In this podcast presentation member of a faculty of an educational institution spoke of their ideas of why and how technology should and can be implemented into the school’s curricula. The majority of educators express some interest in incorporating IT into their subject areas since most of their students express some need for it and are already aware of their usage and they all would prefer training through interpersonal contact (rather than reading how to) implement such technologies.
This podcast is connected to our Personal Journey Life Writing course since the class was required to read and listen to both blogs and podcasts, participate in discussion and post commentaries. We were also requires to post blogs bases on topics looked at in the course and since this is an online course this demonstrated how technology has advanced and how educational institutions are adapting.
I would definitely recommend this podcast because it is very informative and relevant to present day learning and where one gets to express themselves in this technological era.
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Blog 5: Podcasts
What I observed from these two podcasts are the way the students read their memoirs about various topics and used complimenting music to go with it. This really grabbed my attention. These podcasts could be connected to our course because we have also written our very own memoirs and have also read memoirs from various authors.
I would recommend these podcasts because this is a very interesting way of getting people to listen to memoirs, rather than reading them which could be quite boring at times.
Friday, April 13, 2007
PODCASTS
The two podcasts that I listened to and found interesting are:
1. Digital Planet:
This podcast talks about technology especially focusing on computers and the internet and the globalization of technology and digital transformation. It also mentions that by the end of 2015 the goal is to provide a laptop to each youngster around the world at a surprising price of $100.00 per laptop computer. Overall a very interesting podcast to listen and my observation was that this podcast talked about the global issues and computers and technology around the world.
2. Marwan: (The Fictional Autobiography of 9/11 Terrorist)
This podcast is also an interesting one, it talks about the thoughts and ideas in the mind of a terrorist and what makes a terrorist. The one observation I made in this podcast is that this podcast is trying to fight against terrorism by giving knowledge to people.
I would definitely recommend the above mentioned podcasts because they are very interesting and informative and also they have a lot of material to them that could be used for research and other studies.
1. Digital Planet:
This podcast talks about technology especially focusing on computers and the internet and the globalization of technology and digital transformation. It also mentions that by the end of 2015 the goal is to provide a laptop to each youngster around the world at a surprising price of $100.00 per laptop computer. Overall a very interesting podcast to listen and my observation was that this podcast talked about the global issues and computers and technology around the world.
2. Marwan: (The Fictional Autobiography of 9/11 Terrorist)
This podcast is also an interesting one, it talks about the thoughts and ideas in the mind of a terrorist and what makes a terrorist. The one observation I made in this podcast is that this podcast is trying to fight against terrorism by giving knowledge to people.
I would definitely recommend the above mentioned podcasts because they are very interesting and informative and also they have a lot of material to them that could be used for research and other studies.
Monday, April 9, 2007
Blog 4: Villain or Not?
B. Is this a memoir without villains?
In the Memoir My Father’s House by Sylvia Fraser, there is a villain in the memoir and that is her father who sexually abused her when she was very young. We know this by reading the memoir’s two different italics, bold face writing and regular roman print. The italic writing represents the time which the abuse took place, the bold face writing represent the passages derived through recovered memory, and the regular roman writing represents descriptions of past. All of these different methods supports the idea of Sylvia’s father being a an inhumane beast, who just doesn’t have a mind of its own and just tries to over power everyone who is smaller to him. Another quote that supports that there is a villain in this memoir is that when Sylvia says “I might have been diagnosed as a child possessed by the devil. What, in fact, I had been possessed by was daddy’s forked instrument – the devil in man.” p. 492. this quote supports the idea of Sylvia’s father being the devil or the evil figure in the memoir thus proving that there is a villain in this memoir.
In the Memoir My Father’s House by Sylvia Fraser, there is a villain in the memoir and that is her father who sexually abused her when she was very young. We know this by reading the memoir’s two different italics, bold face writing and regular roman print. The italic writing represents the time which the abuse took place, the bold face writing represent the passages derived through recovered memory, and the regular roman writing represents descriptions of past. All of these different methods supports the idea of Sylvia’s father being a an inhumane beast, who just doesn’t have a mind of its own and just tries to over power everyone who is smaller to him. Another quote that supports that there is a villain in this memoir is that when Sylvia says “I might have been diagnosed as a child possessed by the devil. What, in fact, I had been possessed by was daddy’s forked instrument – the devil in man.” p. 492. this quote supports the idea of Sylvia’s father being the devil or the evil figure in the memoir thus proving that there is a villain in this memoir.
Podcasts About Canadian Authors
The name of the two podcasts I listened to were two interviews by Judith Piazza with Alice Bateman, Canadian author and songwriter. Alice Bateman discussed her two published books, the latest called “One American Dreamer, a rag to riches story by Don Tietz. She stressed her interest in this book because it encourages young writers to reach for the best always through writing. She talked her website, alicecbateman.com, where her bibliography is listed and also information about how she can be contacted. Her website also has song lyrics and links to some organizations she is involved in, like one called “Project Smile”.
This podcast is connected to our course because we have discussed in length memoirs done by Canadian authors. This podcast introduces us to new Canadian authors from a different perspective.
I would recommend this podcast to anyone is wants to learn more about Canadian authors. I would recommend this podcast because Canadian authors need our support and authors such as Bateman want Canadians to explore new narratives and books by Canadian authors.
Sunday, April 8, 2007
Without a Villain or Not
Blog 4-week 11
B. Is this a memoir without villains?
I think that the memoir by Sylva Fraser My Fathers House did have a villain in it only when she was writing in Italics format because the descriptions in words she used made my imagination create an image of the other person (her father) look like this beast. Usually when the beast is the villain they hurt others, want to dominate and want have power over everyone that is smaller then them, they also need to be destroyed. In Sylva’s case she was being sexually assaulted by the beast (her father) regularly. I believe that this memoir did have a villain, especially when Sylva was creating the image to allow other readers imagine how she felt when the beast (her father) was coming after her.
B. Is this a memoir without villains?
I think that the memoir by Sylva Fraser My Fathers House did have a villain in it only when she was writing in Italics format because the descriptions in words she used made my imagination create an image of the other person (her father) look like this beast. Usually when the beast is the villain they hurt others, want to dominate and want have power over everyone that is smaller then them, they also need to be destroyed. In Sylva’s case she was being sexually assaulted by the beast (her father) regularly. I believe that this memoir did have a villain, especially when Sylva was creating the image to allow other readers imagine how she felt when the beast (her father) was coming after her.
Podcasts
The podcasts I read for this blog were both from the CBC radio website. They were both dealing with the rual areas in Newfoundland, which as some of you may already know my home provience. The stories I read were about the rual areas and how times have changed so much in the provience of Newfoundland. Most people always think that all Newfoundlanders do is drink and fish. This always makes me mad because it's such a sterotype. Newfoundlanders are not all like that. Most of the people residing in Newfoundland now are elders who have grown up and lived there and now will die there as well.
The stories I looked at talked about the rual areas and how when they lived there years before the town was alive and busy. Now as most people return to these areas there is barely anything left there but a few empty houses and as I said before, elders. Two things which I saw that related to this course was how these stories I read about were true and based on true experiences and real places. This relates back to the memoirs we read; they too were based on real experiences. Another relation was to the life writing part of these stories I read. Like I said before these stories about the rual areas in Newfoundland were true and based on real people and real places where people once lived and then once the fishery closed, their lives were changed. I would strongly suggest anyone who puts the label of the "drinking and fishing newfie" on us Newfoundlanders to look at these podcast because then you can have a better outlook as to what really happened in our small island provience and what is still occuring there today.
The stories I looked at talked about the rual areas and how when they lived there years before the town was alive and busy. Now as most people return to these areas there is barely anything left there but a few empty houses and as I said before, elders. Two things which I saw that related to this course was how these stories I read about were true and based on true experiences and real places. This relates back to the memoirs we read; they too were based on real experiences. Another relation was to the life writing part of these stories I read. Like I said before these stories about the rual areas in Newfoundland were true and based on real people and real places where people once lived and then once the fishery closed, their lives were changed. I would strongly suggest anyone who puts the label of the "drinking and fishing newfie" on us Newfoundlanders to look at these podcast because then you can have a better outlook as to what really happened in our small island provience and what is still occuring there today.
True Crime Blogs
In reading a couple of the crime related blogs I found them to be first of all, quite intresting and very detailed. The crime related blogs seem to all have lots of true and detailed information. They all also had lots of resources and other sites listed for you to check out to see further information regarding the stories they had written about. Another good thing I found, when looking at crime related blogs was they also had pictures on some, which allowed you to have a more open and clear image of exactl y what the cime stories were about. The connections I found in relation to this course was we read a lot of memoirs throughout this program. In saying this, when I read the crime blogs I found that the information and truth that was found in them was huge. This was the same as the memoirs we have read. I would recommend this blog if you enjoy reading about crime related issues and mystery stories. I thought the information I found here was quite intresting.
The True Crime Blog
It was quite interesting reading this type of blog. The authors were very detailed in their description of the crimes, the circumstances surrounding the crimes and they even identified possible causes and the motives of the accused.
The blogs bears connection to the Personal Journeys Life Writing course because the crimes described are non fictional, detailing events that have taken place. Although some of the details presented by the authors were highly opinionated, the writers nevertheless, quoted sources and provided links to authenticate their writings.
I recommend this type of blog since they are very informative, giving the readers an opportunity to become aware of these crimes, the accused and also allowing them to make comments and share their opinion(s) with other readers.
News, Views, and Information
The blog I chose for this class blog entry is about news, views, and information about technology and education by Tim Lauer. I followed this blog for a few days and found that the blogs discussed how elementary schools are using technology to enhance learning. For example, students in
This blog can be connected to this course because the latter part of our course required us to use blogs to communicate with one another, and blogs are a new type of technology that we are learning about.
I would not recommend this blog because it did not provide much information about what the title said. I would also not recommend this blog because I found the postings to be scattered across the page and quite confusing.
Blog About Canadian Authors
The name of the blog I decided to do is called Canadian Authors Who Are Christian. After following this blog for a few days, I observed many interesting postings. One posting I observed introduced a new book called “Deep Dove Crier” by Martin Chuzzlewit. It described this book as one that discusses how family inheritances can devastate family relationships from a Christian point of view. This posting also had feedback from people who are already read this book. They described this book as influential and inspiring.
This blog can be connected to this course because in our course we also discussed different memoirs by different authors. We also had the opportunity to comment on some of our peers’ postings, similar to that done by people on this blog that commented on the books.
I would recommend this blog for people who are interested in finding new Christian related books and also reading some of the comments written by those who have already read them. I would recommend this blog because it introduces the reader to a world of Christian books that are related to events that happen in real life.
Information on a Blog.......................
THE BLACKBOARD JUNGLE- Various thoughts from a teacher.
This blog interested me as soon as I read the name of the blog. The name mentioned above is quite interesting it definitely encourages an individual to go through the blog postings. This blog is all about a teachers thoughts and the day to day life of a teacher and the things that a teacher comes across in this profession.
Two things that I found the most interesting about this blog are:
1) Interrelated and Interdependent:
Each posting in this blog are very well organized and I was surprised to see how the all were connected to each other. The postings were like a chain, once you read one of them and move on to the next one you can definitely see a connection between each individual postings. This also is very relevant to our course because most of the reading we do they are all connected to each other in some way.
2) Reference to a lot of writing and books:
Another good thing about this blog is that the writers made a lot of references of their topics to books, writings of popular writers from around the world and also some literature, this directly connects to the course that we are taking as we do have to read books and writings that explains the concept in detail.
I would definitely recommend this blog as it is very informative and has a lot of things that are interesting to know. It talks about the thoughts that a teacher possesses and his/her experience and other stuff related to teaching. It would be a good idea to now things about teaching.
This blog interested me as soon as I read the name of the blog. The name mentioned above is quite interesting it definitely encourages an individual to go through the blog postings. This blog is all about a teachers thoughts and the day to day life of a teacher and the things that a teacher comes across in this profession.
Two things that I found the most interesting about this blog are:
1) Interrelated and Interdependent:
Each posting in this blog are very well organized and I was surprised to see how the all were connected to each other. The postings were like a chain, once you read one of them and move on to the next one you can definitely see a connection between each individual postings. This also is very relevant to our course because most of the reading we do they are all connected to each other in some way.
2) Reference to a lot of writing and books:
Another good thing about this blog is that the writers made a lot of references of their topics to books, writings of popular writers from around the world and also some literature, this directly connects to the course that we are taking as we do have to read books and writings that explains the concept in detail.
I would definitely recommend this blog as it is very informative and has a lot of things that are interesting to know. It talks about the thoughts that a teacher possesses and his/her experience and other stuff related to teaching. It would be a good idea to now things about teaching.
A BLOG ABOUT PODCASTS!
Language Evolution in the Digital Age
This podcast is all about the evolution of how we learn and it is directly connected to this course in so many ways because at one point in time it would not have been possible to take a course online. But today thanks to the digital age that we live in it’s possible, along with so many other things. The telephone was once considered one of the greatest ways to communicate and it still is but most people have traded it for the option of email. I have not once in this course had to call the teacher. Any help I needed was quickly dealt with in the form of an email. I would definitely recommend this podcast especially if you want to look at how far we’ve come in a few short years.
This podcast is all about the evolution of how we learn and it is directly connected to this course in so many ways because at one point in time it would not have been possible to take a course online. But today thanks to the digital age that we live in it’s possible, along with so many other things. The telephone was once considered one of the greatest ways to communicate and it still is but most people have traded it for the option of email. I have not once in this course had to call the teacher. Any help I needed was quickly dealt with in the form of an email. I would definitely recommend this podcast especially if you want to look at how far we’ve come in a few short years.
A BLOG ABOUT A BLOG!
180 days as a teacher
By Lolita
Two observations that I have made about this blog and its connection to this course is that:
1) She looks at it like a challenge at first, something to overcome, the way I first looked at this course. Just more credits, and me closer to graduation, I didn’t actually expect to come out of this course with anything new.
2) The author realizes how important an education is to everybody whether we want it or not.
I would recommend this blog to others because it speaks to the students about how difficult it is for teachers and it makes you really look at your future and what the effort you put forth now has on your future.
http://180-days.blogspot.com/
By Lolita
Two observations that I have made about this blog and its connection to this course is that:
1) She looks at it like a challenge at first, something to overcome, the way I first looked at this course. Just more credits, and me closer to graduation, I didn’t actually expect to come out of this course with anything new.
2) The author realizes how important an education is to everybody whether we want it or not.
I would recommend this blog to others because it speaks to the students about how difficult it is for teachers and it makes you really look at your future and what the effort you put forth now has on your future.
http://180-days.blogspot.com/
Thursday, April 5, 2007
A blog about Podcasts
The two Podcasts that I viewed were the Switchfoot Podcast from Itunes, and the Hanson Podcast from Itunes also. And no, I am not embarrassed to admit that I am still infatuated with the Hanson brothers (who have all gone off and gotten married, and become fathers without me!).
Both Podcasts are ones that I have watched and followed on a semi-regular basis outside of this assignment. Switchfoot is a band that my boyfriend really got me interested in, and after going to a concert of theirs over Spring break, he found their Podcast link and was quite excited to share it with me. The Hanson Podcast is one that I found on my own after google-ing them when I heard about the upcoming release of their newest album.
Both Podcasts are relatable to our course as they are primarily autobiographical. Both Podcasts are filmed mostly by the band members themselves, or by close friends, and revolves around every day things that they endure.
The Switchfoot Podcast follows the band through the legs of their US. and Canadian tours, and has a lot of footage from behind the scenes of recording days, and random dates that the guys go on. The Hanson Podcast is a lot like a memoir because it focuses specifically on the struggles the band made to escape the large music label world, and create their own freedom, and recording label.
Without a doubt I would recommend the Switchfoot Podcast because it is honestly hilarious. The band has been portrayed as a Christian band by the media when they first emerged, which may not interest some non-religious people. However, the band rarely speaks about their religion, and whether you enjoy their music or not, the things they say and do are just absolutely entertaining. Also, if there are Hanson fans reading this, you would love their Podcast, because it is very personal, and simply exciting to see how they have grown up. I think that I would also recommend the Hanson Podcast to any serious music lover, because it is a great way to see what the music business is really about.
Both Podcasts are ones that I have watched and followed on a semi-regular basis outside of this assignment. Switchfoot is a band that my boyfriend really got me interested in, and after going to a concert of theirs over Spring break, he found their Podcast link and was quite excited to share it with me. The Hanson Podcast is one that I found on my own after google-ing them when I heard about the upcoming release of their newest album.
Both Podcasts are relatable to our course as they are primarily autobiographical. Both Podcasts are filmed mostly by the band members themselves, or by close friends, and revolves around every day things that they endure.
The Switchfoot Podcast follows the band through the legs of their US. and Canadian tours, and has a lot of footage from behind the scenes of recording days, and random dates that the guys go on. The Hanson Podcast is a lot like a memoir because it focuses specifically on the struggles the band made to escape the large music label world, and create their own freedom, and recording label.
Without a doubt I would recommend the Switchfoot Podcast because it is honestly hilarious. The band has been portrayed as a Christian band by the media when they first emerged, which may not interest some non-religious people. However, the band rarely speaks about their religion, and whether you enjoy their music or not, the things they say and do are just absolutely entertaining. Also, if there are Hanson fans reading this, you would love their Podcast, because it is very personal, and simply exciting to see how they have grown up. I think that I would also recommend the Hanson Podcast to any serious music lover, because it is a great way to see what the music business is really about.
A blog about a blog
"Ramblings of an Unschooling Family – by Laura Riesenberg"
The Blog I chose to follow, and look into was written (and updated often) by a wife to one, and a mother of eight children. The reason this Blog stood out to me on the ‘blogs about education’ link, was because the education this woman believed in was ‘unschooling’. When reading through this Blog the two similar themes that relate to our course are controversy, and loss.
The Blog itself is not controversial in nature, as it consists mostly of silly memories, and daily doings, however ‘unschooling’ is a very controversial topic of discussion. I recently watched an episode of Dr. Phil that featured parents debating over how appropriate unschooling is while raising children. Unschooling is like home-schooling but involves no precise, traditional teaching, only encouragement of natural life lessons. Many parents who home school their children, or enroll their children in the educational system feel that unschooling deprives children of a normal life as they grow older, or keeps them from getting good jobs etc. which is why the topic is so controversial.
Closer to the beginning of Laura’s entries she went into detail about the loss of both her parents. Laura’s parents were killed in a car accident a few weeks before Laura was about to give birth to her first child, and is a big part of her reasoning to keep her children close to her, and at home instead of putting them in school.
This Blog was interesting to me only because I was already interested in the unschooling topic, however I most likely wouldn’t recommend it to others unless this topic came up in conversation. Most of the entries talk about what was made for lunch, and what her younger children discovered at the park, nothing that would excite me enough to keep going back to read new entries after this journal is completed.
The Blog I chose to follow, and look into was written (and updated often) by a wife to one, and a mother of eight children. The reason this Blog stood out to me on the ‘blogs about education’ link, was because the education this woman believed in was ‘unschooling’. When reading through this Blog the two similar themes that relate to our course are controversy, and loss.
The Blog itself is not controversial in nature, as it consists mostly of silly memories, and daily doings, however ‘unschooling’ is a very controversial topic of discussion. I recently watched an episode of Dr. Phil that featured parents debating over how appropriate unschooling is while raising children. Unschooling is like home-schooling but involves no precise, traditional teaching, only encouragement of natural life lessons. Many parents who home school their children, or enroll their children in the educational system feel that unschooling deprives children of a normal life as they grow older, or keeps them from getting good jobs etc. which is why the topic is so controversial.
Closer to the beginning of Laura’s entries she went into detail about the loss of both her parents. Laura’s parents were killed in a car accident a few weeks before Laura was about to give birth to her first child, and is a big part of her reasoning to keep her children close to her, and at home instead of putting them in school.
This Blog was interesting to me only because I was already interested in the unschooling topic, however I most likely wouldn’t recommend it to others unless this topic came up in conversation. Most of the entries talk about what was made for lunch, and what her younger children discovered at the park, nothing that would excite me enough to keep going back to read new entries after this journal is completed.
Sunday, April 1, 2007
Hurt
Sylvia Fraser uses both italic and bold font throughout her memoir to convey her thoughts and feels. The italic, light font which indicates her vivid and cloudy memory of her past and uses the bold font to represent her present feeling of the past. The themes of loss, despair, trust and innocence are reveled through her method of connecting both of her past being to figure out her present being.
Loss: “I’m not exactly a child, but neither I am an adult". Expresses her sense of loss of not knowing herself on all levels, physically,emotionally and mentally. It shows her sense of being confused and unsure. (p.487)
Despair: “My daddy is pressing his belly against me. I can’t breathe” (490)"From then on I would have two selves the child how knows with guilty body possessed by daddy, and a child who dares not to know any longer”. (p.490) Conveys her sense of feeling hopeless and despair.
Trust: “Now I understand the fear of confusion that kept me from my father’s deathbed. Mother why didn’t you protect me” (p.496). Suggests her feeling of being betrayed by her mother the one who was suppose to protect her.
Innocence: “I became a woman before I was five” (p.497). Indicates her loss of her innocence.
Loss: “I’m not exactly a child, but neither I am an adult". Expresses her sense of loss of not knowing herself on all levels, physically,emotionally and mentally. It shows her sense of being confused and unsure. (p.487)
Despair: “My daddy is pressing his belly against me. I can’t breathe” (490)"From then on I would have two selves the child how knows with guilty body possessed by daddy, and a child who dares not to know any longer”. (p.490) Conveys her sense of feeling hopeless and despair.
Trust: “Now I understand the fear of confusion that kept me from my father’s deathbed. Mother why didn’t you protect me” (p.496). Suggests her feeling of being betrayed by her mother the one who was suppose to protect her.
Innocence: “I became a woman before I was five” (p.497). Indicates her loss of her innocence.
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