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.
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
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.
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.
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.
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.
Monday, January 29, 2007
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.
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
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.
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!
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!
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