katrinara

Staring at myself

Wed, 07 Feb 2007 04:12:38 GMT

I have been thinking about some of the ways that I can gather and 'store' my thoughts about my own learning. I have noticed that one of my many challenges is finding a way to capture a thought in the moment. When I reflect on how my ideas come together, I realize that it is not that easy of a process to recount.
Sometimes ideas flow through dialogue in class-I hear something that makes me pause just for a moment to reflect on whatever is being spoken about. What happens with that though at that time? Sometimes I will be able to address what I am thinking right in that moment-by engaging in the dialogue and thinking out loud in a sense. There are other times when that is not possible. I may be able to write down my though-but then it becomes a random thought captured on a single peice of paper, only to be looked upon again when I am studying or something like that.
At other times, I can be reading something and either there is a connection to something that I am interested in already or there could be something that I never really thought about before. Again, I can write my thought down-normally in a few words or sentences, but more often than not, the thought becomes an underline in the text-a connection left either dog-eared or lost until I glance through the text once again.
Then there are times when watching something-on television, on stage, or just through plain observation, that an idea will connect to something else. I tend to remember these most often. Take for example the doll test video that I wrote about last semester (mediathatmatters.org/6/#). This documentary has stuck with me for a while now, and I am fascinated by what I could learn about MYSELF (my own learning/the world around me/myself in the world/my history/my culture/my philosophy of education...the list goes on), as well as what I can learn FROM OTHERS.
So, what does this all mean? I am trying something new. I am going to document my learning process (an aspect of it, I think) in a few different ways-one being written text (i.e. Livejournal), another may include pictures (digital photoessays), and yet another will be me staring at a video camera lens.

This may not be a novel approach to some, but I haven't done this before. I am curious to see where this goes.

Report of the Task Force on Aboriginal Languages and Cultures

Wed, 07 Feb 2007 00:53:22 GMT

http://www.aboriginallanguagestaskforce.ca/pdf/execsum_e.pdf

Yikes!

Wed, 10 Jan 2007 03:27:49 GMT

I didn't realize that the last time I posted anything was nearly two months ago! A new semester begins and new questions will emerge. I'm looking forward to posting again soon!

Until then,
K

YouTube...

Wed, 15 Nov 2006 16:41:18 GMT

I read something this morning on a student at Ryerson using his cellphone to videotape his professor "getting owned" by one of the students in the class. According to the newspaper that I read, using technology in this way is being seen by other universities as a tool to 'attack' teachers. It was even reported that UofT at Mississauga is trying to develop a policy that recognizes the use of technology in this way.

I am not sure how I feel about that. I feel that it is problematic when someone is being videotaped without their consent. There are other ways to resolve conflicts in the classroom, but in terms of documenting something in a public forum, I am not sure that it was wrong or should not be allowed.

Here is the link to the clip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4VeyI1fXCM&mode=related&search=
Or you can search on YouTube "chauncey getting owned"

Here is the link to the news article:
http://www.theeyeopener.com/article/3030

Any thoughts?

English Language Learners and Education

Tue, 14 Nov 2006 03:26:28 GMT

Thanks to one of my fellow students in the MECS program, I am now aware of this very valuable resource for educators. If ever you plan on working in the field of ECE in Toronto, you may want to have a look at this guide. It will be useful no matter what, even if you haven't yet worked with linguistically diverse children and families.

If anyone is interested in downloading this document, you can go here:
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/document/manyroots/manyroots.pdf

From the Ontario Ministry of Education website (2006):

"Many Roots, Many Voices: Supporting English Language Learners in Every Classroom

Many Roots, Many Voices is designed to support teachers, principals, and other education professionals at the elementary and secondary levels in working effectively with English language learners. In it, you will find a rich source of practices and strategies that can be put to immediate use in the school and the classroom. You will also find an in-depth exploration of the English language learner, and an annotated list of references and resources for further reading and study."

Inventions...

Tue, 14 Nov 2006 03:17:18 GMT

"Times names YouTube 'Invention of the Year'"

Read the CBC article here: http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2006/11/07/youtube-time.html

Posting Comments...

Mon, 13 Nov 2006 04:30:19 GMT

For those of you who have received comments from me about your blog entries, I would like to let you know that my intentions for posting comments was to engage you further in some aspect of critical thinking about the readings you were assigned. I failed to realize that posting comments online and in this forum could affect you in a number of ways-embarrassment, frustration, annoyance.
Therefore, I do not think that I will be posting comments related in any way to the evaluation of your blogs. However, this does not mean that I won't post comments at all. I encourage you to post comments in general. Posting comments can lead to interesting discussions on aspects of your writing (experiences, commonality with others, contrasting opinions) that actively engage you in critical thinking and self-reflection. Just keep in mind that your comments may be seen by others. I know that I didn't think about that and I apologize to those who may have been offended.

Katrina

Language and Communication

Sun, 12 Nov 2006 23:19:56 GMT

I am working on a research study right now that focuses on ECE students' perceptions of very young English Language Learners' (ELL) home language use in the classroom. I narrowed my interest to ECE students because I am curious about what the ECE program at Ryerson is preparing us to 'do' as professions in the field with respect to language and communication.

This study focuses on language, in particular, bilingualism and second language acquisition. Having recently graduated from the undergraduate ECE program, I do not necessarily feel well-equipped with the theory/knowledge-base AND the practical experience to work with linguistically diverse children and families. Therefore, I chose to focus on pre-service teacher education as an area of interest in this class titled "Linguistic Issues of Minority Language Children".

Even if you are just entering the program, or you have had experience working with ELLs, or you have experienced learning English as a second/third/etc. language, I am curious about your thoughts about language and communication, and the potential challenges we may face as educators of children who do not speak the same language as us.

NOTE: This information WILL NOT be used in my study.

Katrina

Doll Test

Fri, 10 Nov 2006 03:36:47 GMT

I find it disturbing that I had not known that this existed. What is it that I am talking about? Google "the doll test" or visit this website and have a look. I guarantee that you will not be disappointed that you did. As a recent graduate of an Early Childhood Education BA program, I am disappointed that this did not make it into some kind of mandatory reading...ANYWHERE!

Visit: http://www.mediathatmattersfest.org/6/#
If that link doesn't work, you can Google "A Girl Like Me" directed by Kiri Davis

On a side note, this form of information sharing has made me realize that (a) we don't seem to give young people enough credit in terms of documenting and sharing what they know, and (b) the essays, poster sessions, and personal response papers that tend to overwhelm us as undergrad/grad students should not be the only ways that we produce, document, and share our knowledge and growth as learners in the field of ECE. What can we learn about advocacy and activism as students using learning tools like this? I think that this kind of information sharing is really powerful and revealing.

Any thoughts?

"Winter" celebrations?

Thu, 09 Nov 2006 00:51:13 GMT

An intense class discussion took place today in my Theoretical Frameworks in Early Childhood Studies course. We were engaged in a dialogue about a "No Christmas" rule that occurs in school settings nowadays. It was interesting to see a very visual division in the group around whether or not they were opposed to this conventional rule. It was very revealing in that there was a perception around inclusion that mediated the entire discussion.

I am just curious what others may feel about this common classroom rule. For myself, I am not sure how to negotiate between a celebration of ALL holidays (as some suggested doing), with that of total exclusion. My concern was based on the fact that Christmas is 'celebrated' in Canada with special time off school, as well as in a hugely commercialized way. Any thoughts?

Just think about it...

Sat, 04 Nov 2006 16:59:55 GMT

A friend of mine sent me something to think about. We have been talking about diversity and inclusion in our graduate program, but have had a narrowed focus thus far. This is not to say that the topics we are discussing are not important. However, we are still not focusing on one aspect of diversity that continues to be pervasive in generally all cultures. Tell me what you think.

Katrina

A very insightful poem

Fri, 27 Oct 2006 02:23:17 GMT

A friend of mine emailed this poem to me and I thought that it would be good to share it with others. If we could all see as clearly as this child, what would the world be like?

This poem was nominated for best poem of 2005, written by an African child:

When I born, I black

When I grow up, I black

When I go in sun, I black

When I scared, I black

When I sick, I black

And when I die, I still black

And you white fellows;

When you born, you pink

When you grow up, you white

When you go in sun, you red

When you cold, you blue

When you scared, you yellow

When you sick, you green

When you die, you grey

And you calling me colored..

Digital Imaging Lab

Tue, 29 Nov 2005 04:57:00 GMT

Optional Component: Other photo-blogging services

I searched for another service like flickr using 'photo blogs' as my keyword phrase in the Google search engine. Although there were many hits, I noticed one called PHOTOBUCKET, located at www.photobucket.com. Like flickr, this photo and image hosting service has benefits like free membership (with optional premium paid service), accessibility and 'link'-ability to other services like blogs and eBay. With 50MB of space and 2500MB of bandwidth per month for free members, photobucket.com provides users with more space than other photo blogging services like flickr. However, there are some major limitations to this service with respect to privacy and censorship. For example, this service has the ability to delete a member's pictures and lock the account if they find the images to be 'offensive' or 'pornographic'. What those words mean exactly is not certain. Also, global access limits some features of privacy control for members' photos and images in terms of organizing them and displaying them to friends and family. In addition, photobucket.com is not as aesthetically pleasing to the eye as flickr, but it appears to be updated regularly and easy to navigate.

Digitial Bullying

Fri, 11 Nov 2005 02:14:19 GMT

Here's an article about digital bullying in highschool...I thought it might be interesting

http://msn-cnet.com.com/2060-10802_3-0.html?tag=nefd.bl

Goodmorning Sunshine

Wed, 09 Nov 2005 01:35:54 GMT

Goodmorning Sunshine
Originally uploaded by kaera5.

I am asking myself questions and finding the answers just by playing around with flickr! Pretty cool! This is for Part I of the Digital Imaging Lab.
I think I will be using this more often :)

Flickr

Wed, 09 Nov 2005 01:33:52 GMT

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

Wk 9 Readings

Mon, 31 Oct 2005 03:43:37 GMT

The NCAR AccessGrid:
I always wondered what students in similar programs at other universities across Canada and beyond were doing that was the same and/or different to our program. It seems that having this kind of technology could allow for interaction and open dialogue among students and professionals in these programs-building and feeding off of each other, not in a competitive sense (although I am sure that that would be inevitable), but in a collaborative, enriching way that stimulates conversation and debate, and promotes questioning and reflecting on our current practices. Although limited only by budget and access (huge concerns for a number of reasons), I believe that incorporating this kind of technology, that is, online virtual meetings, would help us gain more worldly perspectives and valuable, constructive experiences to analyze, evaluate, and build upon our current knowledge in the university setting.
Video Conferencing with Preschool Children:
There were a few statements in this study that left me wondering beyond the context of this paper. I was intrigued by the statements 'media defines culture' and 'all that we learn is assimilated though some communications medium' (p.2). It seems that using video conferencing (VC) as a learning method just seems like a 'natural' extension of our learning process and ability. I know that evaluating VC learning sessions was a secondary purpose of this study, and that brings up another interesting aspect of learning through the media. How do we evaluate what we learn when each of us may interpret what we see and hear differently because of experience and our own abilities? Are there different learning outcomes when using VC? Can we use traditional evaluation techniques? I don't know.
Children as Photographers:
As I read the paper Children as Photographers by Sharples, Davison, Thomas, and Rudman, I was trying to reflect on my own experiences with cameras. The questions I asked myself were-what are my experiences with taking pictures as a child and when I did take pictures, what was it that I tried to capture and in what context? I really could not think of any examples when I had a camera in my hand, other than a make-believe ones I used during dramatic play. My memories with cameras are mainly of me on the other side of the camera, saying cheese and forcing a toothy smile. It wasn’t until I read this paper that I really thought about children behind the camera lens-as photographers who capture images through their own eyes. Interestingly though, I thought that the questions posed by the researchers were not limited to the children in those specific age groups. If you ask yourself the same questions, I am sure that the answers you come up with may be very similar to those of the children across the age spectrum. Does this mean that a four year old could be the next Ansel Adams?

Wk 8: Gender, Race, and Identity online

Tue, 25 Oct 2005 03:52:12 GMT

When I read Nakamura's article about Race In/For Cyberspace, I tried to focus on the two questions that she posed about how race was written in cyberspace and how it was read by others. I immediately wanted to consider the kinds of characters that are in a lot of the video games out there, both single player and within an online community but, as I tried to recall specific stereotypical looking characters, I thought that maybe it wasn't about the explicit details she was talking about. Rather, it was through that concept of identity tourism that implicit biases about race and gender were being revealed by 'vacationing' people, exploring these socially constructed identities behind a mask. I believe that although it would be ideal if race never played a role in creating an identity online, it really cannot be ignored. And even if race is not defined in human terms (ex. games with species of characters that are not human), there is always differentiation and an idea that we can be categorized according to how we look primarily. I don't know what to do about how race is written in cyberspace-prevailing stereotypes about racialized groups continue to exist and appear to be profitable in the media, especially video games and movies. It appears that no matter how advanced technology gets, the humans that use it are stuck in the stone age when it comes to ideas about race, even when it is something that doesn't really exist!

What I got out of the article "A Rape in Cyberspace" was the power of the WORD, and how words/text could manifest itself in a physical form. Words draw out raw emotion and produce 'real' consequences-consider how the victims of Mr. Bungle felt after being violated with words in VR. As I read further, it appeared that there was a vanishing distinction between actions that occurred in VR and in RL. That is, the consequences of the actions produce real results. When I read about the opinions of the various community members in LambdaMoo during the social forum debate about Mr. Bungle's actions, it was obvious that it didn't matter that everything was happening in virtual reality-his actions required real consequence (toading). But that wasn't real at all! Mr. Bungle's punishment, although some people's intentions were to punish the hand behind the puppet, wasn't effective. It only put blinders on everyone else since death by virtual elimination didn't get rid of the puppet master! This is a scary thought because, if we think about all of the chat rooms and online communities out there that exist through word, it is likely that situations like this occur and go unnoticed, completely violating people without consequence.

What stood out for me from the Impact of Race paper was how the idea of a revolution in democratic communication was a bubble that needed bursting, especially when it came to understanding how race played a role in students' ownership, access, and use of computers. What I liked about this paper was what it said about needing multiple points of access for students (ensure access and use will follow). It makes sense, but how is this being translated in society? Computers are costing less (remember the story about the $100 laptop?) and Internet access companies are more competitive with more options and choice.

Wk 7: SimCity, Linux, and more

Tue, 18 Oct 2005 19:59:51 GMT

The first thing that I noticed when I began reading the Seductions of Sim article was that it was from 1994. As technology moves as fast as a blink of the eye, I finished the article wanting to find out where SimCity was in 2005. My curiosity led me to the SimCity4 website, where playing God was advertised as a way to draw people to play the game. I recall reading in the article about what Starr thought SimCity would change when it would be connected online with others. I noticed on the website that it is interactive and has branched off with its more popular game: The Sims. It would be interesting to know what Starr thinks of the Sim world now that access and availability of the Internet and computers has changed in the decade since he wrote that article.
Why hadn't I known about SimCity before? When I read the article, it struck me. I thought that playing SimCity would be difficult (even though he said that children were navigating through it with ease) because I am not good with instructions and I am a bit impatient. There were so many things to consider when 'creating' your SimCity that I didn't think that it would be a game I would have been interested in. Also, Starr's article discussed the role that models play in these simulation games, and how these models are constructed by those whose valued and beliefs may not be based on ideologies that reflect those who use the game. As I read on, I began to realize that we tend not to question these kinds of models, and that maybe we begin to construct our knowledge bases on information that is totally biased through these simulators. This article left me wondering how useful these simulator games would be with younger children, who may take the information that they are introduced to as valid.
The Open Source Household article was challenging to read only because I am unfamiliar with the LInux software. I guess this comes from being drowned in Windows-based programs since elementary school. I really didn't know how to do anything other than use WordPerfect (at the time) and I never used the Internet until highschool. What I got out of the article was that computer literacy seems to be an issue that needs to be addressed in schools and beyond, but there has been little done to move in a direction so people could experiment and learn about the different options that open source software seems to encourage users to do. I finished that article wondering why we generally don't know more about open source software like Linux. It is awful to think that we would rather spend millions of dollars, closing doors, and limiting our options, when there is the ability to share and learn from each other without worrying about spending $400 to send email and print a word document.
When I browsed the MediaFamily website, I found a lot of information on the effects of violence in the media on children and the portrayal of certain gender roles that were prevalent. From video game and movie reviews to the mediawise section with dr. dave, I thought that this website offered good information to parents who wanted to know more about what their children may be playing. But at the same time, is it not hypocritical that parents utilize the media to find out the information that tells them that there should be 'no media' days? What happened to talking to your children and finding out more about what they play? Or better yet, is it possible anymore to spend time playing together?

online gaming and real world behaviour

Sun, 16 Oct 2005 18:51:21 GMT

http://sympatico-msn-ca.com.com/Virtual+epidemics+may+hold+scientific+promise/2100-1043_3-5894309.html?part=sympatico-msn-ca&subj=ns&tag=ca_home

I thought that this article could be linked to our reading this week on SimCity. It mentions how virtual online worlds can be used by researchers to investigate real world behaviour. It is interesting to consider what the Seductions of Sim article said about the validity of models in relation to what these researchers want to find out from the plagues caused in this online game.

Wk 6: Hacking Attacking?

Wed, 12 Oct 2005 00:58:22 GMT

As I read the "Hacking Human" paper, the first thing that I realized was that my idea of what hacking was seemed really naive. I admit that my view on hacking has come from the media-news, magazines, and especially movies, where hacking seems to be like an underground culture where you have to know a lot about computers and want to find out information that you are not supposed to know about. When I read further, I thought to myself that the idea of having a surveillance map of any individual was so disturbing but very real. I can recall many times when I felt the need to give websites information about myself that I really didn't feel I needed to divulge. Only recently have I felt that the information that I enter on any website can potentially have negative consequences. When I first had a hotmail account, for example, I did not feel uncomfortable entering all of the information they were asking for. Thinking of the Internet as a data graveyard, however, makes me believe that any information that I put out on the Internet can definitely come back to haunt me. It is not that I think I have ghosts to hide, but fragments of my personal data is out there for anyone interested in becoming Dr. Frankenstein to construct an undead version of myself. Moreover, when I read about how blogs provided a rich avenue from which to begin piecing together an 'identity map' of an individual, I felt very uncomfortable with the fact that I began using LiveJournal without really knowing what exactly it was and what it could be used for.

This is not to say that utilizing lost or forgotten information is not useful or welcoming. I believe that detective work and forensics can be reflected here as a way of investigating people or situations that resulted in some kind of loss or were dangerous in some way. And I must admit, I have actually worked 'backwards' to find people on the Internet, using search engines to try and find bits of information like Sherlock Holmes! After reading this paper, I see now that I have engaged in social hacking, and realize that it is not how the media has portrayed it. I feel more informed, but also more weary of the information that travels on the Internet about the 'real' me!

Wk 5 Discussion

Tue, 04 Oct 2005 19:36:16 GMT

The first article that I read was called "Case Studies of K-12 Educators: Use of the Internet-Exploring the relationship between metaphor and practice. It was a Centre for Children and Technology Report from May 1996. Knowing this, I realized that the information in this research paper would not be current or up-to-date with the fast rate of technology since it was nearly a decade old. This paper explored K-12 educators' perceptions of the Internet in the classroom environment and how applicable this technology is in the curriculum. The Internet was presented as two metaphors: that of a "superhighway" and of an ocean. Issues that were explored in the paper included the how often and in what ways these educators utilized the Internet and the various ways the environments they used the Internet influenced their ideas about how the Internet could be used as a resource in education.
This qualitative research was conducted in the US, using 19 K-12 educations as a sample. In terms of validity of information, it was very hard to overlook the fact that such a minute sample was used to generalize their findings to such a gigantic population. In addition, not all regions in the US were represented, and not all educators were classroom teachers. Moreover, the interviews were generally conducted via the Internet, which may affect the results of the research. The questionnaire focused on topics like Internet use, involvement, learning, use in schools, future, and professional background.
The data collected was analyzed and findings categorized these educators into four different groups. After I read this paper, I did not feel that the information it provided was very limited and quite dated (modems were primarily used for Internet connections/DSL was not even mentioned). As fast as technology is changing, so too should the research being done concerning the use of the Internet as a resource tool in the classroom.

The article that I read from the EFF website came from the Internet Free Expression Alliance. It was a joint statement for the record on "Kids and the Internet: The Promise and the Peril". This paper was explicitly concerned with issues of censorship with respect to a US Supreme Court ruling in the case of Reno v. ACLU in which a censorship mandate of a Library board was found unconstitutional because it not only violated US 1st Amendment rights, but also appealed for the use of blocking software on public library Internet ready computers to filter 'indecent' materials as a means of protecting children/other users from 'wrong' information.
This report concludes that the use of blocking software on these computers not only filter out socially perceived 'bad' material, it also filters out relevant, useful, and educational material that would otherwise not be seen. Instead of using this extreme form of censorship, the report suggests that in order to 'protect' our children, we/they need to be educated and trained so as to not create 'quick fixes' but actually address, strategize, and resolve these issues.
I believe that the information this report provided was relevant and current. Not only did it draw its conclusions from a concrete example (court decision), it provided solutions and links to websites to help educate not only children but adults alike.

Googling, googling, googling

Fri, 30 Sep 2005 03:25:48 GMT

I just wanted to let out some frustration from the lab the other day. I have never had so little interest in "googling" anything after that lab. I understand that just scratching the surface doesn't allow you to break through and explore the depths of the unknown, but I felt like I was hacking away with a pick axe and feeling nothing but frustration building up. I have definitely learned that I can't just settle for scratching the surface. I need to not be so lazy! I need to use this Google thing for all that it potentially has to offer. I really do not like this lab, but I appreciate the kick in the ass it has given me. The benefits of this lab (like exploring, discovering, and utilizing more than just the search bar) is well worth the pain!

K

Wk 4 Readings

Sun, 25 Sep 2005 22:26:19 GMT

Re: Parents and Webcams in nursery

I began reading this study having already established some concerns with the use of webcams in child care settings. My own beliefs stemmed from a friend's account of her experience in a centre which used cameras for monitoring purposes. I thought that although the cameras would not be invasive, their presence seemed to change everything. I assumed that if I had worked in a centre like that, I would be concerned with how my actions appeared on camera, knowing that the context in which any given situation occurred would not be known by the outsider looking in. I think that this is a major limitation in using webcams in child care settings. If by chance a parent logs onto a scene in which something appears 'wrong', it would be difficult to mend any doubts or regain any sense of security or comfort if the situation was not what it seemed (between parent and staff).
After reading this study, I found that my perspective was weighted by the fact that I am an ECE and not a parent. However, this paper allowed me to examine other points of view. Although I am not a parent, I believe that my own needs would best be served by using webcams in the centre that my child attended. My needs (as selfish as it sounds) would be reconciled by using the webcam to maintain a sense of contact with my child. If I was not physically there to be with him/her, it would ease my neediness to be present by using the webcam. This is not to say that the webcam would be on the entire time my child was there-at least, this is what I would hope. I think that my guilt of not being there to experience every moment of my child's life would definitely influence my use of this technology.
I asked my parents if they would have used webcams if they were available when I was in child care. I was surprised to find out that their responses were so different. My dad insisted on not using the webcam, not only because it could potentially affect his job, but also because he believed that knowing the staff and screening the centre would be sufficient in terms of a child's safety and protection. My mom, on the other hand, believed that she would use a webcam, but only for the first few weeks of being apart from me. She thought that she would gain a sense of security and knowledge of the staff, centre, routines, etc., and see how I was doing, having been apart from me for so long. It was interesting to hear their views given that neither really knows how to use webcams-that really didn't seem to make a difference.
Webcams in child care settings may become the norm, but I think it would be wrong to declare that using this technology would be only in the best interest of the child.

Re: Underwater camera saves life

I have to say that I was amazed that such technology was actually out there and being used. However, what scared me when I read this article was what the lifeguard said: "I dived in as soon as the alert sounded". The first thing I thought about was how dependent the lifeguards may be on this technology. Although I am not sure exactly how this software works, I wonder about how reliable it is and what exactly are deemed inconsistencies in swimmers' movements. Have you heard of the story Never Cry Wolf? What happens if the alert sounds more and more for errors in 'judgment'?
Sure this technology is potentially life saving, but how many community pools can really afford to have this system installed?

Halavais Reading

Tue, 20 Sep 2005 04:37:53 GMT

With a better understanding about weblogs and collaborative web publishing, I feel as though I am gaining some momentum with my knowledge in computer technologies. This affects me, not only as an individual but also as part of a larger (and more global) community as I see it unfold in our class using LiveJournal.
I had never used a program like LiveJournal before, and never believed that I would find becoming involved in this kind of forum useful or very meaningful. However, after reading Halavais' paper, I have gained a more clear picture of its potential. His point is clear, that these technologies can potentially be used as enriching tools in making teaching more about an open exchange of dialogue (Freire), rather than solely about direct transmission of knowledge from teacher to student. If I take our ECE912 community page as an example, I really see how Halavais' point is clear. Each of us has the ability to voice our opinions and present what we believe to a larger community. We all have the opportunity to reflect on our own beliefs and understanding of the material presented by having the chance to discuss and comment on each other's postings. We can make connections, compare, and seek out more information through reading our work. It's not about presenting one way of thinking, but rather gaining a better understanding of how each of us may relate what we are learning to our experiences.
As I read this paper, I tried to remain as optimistic like Halavais clearly said he was in his introduction. However, there were some concerns I could not avoid thinking about as I reflected on what he presented. First, I became concerned about people's different learning styles and comfort levels with computer technology (and how adaptable people are to different styles of learning) as I read his section on Weblogs as replacement technology. Without access to the Internet, computers, and time for learning about how to use or navigate through collaborative web publishing programs, it may be difficult for people to express themselves clearly or with ease. Worrying about where your post went or at what time or who may see it, may take away from how articulate you are in expressing your thoughts. Second, on page 14, as Halavais talks about what is required for blogging to work effectively, I was concerned, not only about different learning styles and adaptabilty of individuals, but also about how even a playing field everyone has when using this kind of technology. For those people with access to a computer and the Internet 24-7, blogging may become easier to use and beneficial academically, as opposed to those whose access may be limited by economics or time. As a social practice, I believe that it may become easier to see the gap and harder to close the gap at the same time. Third, when Halavais discusses the open classroom, he addresses how privacy may become vulnerable to the dangers possible when school walls are 'removed'. I was concerned with his solutions to these potential dangers, in particular making certain topics 'off-limits' and creating 'alternative identities' (p.7). Restricting freedom of speech is a form of censorship and may create tension or doubt in an individual's right to express themselves. Also, using alternative identities, as we addressed in Turkle's readings, can begin to change the meaning of self-identity, and may pose a challenge when trying to evaluate work.
There was a lot of 'good' that came out of Halavais' paper about weblogs and collaborative web publishing, but I believe that there were also a lot of questions and concerns that resulted. And even though Halavais attempted to use some major philosophical players to support his ideas, I believe that he may have overlooked one serious flaw in weblogging (and for that matter anything on a computer/net), that is, and as Rousseau states, nature contributes to our learning and understanding of the world around us and ourselves. How can you smell the ocean air or play in the snow in front of a computer screen?