Learning To Handle Criticism

One of the major tenets of the Digital Media program is critiquing. Heaven knows your clients will constantly be critiquing the work you do for them. Sometimes it's good for an ego boost, but sometimes... not so much.

You can cultivate a thick skin, pretending you don't care what the rest of the world thinks, but that gets you nothing but a very large ego. You have to be able to sort out the relevant from the inconsequential.

Winter quarter is Photography I here in the DMD program at COTC, and that means it's time to break out the Kleenex(tm) (brand) tissues. Critiques of "pitchers" are relentless (and remorseless), but the students survive. And learn a lot about themselves along the way.

The biggest problem students have in critiquing design (theirs or others) is finding something meaningful (and valid!) to say. This is especially true of online critiques. (Just visit any online photography forum to see what I mean.)

Here's a link to a blog post that captures the full essence of photo critique: http://theonlinephotographer.blogspot.com/2006/06/great-photographers-on-internet.html

Warning: Satire Alert!

And remember this basic principle: If the client tells you something is wrong, they are always right. If they tell you how to fix it, though, they are invariably wrong.

the end is near...

I just wanted to let Bill and everyone know that I truly enjoyed this class and reading the blogs and the wiki that all of us put together through out the quarter! I know that I plan to continue blogging in a way its a stress reliever. I may also continue with the wiki, that is if I can completely figure it out. This is one of the best classes that I have had the privilege of taking through COTC, and I just loved the whole experience in its self. So thanks to Bill and to all of you for helping me to have such a good experience with this class! Everyone have a safe and HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON!

Danielle Brooks (proudmomma02)

And So It Goes

For the online Intro to eLife class, only 14 more hours remain. The face-to-face class takes their final in just 5. The quarter winds down!

I can tell from the length and quality of the course work that many students devoted a lot of time to doing well in this class. As for me, as the perpetrator of the online version of the course, I can't even begin to tell you how much effort went into creating each week's lectures. I can tell you the number of hours, though.

The short lectures generally only took a couple of hours to research and maybe a half hour to record (both the video intro and the audio). Add another couple hours for collection of graphics. If any videos were included, add another hour or two (after I found them). And then add about two hours to edit everything together in Final Cut and, lastly, about two more hours to convert the edited video to a format that I could upload to Angel.

You do the math.

For the weeks when the lectures approached an hour, I was quite literally spending 60-70 hours just on the lecture for this course.

Of course, one of the advantages of being so immersed in the material is that I was able to deliver a non-stop ad-lib lecture in the face-to-face class. I always was an off-the-top-of-my-head speaker... don't you just hate teachers who read their notes or work right out of a textbook? But for this class I could mix "sage on the stage" with whatever interaction the class had.. and investigate whatever seemed to be interesting. Often I could take the week's content off in wild and crazy directions and, to the amazement of all—including me, bring it all right back to the topic at hand.

The time I spent on the online class (which included reading papers, preparing guided notes, and developing other paper content) all came out of my personal life. I only saw my wife during dinner (or as we both headed out the door in the morning), and there were days when I got only a couple of hours of sleep. No wonder I'd collapse on the weekend.

But the excitement of putting together the material and then being able to explore the Web interactively in the classroom was a terrific thrill. The only thing that could top that was reading the dialog on this blog and watching the wiki grow. I am d*mn impressed with the caliber of the students who came along on this journey.

One regret was the number of students who signed up for the course who couldn't find the time or put in the effort to even watch the lectures, let alone interact. Not everyone has the dedication to the self-study effort that online education requires. For those who made it this far (only about half of the original enrollment), I applaud you.

I'm already starting to upload the content for next quarter's online class: digital photography. We'll be experimenting with different kinds of lecture techniques and I plan on adding a synchronous (i.e., live) component for those who can participate. Yep, more Web 2.0 tools. Goody!

I plan on keeping this blog open, too, and see what else we can learn about education online. As Joseph Campbell might have described it, this was truly a "Hero's Journey." Only it's been you, the students, who have made the journey and who are my heroes. Well done!

A Question

This is separate from the main posts...

So did anyone reach our photographer friend in California?  Bill?

Thomas

How Has Online Learning Changed My Education?

Online learning has changed everything. Well, it has certainly changed a lot. Years ago when I first graduated from high school in 1996, the web was still in it's relatively early development. We didn't have the capabilities we have today. A classroom blog was not a feasible plan, nor was a class project like cotc.wetpaint.com. The idea that a classroom could exist in cyber space was not much more than a dream then, and even if it had been, I wasn't interested.

Let's move forward to 2006. I've been working at a job that was less than dreamy for about eight years. Life was simple enough, just not very fulfilling. My wife had been attending classes part time at COTC for a few years now, both on campus and online, and getting a pretty good education while she was at it. My curiosity was aroused. I bet I could go back to school and get a pretty good education at COTC as well, and do it while I continued to work full time. My job offers a fairly flexible schedule, but it would still be necessary to take most of my courses online. Turns out, COTC offers a lot of classes online, I could be a college student without having to step foot on the campus for entire quarters!!

Here we are in 2008, I've been a student at COTC for four quarters now and I've never attended a class on the main campus. I've attended class at The Works, two to be exact, but The Works is about two minutes from my house, doesn't get much more convenient than that.

How has online learning changed the way I perceive education? Almost completely.

Online learning has made it possible for me to not only attend school, but enjoy it as well. I can sit in my sweatpants, drink my coffee, smoke a cigarette and yell at my dogs, all while listening to Bill lecture. Try doing that at the Works.

Has online learning been easy? Sometimes. The ease of being able to pause and resume at my convenience has been invaluable. The option of being able to wait until 11:59 PM to turn in assignments has sometimes been my downfall. I'm a person that hates to do today, what can be put off until tomorrow. In a traditional classroom this was bad enough, but in the online world, it has sometimes been disastrous.

Has it been frustrating? Occasionally. Not getting immediate answers to questions I have for instructors can be very irritating. Waiting on replies to emails is like watching paint dry. In Marketing I had a group project that required coordination of several people. In a traditional classroom, not a big deal, for an online class, very difficult. I have a very different schedule than some and that's why I take online courses. I guess I can see the relevance of being able to coordinate online, but it's not something I expected from Intro to Marketing. If I ruled the online learning world, I would ban group projects.

Overall, I have thoroughly enjoyed my online learning experience. Just as I suspected and made note of at the beginning of this course, Bill has armed me with an abundance of knowledge that will no doubt help tremendously as I continue in my online learning, not to mention completely changed what I expect from an online course. I have a feeling that next quarter, when I take all online courses again, I won't be nearly as enthused about the lectures as I have been this quarter.

So how has online learning changed the way I perceive education? It has allowed me to feel like I am part of something new and fresh. My input into the system could make it easier for the next person, and their's for the next, and so on. I feel like with the advancement and evolution of the Web, online learning will continue to evolve, or at least it should.

My suggestion, get the instructors on board, teach them how to teach in this environment. Teachers can't be as effective if they don't understand the medium they are using and it has been my experience that some of them clearly don't. I honestly feel like what we are doing right now, blogging, is the future of this medium, or at least it should be.

Thanks to everyone who has commented and shared with me this quarter, I've thoroughly enjoyed the exchanges.

-Zack

My online learning experience!

Online learning for me this quarter has been frustrating! All the way down to trying to do a group project where NO ONE communicated with each other until a week before the final! I love the experience of learning online - which teaches you self discipline because you have to know where to budget your time!!!! And you have to teach yourself that there is a deadline, but no one is there to remind you . . . I learned a lot from online learning all the way down to that. At times throughout this quarter I have felt overwhelmed and thought this was impossible. How does everyone else make it look sooo easy? I work full time and I am trying to be a full time student as well, and this quarter proved very challanging!

The advantages of online learning definately over-run the disadvantages! The ability to replay the lectures over and over if I want to - or even the ability to study at your own convience and pace.

It was a great experience! :-)

Web 2.0

Web 2.0 changed how everyone uses the web nowadays! Look at MySpace and FaceBook - which is not only a social connection, but gets you closer the the six-degrees from anyone!! So many people use these sites everyday - and what better way to show your life to someone than on the Internet?? Write a book? How many people actually read a paper book anymore when you can read it online?!?!?!? Web 2.0 has changed communication in the world! I am a perfect example of using Web 2.0 to send an email to someone rather than calling them. LET ALONE: YOU CAN ACTUALLY CALL SOMEONE THROUGH YOUR COMPUTER NOW!!!! I don't even have to pick up my phone!

It is crazy to someone like my mom, who never thought the Internet would become this popular or accessible to everyone and everything!

How has technology changed my education?

Well, technology has changed education tremendously for both me and everyone else. The convience of being able to take a class while sitting in the comforts of my home, to take a class without having to changed my normal routines, and even to be able to take a class while having my nephew here.

Technology has changed my education to make it easier (in some senses) to attempt to fulfill my dreams in life. I have to convience of being at home instead of driving in bad road conditions or better yet, the accessability of being on vacation and still taking classes without missing a beat. It has simplified life to a degree.

I grew up around computers, both in school and at home, but officially did not become too familiar with them until high school.

Jes

Online Experience

Online learning has opened a whole other option to learning for me when it comes to my education. I really enjoy learning online and it gives me a chance to learn content without relying on notes or memory. I can watch my lectures 6 times over if I need to or pause the lecture to cross reference the material being discussed. I can't even begin to describe how valuable it is to me to be able to control my lessons. Discipline plays a huge part of online learning for me as well, staying on task sometimes tries to become a problem especially when I am looking up material discussed and it sends me into other directions that are just as interesting. Or just keeping all my assignments in track, especially when taking 4 other classes online, things get a little muddled up every so often. The Experience of online learning is a nice break from traditional classroom experience, and to keep it simple I like the control I have over it. Although what I am learning and how it is presented is the biggest part of the experience. Business classes online are dreadfully boring where as E-life and DigiFun gave me something to look forward to. The E-life experience was by far the best one, it gave me a sense of enlightenment. It sparked my curiosity and had my mind reeling for days about all the stuff I knew was out there but never really paid attention to. I was amazed mostly by the anthropology parts of it and the philosophical aspects involved with this class. There isn't one single thing that sticks out that made me think "I wish I could change that." That might seem like a cop out but I really like online learning.

The Merits of Online Learning

The way I assess whether or not I've learned  or have been impacted by something is by keeping aware of its influence in my daily life.  They say that it takes consistent behavior modification over a period of several weeks to make something a habit, part of human routine.  Add or subtract a week and the underlying idea is valid.  Over time we become influenced by our environment.  Or at least we should.  I believe that receiving an education is similar.  Activity and passivity share a fine line, but by actively taking a step towards understanding and applying, it's a fine line that is never crossed.  Has this class, or, rather, has online learning influenced me in any way?  Was it rewarding or frustrating?  May I say yes and both?

I'm eager to understand the Web more but also anthropology.  I found myself thinking about the influence of the Web on society as  a whole and I'm eager to see where it goes.  If something causes me to ponder it while in the shower then it has indeed influenced me.  And there were many times I found myself doing just that.  Luckily for most of you, you have no idea what I look like, so you're spared the visual.  Sorry, Bill.  Kathlyn.   

While this class was enriching, it was exhausting to say the least.  I'm not sure why.  Perhaps it is a combination of several personal and academic factors.  There was much content to cover.  Covering it myself, as is the idea of online learning, was enjoyable; however, some of the content was somewhat dense (some of the videos we had to watch outside of the normal lecture).  However, the fact that there are professionals who are making a living off the IDEA of the Web or trying to understand it and predict it goes to show that it isn't an ill-fated fad.  If one wishes to get in on this market (I do), then learning as much about it as possible is desirable...even if some of the linked lecturers were drips or quite drab.

So I guess that is all that I have to say.  Do I have an elegant,magnificent, touching ending like some of the fascinating lecturers we've listened to?  I'm being serious.  Some of the short videos we watched  were quite remarkable and exciting.  No, I really don't have that.  But I would like to end with the reminder that while the Web is growing, changing, evolving, we still rely on a key element - as much as we enjoy watching videos, we still rely on the written or typed word.  Text.  Whether hyper or not, we must know be able to communicate effectively.  Hopefully I have.  

Learning with Web 2.0

Web 2.0 has helped me with research and finding information for my classes at Central Ohio Technical College. Sometimes I can find a specific answer to a question by scanning through a blog or wiki. I never realized the potential Web 2.0 had on my learning experience. Assignments we've done have helped my understanding of the Web tremendously. For me, it has reduced the time it takes to find information.

Understanding a concept gives one greater confidence. With this class coming to and end I feel that every bit of information learned will be applied to future tasks with work in Web Design, especially when it comes to working with clients. If a client has a question that you can answer on the spot, it looks more professional.

My Education and Technology

How has technology changed my education? Well... I feel like, until this year, my education hasn't changed because of technology. Technology had influenced my education but not changed it, until now.

I had computers early in elementary school that we used for typing practice, in-class assignments and educational games. By the time that I had to write my first paper, i was already online looking up information on the topic. I have been fortunate enough to have grop in a world where any information is right at the tip of my fingers. In middle school, most of the other kids were just taking classes on how to use the web to their advantage. I had to sit through these boring classes listening to a teacher trying to teach a class on something that she didn't know anything about. I think that I actually taught the teacher more than she taught the class. It wasn't until the 9th or 10th grade that i actually felt like my peers actually knew how to use technology to their advantage.

Now is a different story... This is my first quarter taking an onlie class and I love it. Before now information had always been given to me by a teacher or a text book. I had technologies to assist but the teacher or book usually gave all the information needed for assignments and tests, This kind of work and learning is very boring to me and every class, every year seemed to be the same old thing. Now, having tried the online learning, I have discovered a new and actually exciting way for me to learn.

Technlogy has now changed my education because I found a way to learn that I actually like. The challange of actually finding and discovering things on my own is awsome. I also love the freedom that the online class provides. Not only the freedom of not having to actually attend the class, but also the freedom to explore more things than just the textbook or teacher has to say. I know that i have always had the luxuryto use technology in this way but I had never been pushed to use it. That is what this class has done for me and now next quarter I am taking three classes online!

Technology Driven Education

Technology has grown by leaps and bounds in so few years. When I was in the fifth grade we played "Oregon Trail" and thought it was the coolest thing. When I was eleven I mowed grass for a whole summer in order to save money for a Nintendo. That's a Nintendo, not a Super or a 64, just a Nintendo. I once told a young teenager that I was interviewing that story and he gazed at me with amazement. "A Nintendo...how old are you?" he asked in disbelief. Truth is, I'm not that old. The Nintendo was top of the line when I was eleven, but that wasn't really that long ago (less than twenty years, more than eighteen). My point is that even though that 8 bit gaming system seems so archaic now, the Playstation 3's and XBox 360's have sprung up on us fairly quickly.

The game stations aren't the only things that have grown so rapidly. The way we teach and the way we learn have grown as quickly, maybe quicker. Today it's even possible for home school students to get a high school diploma without even having to get up and go to school. My twenty-two year old brother was home schooled his whole life. He finished his high school education only a few years ago and the option of an actual high school diploma was not offered. In just those four or five years Web 2.0 has completely revolutionized even a high school experience.

I remember learning to use a card catalog system in a real library. I wonder how many high schoolers can do that these days. It's much easier to sit at a computer terminal in the library and type a title into a search engine and find the book that way. It's even easier to sit down in front of your computer in your bedroom, type a title into a search engine and read the book online.


I'm only criticizing the technology to a point. As Thomas pointed out in his post, "The Effects of Technology" this new way of doing things has it's downfalls, but it certainly has it's perks as well. The ease and convenience of learning online is hard to rival in a class room setting. Without the online courses offered by COTC or many other institutions, many people including myself could not fulfill their dream of a higher education. The Web has made it possible for more than just students to learn. In effect, it has made the average person a student without being enrolled in school. Anytime a person looks up a "how to" online, they are learning because of this technology. Anytime a person researches a political topic they're interested in, they are learning because of this technology.

I think the future offers more than we can even imagine now. It seems to me that we already have the technology for real time classroom discussions, we just need the structure and coordination. In Kevin Kelly's lecture we watched this week he mentioned an idea of his. The semantic web, the one, the machine, will someday create even more opportunity to learn in new ways. A total connection of data and people and people and data will revolutionize education both in an online learning community and in the classroom. I'm very excited to be a part of this early part of history, and even more excited about the possibility to be a part of creating the next chapter.

Learning Curve.

I've grown up with the internet. Not so much in the "digital native" kind of way, but more like I'm the internet's little brother. I was at the very tail end of the "televisions without remotes" era of American history so I didn't have a home PC until about the 7th grade. I can remember wanting to stay inside from recess in the sixth to get on the internet. Those days are LONG gone now. I actually had a class on how to navigate the internet and sending emails when I was in junior high. Oh Netscape, how awesome I thought you were back then. Everyone thought they were cool because they had a hotmail.com account. I made my own webpages and hosted them on geocities.

As you can see, I actually HAVE grown up WITH the internet. I've watched it turn from a scary thing into something everyone used and then into a tool. Something people used on a daily basis.

I remember back when I was in the sixth grade and our school was trying to get a levy passed so they could "update" their text books. There was a big board meeting held at the high school and people came to have a forum. People didn't understand why the school should invest in computers instead of text books. Obviously text books are important, but at that point there was a single text book for every three students in a class on average. My school was poor, I know. Leave me alone. If they invested that money into a single computer and a printer, they would have saved money. That was even back then. Computers are ten times cheaper now. You can get dial-up (yuck) internet for $7.99/mo. if you want it. Thinking about that for a second. I can remember when dial-up was fast. sheesh.

Overall, I like the way technology and education have gone hand in hand. Sure things like l33t spe4k or whatever it is causes people to frown some, but it's classes like this one that are a positive example.

technology & my education

How has technology changed education for me?? Well, its made things a lot easier, and way more convenient. I don't have to worry about finding a sitter for my kids while I am in class, I don't have to miss out on the opportunity to work full time because of scheduling conflicts. Because of the advancement of technology I am able to attend most of my college courses through the comfort of my own home, without the extra worries I had before. I love that part, and every aspect of the always changing never boring life of technology!

How could technology make learning easier or better? I think that being able to jump online and find just about anything that I could ever need for a class or just because in general has became far more easy. Personally I think that technology has made learning better for me because I can take my time, follow at a pace right for me when getting the lectures and other task that normally in class I could not keep up with. At home I can play, replay, and pause the lectures as many times as I need to until I fully understand what is being discussed where as before in class it was a hit or miss when it came to the lecture and material covered in the classes. I am truly thankful for the advancements of technology and for being fortunate enough to attend college classes at home with this advancement there to assist me.

The effects of technology

Abacus - "a calculating tool used primarily in parts of Asia for performing arithmetic processes." Also a technology boring children for years upon years until the great TI-82 calculator was invented. Thank God.

Technology has influenced the way I've learned dramatically, I'm sure. I was schooled under the transition between overhead projectors and Power Point. I saw the use of chalkboard, white boards, and Smart Boards. In college, I understood conference classes. In grade school I was able to spell out "HELL" and "BOOB" on a calculator, careful to avoid the teacher's stern look. After passing the message to my neighboring classmate, who knew I was actually primitively texting. In high school we learned how to program our TI-82 to help with advanced math problems, later learning how to program them for even better learning objectives - how to geometrically stack awkward objects on top of each....err....Tetris.

Technology has essentially raised the bar. We learn the lesson, but we also learn application. Or we should. When I would have my own students use the computer lab for author research or for a Christmas project, I was doing more than just having them use a tool for a desired object; I was providing them skills (new and foreign to some) to apply to all subjects through the use of the said tool. By giving them tips to improve their hits on a browser, I was aligning them towards future success. Why people type a question in a search engine is beyond me. Yes, Ask Jeeves was sweet, but seriously. The browser semantically doesn't understand the question. It's searching for the words "what," "the," and "about" as much as it's searching for "chicken leg" and "whisky." Odd example.

Technology also enables one to conceptualize abstract (and concrete) ideas better. This is especially true for all of the different learning styles. If we were all auditory learners, we would not need a classroom, books, or even lights. We would need only a voice. But we don't all learn that way. Smart Boards, computers, and, yes, even an overhead projector, reach students on a conceptual level much better than the orator or lecturer.

Although not asked, obviously technology can hurt as well. First and foremost, expecting a computer to correct mispelingz does not make one a sophisticated user. My students overly relied on computers to help with their assignments, plagiarizing (which of course occurred even before computers), mechanical mistakes, and poor grammar pervade the classroom. Why? I don't blame technology, but I blame the students' passivity and apathy that comes from the result of immediate self gratification offered by technology. Does that give you someting to respond to?

Education with Web 2.0

As I was finishing up the original post I had in place here, my browser crashed and I had to of course start all over again. In between post I decided to investigate the problem of why Firefox has been crashing lately, well after a little research come to find out it was one of my addons used to track World of Warcraft server status. So with that in mind I answered the question at hand, Web 2.0 has affected my education, in that it allows me to educate myself. Whether I am looking for cooking tips or watching Dr. Michio Kaku: Three types of Extraterrestrial Civilizations on YouTube, I am constantly teaching myself new things with Web 2.0. My wife takes online classes and sometimes I find myself watching her online lectures with her, as she does the same with mine, none of this would be possible without Web 2.0. My car's air conditioning compressor locked up and was causing the serpentine belt to break, through a website I learned how to bypass the compressor with a shorter belt and end up saving $900 in the process. I have fixed my furnace, computer, car, oven, washer and dryer all using the Web.
I have put a computer into almost every room in the house as well as bought a laptop for the sole purpose of being able to learn almost anything on the spot, but more importantly so can my family. I want my children to embrace this technology and not only that but to know how amazing it is to posses the power of knowledge through self-education.

Web 2.0

The way I look at it is that the Web itself has always been able to do the functions of "Web 2.0." People have just started to produce programs, templates, and web sites that make it seem like a new version of the Web. I have never blogged or wikied before this class, just never had the interest in it. And after doing these things I still don't like it. I do think that it is a great way for people to communicate and discuss things that they have a common interest in. I have not had any classes online so when it comes to using Web 2.0 for learning I cant say that I like or dislike it, but next quarter I will find out. I have used sites that use Web 2.0 processes but I did not interact with the site itself, just gathered the information I needed and went on tho the next site.
So as for Web 2.0 helping me learn, no not yet but I am sure that will change next quarter.

2.0h yeah!

All i can say is that I love Web 2.0.

I have to admit, I'm not a huge fan of sites like youtube, I do use them every once in a while. i guess it's not that i am not a fan, i just don't hang out on the site for hours like others. In a weird way i kind of agree with that Andrew Keen guy when he talks about 2.0 under minding mainstream media but i don't think that it could get to the point where no media professionals, like mscians, will be wiped out. As for the rest of his argument, i think its crap. Maybe thats the real difference between an digital native and others, we are much more open minded about things. We tend to adapt and figure things out as we go, we have been doing it since the beginning and it has worked thus far. By nature, we are improvisors...

I am proud of the fact that i am taking part in the building one of the most important and influential things in history, the Web. That is one of the reasons why i chose the web design field. Maybe there needs to be better filtering and maybe there needs to be some kind of editing but the just the idea Web 2.0 gets me all worked up. To me it's like we are all cavemen (or cavewomen) making drawings on the wall of a cave. We get a chance to leave our stories around for anyone who wants to find and read them.

On a side note, i really thought that the woman who was spitting that crazy rhyme on the lecture video this week had a good point. Her message was good and the way she told it was awesome. Her method for getting her message across was really effective. I wanted her to keep going when she stopped. I do like Myspace but I don't check it every hour and i don't sit on it for long periods of time. It is just a means for me to shout at my friends that i don't get a chance to talk to very often I think that there is a point when we should draw the line and keep things to ourselves.

Final thought...this weeks lectures and videos had some good stuff in them to think about, I really liked them.

Online Identity

When I first joined a social network, I was very interested in meeting people and communicating. The more I commented and offered my opinions, the more I began to realize that people are much less inhibited in an online environment. I was always taught to be respectful to others, and this of course carried over to my online activity. It seems that not everyone shares this sentiment. It's amazing what some people will say when they think no one is really listening; like there's no one on the other side of their comments and remarks, reading the nasty things they'll write. Luckily I have not been the butt of too many unnecessary attacks, but it is a very real occurrence.

More than the intentional attacks, it seems to me that I have had and continue to have a problem trying to convey myself in an accurate way when there is no face to face contact. I am a person that enjoys a little sarcasm and dry humor. I am a person that uses a little sarcasm and dry humor in my communication with others. Sarcasm and dry humor don't always translate well to the written word. I sometimes find myself having a very hard time conveying my true meaning without the person I'm addressing knowing my personality. I have offended more than one person this way.

Who a person truly is can be a hard thing to know. Even with people we live next to, work with, attend church or school with, it's difficult to tell if we actually know them. So how do we know people we never actually see or have physical contact with? Does the fact that you know that I am 30 years old, my sign is Cancer, my favorite bands are Tool and Pearl Jam, and my favorite movie is Almost Famous, mean that you know me? Probably not. You could probably find half a million other people's profiles that offer very similar information. Does the fact that I have shared some personal stories here on this blog mean you know me?

All these things help a person who hasn't met me form an opinion of me, but how accurate is that opinion? It's hard to say. I'd like to believe that I've made some real friends online with people that I share common interests with; but what if they're serial killers, posting and commenting on photography online to pass the time between kills? My point is that this "society" that has been created through the World Wide Web and Web 2.0 may all just be a house of cards. Or maybe I'm just paranoid and cynical.

I don't mean to present myself as a critic of the online world. It's actually the contrary, I'm a big fan of it. I just worry that somehow we are losing who we really are and the value of human contact. I email my family and friends that live out of state fairly often, but it's a poor substitute for actually being able to see them and laugh with them.

I have noticed over the past few years that the more time I spend online, communicating and sharing, the more comfortable I become. Is this a reflection of personal growth or just a familiarity with the media? A little of both maybe.

Down to the wire...

So in this entry, I'm getting it just in time.

Focusing on the prompt from the lecture, Web 2.0 hasn't affected my learning much at all, not in the traditional, institutionalized way - public eduction.  Of course this class is different.  It's affecting me quite a bit.  And as for being a self-learner, Web 2.0 has definitely educated me - from understanding educational theory all the way to learning how to fold a shirt in one sweeping motion.

But Web 2.0 has directly affected the way I taught when I was a high school teacher.  Although I didn't know it at the time, I was using Web 2.0 as a tool to educate or to reinforce characterization, theme, dialogue, and setting in books that were read for the classroom, most noticeably Catcher in the Rye.  Being a firm believer of tailoring teaching so that content is applicable to students' lives, I strove to bring texts down a notch, within the realm of the student.  Once on their level, I helped push their thinking.  MySpace, I'm sure, loved me.  Groups had to create a shared mySpace account for one of the character from the book.  They were to create a mini-network and justification for the network.  Holden wouldn't necessarily befriend Maurice, the pimp in charge of the prostitute with whom Holden just couldn't "get in the mood."  However, if they chose "to be" Maurice, an agreeable match-up had to be created.  Profile pictures were to be added (school appropriate of course), comments were to be made, and customization had to be selected. Students loved this assignment.  They dove deeply into the inner-workings of characters, which provided great content for class.  It was encouraging to see non-students  wanting to get in on the discussion for those that were familiar with the book. They became part of the exchange after becoming friends with Holden, Stradlater, or his sister, Phoebe.   People began teaching people.  These accounts have since been deleted, but I know that the students will remember this assignment.

the internet...the life line?

I too am taking 2 online classes this quarter, Human Anatomy and Physiology and of course this one. I have taken previous online courses prior to this quarter, but by far I have to say that this one has brought so much more to the table for me than any of the others.

I use the web everyday, several times a day. Not just for school, but for everything! If I need to find as address or a phone number to a local business I log online, or if I want to surf the web, its a daily part of my life. My husband jokes and says that its like a life line to me and that I would totally be lost without it, and sometimes I agree sadly but it is what it is right?! I know that I am not the only person that uses the web at least once a day be it for a school assignment or strictly out of fun, but its sort of an addiction. I want to see what's new out there, read things recently posted to our blog and to others as well. Has the Internet became a life line to me and to thousands of others out there? I don't know but I sure do enjoy having all of the amazing and wonderful technology that is offered from it :o)

Everything Web 2.0

I mean everything I learn today is from the Web and when my daughters have a question, guess what, yep the Web. Just last night both my daughters we're asking me what the seven wonders of the world are. Well of course I start rattling off "The ancient wonders of the world" get stuck on about 4 and realize we need to be on the Web looking this stuff up, by the way the there are modern wonders I learned about too. So we are going through this stuff and learning together, and of course there's words that can't be pronounced. So naturally we navigate to dictionary.com and look up the words and have them pronounced for us using wav files.
The web has also given me the opprotunity to cross-reference anything anybody says anytime. I love this new ability because it thwarts the spread of misinformation. Just the other day somebody was talking about Jesse Owens and about the 1936 Olympics, they was totally screwing up the facts so I immediately started looking this stuff up and showing them the facts, and together we learn about stuff way before our time, watched a video of it on YouTube and came away enlighten on the whole subject.

Oh, Technology.

Spam filters are the devil.

That said, it's been a pleasure to take an online course that I actually felt a part of. I'm actually a part of two different online courses here at COTC. The first is the typical Black Board course that is all about writing papers and emailing them in while you discuss a topic on the boards. Fun fun. The other being this one. In my college experiences, I've never taken a course quite like this one. I had fun being a part of it. That's a novel idea. I've always found myself doing better when I was having fun, be it at work or otherwise. I love technology and actually being able to use it in all of it's different shapes and sizes proved the importance of the message this course put out there. I personally believe that there need to be more courses like this one and more teachers like the one we have.

Blogging down the barriers

I have been having just the best time, reading the writings of my students (and colleagues) on this blog. Something has happened here that I'm not sure the participants are aware of, but it is both significant and wonderful.

Supposedly we're all here to experience an immersion in Web 2.0 technology, but this blog was really an experiment to get out of the formality of the distance ed structure. One of the common complaints of distance learning is the isolation of the student from the academic community, in particular the classroom.

As a teacher, I love the classroom. I like its feel, its complexity, its energy when its filled with students, its quietness as students focus on their current projects, its chaos at finals time.

There's a great dialogue that happens in the classroom between teacher and student. But conversation is incredibly hard to generate in an online course, and we can blame the technology. The discussion boards that are the staple of asynchronous distance ed courses are a throwback to the primitive bulletin board systems that existed before the Web.

Yes, here we are, 20 years after CompuServe... and we're still communicating by posting "message threads?" Heck, a CompuServe thread was easier to follow than the posts in our discussion boards. Even when we tried to follow one thread with comments and posts, there was little sense of interaction. Posts were short and stilted, as if there was great pain in actually posting, and a significant number of replies were of the "I agree" category.

Each student seemed isolated, and when I'd comment on a post, I'd rarely get a response. It was almost as if the student had done their onerous task and couldn't wait to go somewhere else and never return. I could hardly blame them; even for me it felt like descending into a compositional dungeon.

So with Web 2.0 as an excuse I decided to throw caution to the winds and take the class on a field trip. It's been a more exciting journey than I ever imagined. Remember what the discussion board was like? Now look at the dialog going on here in the blog. Look at the length of each post. Good grief! A couple of posts contains almost as much content as the entire class's contribution to a week's discussion board from earlier in the quarter.

But what has really warmed the cockles of my heart is the quality of the writing. Your grammar has improved. Your spelling is better. Your thoughts are coherent and well-focused. Your conversations are more in-depth.

To be sure the entire class hasn't joined us on this journey, but that's typical of an online class. And it's their loss. For those of you who have contributed your thoughts, your hopes, your fears, and your experiences, I thank you for sharing. While I may be your instructor, you are doing a remarkable job of teaching yourselves and each other.

Say, this Web 2.0 stuff might not really be so bad after all!

As Good As It Gets

The path i have taken thus far in life has been bumpy but seems to be smoothing out. I have been traveling around without a care in the world ever since i left Ohio State a few years ago. I got the idea in my head that college was a joke, wasting both my time and money. I was taking classes that felt like they were pointless. I guess that didn't understand the whole "exploration" part of a four year college. I really didn't know what i wanted to do so i tried a little of everything and came up short by not finding something that caught my attention.

The real problem was that it wasn't challenging me enough. I really only had 2 courses that gave me any trouble what so ever. The first one was a calculus class, and yeah i know, most would say that is just a hard course all together but not for me. for some reason math is the one subject that i excel at. The course was tough because the teacher didn't really teach, to me she was just a grader. Assigning homework out of the text book, collecting it first thing, and then taking the rest of the class time to grade the homework while we got started on the next assignment. This one class made me rethink everything. Why should some pay so much money for so little? The tuition wasn't cheap and in my eyes it should include some kind of instruction and not just someone there to grade homework and tests. When you take the teacher out of the teacher+student equation it no longer equals learning, rather memorizing.

My story really boils down to this..... I was really skeptical about returning back to school, thinking that it was going to be the same old thing and man was I surprised. I know some people that have graduatedthe DMD program and spoke very highly of it. I'm happy to say that my expectations have been eclipsed. I love how all of my teachers work together to make every class fit with the other. They all put 100% in what they do and how they teach us. Even though i haven't worked with all of them I have observed them teaching and damn I'm impressed. When the teachers are excited and actually care about the students it drives the students to listen and want to make those teachers proud. I can't wait to meet the rest of them and get the full experience of the program.

This class really sparked my interest in the "cause and effect" aspects of the digital world . I loved learning about the history and early tech aspects of the web.... and now I love the fact that we are starting to get so hands on with web 2.0... like this new wiki project.... how fun? Another student and I started talking the other day, in a different class, about this project and decided to work as a team on some really good ideas that have us both pretty excited. I have never experienced learning like this, where the classes are so closely related and in sync with each other and the students actually want to learn. It's what I have always thought school should be...finally something that makes sense.

second thoughts?

I have only taken the classes needed to get into the nursing program thus far, that is until this class. I took this class because in the course description it sounded super interesting, and I have to admit that it has captured my interest and made me sort of re-think what I am actually attending college for.

I have not actually applied to my program yet, and now after taking this class am wondering if I would prefer this? I like every aspect of it, even the papers. The first couple of assignments had me a little curious and now I look forward to what the next weeks assignment will bring and if it will be challenging to me. I love to blog, and this weeks assignment with the wiki is totally new to me but all the more interesting and cool it will be.

Is it possible to like both, I mean nursing and digital media design are very distant in the job aspects ya know?! I could always pursue the nursing career and keep taking these classes on the side to see if they are all interesting to me or if its just this one class in particular that has captured my interest and left me wondering what's coming next. Who knows where I will go from here, but this course has definitely left an impression on me and left me wondering if I am interested in the right plan of study.

I know that whatever I choose my family will be there to back me 100% which is one thing that I could not live without, they are a huge part of my future educational decisions.

College Life As I Know It

After graduating form Lancaster High School in 2003, I had a faint view as to what I wanted to pursue in a career. In high school I took Machine Technology, Engineering Technology, and Drawing Design classes. At that time I worked in construction as a sub-contractor for a small company. Business started to slow so I moved on.

I enrolled at Ohio University Lancaster looking to work my way toward a degree in engineering graphics using CAD. I liked the classes that work with CAD, mainly because the work was on a computer. On the other hand, the electives that are required to move up their tier system were dry and boring. I lost interest in the classes and just worked to get by. I decided it was time for a change.

A few of my friends were taking classes at Central Ohio Technical College, so I asked them, "How is it?" They only had praise in their answers so I hopped on the Web and scanned the programs. I was looking for something CAD related and stumbled upon the Digital Media Degree program. My first thought was, "WOW!" It seemed to tailor to me perfectly.

After I enrolled and attended a few classes I felt like saying, "Where the hell have you been all my life?" The classes are fun. We get to work on some really neat and exciting projects that push the creativity envelope. I found questions to answers that I had for a long time. The program has helped me to move out of a shy shell that plagued me since I was a young.

The people I've met, while in the program, are some of the most interesting and creative I have ever seen. Every professor is strong in their subject and willing to go out of their way to help and inspire the students. Not only that, but also, to help students inspire each other. The program has changed my life forever in ways that mirror over to everyday life.

It is intense, stressful, and rewarding all at the same time. The program worked well with my full-time schedule at Wal-Mart in Canal Winchester, but it was a ton of driving. There have been many sleepless nights but I have fun with the work that I do. As they say, "Whistle while you work." What would I trade for my experience at Central Ohio Technical College? Nothing!

Back To School

When I decided to go back to school, I didnt know where to start. I never enrolled for college after high school, just went into the world of construction. So the whole college thing is a new experience for me, and I am liking it so far. I got lucky with the instructors that I have. Each of them teach in a different way, some better than others, but I still manage to make sence of what each of them are trying to teach me. I never really thought about teachers and the way they teach, I never really cared enough to notice. But now that I am a little older than someone out of high school, and have a family that depends on me, I want to make sure that I understand the teaching method of some of the instructors.

I think of myself as a fast learner, as long as I am learning "hands on". If you tell me that something needs to be done in a certin order, your best bet is to show me how, and then let me do the steps in order while you watch and instruct me. I think that comes form the jobs I have had in the construction field. Almost all of the learning is "hands on" in construction.

I'm waiting for Web 3.0...

Web 2.0 is merely foreplay.

Seriously...

After I jumped to the end of the lecture on Thursday to hear this week's homework, I logged onto the Wiki.  I was floored.  I believe that Wikis are one step ahead of YouTube, Facebook, or even Blogs.  I know that it is of a different artery all together, but the inherent principle is amazing.  

I honestly believed that I was "connected," but I didn't know what a Wiki or an RSS feed was.  And now, admitting that they are truly revolutionary, I see it being something that I don't immediately embrace.    Why?  I see its value.  I see its enjoyment.  I would even like to understand how they work more.  But a part of me has no desire to set up an account.  Hmmm. Have I missed the boat?  Perhaps I am too busy.  The videos dictate that if I search for my news and entertainment the old way, I am the equivalent of a dinosaur renting from a physical Blockbuster rather than renting over the Internet via Netflix.  If I am too busy, then why do I prefer a slower method?

Time to  broaden this past me.  During great discovery, as much as type setters hated the linotype machine, there will always be resistance or tension between what's practiced and what's promised.  The video suggested that a great way to store photos is through flickr.  Seriously?  And then for "fun," make them public.  I get that.  But that's a lot of work.  Uploading my photos.  And are they really there with all of the quality that exists when stored on my hard drive?  It seems that there is so much push to make everything public.  What is there that's left as private?  Why live in a home when we can live in a commune?

I can see the tension that exists among instructors who dislike Wikipedia.  After all, wouldn't the educational establishment of academia quake if everyone is a contributor and expert on a topic?   Teaching is definitely one-sided.  Yes, students can teach and the classroom can be a dialogic; however, a teacher is still in charge of the classroom.   They go to school to be able to teach.  They must be labeled as professional, but indeed it seems that with the advent of sites such as blogs, wikis, etc., everyone can teach.  Students and parents already find reason to dislike and complain about the educational system without recognizing its successes.  What will they say now?  

Also, are these 2.0?  To me, they merely seem like applications that users can use that maximize current tech.  There are many more yet undiscovered I'm sure.  Someone had a good idea and technology was able to meet him/her there, and it was created.  To say that THIS is the face of Social Media is an overstatement.  There will be so much more.  

All of these questions are sponsored by Thomas Davis.

Online Learning

In 2007 I decided to go back to school. Having been in the workplace for over ten years out of high school and finding it overwhelmingly unsatisfying, I decided I may as well give it a try. The problem was not me being unwilling, the problem was figuring out how to go back to school and get a good education and still work around 50 hours a week. Scheduling was an obvious conflict. Then the more my wife and I researched, the more I began to realize that I could take quite a few classes online through COTC.

This is my second fall quarter as a student in the DMD curriculum at Central Ohio Technical College. I have earned only 22 credits in my three quarts completed thus far, but I have done that with only having attended two face to face classes total, and still working 45-50 hours a week. This is not so much a testimonial to me as it is to the amount of online classes made available to me. On a side note I'd like to say that having taken classes last year, without the Angel site, and comparing to this year with it, I have to say that Angel has made my experience much more organized, and much less stressful as a whole. This has proven to be very important since I'm taking three courses online this quarter, a personal high so far.

I have taken Salesmanship, Psychology, Algebra and Composition all online. This quarter I'm enrolled in Marketing, Intro to e-Life and Digital Software Fundamentals. All have been very unique learning experiences. Some of the instructors seemed very bothered by the whole online class thing, as if the online class was a hassle for them. Some flourished in the process, really getting involved and making the most of the medium. Some seemed to be confused about how to run an online class at all. Each class presented it's own set of challenges and opportunities.

Composition was very straight forward. I don't think my experience would have been much different if it had been a face to face. The assignments were fairly self explanatory and most of the class was a refresher course.

Salesmanship was, and Marketing so far has been, what I expected. The material is not overly difficult, but sometimes rather uninteresting. Marketing has proven to be a bit more of a struggle than I expected due to the group assignments. I'm having trouble finding the time to be able to collaborate with a group of people who are on a completely different schedule than myself.

Psychology and Algebra were classes that could have been easier for me in a face to face setting. Algebra was another refresher course, but it would have been faster for me to pick it back up if I had someone showing me on a blackboard. Psychology was difficult for me because some of the material was just difficult. I think I would have been able to catch on better in a classroom environment.

I have to admit that my favorite classes so far have been DigiFun and Intro to E-life. DigiFun has just been a fun class. I've really enjoyed learning to use Adobe Illustrator, and the Photoshop stuff is always fun. The irony of taking Intro to E-Life: The Evolving Web online seems too obvious to even bring up. Bill's lectures and material have been by far the most involved and entertaining.

All in all, I've really enjoyed my online learning experiences. The instructors have all been helpful and always willing to respond to e-mails and answer my questions, no matter how trivial. My college experience would not have been possible just a few years ago. I have the "miracle" of the Internet and the World Wide Web to thank for making it possible. Well, those things and all the hard work that so many dedicated people put into making all this possible through. I'm very thankful for this opportunity and even though it may be just a marketing term, Web 2.0 is changing the world.

Digital Native, Schmative

After much resistance, I've decided to jump in the "blog pool" and finally comment. Not that I don't follow blogs, mind you, I've just never felt the overwhelming need to comment. I've just been enjoying the conversation as a "lurker" as we are so often called. And that segues right into what my topic is today, labels.

I detest labels and don’t like being labeled. This resentment of labels reared its ugly head again when someone recently referred to me as a Digital Immigrant. Sigh. It seems people have been trying to label me ever since the label Baby Boomer was created. I think the resentment lies in the fact that in some cases I fall into the Baby Boomer category and in others I do not. It depends on what expert defines who is or is not a Boomer. My birth date is in that grey area. So I’ve spent my life with those firmly rooted in the Baby Boomer category either telling me I am or am not a fellow Boomer. Frankly, I don’t care. I share some of the traits of a Boomer but thankfully, not all. Thus, this is the root of my label resentment. I don’t fit into one neat category.

So, back to the Digital Native subject. From what I gleaned from online sources, the term “Digital Native” was coined by Marc Prensky in an article published in October 2001. Mr. Prensky is “an internationally acclaimed thought leader, speaker, writer, consultant, and game designer in the critical areas of education and learning. He is the author of Digital Game-Based Learning (McGraw-Hill, 2001), founder and CEO of Games2train, a game-based learning company.” Quoted from On the Horizon (MCB University Press, Vol. 9 No. 5, October 2001). According to Mr. Prensky’s definitions of Digital Native and Digital Immigrant, I am neither. In order to make sure, I also took a quiz entitled “Are you a digital native” that I found on the DigitalNative.org, a website produced and maintained by Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University and the Research Center for Information Law at the University of St. Gallen. According to the quiz, I’m 50% Digital Native. Sigh. Alas, no label for me.

All of this reaffirms what I knew already. Even though I was born in the sixties, I embraced computer technology as soon as it was made available to me, somewhere around 1977 or 78. And I haven’t looked back since. I purchased a desktop computer as soon as I could afford it (1990) and dialed up OCLC (Online Computer Library Center) immediately. This was the only online access of information I could get at the time. I’ve owned dozens of computers since, have taken apart and rebuilt my own computers, have been “surfing the web” since 1993, and spent seven years in the eighties and nineties teaching adults all over the country how to use computers and software. I shop for everything online including items such as cat food, shampoo, makeup, coffee, cooking utensils, pots, pans, electronics, bed sheets, pillows, clothing…you name it, I’ve bought it online. I made purchases on eBay in its infancy. I can find anything on the web; just ask anyone who knows me. I have a MySpace page, a Facebook page and subscribe to several blogs through RSS feeds. The only television programming I watch I have recorded on my DVR. I have taken dozens of online classes and I met my husband online through a dating service. I am more technically savvy then most of those who qualify as Digital Natives.

Now, finally, this brings me to my point. The current trend in education is to reach and teach Digital Natives. That is good in that educators are looking to learn how to best teach our current constituency. What is bad, however, is that we’ve lumped all students of a certain age into one single category. And while some do qualify as Digital Natives, others most decidedly do not or maybe only 50%. Mr. Prensky makes his living creating and selling digital games for education. How much credence should we give him and his definitions? Are we over-reacting as we did with the first generation to grow up with television? According to “studies” at the time, the first generation to grow up with television was going to end up generally stupid and violent (I’m one of that generation, by the way). According to experts, our attention spans were shortened by the viewing of television, and we weren’t able learn like our parents did. Televisions were brought into the classroom so we could watch videos rather than movies or filmstrips. Did it help? I’m not sure. I have to admit, that while I watched a lot of television, I also read just as much and I am far from stupid and violent.

So, what is the answer to how we teach the students of today? Textbooks or no textbooks? Video games? Twitter? Blogs? Wikis? Online or face-to-face? I’m not sure. My approach is to try and see but not abandon what has worked for me in my classroom in the past. We have to avoid the “throwing the baby out with the bathwater” approach. I’ve watched both my sons suffer though an education system that totally re-invents itself every two or so years, sometimes with devastating consequences. Some teachers are so focused on the most current, trendy method; they throw out some methods that are proven to work in order to be considered up-to-the-minute with their teaching. As if adopting something that is trendy at the time makes up for truly assessing their methods over time and making adjustments as needed.

Here is a quote I found that pretty much sums up how I feel about teaching and teachers. "A good teacher can teach with nothing more than a stick to write with in the dirt," author unknown. I strive to be that kind of teacher.

The Oregon Trail

I'm still debating whether to consider myself a native or not....I have been told that our household has had a computer since before i arrived in this world (1981) but i can't prove it... here is what i do know for sure...

i was in first grade when i used my first computer. I had been tested and accepted into a gifted program called Horizons. Twice a week 12 other kids throughout the school district and I were bussed to another school . The very first day i was introduced to my computer. I can say "my" because it was, I used the same green screen Mac for four years untill it was time for an upgrade. Man did I love that thing....especially The Oregon Trail. I think i set the record for most times in trouble for "screwing around" on the computers. Whenever we would do exercises and projects, I would alaways "fly" through it so could play that damn game. I think they should remake a version for playstation /xbox...i would deffinately buy it.

It wasn't until my third grade year that I saw computers in my regular, day to day, classroom. They were the same green screen Macs that i had in my Horizons classroom. I will never forget... in 5th grade i actually learned how to write code and me and three others had to make a game for a project...totally awsome.

so.. weather or not i am a digital native or not, the technology has deffinately influenced my life in a major way. It doesn't really matter to me what category I'm placed in, as long as I'm here now.

Digital Native

I thought that we were to write about something we know, but I've been reading everyone's blogs and they seem to be writing about the same topic so I thought I would too. Digital Native?.....Well I guess I would be considered a Digital Native, if that means being born in a time where computers were starting to become a part of everyday life. Although I really know nothing about computers. My cell phone was my most used type of computer up until like two years ago. I never had one in my home growing up, but now that I'm in school I realize thatI should probably know how to use one, even if it's just the basics. I think that getting a digital media degree will only make things easier for me in the future with whatever type of career I end up in.

Unexperienced in Distant Education

I haven't yet taken a course online. Why? It hasn't worked with my schedule yet. I do plan to possibly take a few online course for the winter quarter. My mother is almost finished with her Bachelors in Health Care Administration that is offered online with Franklin University. I asked her what the online courses are like and she stated that there are pros and cons. Some of the cons include: a few professors that do not know how to work the interface effectively, students don't show up who are assigned to group project meetings, and lack of understanding for many of the students. The main pro to online classes is that you can enjoy it from the comfort of one's home and it fits in with a full-time working schedule.
I know that the online courses take a lot of discipline but I think I can manage that just fine. I'm always on my laptop anyway. Also, I would save a good bit of money in traveling expenses as I have a 45 minute drive from home to school. Also, if there are people at school that are sick one need not worry about catching a cold or flu. Once winter reaches us the threat of driving on dangerous roads no longer becomes a factor. The only problem I see with distant education is if my internet goes out. Lets just hope that doesn't happen for an extended amount of time!

me = digital native

Computers have become a part of everything. Once i hit jr. high, I was with a computer everyday. I took a computer class every year, and by my senior year I was in the school's web design class helping out with the school's website as well. I was in a couple of tech. fairs and got awards in each. Math was always, ALWAYS, and still is my favorite subject. But in the long run, computers have more fun that comes with them. You can learn how to do so much and just by sitting on a computer or laptop at home or on my free time whenever, I've taught myself a little more than the average person. I'll sit there and mess with different functions and programs, check out where I can find information, and the list goes on. I might not know enough to be a computer game programmer, but I sure know enough that I want to learn what more I can find out that I can even benefit from even if I don't pursue in digital media design profession.

A digital native, myself

I was born after 1980 so I guess that makes me a digital native. I do not feel like one though, I think I was in 8th or 9th grade before I even got my hands on a computer. My school did not have a whole lote of computers or education about them so there really were not any until later into middle and high school. I try to show my kids things on the computer and online just so that they are more aware of the things that they can do and of the things out there. They are still young enough to want their mom to show them things and to learn the dangers of the internet and the great and positive things about it without pushing me or the info I give them to the side. I use a computer everyday, not just for school but for email and chatting, and during the holidays for shopping. In this aspect I do feel more of a digital native I guess. There is still a lot of information and eduacation about computers that I do not know, but thats the fun part right? I love to learn new things especially about computers since they are such a big part of our everyday lives now.

Learning in the Digital Age (from the Perspective of a Digital Immigrant)

I was born in1978, that means I am not technically a Digital Native, even if I feel like I one. It also means that I could either be a gen-Xer or a gen-Yer, depending on what you read. This tends to give me little bit of an identity crisis, but that's a whole different blog.

My dad has always been a computer guy. I can remember the old computer systems being in our home as far back as the 80's, and I can remember him writing code for these systems long before I knew what code was. Today he still writes code and programs and continues to preach the evils of the Microsoft corporation and the joys of Linux. Again though, I digress, and this is a subject for a different blog as well.

For a person who was raised in a computer friendly home, I am surprisingly new to the computer world. I was never very interested in the technology because it did not seem to offer me very much. The Internet and the World Wide Web are things that I have really just begun to understand, mostly due to this class. Of course, I have had Internet access for many years, but I never really understood all the possibilities of this technology.

I can't say that I have ever listened to a podcast, or even know exactly what they are. I don't know what Wikis are excluding Wikipedia. I have taken part in very few forums, and the extent of my blogging consists of the "journal" I keep on Deviantart that gets updated every few months, and usually consists only of thumbnails of some of the art I have been enjoying recently. Well, that was the extent of my blogging until this blog of course. I have found myself more and more getting my news from streaming videos provided by websites like the Advocate's and of course, sports news and highlights from espn.com.

My history with youtube was limited to a link I may get in a email, or if my brother wanted to show me a live performance by Tool or Pantera. Since starting this class though, I have found myself more and more searching for topics on youtube, including political topics. I have to say that my knowledge of these subjects has grown exponentially due to this class though, and I finally feel like I am not groping around in the dark when I search for information.

It seems to me that the possibilities of these new technologies are endless, but I do wonder at what cost. In the video lecture we watched this week, one of the men questioning the speaker said something very similar to one of Bill's entries here, in that textbooks are losing their value and usefulness. While I agree that textbooks are very 20th century, and do not have the ability to update the information they provide, they still have their value. There is a difference between actually holding a text and just looking information up on the internet. The joy of reading a classic novel, or a new one, can not be duplicated, in my opinion, by sitting in front of a computer screen. Images seen on a screen are not as powerful as a printed work. There is something to be said for the value of physical interaction with the information and art that we enjoy. Maybe I'm wrong in this line of thought or maybe it's just my personal opinion.

All this being said, I am very happy to be living in this digital world. I enjoy the never ending supply of information and misinformation provided by the digital tools we use today. I could not be a college student without the possibility of online classes. I could not interact with and show my personal artwork to people all over the world without the Internet. I would not be able to communicate with my family that is dispersed across the eastern US with as much ease and regularity without the miracles of modern digital technology.

Perhaps I'm old fashioned but I still enjoy buying a magazine or newspaper and thumbing through the pages. While I do consider myself to be a digital immigrant, I can't see myself ever completely giving up my analog roots.

I Forget

I graduated 12 years ago, and always wanted to go back to school. Just never had the time or the money to do so, with 3 boys and working in construction. But that all changed, the company we were subcontracting from was going through a slow spell. I thought that this is my chance to do it, to go back to school. With help from H&R Block who submitted my information for different types of grants, I get to go back to school for almost nothing.

When I took the placement test, man did I forget a lot. I had the chance to retake the sections that I was close to testing out of, but I chose not to. Yea that puts me a little behind, but now that I am passing the 2 courses that I chose not to test out of with A's, and more importantly understanding and remembering the material taught, it was well worth it.

Subspace

My first computer was donated to me by my wife's Grandmother. I can't remember the specs but it was 1997 so you can pretty much imagine the antiquity of it. Just thinking of that old 33.3 modem still makes me smile. Before that I was using a device made by Sony called WebTv to hang out in various chat rooms and browse the web from my television.

One day while trolling Downloads.com for a new game to play I came across a game called Subspace, a 2d top-down space shooter, I was a so excited because I loved that genre of gaming at the time. What I did not know is that it was a multi player game where you basically competed against other people and it was all completely free. The first time I logged it I was completely overwhelmed by all the ships, bombs, mines, and bullets flying around and it had real time chat! I spent my first few hours just lurking, taking it all in trying to figure out the mechanics and enthralled by chat like a moth to the flame. After about my first week of Subspace I happen across a conversation that two guys was having in the duel arena about "girls" that played Subspace. So it hit me like a ton of feathers, I was going to be a "girl" online!

It was suppose to be a joke, my girlfriend now wife had to help me, as people tried to trip me up, "Honey how much do tampons cost?", "What size panties do I wear?" were some of the questions that were followed by hysterical laughter to the point of tears. I started off just being really nice to everybody and let the fact that I was a girl travel by word of chat. Within the first month of starting this game I had more "friends" than I could count, all 9 of my chat slots were full and was getting daily request to join more. There were forums where I would post massive amounts of poetry and short stories, all while hiding behind my anonymity. This was a huge outlet for me because I never had the nerve to post such things. Then the strangest thing started to happen, people were private messaging with advice on problems, somehow I became a person to confide in. Now this really got serious for me as I did not want to let the cat out of the bag so to say. So needless to say I felt really guilty about what I was doing, but my girlfriend reassured me that as long as It wasn't for ill will towards others I shouldn't feel so bad about it, so I continued, for 4 years. Then a group of us from Subspace stepped into the Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game genre, the game was Lineage 2 and chat communication was required for castle sieging, no problem I just didn't have a microphone so they wouldn't find out who I really was. As I listened to the people that I had been interacting with for all these years I really wanted to interact with them through voice. So one day I plugged my microphone in and began speaking, this took guts on my part because I was certain that I would be rejected, denounce, cussed out, and verbally beaten to a pulp. It was just the opposite people for the most part showed acceptance because after all I was the same person just a different gender now. I have to admit out of all the "friends" I made two of them felt really betrayed but some months later re-established communication with me again.

Through this interaction with technology I learned so much about myself as well as others and how they perceive others, what they believe and don't believe. I learned guilt and acceptance. I learned that sometimes "females" are treated much differently than males. I learned how to talk to people. I learned that everything isn't what it seems and that people are amazing. I learned that I can't predict people by just looking at myself. I learned how to come out of my shell and to initiate conversation. I learned different point of views, morales and beliefs. Most importantly I learned how to be myself.

Web Technology...Helping Me Learn

Learning for me on the Internet has typically been in a non-traditional form, learning for more personal, self-guided reasons.  Aside from picking up a handful (how many can one hand hold?) of online classes provided by COTC, most of my forum and podcast activities have been engaged in personal uses.  Personally, forming a question beginning with how, motivates me to research it until I find the answer. 

Frankly (brother of Surly), the use of the technologies of Web 2.0 are new to me.  The newest one I've adopted has been podcasts, seeing as I received a free iPod touch after purchasing a laptop.  Forums, however, have been useful ever since I took up cooking and directing (always looking for recommended plays and musicals).  I'd have to say that my rate of understanding, learning, or helping others has been increased due to the Internet.  And while not entirely Web 2.0, the idea of forums could be found back to the bulletin boards a decade and a half ago.  Essentially though, my access to this knowledge or information was probably nonexistent before the Internet.  Short of having to go to the library, ordering a cooking magazine, or asking my family my "how" questions, most of my questions would have gone unanswered.  It is understandable why the rate of learning has increased exponentially over the last couple hundred years.  Access.

The use of forums have helped me solve my computing problems, cooking questions (specifically the process of canning), and production dilemmas in theater.  I have also been the instructor per se in cases pertaining to gaming, some Photoshop techniques, and biking.  These occurences amazingly connect users with common interests without the presence of an instructor  or tutor explaining THE way in doing things.  We are all students helping one another.

So, how has it affected my learning?  Having this technology has opened my sense of self-inquiry.  Of course, being older and a college graduate, my sense of self-inquiry, reflection, understanding, etc. is already high; however, the cyber technology available to us, helps harness AND foster it.  It's really quite awesome.  Especially after my undergraduate years, self-inquiry has been the preferred method for me in order to learn well and to retain what I've learned.  As a student, I need to have a purposeful need for inquiry otherwise I will not retain what I've learned.  As was stated in the lecture, three criteria exist to make instruction effective: content, methods, AND the involvement of student.  No one dare tell me that the educational system is inherently defective when students, now more than ever, are apathetic and distracted.  Should the establishment address this? Absolutely.  But it is not an indication that the establishment is flawed.  I enjoyed the techno music behind the video "A Vision of Students Today" starring Wesch as the instructor, but too much credit is given to the student.

Learning to see does not have an end

As a young boy I had always liked to draw. During my time in elementary school drawing was one of my favorite things to do and I did not understand why. We were always heavily pushed in other areas of knowledge such as math, reading, science, and so on. I could never get the drawings right since I was largely accessing my symbol system. I wanted realism. When I moved on to middle school we had the option of taking an "art" class. I enrolled in the class and thus began my dwelling into the unknown. Mr. Fish was my first true "seeing" teacher. We learned that you must see the smaller details involved in the framed space. Whether it was drawing a still-life with graphite or just dabbling around with mixed medias, I found how to manipulate the paper in front of me. On that piece of paper, I could put anything in its empty space. I continued to work on my drawing skills and when I made it to high school I was ready for more knowledge in the area of drawing and design. I completed two drawings, one of a snake on scratchboard and the other of a tiger. They were both entered into the high school's art exhibit. When I watched people pass by and talk about what they were seeing on the wall, they all had a different personal relation with it in some way or another. I found that, with the artwork, you could give someone an experience in that space. When I was drawing I would lose my track of time and get into my own space. After enrolling in the Digital Media Design program I finally received answers for many questions I had on my feelings of drawing and design. I never realized that the left and right hand side of my brain was working together and seperate at the same time. These findings have essentially enriched my life to what I know and see today. I am grateful to have amazing teachers. My skills and talents will be used to help someone who might be wearing my old shoes.

33 in a 20

Speeding tickets are a reminder that we all need to slow down.  The analogy for life.  But do we ever learn our lesson?  Perhaps.  Or perhaps we learn that in a specific situation or context, our actions are not the desired ones.  But I know that I will not mistakingly miss the flashing school lights sign as I enter Alexandria again.  15 minutes earlier and I would have been going under the 35 mpg speed limit.  However, will I apply this lesson in a different context or location? Probably not.

Slowing down seems counterintuitive to the American culture or even the World culture.  Slowing down makes us prone to laziness and defeat.  I need to get to my next location ten minutes before I am supposed to, so that I can quickly complete a goal that would most likely get done anyway.  Typically I still get to bed.  Whatever I don't accomplish the night before does get done unless I'm facing some type of deadline (which in my case right now life is a deadline).  Then I forgo sleep in order to get the needed task accomplished.  I'm rambling.

Learning a concept is one thing.  But to process, practice, embed, and recall the said concept is another.  It takes conscious effort.  When I arrived in the next town, Johnstown, to flashing lights, I found it difficult to drive 20 mph.  Perhaps I'm desensitized to speed.   I mean 20 mph is fast.  I can't run 20 mph.  And I'm pretty sure I can't ride my bike that fast...for a prolonged amount of time.  I had to force myself to raise my foot off of the accelerator.  I actually had to resist the urge to not comply.  Wouldn't it be better to arrive everywhere faster?  Even an ugly city can appear beautiful when driving too fast to process it.  Calm down, I'm not implying these cities are ugly.  

That's our problem.  At least one of them.  We are a culture that has chosen to bypass the process of... processing.  We want it our way. All the way.  We want to believe that we understand when perhaps we don't.  Or worse, we want to pretend we understand when we know we don't.  I saw it in the educational system clearly.  But I think it is much more prevalent in life than we would like to think.  Who has problems remembering names? 

Several bloggers hands go up.

Bad memory or a lack of conscious effort?

I feel soo stressed out right now....I feel like i never have time for anything. I cant seem to get myself on a schedule with being a new mom , school and working all the time. I never know whats goin on. Its hard for meto get any school work done without a computer in my house, I have to go here or go there to use a computer in between classes or work. I need get a rythme going. I dont think I have ever been this overwhelmed.

What I know, is motherhood has became my new source of learning. I absolutely love it! Its definitely hard, but worth every sleepless night and time without friends. My son is the new love in my life! I cant get over the things he does and the way he smiles at me. Being a parent has opened my eyes to a whole new world. I know that things can only get better from here!

Grades....why I give it my all.

I wish that I would have tried as hard to get good grades in high school as I have in college. its so mind blowing to me. I guess I just never put my full potential out there and kind of just got by with whatever I got. Now that I am in college, its totally different. Why is that? Well for one, I am paying to take the classes so if I fail its coming out of my pocket and for two, I am the adult now and I realize how important it is to get those good grades. Believe me I am no where near perfect, I have taken a class or two twice, and I not only learned more than the first time around but I also realized that if you don't put your all into it than you only get back what you put forth, so I always try my hardest, because I know that I am going to get back what I put into it, and I want that good grade. Don't we all?

Down Time

Just after high school my best friend and I got a job at a place called Major Builders. We built MI homes in a shop, labeled each wall, stacked, and nailed them together. After that we would load them on to a semi truck, and they would be shipped to the job site and put together like a puzzle. It was a blast, building a whole house on a table, wall by wall, interior and exterior. The hours were awesome, 4:30 am until 1:00 pm, half hour for lunch, and two fifteen minute breaks. When we would clock out it was time to party. Then I got a girlfriend, and boy did that whole party thing did not fly with her. So I got the newspaper out and found a wanted ad for a company by the name of Romanoff Electric, on the technology side.
I worked for Romanoff for about four years, until that side of the company went under. While working there I met two brothers and we ended up being pretty good friends. We were the last techs to be "laid off", so we exchanged info one last time and went our separate ways. Form there I went to different jobs for about six months, outside the construction field. Then got a job installing metal doors and frames for a company called Titan Doors.
After working at Titan Doors for about 5 years, I ended up on the same job site as the two brothers I met at Romanoff. We went to lunch and talked about what each of us was doing with our lives. They had started a sub-contracting company and was looking to add another employee. When they walked in and saw me they knew who they wanted to hire. So two weeks later I was working for Browns Cabling, a sub contractor for Consortium Communication. Every thing was great, for about two years, we were traveling different places like Michigan, West Virgina, Indiana, Iowa, Alabama, Louisiana, Connecticut, Missouri, Kentucky, Illinois, Tennessee, Georgia, Arkansas, and Pennsylvania. Working a companies like DHL, Best Buy, Buffalo Wild Wings, and the University of Phoenix. Then the "down time" hit, and we were lucky to get twenty hours a week. Before too long we were only working two or three days every two weeks, then we didn't work for a month. But since March of 2008, I had been waiting for Central Ohio Technical College to send my financial aid information. So it was time to go back to school.

Finding Myself

So..... after almost 6 years I'm finally ready.

Immediately after high school i enrolled in a four year college and I had no plan or goal for what I wanted to do. I screwed around, taking all of those boring required classes that everyone had to take like math, and psychology. I also took a few half way interesting classes but it wasn't enough to keep my attention for too long. So, without hesitation, one day i quit. I felt like the only reason i was doing it was to please my family and in doing so, i wasn't happy with myself. I was blind to the fact that they were just trying to help me, like they always have.

Until the age of 10 I was the only child in a VERY large and well off family, so needless to say, i was spoiled rotten and for some reason as i got older, it got worse. Everything in my life has been handed to me. If i ever need anything and couldn't take care if it myself, someone did it for me or was there to help. My nice car was paid for, my college was paid for and i really took it all for granted. I just up and quit after two years and baffled my entire family, leaving them all wondering why. My only answer was "because I'm not happy". Lets just say that didn't sit too well with anyone, but i didn't care.

After traveling around the country i ended up back here in Ohio, got a good job, met an awesome girl, then moved away once again. My girlfriend ended up getting a great job, but it was in Michigan, so i quit my job and followed her up there because she was my dream. As i sat around up there, bored everyday and no friends to hang with i had a lot of time to reflect. Time to think about what i want for myself and my girlfriend in the future. The answer was pretty simple...I want to be able to give my future family everything that my family has given me. I realized that wasn't going to happen working random jobs, living paycheck to paycheck, and getting help from my family. So I sat down, found something that i actually really liked/wanted, and took action.

A lot of my family told me that moving up to Michigan was a big mistake and they still might say that but in my mind its probably one of the best things to ever happen. I had to make some really hard choices, including leaving my girlfriend for 2 years, but it will be worth it, for both of us.

The most important thing is that i am happy with myself again.

It may have taken a while but, after finding something that i really like to do, i finally figured out why education and learning is so important.

Curiosity is my main learning tool.

I always wanted to know everything, except what I was supposed to be learning, especially in school. My curiosity has lead be down many paths during my 35 years, from computers to welding, I never wanted to settle on one particular aspect. My grandfather told me that “You either know one thing really well or you know many things kind of well.” I chose the many things kind of well option, even though I don’t think that was the idea he was trying to instill in me. I graduated in 1991 from Licking County JVS for Computer and Related Technology, where we learned how to work from a Mainframe, program in Basic, RPG 2, COBOL, and learned accounting and various other office related technologies. It always frustrated me because they were teaching me to be a part of the workforce, but I just wanted to know about the guts of the computer. I was always focused on how things worked, and if I couldn’t understand that my learning experience was drastically affected. Looking back on growing up and learning, it seemed like I was part of this huge wave of knowledge and even still to this day I find myself playing catch up to all the new things out there. The things I learned in ’91 for the most part don’t apply today, and that pattern has continued my whole life. That is the main reason why I know I will never stop learning. My curiosity has always led me to new fountains of knowledge; I can still hear my Mom talking to my Dad about all the broken electronics in my room. She was concerned that I only had my Speak n Spell for about a week before I took it apart to see how it worked, of course I had no idea what I was looking at so I spent the next few days at the library figuring out what a transistor was, resistance, ohms law, of course I couldn’t spell any of this new found knowledge, because my Speak n Spell was broken. The same holds true today, although now I don’t have to break my laptop to see how it works, I can get online and look at all the schematics I want, I don’t have even go to the library now that there is Google, and Dictionary.com will pronounce the words I don’t know for me. What it all stems from is my voracious curiosity and my willingness to learn from it.