Google Earth Again

Over the last semester I have been touting the use of Google Earth as a tool to help visually layout the settings of literature. The use of Google Earth for current events can help the students understand the stories in ways that a verbal rundown could not cover. This has been a topic that I have been covering, but I have only seen it in action once. While browsing the internet recently I came across a news show which uses it. On the Rachel Maddow Show she used the program to track the latest pirate hostage situation off the coast of Somalia. It was great to see the detail of the shipping lane, boat locations, prior pirate attacks, and other graphics. Once again Google Earth displays itself as a practical visual tool which reinforces geographical knowledge.

Separation

Upon reading Wysocki’s article "The Sticky Embrace of Beauty: On Some Formal Problems in Teaching about the Visual Aspects of Texts” I found myself agreeing with Wysocki’s disagreement with the separation by Immanuel Kant of humans and nature. This separation may be indicative of one of the current issues facing academia. There has been tradition in separating subjects into their different departments and focusing on an isolated set of material. In the process of the separation, the study of overlap and interconnectedness becomes neglected. I know that in my class history, art, math, and science inevitably arise, they give the students a fuller understanding of the content. In order to understand some aspects it seems that you must understand how it interrelates, for instance how conventions of design and understandings of culture do in Wysocki’s article.

Call In the Expert- Wherever They May Be

The large and bulky ITV machines have become irrelevant and obsolete. Gone are the massive and expensive systems which require a whole room unto themselves. Now we have a world of experts one or two clicks away. With the advent of Skype and existing classroom technologies, what used to be complex and expensive, is now completely manageable and costs roughly $20. The ITV systems are on their way out; Skype is on its way in.
With the advent of digital technology everything is instantaneous and available on any regular computer. No longer do you need a video camera and a TV that accounts for viewing of both ways. No longer do you need an extra classroom with massive equipment. With a $20 webcam and the computer that is in every teacher’s classroom you can have instant access to any expert in the world. Tracking down and proposing offers to the experts is also as easy as a Google search. The experts do not need to hop in a car or even a plane to reach your classroom, so money is saved. Now the expert must have a webcam and knowledge of Skype, but with the money saved in transportation, the teacher could almost buy the guest a webcam and train them how to use the technology. Bringing an expert into a class shows students the benefits of education and backs up what the teacher addresses in class with a real-world expert.

The Remediation of the Pen Pal

It seems that learning occurs when students are taken out of their comfort zone. When students are exposed to material which is unique to them they are much more likely to gain information. With the advent of digital technology we should take advantage of the instantaneous, world-wide communication which is available. Perhaps a remediation and a resurrection of the pen pal is in order. This could be set up on several levels: college to elementary, high school to high school. An Instant Message set up might not be sufficient due to large time differences from one continent to the next. Email or a discussion board form may be a more sufficient fit for this exercise.
In the process of composing letters the students would have to choose words carefully and avoid slang so that others who are reading English as a 2nd language will understand the students emails. The students will also have an opportunity to share in a culture which is not their own. At a high school level students are still very unaware of different cultures, so I think that this would be a good exercise for opening their minds to diverse ideas. Plus, it is fun to get mail (email) which is more fun based rather than business based.

Tweet Comm

The internet has allowed everyone to be connected socially through virtual means. It can easily connect people of similar interests and backgrounds. People are not the only entities being connected however. One of the most popular recent programs is Twitter. One of the reasons this program is popular is because it is simplistic and commercial free. Slowly the commercial industry is finding its way into Twitter though. Using programs like Backtype companies have an automated scan set up on Twitter so that when a specific word or set of words is mentioned the scan will pick it up and send an automated message. For instance it has been said if you Twitter about being sick the Xycam company will send you an automated response saying they’re sorry that you are sick and give you a 10% off coupon.
It is good that teachers try to incorporate these tools into their classroom. These programs are the forefront of social networking and digital composition. How much commercialization is okay in class? Right now Twitter is fairly commercial free, but it seems as if a door has been opened. How will Twitter address the issue? Is it wrong for them to block commercial entities from the use of Twitter and if so where do you draw the line? Can media companies use Twitter? I really do not have answers to this, but it does seem to be an impending issue.

Home Invasion 2.0

There was an interesting story in the news of Web 2.0 in action. Recently David Praeger awoke to someone walking into his home. It became instantly clear that the guy was inebriated and Praeger didn’t feel as if he were in danger. So Praeger pulled out his Iphone and began Twittering the play by play. The passed out man was in the bathroom. As the scene progressed so did the humor of the tweets. Praeger began to Ustream the event live online as he had to yank the passed out guy out of his bathroom. He never called the police and had a short struggle as he got the guy out of his house. After the guy was kicked out he tried to come back in, but the locked door was enough to deter him. Praeger stated that he regrets using as many curse words that he did since it was being broadcast. Since this home invasion occurred for the world to see in real time there has been critics on both sides. Some people said he should have called an ambulance and some people said he should have beat the guy up. As Preager tweeted, he had several people commenting live. Web 2.0 what an amazing concept.


http://www.businessinsider.com/revision3-coo-twitters-through-home-break-in-2009-3

Information for this blog from TWIT podcast

Influencing Change

As technology has advanced in the field of composition, some language arts instructors have stubbornly resisted, sticking with the time honored pen and paper or its remediation, the word processed text document (only after being drafted on paper first). In the process of taking a hands-off approach to technology, some of the commonly accepted tools within digital technology are substandard and have been allowed to flourish unchecked by the authorities within the field. The more involved professionals in the field are, the better of an educational tool digital media can be.
One standard and mediocre tool of digital composition is Microsoft Word spell check and grammar check. With out the voice of the professionals in the field these programs have been allowed to become authoritative in the area of digital composition. Many students take the results of these programs as gospel. I recall tutoring college students who automatically switched red underlined words to whatever the top word in the spell check result was. Language Arts professionals need to weigh in on the choices their students make about creating, modifying, and publishing their digital documents. The direction of the field is inevitable; the outcome is still being determined though.