Week 8 and what I have learned

It is currently the beginning of week 8 and I have noticed a few things about my first year in graduate school...

For starters, even though organization was important for me in undergrad, it is of the utmost importance in grad school.  I was warned early on that graduate course work has more reading and homework and that you will be in constant contact with your professors and in your discussions.

I think it is important to say that organization is the first step to preparing yourself for graduate courses.  Second is to make sure that if you have any questions (no matter how absurd they might be) ask your professor(s), it is always good to get feedback whether it be positive or not, it helps with your studies.

Third, when you do your homework to ALWAYS review, I look over my homework at least twice for any spelling/grammatical errors there might be, and if all the information that I need is present.  I cannot express how important this is because I have seen a lot of terribly written articles and discussions in my courses.  It is even worse when I find out that they are teachers and/or professors.

Lastly, lead by example.  This is something one of my professors told me.  I am usually the first one in my group discussions to post something and then all of a sudden within a few hours a lot of my classmates post similar answers or responses.  I feel that if I don't post something then everyone will do it at the last minute and the course requires you to have a discussion with your classmates (kind of hard to do if no one is discussing).  Also, be a little out there and get involved in your readings and discussions.  I find it to be a lot easier if you're interested in the topic that's being taught.  If you find the readings to be a tad bit dull, then find an article or a website online that discusses the same material but in a different way.

Those are just a few things that I think students will find helpful, also, at the beginning of each term/course I always write down a list of things that I want to accomplish: grades, what I expect from myself, and what I expect out of the course.  I guess you could also say that they're a list of goals and if you have  a set list of goals you find it easier to accomplish them :)  with that said, I am going back to finishing up my homework.  Happy week 9 everyone!!!

Reflections, the journey continues

Before starting graduate school I was a bit terrified.  Both my mom and my dad constantly told me how hard it would be and the horror stories from their days in grad school.  Who wouldn't be a little scared and intimidated after that?  I had to constantly remind myself that I live in an age where technology benefits me, my parents on the other hand...they lived in an age where computers, cell phone, or even hand held calculators didn't even exist, the thought still boggles my mind.  Starting this course I didn't know what to expect, I definitely did not think that I would enjoy it so much as I do.   This course has been very beneficial and therapeutic to me, and I have learned so much from my classmates that is going to benefit me when I become a teacher and have a class of my own.  I hope that many of you will continue to keep on blogging , and even though the class may soon be over, my journey has just begun.  I wish everyone the best of luck in their future endeavors and remember, your journey is never over :)

I took this photo with my iPhone 4gs,  at this very moment when I took it I felt like I was in a place of my own and that my future was brighter than ever, it brought me a feeling of peace as I hope it does with all of you. 

New technology that improves road safety? Who doesn't love that?

I'm a huge fan of the news, especially KPTV and Fox12.  I even have apps on my phone just to check periodically if the news has changed.  Today on KPTV the app was talking about a new technology that would improve road safety no matter the weather condition.  A company called Vaisala has created a mobile sensor technology that would gather information on the pavement, air temperatures, road conditions, and friction levels.  Then the information that the sensors would obtain would be sent to the Department of Transportation and road maintenance crews to help determine a course of action if it was needed.

This new technology is supposed to be able to help agencies save money and be more efficient.  I'm excited to see what else this technology is capable of and if it really does help as much as it sounds.

If you would like more information you can go to http://www.mobl.net/r/wa6r1

Using cockroaches for electricity?!

I was looking up information on my class project and came across an article discussing how they have been able to use cockroaches for electricity.  My first thought was, this is really gross but really cool.

According to David Ponce, it is much like the movie the Matrix where humans were used to harness energy for the machines, except the key to converting the chemical energy is using enzymes in series at the anode.  So pretty much, it's the chemicals in the cockroach that produces the electricity.

I'm a big bug lover ( I know it's strange) and I love pretty much all insects and I dislike finding out information where people have to cut them open or hurt them in any way, but this article gave me some peace of mind.  Unlike reptiles or mammals, insects have an open circulatory system so the blood is not under much pressure, so we don't have to worry about hitting a vein or an artery and seeing blood gush out.  Surprisingly, the cockroaches can be poked and prodded again and gain because of this, they bounce right back and walk away as soon as the scientists are done using them for the day.

I find it absolutely fascinating to see that there are other ways of harnessing energy such as electricity, especially with the use of bugs?!  Who knew one of the most un-loved insect, the cockroach, could come in handy :)

http://www.ohgizmo.com/2012/02/02/we-are-now-able-to-harvest-electricity-from-cockroaches/

A thought I have been stuck on today

While at work I was having a conversation with my manager about relationships and marriage.  I know this does not pertain to blogging, but I've noticed that many of my friends and their parents are breaking up/ getting a divorce.  Many of these relationships I always thought were close to perfect, but apparently I was wrong.  I know there are a lot of factors as to why each relationship fails, but it's interesting to me because in the 1920s divorce was almost non-existent.  I then realized that perhaps one reason for this is because technology such as TV and the internet did not exist, so families spent more time with each other.  As time progressed and the invention of the TV came, there were only a few channels/shows in black and white but there was still a lot of time for families to spend with each other.  It wasn't until we were able to get color TV when I think families became glued to the "tube" and did less activities (example: board games, sports, etc.).  I know technology is an amazing thing, I mean I sometimes wonder, can we actually get any further than we have?  The answer is always yes, even if we can't imagine what else people are going to invent.  However, I also wonder if it's a huge problem in relationships and marriages?  Any thoughts?

Concern about children and blogging

One of the problems that I have noticed with parents is whether or not it is okay for their children to be using the internet and social media sites such as Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, and blogging.  At what age is it okay for children to use the internet or set up an account?  Each site differs, you usually have to be 15 years old in order to make a Myspace/ Facebook account, and you only have to be 14 or older in order to create a blog account.

In my personal opinion, although age does matter I think the most important factor is setting up guidelines/rules for your child to keep them safe.  According to wiresafety.org, over six million underage children write blogs with or without their parents' knowledge (Gunelius, Should You Let Your Child Blog?).  It is so simple for an underage child to get ahold of a blogging account, all they have to do is simply lie and put down a different birth date.  This could be problematic because your child might be reading material that they shouldn't be reading, they could be in contact with someone that to them might seem like a good person and all of a sudden personal information is exchanged.

Believe it or not, this situation does happen.  Years ago when Facebook first came out, my sister (who is older than me) created a Facebook account, she had put her home address (my mom's house) and even put photos of what our house looks like....to my suprise I found out a few weeks later that someone or some people came to my mom's house when my mom was alone and tried to break into the separate garage and shot out the window.

Even though this is a huge concern for parents, I don't believe that they shouldn't allow their child to blog altogether.  Blogging has a lot of benefits such as improvement in communication and writing skills.  I believe that the easiest solution is to set guidelines/rules for the safety of your child.  When I was little and my parents told me I couldn't do something, I always found a way to do it, so I'm ASSUMING that many children will just go ahead and create a blog without their parents knowing.

So to make everyone a tad bit happier, I came across an article written by Susan Gunelius on weblogs.com, her article is Should You Let Your Child Blog?  She gives some useful information for parents with this specific concern.  She states that children should not use their full name, school name, address, or any photos of themselves for safety reasons.  Also, parents should be encouraged to help their child find an appropriate blogging site, set safety measures like password protection on certain things so your child cannot get to them, and lastly, screen and monitor the content.

Also, ALWAYS TALK TO YOUR CHILD instead of saying no, so they understand why they are not allowed to do certain things.  On her article there are also a lot of useful links that are associated with safety and children.


http://weblogs.about.com/od/startingablog/i/KidsBlogging.htm

This link is for the main page, if you scroll down you will find the article Should You Let Your Child Blog?


I hope this information helps anyone with safety concerns for their child/children.

Links that give us helpful tips to make us better bloggers

I spoke to one of my friends about my graduate course in blogging and education and he sent me a couple of links that he thought would help me out with my blogging and after reading it, I felt that it would not only be interesting but helpful to my classmates. I hope you all enjoy! http://ustandout.com/blogging/how-to-write-blog-post-easy-to-read http://www.problogger.net/archives/2011/09/03/52-types-of-blog-posts-that-are-proven-to-work/

TED.COM and how it can help us with our blogging!!!

Let’s use video to reinvent education: Salman Khan on TED.com

Salman Khan has created thousands of videos that students all over are using that teach math, science, and basically any subject imaginable. I have watched a few of his videos and I feel that he is a great teacher. He uses humor and you can hear the excitement in his voice when he is teaching. In this specific video he explains how he started blogging and creating videos and he talks about why teachers should change from the traditional classroom and integrate technology as a form of teaching. I think this is a very helpful link because he also teaches math, science, and every subject in between and I feel that we all can learn something from him. I hope you watch and enjoy and perhaps feel a little inspired by it.

The Blogging Code of Conduct

Recently I thought about my undergrad experience and the rules and expectations in my courses, and then  I began to wonder if there were any rules in the "blogging world" so I decided to search it.  Apparently the blogging code of conduct (which is still in the process of being finalized) was created in 2007 by a blogger known as Tim O'Reilly.  I'm not sure about everyone else but I have to be organized with everything so rules are more like guidelines to me, and that helps me to be more organized and structured.

The site that I came across written by Tim O'Reilly only talked about the first draft of the blogging code of conduct...I have to agree that the badge (picture shown below) he created is a little bit tacky (in my opinion) but I do love the code.

 http://www.radar.oreilly.com/2007/04/draft-bloggers-code-of-conduct.html


Tim O'Reilly states at the beginning of the code of conduct "We celebrate the blogosphere because it embraces frank and open conversation. But frankness does not have to mean lack of civility. We present this Blogger Code of Conduct in hopes that it helps create a culture that encourages both personal expression and constructive conversation".  The code goes into further detail which you can find on the link that is attached to this blog, however, what I like about it is that the code puts the responsibility on all of us bloggers.  In addition, we all can join in on the creation of the code at http://www.blogging.wikia.com

Happy 40th birthday, Internet! | COSMOS magazine

Happy 40th birthday, Internet! | COSMOS magazine

I thought other people might find this link interesting...happy birthday to the WWW (World Wide Web).

What is up with this flooding?

While driving to work today towards downtown Salem, I noticed many local businesses who were sand bagging.  There was a line of cars in front and behind me so I had no choice but to keep driving and what do you know, I knew something was about to happen.  I drove through high waters and my poor little Honda started drifting away.  I managed to pull over where a business was and I decided to park and help them out.  At times like these I feel that we should help each other out, be there for our community.  Needless to say I was very late for work, but I didn't care, I knew those that I helped were a little better off and I felt really good about it.

I have an iPhone and I absolutely love it.  I downloaded the FOX12 app on there so I can be up to date on the news.  I noticed that they had evacuated Scio and Turner.  When I got off work I checked my Facebook and all the posts I saw were people that had family living in these two towns and I couldn't help but to feel sad, worried, and wishing I could do something to help them.  Even though I did help people today, I wanted to do more.  This is me asking all of you to help someone out, even if it isn't much a little goes a long way.  Even though I'm not a big fan of Salem, I do appreciate the community and the people in it, so if you see a business that is sand bagging, or someone that needs help crossing the road, lets take a little time out of our busy schedule and do a little something to give back :)  who knows, maybe we can start a positive chain reaction?

SOPA and PIPA Bills, lets understand them

One issue I have with people in general is the fact that they tend to follow others.  Recently I've noticed many people that I know saying "NO" to the PIPA and SOPA bills, but when I ask them what they actually know about it, not much comes out.  As I always say, education is key and before I agree or disagree to something I like to educate myself on the material.  When I first heard of the SOPA and PIPA bills I didn't have a clue what people were talking about, there are always both sides to the story and so I try to not let myself be convinced by someone else's choice.  I read a very intriguing article that helped me to understand these two bills.  This is the link to it:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/larrymagid/2012/01/18/what-are-sopa-and-pipa-and-why-all-the-fuss/

This article was written by a Larry Magid, he is a tech journalist and an internet safety advocate.  Recently if you have gone to GOOGLE's webpage you might notice something odd about it.  The word GOOGLE is censored with the caption underneath it reading "Tell Congress: Please don't censor the web!", and even Wikipedia has gone completely dark for 24 hrs.  If that isn't a big enough hint to Congress, I don't know what is.

These two pieces of legislation: the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) in the House and it's Senate companion bill, the Protect IP Act (PIPA) go hand in hand.  According to Mr. Magid, the purpose of these bills is to make it harder for sites- especially these located outside of the United States to sell or distribute pirated copyrighted material (movies, music, counterfeit purses, etc.).

In my opinion I do think there should be necessary changes to help stop the selling and distribution of pirated, counterfeit, copyrighted material, but I don't believe this is the right way to go about it.  Although I do not know a lot about the internet or as much as I would like to know about technology, I believe that the government should create something that would make it harder for people to download illegal material, track who is going on certain sites that are selling these material, etc.  I recently glanced at the TV when CNN was on and they were discussing these two bills and a woman came on, she said something that stuck in my mind.  Even if the government went through with these two bills there will always be those that are going to get what they want from the internet.  If people want it bad enough there will always be a way to get pirated DVDs/CDs, etc.

I feel that the internet is for the people, sometimes I feel that the internet is my "get-a-way", it allows me to be completely out of my own world and into another (if that makes sense) but still connects me with what is going on.  The government should not have a strong control over the internet and I do feel that if these laws pass then the government will pretty much be in charge.  I would like to know what others think about these bills, what ideas people might have that would allow the government to stop or at least slow down the illegal work that is going on with the government, also, what effect it might have on individuals the work on certain sites like GOOGLE (if they might cut down jobs, losses) etc.http://www.forbes.com/sites/larrymagid/2012/01/18/what-are-sopa-and-pipa-and-why-all-the-fuss/

A few articles about blogging in the classroom

It is interesting to read articles/blogs on other school systems outside of the United States.  In a recent article called Educational Blogging by Stephen Downes, he discusses the use of technology at the Institut St-Joseph located in Quebec City.  When the students come into the classroom they immediately log into cyberportfolios, a publication space that Principal Mario Asselin calls a “virtual extension of the classroom” (Downes, 2004).  These students use blogging as a necessary tool in their learning.  It is set up in three components to make it organized.  The first section is like a syllabus where assignments are posted, another one is where students and teachers can communicate with each other, and the last component is where each student can put in their thoughts and receive personal feedback from the teacher, it is more of a personal section. 

 One of the students that he interviewed, a Dominic Ouellet-Tremblay who is a fifth grader writes “The blogs give us a chance to communicate between us and motivate us to write more.  When we publish on our blog, people from the entire world can respond by using the comments link.  This way they can ask questions or simply tell us what they like” (Downes, 2004).  In my personal opinion I believe that anything that encourages students to want to learn and do more should be considered in the classroom.  These students are able to communicate outside of the classroom, receive feedback from individuals that they have never met in their life, and yet those individuals have an impact on them in some way.  In addition, it brings the students closer together.  For instance, as Mireille Guay, an instructor at St-Joseph noted, “the student who usually talk very loud in the classroom and the student who is very timid have the same writing space to voice their opinion.  It puts students in a situation of equity” (Downes, 2004).

I believe that blogging is closing the segregation gap and allowing students to express themselves more freely.  It is a useful educational tool that benefits everyone, not just the students.

Downes, Stephen. (2004). Educational Blogging. Educause Review, Vol. 39, no. 5 (September/October 2004): 14-26.

The link to this page: 

http://www.educause.edu/EDUCAUSE+Review/EDUCAUSEReviewMagazineVolume39/EducationalBlogging/157920

Here is another article that I came across that I really enjoyed:

“Blogging Into the Classroom: Online Journals Make Their Way Into Education”

By Travis Daily

I found Mr. Daily’s thoughts on blogging in the classroom not only interesting but easy to understand.   Before social media such as blogging, communication from the school or teacher to the parents used to be limited to phone calls or newsletters/mailings that were sent home (Blogging into the classroom: online journals make their way into education, Daily).  Now teachers can create blog sites that can keep the parents informed with what is going on in the classroom and allows for them to communicate easier.  

Blogs also allow students to share their work, give feedback to one another, and pay more attention to detail.  Mr. Daily explains that according to available site statistics, teenagers (13-18) lead the services in blogs created.  My main question is, if students are already using tools such as blogging, why is it that more schools are not using these tools?  Personally, I feel that the answer to this is, unfortunately,  always comes back to the lack of funding.  There are so many positive features with blogging that everyone can benefit from, such as allowing students to “link” their findings to their work therefore using the blog as a critical thinking tool.  I guess the question now is, what can we do in order to get these necessary resources into the classroom?  This is a question that if anyone has an answer to I would love to hear.  I personally believe and feel that we have to look outside of our school system and perhaps take from those in other countries.  

The link to his page: http://virtualinquiry.com/course/projects/bowriding/daily2.pdf

Why do I blog?

I never really understood blogging and I'm still in the process of learning.  Before this class I thought...why blog when you can just post it on your Facebook?  I have realized that blogging allows you to focus on a more professional style of writing, with a smaller audience, an audience that has similar interests and same/different views and opinions on the topic that you are blogging about.

A little about myself

My name is Elizabeth but I go by Libby for short.  I'm 23 years old, graduated from the University of Oregon in 2010 with a B.S. in history.  I have dreamt of becoming a high school teacher and even was admitted to WOU's MAT program, however, with the economy I decided to change my focus.  About six months ago I helped one of my close friends re-design a website for the company he works with.  I didn't know how to make a website at that time and strangely enough I was learning quickly.  It was fascinating to me that at first glance the website looked pretty basic, just your usual website you'd come across on google, but when I started working on it I was learning all about HTML code and the next thing you know when I completed the website it wasn't just a basic website anymore, it meant more than that to me. Since then I have designed websites for others and with referrals it became more of a business.  I never thought in my life that I would want to go into information technology but now I really can't imagine doing anything else...well...maybe become an entomologist since I absolutely love bugs, animals, and nature.  I'm excited to learn more about blogging, how it can benefit me, and what I can learn from others, but my main goal is to be a teacher someday.

My introduction to creating a blog

I have never created a blog until now.  For the first few minutes I will admit I was thoroughly confused simply because there is just so much information to be taken in all at once, and I'm still currently a bit confused but I'm getting used to the setting and learning how to make my blog even better.  There is just so much useful information and it's quite fascinating because a blog is an online journal but you can add different features and make it more personal.