Lack of a Better Title v4.0

2005-02-22T09:57:00.000-08:00

Blogs Revisited.

For the most part, I thought the blog assignment was very effective. I have three reasons for this. First, I liked that we were given time to reflect, since the blogs could be done on our own time. I cringe at in-class, on-demand writing where the focus is on finishing before time is up rather than on developing content. Second, blogging made the assignments a lot more personal. Because we were given our own little corner of the web world, we ended up relating a lot of the prompts to our own lives. Topics became more than just another assignment for class, but ideas that we encountered outside the classroom. We sought out ways to make our opinion unique, especially knowing that our blogs are public and viewable by our peers and other members of the Stanford community. Third, blogs give way to "net democracy." Each person has a powerful voice when it comes to blogs...well, because there is only one voice speaking. In any case, the classroom dynamic doesn't get in the way. From the loud kids to the quiet kids, everyone has an equal chance to talk. And in response to one of Christine's questions, I think that a collaborative blog would take away the power of one voice. In other words, it would create just another classroom.

I really don't think I came along way in my impression about blogs. I was a user before, and I'm still one today. But I have come to realize their place in academia. In fact I don't associate blogs with online diaries as much as I used to. Blogs are just another form of expression--a means of publishing personal, educated thoughts to an infinitely large audience. They are legitimate, depending upon the author of course. The more that opinions and thoughts circulate, the better thinkers and critics we will become.

2005-02-18T11:37:00.000-08:00

Midterm Presentation Review

THE GOODS

Allowing the audience into the thought process. In one particular presentation, the speaker walked us step by step through his argument, using the Powerpoint to show relationships between concepts. I was definitely impressed by this.

Speaking without a crutch. For some this meant talking without notes or pieces of paper. For others this meant talking even without Powerpoint. I appreciated the speaker's extra effort to memorize or at least review his notes before coming before an audience. There were a lot of students who really executed this well.

Confidence. There isn't a name that comes to mind of a student who didn't exude confidence. That type of attitude lets the audience know that the speaker knows his stuff, and really wants the other students to hear it. Also, the presentations made by the more confident speakers are the ones that I tend to remember more.

THE BADS

Content overload! I noticed there was way more of an emphasis on content this time around. That's not a bad thing; it shows that they have conducted research and found some partial answers to their questions. But I think there was too much focus on facts and content that the individual presenter's own personality got lost in the process.

Talking at the audience rather than with them. I guess this relates to the above topic, but I felt that there were presenters who forgot to acknowledge the audience. They laid out a bunch of material, but left it up to us to find the relevance to our lives. From my own experience, I think that breaking it down is much MUCH more effective. It won't dumb down the presentation, but make it easier to follow and more believable that the speaker knows what he's talking about.

Not enough variety between first presentation and second presentation. While I think continuation and fluidity between a person's two presentations are important, I would liked to have seen people take risks, venture out to other forms of presentation other than what they're comfortable with.

2005-02-09T09:59:00.000-08:00

Blogging about Blogs

In browsing through the article, "Educational Blogging," from Educause Review, Sept/Oct 2004, I found a lot of interesting points. The first is that blogging "puts students in a situation of equity." In other words, all students, whether they are outgoing or softspoken, now have the same chance to voice their opinion. This is both beneficial for the students and the teacher. The students feel comfortable enough to reflect and provide a genuine response without the fear of speaking up in class. The teacher is able to observe the thought process of all of his students, and can modify his curriculum or way of teaching. I think blogging is appealing to most students--whether they admit it or not--because the emphasis is on the content. Sure, everyone has their own design style or choice of templates, and some might say that bloggers spend more time on those elements more than the writing itself. But I think blogs are an informal way of expressing what's on your mind. There are no formatting rules, no restrictions against bold or italics or underlines. I think that blogs in the classroom are very powerful; they create a dynamic of equality in the classroom, and they encourage the students to let their thoughts flow naturally.

I am thinking of using this article in my research project as evidence that students need to be exposed to technology in the classroom. Teachers who are averse to doing so are limiting the students' learning experience. Blogging is an example that I have not come across in my research thus far. A lot of resources talk about the use of online grading or course web pages, but no one has touched the idea of blogging as a part of the student assignments.

2005-02-04T11:05:00.000-08:00

What's Next?

I know I'd like to experiment with other forms of presentation other than Powerpoint. I don't want to cut the use of media altogether, but perhaps I could just use the computer to project 2 pictures behind me. This time, I want the focus of the presentation to be on the speaker rather than on the technology.

As for content, I will include more concrete examples. In the last presentation, my content was driven by research questions, whereas my upcoming presentation will include partial answers. Also included will be an engaging opening, interactivity from the audience, two case studies, and a work-in-progress conclusion.

2005-01-30T09:39:00.000-08:00

Here's What I Think About: Hypertext Theory and WebDev in the Composition Classroom

"Freeing the reader from a single linear path through the essay imposes significant responsibilities on the writer. For each node in the hypertext, the author must anticipate which nodes readers might want to visit next."

I see a dozen websites a day, and it never crosses my mind how there are people--the site author and web designer--who spend hours constructing a web site that not only functions, but anticipates readers' responses and uses them to format the hypertext. I suppose I take it for granted since the web is so accessible and a part of my daily routine. Reading Cripps' section on the importance of writing hypertext attuned to a diverse audience, I intend to keep a watchful eye on the non-linearity of certain web sites I encounter, judging if these jump-arounds are effective or distracting.

Hocks (2003) speaks about transparency in web development, noting "The more the online document borrows from familiar conventions, the more transparent it is to the audience." As one from the audience, I can say that I certainly react this way. It is refreshing to find simplicity and straightforwardness, especially after a slew of flashy sites and pop-up ads. It makes me feel like I have control over my interpretation of the writing, and I'm not just eating up whatever the web author feeds. If executed well, a web author can enhance his own argument by varying the presentation of his content (frames, links to new windows, tables, charts, etc.) but he mustn't overdo it. Otherwise the reader will reach for that "X" button, either in a state of confusion or frustration.

2005-01-21T16:53:00.000-08:00

Here's What I Think About: "Learning to Love PowerPoint"

So here's a short and sweet article. But it packs a punch.

Byrne starts out with criticism about PowerPoint. It's "limiting, inflexible, and biased." It has "hilariously bad-looking visuals." I'll admit to that. The overwhelming number of templates (for slide format, background, and theme, to name a few) is hard to ignore when you're not a frequent PowerPoint user. When I hear teachers announce, "Don't forget, you can use PowerPoint!" I can't help but roll my eyes. And it's not at the teacher's eagerness to include technology in the classroom. That I agree with. I think if teachers didn't get us to mess with the Microsoft Office system, students wouldn't be as knowledgeable as they are now.

It's just that when I hear the term PowerPoint, I get these mental images of either (a) a white screen with boring black letters and the traditional header-bullet format, or (b) swirly backgrounds horrifically combined with neon-green words that zip in and out of the screen. Yes, more people are using PowerPoint. But I don't know if there are many people who have mastered a balance between (a) and (b), the bland and the gaudy. (Sounds like a soap opera I wouldn't want to see).

It sounds like Byrne has found that balance, however. He knows what I'm talking about. I especially love his two bullet points in the very beginning.

We interrupt this magazine for a PowerPoint presentation:

For artist and musician David Byrne, the medium is the message.
Infographic guru Edward Tufte wants to kill the messenger.

Certainly PowerPoint presentations could "interrupt" the creative process. It could in fact drown the user with dotted line boxes and rigid templates. Or, it really could enhance a presentation, if used at the proper amount. Look at what he's done here. He used bullet points, and, haha, that is mildly ironic. But when accompanied by his article, it really is a powerful punch.

2005-01-10T02:31:00.000-08:00

Fearing The Byte

My mom has a fascinating fear of our home computer. Whether it is powered on or shut down, she treats the darn thing like anything—an uncovered Snapple bottle or an accidental keystroke—could harm it. My brother Randy and I know how extensive this fear runs. We usually can make it to the weekends before we get a phone call from our mother that starts with, “I need your computer smarts.” So, in these situations, Randy and I take a deep breath and follow our customary procedure. I start giving my mother the slow and detailed steps, and she records down every word. My brother tells her to explore for herself and to stop being afraid of technology, and she complies. Until the next phone call, that is.

My mom is not typically a fearful person. Sure, she has the common fear of heights, the fear of failure, the fear of her children being in danger. What person doesn’t have at least one of the above? But computer phobia? Fear of that 17-inch screen in the corner of the room? I didn’t think it was possible.

Apparently my mother is not alone. Finding some other adult with this same phobia is as easy as a trip to the grocery store. Oddly enough, those adults who lack “technology savvy” can drive the big cars, watch the 24-inch television screen, cook up a storm in the kitchen. But when it comes to sitting themselves in front of a Sony laptop, they become as helpless as a trembling sheep in a lion’s den.

What is it about the computer that terrifies so many of our parents? Sure, there’s fear of the unknown and the unfamiliar. We all had anxieties about the first day of school, the visit to the dentist’s office, fall quarter of the freshman year of college. But we’re young, and we scare easily.

Why is it that our parents, who’ve faced scarier life experiences that could not be avoided by pressing “Undo”, become as fearful as we were when we were young? PCs and Things tries to identify the cause and cure. What I’m curious to discover is why something as commonplace as a computer can have such an effect on the baby boomer generation and above? What could this mean for us, fresh-faced and inexperienced twenty-year-olds, when we start hitting our fifties? Are all generations bound to be fazed out of the fresh-faced digital culture that morphs with each year that passes?

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Thinking Twice About Clicking Twice

Let’s face it. When you hear that someone loves instant communication, blog journals and online communities, you wince and wonder if that person has a social life. At least, one that exists in the real world. Negative perceptions seem to trail these Internet experts, and it seems that the “cool” people take pride in the fact that they’ve avoided these technological trends. In an age where the digital culture is spreading like inescapable fog, these nose-turned-up skeptics might have a lot to learn. Mindjack.com speaks in defense of the World Wide Web, numbering the ways in which the Internet "brings out the best in people."

Why such resistance to accept that the Internet isn't all that harmful? Why the assumption that a cyber life precludes a social life? Could the somewhat impersonal online interactions in fact be getting personal? We eliminate the distractions--looks, voice, gestures, atmosphere--and what we have left are each other's words. Are these "cool" claims just another way our country is reacting to change? Do the benefits of cyber familiarity redefine what's "cool" and what's not?

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I am leaning more towards the second topic, though it is more broad than the first. I think the research process might be a little more exciting, especially since I am interested in students' perceptions of the cyber community. Arguing the "non-nerdiness" of the online scene might be challenging since it incorporates a more sociological and societal focus, but I would enjoy discovering why I myself carry these perceptions, and why I still participate in certain forms of online activity (AIM, blogging, Facebook, etc).

2005-01-06T11:02:00.000-08:00

3rd Blog from the Sun. Blog-Me-Crazy. Blog Your Mom. The list goes on and on. What started out as a quirky, uncommon hobby has now become a familiar custom. "Blogging" is no longer for the introspective teen with way too much time on his hands. It is a forum for debate, a travel log for on-tour movie and music stars, and even a verbal shrine to the "drool-worthy" character in Lord of the Rings.

Where do I fall in the midst of this? I admit, I am a blogger. I have hopped on the boat alongside the AIM-addicts and hidden poets. I am, however, a group blogger. In my junior year of high school, my four best friends and I decided to give Blogspot a try. What did we have to lose, right? In the end, our archives embodied our high school experience. Posts ranged from detailed descriptions of the Winter Formal dance, to rants about our parents' behavior in the summer before college, to overlapping lists of summer goals and New Year's resolutions.

And now, after the whirlwind known as the first year of college, our blog is still up and running. Sure the posts aren't as cohesive as they used to be, given we've dispersed to LA, Palo Alto, San Diego, and Chicago. But at least we know that we're just a click away from an update on each other's lives.

That's the beauty and the horror of blogs. You can catch up with an old friend that way, OR you can read the personal thoughts of a practical stranger. I often stumble upon the blogs, xangas, or myspaces of my friends from high school and Stanford. While some argue that these public diaries close the doorway of communication and interaction (after all, people no longer have to ask how a friend's day went. Five minutes spent on "Blog-Me-Crazy" would no doubt give the play-by-play), I think blogging does just the opposite. To blog means experimenting with one more form of communication, which appeals to those looking for something more than an e-mail or a voice message. As far as interaction goes, one post might spark multiple topics of conversation. Friends who otherwise would not have anything in common now take part in this expanding blogging community.

It is a fad worth examining. I still find it amazing that more and more students can maintain a blog, given that it is non-school-related, unassigned writing that takes additional thought and additional time. It's writing that can't really be seen anywhere else, but is appropriate when talking about e-rhetoric. It's quick, it's captivating, it's organized (one would hope). It is changing the way we communicate our personal thoughts and developed opinions.

Deep down, we are all writers at heart. And there's nothing more that a writer loves than being published...even if that means hitting an orange link.