After watching part 4 of Everything is a Remix, I feel like a hypocrite. I'm the first to admit that if I gain from the copy of someone else's material, I don't feel guilt at all. But yes, I do become territorial about anything I may work to create and am not inclined to just give it away. I do however believe that ideas should still be considered as property.
I think the issue we're faced with isn't whether or not ideas should be considered as property, but how far the interpretations surrounding ownership should be allowed to go. As we develop a more sophisticated world to live in, we also develop more sophisticated ways to stay ahead of the competition. It seems like legal jargon is becoming the new 'weapon' in the fight to stay at the front of the pack.
It is unfair that Patent Trolls are buying up patents then going out and finding companies to sue, or hearing about Disney wanting to increase the lifetime of copyright ownership, or people like Steve jobs openly admitting they tried to copy every good idea out there, then threatened all out war when they're on the other side of the coin. Unfortunately it simply reflects the susceptibility of the legal system to manipulation and the methods businesses are willing to employ to get what they want.
It is these creative, but unethical legal interpretations of patents and copyrights that are at fault. We need policing to stop this abuse of the system. Until that obstacle is overcome, I don't see this problem being resolved anytime soon.
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Blog #5 EDUC932 Read one of the articles from the Beyond Laptops Essential Readings List and express your thoughts about the article
The article I chose is about Collaborative Learning and how the 20th century method of problem solving may be an incomplete model that, until the digital age, was not really questioned.
Dr.Cathy Davidson discusses terms such as Attention Blindness, Crowd-sourcing, and Collaboration-by-difference. The gist of her article is that when focusing on finding answers to complex questions, the educational system until recently has forced people to focus on 'regular systematic tasks' that are taken to completion.
Dr.Davidson says that big solutions are being missed because people are not being trained to look at problems from various perspectives. She cited the Apple iPod experiment conducted at Duke university, where Apple distributed iPod to all the students whose professors agreed to allow integration of the devices into their courses and see what new uses could emerge for using iPods. The result was an abundance of ideas for the use of iPods in education that not even the experts at Apple had thought of.
This article is a great example of 'out of the box' thinking. Relying on different sources of input regardless of expertise, age, ability, opinions or insights leads to greater success in finding innovative solutions to a large variety of issues.
Collaborative blogging projects had led to improved writing skills in students, and wider range of options for them to think critically. I believe we are doing something similar in this course with our blog and comment assignments. We may not be specifically looking for a solution to a problem, but we are developing a 'Culture of Collaboration' which, if needed, could be employed as a tool for defining new solutions to existing problems.
The only doubt I have is her desire to take the somewhat free form approach to students' grading systems. While I applaud the concept, I think it would require an exceptional level of creative ingenuity to put it into practice without risk of losing its' integrity
Dr.Cathy Davidson discusses terms such as Attention Blindness, Crowd-sourcing, and Collaboration-by-difference. The gist of her article is that when focusing on finding answers to complex questions, the educational system until recently has forced people to focus on 'regular systematic tasks' that are taken to completion.
Dr.Davidson says that big solutions are being missed because people are not being trained to look at problems from various perspectives. She cited the Apple iPod experiment conducted at Duke university, where Apple distributed iPod to all the students whose professors agreed to allow integration of the devices into their courses and see what new uses could emerge for using iPods. The result was an abundance of ideas for the use of iPods in education that not even the experts at Apple had thought of.
This article is a great example of 'out of the box' thinking. Relying on different sources of input regardless of expertise, age, ability, opinions or insights leads to greater success in finding innovative solutions to a large variety of issues.
Collaborative blogging projects had led to improved writing skills in students, and wider range of options for them to think critically. I believe we are doing something similar in this course with our blog and comment assignments. We may not be specifically looking for a solution to a problem, but we are developing a 'Culture of Collaboration' which, if needed, could be employed as a tool for defining new solutions to existing problems.
The only doubt I have is her desire to take the somewhat free form approach to students' grading systems. While I applaud the concept, I think it would require an exceptional level of creative ingenuity to put it into practice without risk of losing its' integrity
Saturday, October 26, 2013
Friday, October 25, 2013
Blog #4 EDUC932 "My Favorite Lesson" Share a lesson that you have done that you feel good about. Describe the lesson and explain why it is a favorite of yours. What is the learning objective? How do the students react to this lesson? Include the name and grade level of this lesson.
Student Base:
2nd year university students
Education Majors
A few low level but mostly mid-high level communication skills
My favorite lesson is the one where I introduce the Present Perfect Tense (PP) to my students. I have found this topic to be very difficult for my students to master and it is a challenge to present well. My students are fairly proficient in English but they are weak in skillfully using PP to discuss life experiences.
By the end of our 3 hour lesson, students should be able to describe life experiences using present perfect correctly while also demonstrating their ability to use simple past tense and not confuse their meanings.
1st Hour
On the overhead, students can see diagrams from English Page help the students visualize the definitions that characterize present perfect. Here are two examples;
- unspecified times before now
- duration with non continuous verbs
The class discusses the form (have/ has + past participle) and the meaning of PP and brainstorm examples of how it can be used:
- in past actions at an unspecified time in the past with present relevance
- as an experience in someone's life
- to describe a non-continuous action or state that continues into the present
- to discuss past actions with results in the present
- with time expressions for & since
- when making negative statements ( I haven't seen..)
I post examples of common mistakes on the screen and the students must identify the mistakes, and most importantly we discover how the meaning of the incorrect statement is different from the correct statement.
The students often make mistakes when providing examples and these get listed on the board for discussion.
2nd & 3rd Hours -Practice Activities ( time permitting)
1- Have you ever..?
Students each write 3 true simple past statements and state the time of the event in the lives. Then, they hand the paper to a partner who must make "Have you ever..?" questions for each statement. They share answers with the class.
2- Negative statements
Students form groups of 4-5 and stand around a circle of 3-4 chairs (depending on the number of students) with one student standing in the middle. The student in the middle makes a negative statement about something they haven't done in their lives. If someone else has done it, they must try to get into a chair. The student left standing must stand in the middle and start the game again with a new negative statement.
3- Which country am I in?
In groups of three, students take turns trying to find out which country each group member is in. They use questions like "Have you been to..? Have you tried..? Have you travelled..?" etc.
4- Discuss future plans
Students discuss a future plan they have and the things they have or haven't done to prepare themselves. Partners can stand up in an tell the class what their partner discussed.
5- Speech
Finally, the students spend the last hour of class time preparing a 5 minute speech using various examples of Present Perfect. They will deliver to the class providing details of their quality of life and their experiences that shape it.
Students respond well to this lesson and have given me positive feedback on how the various activities have enabled them to better understand PP through practical use.
2nd year university students
Education Majors
A few low level but mostly mid-high level communication skills
My favorite lesson is the one where I introduce the Present Perfect Tense (PP) to my students. I have found this topic to be very difficult for my students to master and it is a challenge to present well. My students are fairly proficient in English but they are weak in skillfully using PP to discuss life experiences.
By the end of our 3 hour lesson, students should be able to describe life experiences using present perfect correctly while also demonstrating their ability to use simple past tense and not confuse their meanings.
1st Hour
On the overhead, students can see diagrams from English Page help the students visualize the definitions that characterize present perfect. Here are two examples;
- unspecified times before now
- duration with non continuous verbs
The class discusses the form (have/ has + past participle) and the meaning of PP and brainstorm examples of how it can be used:
- in past actions at an unspecified time in the past with present relevance
- as an experience in someone's life
- to describe a non-continuous action or state that continues into the present
- to discuss past actions with results in the present
- with time expressions for & since
- when making negative statements ( I haven't seen..)
I post examples of common mistakes on the screen and the students must identify the mistakes, and most importantly we discover how the meaning of the incorrect statement is different from the correct statement.
The students often make mistakes when providing examples and these get listed on the board for discussion.
2nd & 3rd Hours -Practice Activities ( time permitting)
1- Have you ever..?
Students each write 3 true simple past statements and state the time of the event in the lives. Then, they hand the paper to a partner who must make "Have you ever..?" questions for each statement. They share answers with the class.
2- Negative statements
Students form groups of 4-5 and stand around a circle of 3-4 chairs (depending on the number of students) with one student standing in the middle. The student in the middle makes a negative statement about something they haven't done in their lives. If someone else has done it, they must try to get into a chair. The student left standing must stand in the middle and start the game again with a new negative statement.
3- Which country am I in?
In groups of three, students take turns trying to find out which country each group member is in. They use questions like "Have you been to..? Have you tried..? Have you travelled..?" etc.
4- Discuss future plans
Students discuss a future plan they have and the things they have or haven't done to prepare themselves. Partners can stand up in an tell the class what their partner discussed.
5- Speech
Finally, the students spend the last hour of class time preparing a 5 minute speech using various examples of Present Perfect. They will deliver to the class providing details of their quality of life and their experiences that shape it.
Students respond well to this lesson and have given me positive feedback on how the various activities have enabled them to better understand PP through practical use.
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Blog #3 EDUC932 Evaluate your online reputation/digital footprint. What steps can you take to sculpt your reputation into one that is more of your liking?
To start, I need to just take a pen and paper and write down facts and ideas that reflect my personal and professional interests. From there I can decide what interests I'd like to expand on in a blog or website.
Deciding whether to have both personal and professional interests on the same site is something I have been struggling with. After reading this article http://www.personalbrandingblog.com/personal-or-professional-how-to-balance-your-brand-online/ I have realized that it is okay to include both personal and professional details on the same blog. They key here is to have a clear definition of what you want to be known for. There must also be a balance between the two profiles.
I also need to decide what the intent of my blog is going to be. Up to now, I've been following course instructions and acquiring experience in blogging but I'm unsure what direction I want to take it in the future. This is my greatest challenge at the moment.
Being in the ESL field, I'm thinking about creating a blog where people can come to share their experiences in the esl field from around the world. I'd like to create forums and have articles where people can come together, offer suggestions to solve common issues surrounding the traveling teacher (great blog name!) and discuss their experiences in different countries. This would be a great use for my blog.
Hmm, after thinking about it, you are now looking at a more accurate title for my blog!
Deciding whether to have both personal and professional interests on the same site is something I have been struggling with. After reading this article http://www.personalbrandingblog.com/personal-or-professional-how-to-balance-your-brand-online/ I have realized that it is okay to include both personal and professional details on the same blog. They key here is to have a clear definition of what you want to be known for. There must also be a balance between the two profiles.
I also need to decide what the intent of my blog is going to be. Up to now, I've been following course instructions and acquiring experience in blogging but I'm unsure what direction I want to take it in the future. This is my greatest challenge at the moment.
Being in the ESL field, I'm thinking about creating a blog where people can come to share their experiences in the esl field from around the world. I'd like to create forums and have articles where people can come together, offer suggestions to solve common issues surrounding the traveling teacher (great blog name!) and discuss their experiences in different countries. This would be a great use for my blog.
Hmm, after thinking about it, you are now looking at a more accurate title for my blog!
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Blog #2 EDUC932 How can you become a more effective presenter?
Below I've listed three points that I think have made the biggest impact on my ability to present well.
1. Practice Practice Practice!
I believe that no matter how well anyone researches their presentation material or prepares a slideshow with considerable "wow" factor, they'll fall short of delivering the message to its full potential if they don't practice their delivery. A well practiced delivery will increase a presenter's confidence which leads to a more energetic display for the audience. When a presentation isn't rehearsed, the presenter is more likely to make verbal mistakes which can affect the credibility of the material they're trying to present, not to mention the professional impression the presenter would also like to make. There is some risk that the slideshow may fall out of sync with the presenter's dialog if they're not careful to synchronize the images to their dialog.
I must continue to try and establish a habit of practicing my presentations multiple times before actually standing before the target audience.
2. Interact with the Audience
I think I've generally improved in this area but it is still a weakness. It is instinctive for me to try and move quickly through the presentation. I think I do this out of an innate fear of the audience. For me, the most effective way I've overcome this problem is to stop thinking I'm alone in the presentation and to develop a collaboration between the students and myself. By increasing my interaction with the students, I become more relaxed and the students are more focused on the lesson.
3. Know the Material Well
I'm going to list this because it is an ongoing process even though I feel I've become better prepared at presenting my lessons. I'm particularly referring to presenting grammar- it's form, meaning and use.
My students have consistently surprised me with requests for clarification on grammar rules and their 'exceptions'. Early on, I found myself getting call out by students who were very good at pointing out inconsistencies in my delivery by saying "Yes, but what about...?". I'd end up backpedaling on a previous declaration of a general rule and it's use which, in my opinion (and students' opinions) made me look like I didn't know what I was talking about or wasn't fully prepared.
By having a more thorough knowledge of the rules, structures and meaning of the material I deliver in class has allowed me to answer questions confidently and correctly. The benefit is my students listen more carefully to what I have to say and demonstrate a higher level of respect in the classroom.
1. Practice Practice Practice!
I believe that no matter how well anyone researches their presentation material or prepares a slideshow with considerable "wow" factor, they'll fall short of delivering the message to its full potential if they don't practice their delivery. A well practiced delivery will increase a presenter's confidence which leads to a more energetic display for the audience. When a presentation isn't rehearsed, the presenter is more likely to make verbal mistakes which can affect the credibility of the material they're trying to present, not to mention the professional impression the presenter would also like to make. There is some risk that the slideshow may fall out of sync with the presenter's dialog if they're not careful to synchronize the images to their dialog.
I must continue to try and establish a habit of practicing my presentations multiple times before actually standing before the target audience.
2. Interact with the Audience
I think I've generally improved in this area but it is still a weakness. It is instinctive for me to try and move quickly through the presentation. I think I do this out of an innate fear of the audience. For me, the most effective way I've overcome this problem is to stop thinking I'm alone in the presentation and to develop a collaboration between the students and myself. By increasing my interaction with the students, I become more relaxed and the students are more focused on the lesson.
3. Know the Material Well
I'm going to list this because it is an ongoing process even though I feel I've become better prepared at presenting my lessons. I'm particularly referring to presenting grammar- it's form, meaning and use.
My students have consistently surprised me with requests for clarification on grammar rules and their 'exceptions'. Early on, I found myself getting call out by students who were very good at pointing out inconsistencies in my delivery by saying "Yes, but what about...?". I'd end up backpedaling on a previous declaration of a general rule and it's use which, in my opinion (and students' opinions) made me look like I didn't know what I was talking about or wasn't fully prepared.
By having a more thorough knowledge of the rules, structures and meaning of the material I deliver in class has allowed me to answer questions confidently and correctly. The benefit is my students listen more carefully to what I have to say and demonstrate a higher level of respect in the classroom.
Saturday, October 5, 2013
Blog #1 EDUC932 How this course can make me more effective in the classroom
Through this course, I hope to develop the skills needed to use Web 2.0 tools to enrich my students' learning experience. When correctly used I think technology can offer a wide range of opportunities for students to interact with myself and each other.
I'd like to be more creative in and out of the classroom. When I find an effective way for my students to practice each lesson's core content, I tend to reuse the same method more than I should. Being able to identify my teaching goals and achieve them using the correct tools is a top priority.
Being efficient in creating course materials, distributing evaluations, plus marking and recording grades is also an area I'd like to improve. As seen in today's class, there is some interesting technology available to do just that.
Hopefully, the end result will be that I'll offer my students a more dynamic, creative task based learning environment.
I'd like to be more creative in and out of the classroom. When I find an effective way for my students to practice each lesson's core content, I tend to reuse the same method more than I should. Being able to identify my teaching goals and achieve them using the correct tools is a top priority.
Being efficient in creating course materials, distributing evaluations, plus marking and recording grades is also an area I'd like to improve. As seen in today's class, there is some interesting technology available to do just that.
Hopefully, the end result will be that I'll offer my students a more dynamic, creative task based learning environment.
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