements of change that I've been faced with, and I have made some conclusions:

• The actual school part of education will have to be radically changed for students to actually be successful later on in life
  

This comes from one of the unlearning curves from Will's blog, the one that says: "We need to unlearn the idea that learning itself is an event. In this day and age, it is a continual process." Along with what Will says, the Toffler article makes certain points rather clear to me. Why should we be forced into the mold of having a nine to five job, because with different technologies, it isn't necessary for this to happen any more. Nor should it be necessary to go to school from 7-3:30.
The classroom needs to change to meet the technological demands of the time period that it lives in. True, up until recently most jobs were 9-5, so it would make sense for school to operate under a certain time frame. But our future generations need to adapt their own time frames to keep up with the current climate and public education has been extremely stiff in changing it's ways.

• School work needs to be done, not on dittos and paper, but working with other students outside of the classroom

"We need to unlearn the strategy that collaborative work inside the classroom is enough and understand that cooperating with students from around the globe can teach relevant and powerful negotiation and team-building skills".

Education needs to adapt because with all the advanced methods of collaboration available (even across the globe) chances are you will not be working by yourself with a No. 2 pencil and a worksheet to fill out. You will be working in real time, using your ideas and others' to create a cohesive work environment. Also, Friedman mentions about the future uses of Google in his book. By having this much information available all at once will make most educational faculties obsolete, or as Toffler would say, 'obsoledge'.

• Every student needs to have some sort of specialized education in a field that he or she is interested in

"We need to unlearn the idea that every student needs to learn the same content when really what they need to learn is how to self-direct their own learning."

Another idea that struck me while reading the Toffler article and Will's blog, there is no point for students to be learning subjects that they are not interested in. I remember being in certain classes that I had absolutely no interest invested in, and my grades suffered. Granted, I feel that there should be standardized subjects up until high school, but then there should be an almost collegiate level of variety of classes for students to study.

Toffler suggests that students should be able to visit and shadow members of various professions, which is an excellent idea for students in public education to have access to. Not only will students be happier, but they will have the opportunity to decide if this is the field that they really want to have a career in.

uh-oh!

Just checking on the Yahoo! homepage, and I saw this article. A blogger on the John Edwards campaign squad resigned over comments made that caused her to catch a lot of heat. Another example of watching what you say, because everyone is or has the ability to read what you say!

Web 2.0

I have been listening to the podcast that was on Will's website (conveniently downloaded and listened to through my iPod). Although a little dry and boring in places, the presentation was overall enlightening. What corellates between this podcast and Warlick's Great Question (What is important for us to teach our students?) is the application of this technology outside of the classroom. For example, the Houston Chronicle uses over 30 blogs in their coverage every day, presenting a "conversational model of journalism". To me, this would make reading the paper infinitely more interesting, because if people are presenting news in a more colloquial fashion, it will be easier to comprehend. John Edwards and other presidential candidates are using blogs and Youtube to announce their candidacy over the Internet. This is incredible! What is a better way to connect with people, especially younger people, than to use the technology that they are helping to perfect? If you wanted to see a speech, but missed when it aired (if it was even aired at all) a simple Youtube search can solve your problems.

What's amazing is that school has the potential to no longer be just a 7:30-3:00 application. You can learn anything 24/7 and connect to your students or classmates whenever you are able, even if school is out of session. One of the examples I see is with the Science Learning Academy that Will and Rob were discussing. The instant messenger problem really opened my eyes, that students would be interesting in attempting to further their own education by removing troublemakers by singling them out. But what really suprised me was that it happened in June. School didn't start until September. Kids are using the Internet to have discussions with classmates that they don't know and won't see for months! They were forming the learning environment that they wanted, not what their teachers had envisioned.

Blogging and podcasts lead to greater student engagement and it allows teachers to tap into a huge, secret underground resevoir of crude oil of talent and creativity from their students. For example, check out this class. I would normally not express myself in the form of a blog unless I was forced to, but yet I rather enjoy it. I like having people see what I have to say, how I write, how I choose to express my ideas. And this blog makes me want to contact my favorite authors, because if kids in Will's class can do it, why can't I? Why can't I strive to make a difference for myself and anyone else who chooses to read this? Wow. I can say that I am hooked now. Another example from the presentation was the third and fourth graders from Maine who wanted to do podcasts, even when their teacher was doubtful about it. WHAT. When I was a fourth grader all I wanted to do was read Goosebumps books and watch Eek! The Cat on FOX. I never wanted to apply myself towards school, hell, I still don't. But these kids, I daresay they are inspiring. And not only did they want to make podcasts, but they wanted to do it during recess and naptime!

This technology is important to learn because it broadens horizons and breaks barriers. The classroom is no longer a five day a week, morning to afternoon enterprise. It has become limitless. It is this idea that our students need to learn, that they are completely uninhibited. They can learn anything they want, they can take classes from MIT online for free (minus the degree, but who needs one anyway). The time is here for students to begin to educate themselves and along with guidance and additional instruction from teachers, they can take the reigns of their own educational lives.

Untitled

Reading "Don't Fear the Digital" feature by Steven Johnson, I agree with what he says (especially about not needing algebra). Although my parents may have thought I was just a lazy kid on the computer, I was actually learning helpful utilities that will truly impact my life in the future. It may look simple to some, but customizing a myspace page really does takes a lot of work to make it just how you want it. In a sense, this perfectionist traits that are being shown do appear in other parts of my life. Now in other things, I become finnicky, almost obsessive with details.

And not just customizing a profile, but Johnson touches upon multitasking. Even as we speak, I am listening to music, writing this blog, reviewing the article, text messaging on my phone and thinking of about four other things in my head, and (at least I think) this sounds somewhat coherent. If I didn't have a computer handy when I was a kid, I feel that I wouldn't be capable to do more than two or three things at a time, and even those would be at a diminished pace. Now that I think about it, when I was a kid, I used to play typing games on my old computer (Mario Teaches Typing, I believe). And although I thought it was fun as a kid, I think about how much my typing, and therefor affecting everything else I do on the computer, benefits because I was having fun and learning new technology and techniques at the same time!

Reading the second article, I see the other side of multitasking. The destruction of the nuclear family as we know it. They say in there that "Thousands of years of evolution created human physical communication...that puts broadband to shame in its ability to convey meaning and create bonds". This is definitely true, if you've ever had a comment taken the wrong way and spent the rest of the day feeling like Lindsay Lohan's PR people. But this is something that our parents and the older generations have to become accustomed to, because it is impossible to stop. Tom and Mark started this huge social networking avalance and there's nowhere for it to go but to keep on growing. But regrets to the family, this new way of accomplishing many tasks simultaneously will change the world. As I've read in the Friedman book, people in India are answering my help calls for my computer. This flattening of the world can't be stopped, and if you can't adjust to it, then move to the mountains (preferably in a nice little cave, with plenty of berries and stream water (we'll be ordering groceries online soon, so don't even think about walking into the Big M without your groceries being ordered ahead of time). 'Cause the world won't wait for you to adjust on your own schedule. It could frankly care less, because there are enough people out here that are ready to take on this challenge, while texting, recording a podcast and updating a wiki on David Wright.

Trying to Find a Balance

After reading the article on Girl Power (sadly with no mention of my Spice Girls) I agree with what the author says. The quest to find a proper identity has been well documented through the annals of time, I deal with it in every college English class I have ever taken. From what we've primarily been reading, most of the leaders in web 2.0 technology are male. Which should not be suprising, because when you think of a computer nerd, you don't exactly think of hot chicks (I think of the stereotypical Star Trek fan, glasses and he likes to play Dungeons and Dragons...not to say that there is anything wrong with that, but, oh forget it). The point I am eventually getting at is that I read in the article that it says that "Girls received less attention in the classroom than boys and less encouragement for their efforts" (Brown).

But with technology today, I feel that the attention will be more centered. Because, at least from my experiences, the girls in my classes are much more creative and writing-oriented than the competitive boys I've seen. In a class room where blogging becomes a part of daily routine, I feel that girls may even receive the upper hand. The playing field, as Friedman says, is being leveled. There will certainly be competition, perhaps even more so, but it won't be as unfair as it may have been in the past.

It's Like Comparing Apples to ...PC's?

Although I am indeed a lowly PC user, I am slightly infatuated with Apple, Inc. and I don't think I am alone. As we saw in the first class, almost every person in class has an iPod. That's cool, I have one too. But I never realized the power of Apple until my iPod went kaput. I called their tech support and it was the best calling-for-help experience in my life. The ladies I spoke to (count 'em, two of them) were very friendly and not the most bit surly. They sent me a box to ship my iPod out the day after (Tuesday) and I received my new one tonight (Monday). I am nothing but absolutely impressed with the way that they do business. They have set up a dynasty.

Apple, Inc. has integrated all of their products so that each one fits into it's own place. I feel that with using Windows, if you install something, it becomes a patch on the pair of jeans of personal computing. But with Apple products, it becomes a mosaic. It all flows seamlessly together, from your iPod to iMovies to iWhateverelse. They seem to understand that people don't want to be confused about which ports to plug this into, or which program I need to open these pictures I just took. I think of my father when this comes to mind. Almost once a week he'll ask me what program to use to open this or how to organize his mp3 files. I tell him he should get an iPod to avoid these problems...he doesn't care much for my sass. But the point is this: Apple is soon going to take over the computer industry. Just wait. Sure, Windows just put out their Vista processor. But look at it. It is basically a rip-off of OSX, copping the idea of widgets and the dashboard. Windows needs to find some way to get out of the typecast that they have acquired. Just look at the commercials that Apple puts out. How stupid does Windows, (hell even Windows users) look while the smug, snarky Apple has everything and is SO MUCH COOLER.

Man, every time I look at my stupid, huge tower with all of the extraneous and twisted viper's nest of cords, I get a little bit more depressed and frankly feel a little bit stupider.

The World Isn't Exactly Flat, But It's Looking Mighty Svelte

So. After poring over the reasons why the world is flattening, I have come across a somewhat familiar topic in the Uploading section. And although I haven't read anything groundbreaking, I have encountered some new evidence into why this new movement is going to change the world. One example has to deal with the experiment that Goldcorp, Inc. used the technology seen through open-sourced programs such as Linux. The mining corporation knew that there was gold in their area, but were having difficulty obtaining the gold. So they held a contest of sorts, where different companies were given the opportunity to use all of Goldcorp's resources to see if they could find gold for a big cash prize. And as crazy as the idea may have seemed, it worked with suprising gusto. "For McEwen [CEO of Goldcorp, Inc.], the contest itself was a gold mine. 'We have drilled four of the winners' top five targets and have hit on all four,' he says. 'But what's really important is that from a remote site, the winners were able to analyze a database and generate targets without ever visiting the property. It's clear that this is part of the future.'" (Friedman 115)
So. It can be seen that open-source software has a multi-lateral potential for every industry. And regarding Warlick's question of 'what our students should be learning', this has limitless boundaries. If a mining company, perhaps the strangest (at least on paper) recipients of the benefits of computer technology, can use technology that we will be using in our class rooms successfully, then uploading is bound to be a boon in our classrooms. If we can show students examples such as these, then hopefully they will feel uninhibited in their willingness to experiment and test the waters of using sources like Wikipedia and blogging (I would say Linux, but that's a little more complicated to use and understand).

Kashmir

While reading the second chapter in the Warlick book, I did indeed encounter some websites that I had never seen before. Being the curious student that I am, I checked out the Backflip site. Although the idea of bookmarks are nothing radical or even that exciting, this is a little different. The difference occurs in the fact that you can view your Backflipped bookmarks from any computer. The world is flattening, indeed. So if I had some extremely relevant information on this computer and I needed to help a friend on a project to which the information is applicable, then a simple log in to Backflip and there is all the information that I need, with no need for tired and dinosauric conventions such as "remembering the names of websites".

In addition to Backflip, Warlick uses the PiNet Library (not just to shamelessly plug his book) but as a very useful reference guide for educators. By adding different pages and references that can be seen by other teachers, you are helping to create a community of technologically aware (if not savvy) educators. Not only can you share information that is amassed through research, but your classroom can have it's own page on the Web.

The last bit of new technology that I researched after reading the chapter was the Catalist program. Like blogging, this mailing list is very useful in obtaining extra information from people you might not otherwise become in contact with. By being able to suscribe to different mailing lists and hearing the opinions of possible experts or at least people with experience can be an invaluable tool for research and enlightenment.

Blogs on a Wing, Pt. 2

Wow. I have been scanning the Pew Report and it says that half of teens create content on the Internet. When I first read it, I was a little suprised, but after thinking about it for a little bit it makes perfect sense. Think of how many kids you know that have myspace. I know I do. They have a blog feature on there, not to mention a spot where you can post bulletins. Although it may not be the most intelligent content that you can read (OMG so bored fill out this survey thx) something is better than nothing. It means that their brains are being engaged on some level, cause as much as I think I might, you really can't write on autpilot. You need to be consciously thinking, because your fingers can't move themselves. Along with blogging, it says that 33% of teens have created or remixed some sort of artistic content. I know people who have made movies and placed them on YouTube (Phil, even though it may just be him getting his new monitor). The point is that kids are using their intellect and artistic sides to lead the wave of new technology, not the parents. Parents follow the lead of their children when it comes to technology (except my parents, they think that AIM is going to download viruses onto our computer).

The second Pew Report deals with social networking, websites like myspace and facebook come to mind. It says that 55% of teens have a profile on a social networking site (I know I have two). 91% of people who use these sites use it to stay in touch with existing friends. I know this is definitely true for me, cause I am friends with people I have not said a word to since I graduated high school. Technology is allowing us to connect with our friends in a way that is actually practical, because I know that I don't want or care to call every person that I went to high school with. And what's a better way to get to know a class mate then through the Facebook? I know that I use it to keep track of all my friends, even though I feel that Facebook is slightly invasive sometimes (I don't really care what people write to each other on their walls) it still helps me remember birthdays and other important events such as that.

Looking at "Redefining Literacy" and the questions about how well our students are being taught compared to what is being taught, and especially after the information I have been reading over the past couple of days, I feel that he is on the right track. What is being taught in our schools? Reading and writing, arithmetic and science. This is all well and good. But computer literacy is also key. When I was in high school, I had computer classes, but I never learned anything of substantial value, just how to type and how to use Excel (which in my field may prove to be useless and now that I think about it, I still don't really know how to use it anyway). In the future, especially with the rise of blogs and wikis now zooming in from the horizon, kids will need to be taught how to responsibly publish content on the Internet, for they will be absorbing a lot of knowledge from different online sources, so they should be equipped with the tools necessary to contribute to a learning community that spans the globe.

One question that we as educators in a computer dominated world is this: Are we going to be able to educate our students on the swift moving current of technology or be swallowed up by it? Because there are kids younger than I who make websites and understand html codes and I consider myself fairly up to date with my technology. If we plan on incorporating blogs and wikis and podcasts and RSS into our classrooms, we need to make sure that we can handle the wave and not be dragged under. For if we fail in proper instruction, then our students may be disenfranchised to the idea of using technology for educational gains, and may abandon the Internet for intellectual gains, which would be a heinous error. I think of if you were in a math class that was difficult and the teacher couldn't properly explain the formulas in a way you could understand. Would you be willing to jump back into the ocean if you don't trust your boat? (Alright, I'm done with the analogy). But I know from my personal experiences, that if you don't understand a subject (like say, oh, math) and if it seems above and beyond your capacity, there is no incentive to continue trying to master a discipline. So therefore we, as educators in the computer age, must rise to the challenge of advanced technology because as daunting as the journey may be, the reward to be reaped has vast and unlimited potential.

Blogs on a Wing, Pt. 1

After viewing the Will Richardson videos, I realized two things, one slightly more important than the other. First, that he somewhat looks like Tim Robbin's character Ray from High Fidelity (it's the ponytail). But secondly and decidedly more important for my education and personal enlightment, that blogs are much more than online journals. When I was in high school, I had one of those silly Livejournals, where I would talk about my day or how sad I was or write mini stories. Although this isn't a bad thing, I look back and think about how much time I was wasting. Not that I would have or still have much to say, but I never realized the potential that blogging creates.

From his first video, they talk about the interaction with the author Sue Monk Kidd from one of the books that they had read in class (The Secret Life of Bees). This wasn't some just some local mom writing a romance novel (which would most likely feature Fabio) but a Pulitzer writing author who the students had personal correspondence with. Just imagine the potential for learning. If you have contact with the authors of books you read, there is much insight to be gained. Wondering about the motives or personal nature that you couldn't quite figure out? A simple comment and they respond back to you. Absolutely incredible. It also allows parents to be able to keep track of what their child is doing. I know when I was in school, you'd get the tired mantra everyday:

Mom- "How was school?"
Me- "Fine."
Mom- "Did you learn anything fun?"
Me- "No."

If blogs are used in the classroom, whether to produce homework assignments or just a daily log of what happened in class, the parents now have the ability to actually see the progress their child makes. Which can be a good or a bad thing, depending on the dilligence of the student.

The second video talked also about the connection you can make with other people, making it possible for the internet to become a real "learning space". As I mentioned with the interaction with Kidd, the potential to actually communicate with the first hand source and be able to ask questions is amazing. And you never know, maybe authors or other intellectuals could gain insight or knowledge from one of the students studying their work. It really does incorporate a lot of "intellectual engagement" in it's scope, as Richardson says. Richardson's third video from his keynote speech in Edinburgh talks about web 2.0 and when he realized the potential for him not only to consume knowledge, but to be able to create and possible enlighten others as well. This is something that I will tell my students someday. That yes, it may just seem like a hobby, but if you have serious ideas, people will read and eventually pay attention; because there is a potential to share with millions of people.

From what I've been reading from the articles for our quiz, blogging is much more important than I thought it was. From the why weblogs page, I see a very valid point when Laura Shefler says that "In their weblogs, students exercise critical thinking, take creative risks, and make sophisticated use of language and design elements". This is very true, because if you know that other people will be reading what you have to say, you don't want to sound like a complete novice in your native tongue. It forces you to actually think about what is coming out of your mouth, because it will be seen by (potentially) hundreds of people who may actually care what you have to say. Also, if you are of a competitive nature, seeing a well written blog by one of your colleagues may force you to further your own writing.

It says in there that parents and teachers realize that reading and writing don't really happen very often for a majority of students outside of the classroom, but computer use does. If you are assigned blog posts for homework (sounds slightly familiar) then writing may not be so bad for some students. I think of myself as an example. Being an English major, although I enjoy writing and reading, I would never have written so much or so in-depth if this was a handwritten response. I feel very comfortable rambling on and on (although your eyes may hurt from staring at the computer screen). This is the technology I wish was integrated into all of my classrooms, though I doubt that my other teachers would have the patience to sift through my diluted asides.

Popaganda

In relation to new technology, I think that although it is flawed and not really that new, I feel that the Ruckus program available to us as Cortland students is somewhat awesome. The ability to download music for free and legally is something that the music industry should be on the lookout for. Two examples of downloading music come to mind, both on each side of the spectrum.
Firstly, iTunes is completely destroying compact disc sales. And why shouldn't it? Everytime I have to buy a gift for my family, I usually pick out a cd (most always one that I wouldn't mind burning myself) and to walk into Best Buy or FYE and see that records now cost anywhere from $11.99 (at an extreme bargain) to $19.99 (if you want something new) I want to vomit my lunch on the spot. For if I wanted to buy an album for myself, it'll only cost me $9.99 at the most on iTunes. And it's legal. It's instant. I can do it from the comfort (or lack there-of) of my desk chair here on campus. Even that god-awful song from Daniel Powter (Bad Day) from American Idol, the single not even the album, sold over two million units on the iTunes music store. How incredible is that?
And if you are somewhat more...frugal you can get Limewire, Shareeza or any number of illegal media downloaders. With those, you can get music, movies, even essays. Starting with Napster, this is not so much a revolution, but more of an institution for any young person who has a computer and high speed internet (I, sadly, have dial-up at my home so I am excluded from this conversation). Not that I condone illegally downloading media files, but for someone on fixed income (a.k.a. broke) this is quite the enticing offer. The music industry has to find some way to adapt to the technological changes that are happening right in front of it's eyes.
Even think about radio today. They are going digital, with XM and Sirius offering commercial free (minus their own radio plugs which can last forever) music that is categorized to the point that if you want to listen to a certain artist, then it is at your fingertips. AM radio is almost dead and FM is not that much farther behind. The only time I ever listen to the radio is at work and even then, the reception is terrible and I have to put up with songs that I don't like to listen to!
So to wrap this soliloquy of sorts up, music is one of my passions , a feeling I am sure 95% of my generation shares with me. The record companies, who are dumber than bags of hammers anyway (who seriously would sign William Hung and Paris Hilton to record deals?), need to wake up and smell the silicone, because they are going to be left in the dust.

Welcome To Wik-Fil, Where Today We Have A Special On Free Information

I have been using wikipedia.org for any question I can think of for years now. I guess you could even say that I am somewhat of a walking advertisement for the site, cause when anybody asks me a question I don't know the answer to (which sadly, given the amount of pointless knowledge I have compiled over my short existence, are few and far between) I always say go to wikipedia. And now that I have been looking into how wikis actually work, I can't help but be astounded: That the world finally has a say in what people learn.
And it's not just educators or parents that teach; even an eight year old, given that he is slightly knowledgable in a certain field and has the permission and technical information, can teach the world something. That technology is (probably not by choice, at least from a money making standpoint) loosening the belt a little bit and letting the public control or at least monitor what is being learned. The general public that knows more about Paris Hilton's latest public debacle then html codes is displaying the information that I might use in a fifteen page term paper.
Yet it works. The system of control prevents the same yahoo's that create viruses and destroying my livelihood from upsetting the pure balance that institutions like wikipedia present as a public good for those who choose to use it. I feel that this is a huge step for learning in the world. As I've read, textbooks will soon be obsolete (this is somewhat mentioned in Will's book). What's the need for a textbook that costs eighty dollars and only has a finite amount of information when you can open Mozilla and acquire all the knowledge you could ever possibly need to know? If this is a technological revolution, then call me a rebel, cause I am totally down for change.

Apologies to English Conventions, But Your Current Conventions Are Taking a Big Hit.

We had our first group meeting today. Lauren, Brian, Bridget and myself discussed our wikis project in the library. We have decided to start a wiki on the article "Verbicide" we looked at in the Study of the English Language class (ENG 407) that we are currently taking. Essentially it says that current technologies are degrading spoken English. The focus of the wiki will be to present that argument and then a counterpoint with information that we will study in our Technology class. I am looking forward to working with my group and hopefully enlightening the rest of the class and other potential viewers to the benefits and downsides of technology in regards to spoken English.

Standards

From the NCATE standards that I have just perused through, I agree with what I have read. I feel that technology is imperative towards the furthering of our education and personal growth. Just think, if not for technology we would still be listening to long play records and actually handwriting papers. When I was in seventh grade, we had the Apple IIE's in our computer lab and I was it was the bee's knees (Apple IIE's, you know, the computers the size of small refridgerators and were a sickly yellow color?). Playing Lemonade Stand and Oregon Trail was the highlight of my day. As I progressed through the annals of public education, the computer's upgraded and eventually I was blessed with my own computer. When I look back, I can't even begin to fathom how I used to be able to go through my day without checking Facebook, Myspace, IMDB, Rotten Tomatoes, ESPN, Yahoo! every half an hour (and if you think I'm joking...).

I feel that the integration of new technologies into the classroom is absolutely essential for the progression of thought and higher-level thinking. Can you access all the information you can shake a stick at whenever you want through a textbook? Do biology professors have time to record 300 CD's for a lecture when they are out sick? The technology we have today has revolutionized our classroom without much fanfare. It has been slowly building like a swarm of cicadas and it has finally taken over.

Yet as much as it may seem that I leave my words devoid of joy, I still praise technology. I feel like a baby boomer sometimes (no offense meant) when it comes to new things. I find it mind boggling that a bunch of wires and silicone can have such a sacred, profound and all-encompassing part of my life.

In the future, as I have progressed from Walkman to Discman to iPod(man), hopefully my students will experience the same genesis of new technologies. As scared as I am of having my house and my car talk to me, if I am lucky, it will at least be full of good conversation.

My First Entry or How to Make Your Current Writing Tools into Feeling Like Expatriates!

Hi there! My name is Chris Turo and this is not exactly my first blog, but the first for a college credit. I hail from Mexico, New York (not the country). It's a town ten minutes east from Oswego and we are known for our apples and Grandma Brown's Baked Beans (check your local Tops). I am a junior here at SUNY Cortland and am an Adolescent English Education major. Technology and I are on fairly good speaking terms, I am competent with most technology, except for abacuses (I never really got the hang of it). I have a tendency to write with a sarcastic and slightly off-beat tone, but that says nothing about my attitude and willingness towards learning new things. I just feel that my writing is infinitely more interesting when you can a) laugh at either my humor or my lack of or b) try to wonder exactly what my point is, all the while furthering your intrigue into the cryptic labyrinth of my prose!

But at any rate, I like classic rock. My favorite bands are Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin; I also like rap and hip-hop, modern rock, punk, jazz, etc. Clichéd as it is, I listen to pretty much every genre of music, save for polk and music manufactured simply for record sales and MTV airplay (TRL anyone?). I enjoy reading, which is the key determinant as to why I am in the field of English. My favorite contemporary author is Stephen King. I feel that his writing, no matter what the subject may be, is so dynamic. His characters are so incredibly detailed, I feel sometimes that he has lived the life of every character at the same time. I also enjoy Kurt Vonnegut, John Keats, Carl Hiaasen, W.B. Yeats and so many more.

To get back to the task at hand, I feel that this class will be indelibly informative and from what I have encountered so far, extremely entertaining!