Comments for Saragib's Weblog

Comment on Re: Interactive Narrative by Farolyn

Farolyn — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 07:59:40 +0000

Great job on your final project Sara! I wish I was able to get a closer look. The idea of creating a fictional class was inspiring. This project can exist as a teaching tool for you as well. In the future you can look back at this tool as a reference. It seems like good preparation for teaching in the future. You developed a tool that all educators can use. Will you post it online? Have a good day!

Comment on Blog 11/22/08 by elanamcdermott

elanamcdermott — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 23:01:55 +0000

Best blog entry of the year. I might be giggling about this all weekend.

All joking aside you do bring up a great point! What happened to meetings behind closed doors? Honestly, if I were a client of one of these coffehouse worker bees (err turtles) would I really want every person who picked up their latte between 9 and 10am knowing my business plan or personal financial records? Not so much. When has modern convenience become, well- inconvenient? Boundaries ought to be set, but at what point? Do we tell our children, think outside the box, do what makes you happy and follow your dreams- but please get yourself an office! Afraid we can’t. Perhaps there is no viable solution, it may just be where society continues to progress.

Comment on Re: Distance Learning by elanamcdermott

elanamcdermott — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 15:44:41 +0000

I really liked your presentation on distance learning. In fact, it inspired me to look into some learning opportunities for myself. I want to teach on the college level, and since most faculty at that level have an MFA instead of a MA I have been looking into obtaining another degree. Though I have often imagined completing a PhD as well, I really don’t want to spend the next decade of my life in school. Therefore, it might serve me best to complete two of these degrees at the same time. With new technology, it is possible (I found out through research) to complete an MFA in digital photography through distance learning. Ultimately, I can see this medium being one of only a handful of artistic mediums that would successfully translate to online learning.
Now I am just checking on accreditation and whether or not this is a viable option for me.

Thanks for the ideas!!

Comment on Re: Distance Learning by elanamcdermott

elanamcdermott — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 23:06:37 +0000

Great presentation. I made a note to myself to comment on online learning as “tainted”. Personally, I have always seen online learning as something to be taken with a grain of salt. To check the accreditation of your school extremely carefully, and really know yourself (and your academic tendencies) very well before embarking on an online program. In the last few years this view has changed a little.

My dad always regretted not getting an MBA. Though he has a PhD in psychology, he has always wished to go back to school. So he did. Online through the distance learning program at Cornell. He loved the experience and the education he received online through their program, and when he went to complete the on campus portion of his education (final testing) he came home fulfilled with his experience and proudly sporting his new Cornell sweatshirt. I think that this did him great benefit not only emotionally but professionally.
Here’s to re-thinking the way we educate our society.

Comment on Blog 11/22/08 by JAlbano

JAlbano — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 20:58:51 +0000

I really like your turtle analogy! It is cute and works. I too had never thought about this. But one really can pack up all of their things much easier then ever before and reset up where ever they would like. It would make since that this would create and facilitate a tear or conflict between personal and public space. But is something one would do in a cubicle that personal? People get fired all of the time for viewing porn of uploading images of them doing drugs. With technology is it more the personal has just become public. Or are we putting or choosing to put ourselves in these vulnerable public situations.
My roommate is very apposed the entire facebook, myspace thing. Constantly pointing out or asking why I would want to invite people I don’t know well into my personal life. She doesn’t understand why I would want to put myself into what to her is a vulnerable situation.
I guess I don’t really have an answer. But there are my thoughts.

Comment on Blog 11/22/08 by Christina Perry

Christina Perry — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 21:35:03 +0000

HAHAHAHAHAHA that is hilarious !

weird you should bring this kind of thing up too because i have been thinking about some related stuff as well. i moved here to this area a little more than a year ago now and i’ve lived in a number of places including all over VA, Korea, and NYC. nowhere have i felt like i do here, that people are OBSESSED with their work.

people in DC LOVE what they do. these political type people and IT professionals love Love LOVE their jobs. they love to be there, they love to talk about, its so funny and most of all they love taking it around with them.

when i first came here i dated a guy who was the same age as me but really accomplished (unlike me). he was one of those people that was a little too smart for his own good. he was a very cool guy, funny, nice, had manners, all that good stuff. but he loved him some work! hahahaa. it was the one thing that kinda annoyed me about him. we would talk on the phone and i could here him clicking away at his laptop (while he was at home at 9 pm). sometimes he went to work at 4 am. just cause he wanted to, lol. every once in awhile he was at work on the weekend! when we were together he would answer calls from work (at night or on the weekend when we were out) but then he would ignore calls from his mom. HAHA. what the world ?

when i’m out with friends, first i do check my phone if it rings but i try to only answer important ones, or important people. and i try to keep my phone convos short when i’m out with others. i think its just rude and it tells the people your with that they aren’t important to you. (if the people i went out with last night are reading this by any chance, i don’t want to talk about it, lol).

but anyways, more along the lines of what you were saying Sara, I agree that teachers have a role in teaching etiquette and your right, it is a difficult question. I am sure if people started thinking about it and talking about it we could def get into some different viewpoints. Its a great question, definitely worth raising.

Comment on Open Source Continued by elanamcdermott

elanamcdermott — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 19:29:01 +0000

I thought that you raised an interesting point on online learning. It would take a lot of self motivation to finish an entire course online just for the fun of it, or for personal education. And I like being a student, and learning! Perhaps if we were not already full time students the idea of adding another course to our full loads would not seem as daunting, but right now- it seems unfathomable!
I also think it would be very interesting to write in a foreign language version of Word (or any writing program) One of my biggest frustrations with learning language in America is that when you went to type a paper the entire page would be underlined in red and green (the editing tools in Word). Leaving you with a full page of mess on the screen and the inability to recognize typos or spelling errors easily. I think that it could be an invaluable tool for language teachers and learners.

Comment on Open Source Continued by JAlbano

JAlbano — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 17:59:57 +0000

I completely agree! I find myself using the internet all of the time! For everything! It is faster, easier, and more time affective then going to the library or another more fiscal approach. But on the downside… let’s take today for example. I have gotten a lot done: homework, research, papers, emails, a lot. But I have not left my bed. This is both nice and discerning! I don’t need to walk, drive, bike to the library, I don’t need to go anywhere other then my handy dandy laptop.
Let’s take your example of the Middle East. While yes it is great to learn about different places and cultures. But how much of that information is bias, how different is it to read about customs, culture, food then it is to experience it. I am a big fan of traveling and even feel a distinct difference if I go with a local or met up with people as apposed to take the tourist route. I thought that I was experiencing things but in reality it was much different then really seeing and feeling what someone’s life is like who lives and is immersed in that culture.
I am a strong believer in just doing things. It is different to learn a different language then it is to live in that country for a year and really learn it! While this is not always or even usually a choice I have friends who have done things like this. Moved to Spain for 6 months or wherever. But they always come back with a different understanding to the language, the culture, a real understanding that they had no grasp on despite their years of study!

Comment on Open Source Continued by amandadudek

amandadudek — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 03:55:30 +0000

Sara- The openoffice software that you found seems to be great and what a wonderful idea for a language class. I am going too have to check it out myself (I have slowly, I mean slowly have been trying to learn Korean) how helpful!! Thanks. Have you had a chance to try it out yet? If so how does it work?

Comment on Tagging and Open Source Software by cmadison04

cmadison04 — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 02:21:03 +0000

I feel you both in regards to feeling as though the computer is a tool you use but don’t really understand. Sadly, that has become a feeling I am accustomed too and simply accept instead of challenging. For example, I know I’ll never fully understand my students, so I accept that and work with what I do know and try to learn. When it comes to yoga, there are some moves that my body does not know how to do, so I accept that, try to learn as much as I can, and move on accordingly. With the computer, there is a lot I don’t understand, I accept that, and only really try to learn something knew when I need to. I’m not really into surfing the web and learning about the internet and all of its great facets just for the sake of learning. I guess I’m not a 21st century Renaissance woman – I can’t do the computer deal and I don’t really want to spend a ton of time learning. Then I learn about these great programs and it makes me wonder if I should be forcing myself to learn more so that I can utilize it in my classroom…I guess that’s why I’m in the class, though! I certainly will not be updating any open source software, but if I can figure out how to use it in the confines of my classroom, then you bet I’ll do my damndest to try to understand. Maybe my students can teach me.