May 31

JOURNAL TOPIC: [today's tunes: Gorillas, Gorillaz, and Guerillas]

I sat down to write a topic just now about what I've read in your journals over the last week-- many of you have feelings about parting ways with friends, family and the community structure you've known for a long time-- but then I signed into blogger and noticed that the course blog now has >86,000 page views.  This reminded me of Howard Rheingold's book Virtual Community; the term is now common and defined by Wikipedia as, "A social network of individuals who interact through specific media, potentially crossing geographical and political boundaries in order to pursue mutual interests or goals."  This year we've created a learning community that transcends traditional limitations and stereotypes, and I'm creating an alumni/"friends of the course" platform so that all of us can stay connected to whatever extent we choose.  Alumni networks are extremely common and effective for universities-- I found this job through a contact on the UCLA alumni network-- and a resource like this can be just as effective for you.  All you'll have to do is register for access to author talks, collegiate/professional forums, and...?  This is my question: what other features/benefits do you think this virtual community should include?  How do you imagine using such a tool to take some very important next steps in your lives?

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Projects & fascinating conversation

HW/Mission/Coursework/DFTYRBD (Diversion From Things You'd Rather Be Doing):
If you feel like you're finished with your project, your project is probably mediocre.  Ask at least three of your colleagues for suggestions on how to make it better.  Summarize the conversation and post to your blog, however you choose to act on their advice.

help a friend with her research

International researcher and friend of the course Jasmin has asked each of us to take three minutes and complete her online survey, which you can find HERE.  Thanks!

wasting time is new divide in digital era

According to this article in yesterday's NY Times,


In the 1990s, the term “digital divide” emerged to describe technology’s haves and have-nots. It inspired many efforts to get the latest computing tools into the hands of all Americans, particularly low-income families.

Those efforts have indeed shrunk the divide. But they have created an unintended side effect, one that is surprising and troubling to researchers and policy makers and that the government now wants to fix.

As access to devices has spread, children in poorer families are spending considerably more time than children from more well-off families using their television and gadgets to watch shows and videos, play games and connect on social networking sites, studies show.

This growing time-wasting gap, policy makers and researchers say, is more a reflection of the ability of parents to monitor and limit how children use technology than of access to it. 

Thoughts?

May 30

JOURNAL TOPIC: [today's tunes: by request]

For these last few days, your journal is actually YOUR JOURNAL.  Take notes on the conversation in your head.

"Those first few songs I wrote, I was just taking notes at a fantastic rock concert going on inside my head."
-Jim Morrison

***NOTE: Today I will be hosting orientation for next year's course in the room at lunch.  Anyone who wants to play is welcome.  If your group needs a place to meet please see me.

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Schedule for the rest of this week & next

HW:
In education there are many words and phrases whose contexts and connotations have spoiled their use outside the classroom (e.g., it's hard to imagine a military or corporate leader asking a team member-- without sarcasm or irony-- why s/he was "tardy").    Tonight you probably have things to do on your project.  This is imaginative, innovative, next-level stuff: what can we call it besides "homework"?  Please offer your suggestion in a comment to this post.

a sophomoric approach to assessment

I just posted to the sophomore honors blog, and now some of them will be in a position to shower you with credit-enhancing tributes on the project infinity site.

May 29

JOURNAL TOPIC: 
The beginning of your last week of K-12 education is a natural time for reflection.  So, consider the person you were at the beginning of 10th grade and the beginning of this school year.  Are you the same person today?  What role has learning in general (and this course in specific) played in your growth over time?

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Assessment
3. Thinking about final presentations

HW:
Keep calm and carry on.

trouble posting slideshow 2.0 from iMovie to blog

This question just in; if you have answers or suggestions please comment to this post.  Thanks!

So I have made my slideshow 2.0 on iMovie and it was really easy to make and it's a great program. But.... I cannot get it to upload on my blog. Help? I have tried exporting it but it keeps saying there is an error when I go to upload. 

Kaley

Per. 2