Short Reflection

Technically this is the last posting of my blog. When I am writing this reflection, I am thinking about my journey as a blogger from the stage of staring.

When I first started this blog, I doubted the usefulness of the blog because I didn't think I would use and enjoy blogging. It was correct. I felt difficult in keeping up with this blog by uploading new posts every week.

So just before the break I decided to change my attitude toward my blog. I determined to like and enjoy blogging.

Unfortunately it did not work well. After break I was still busy to upload one post in 7 days. Generally it happened just before starting the next tutorial.

Again I realised it is difficult to change my personality.

But somehow I am quite enjoying this moment. I have looked over all my postings and I felf a kind of pride in accomplishing this task. (Actually I don't deserve to feel proud because I am finishing just before the dead line of EXTENDED due date. )

But it is true that I have learned a lot of things related to technologies. Now I can feel my developed sense of technologies as a consequence of a number of trial and error. I found I feel more confident in dealing technologies. I even started to show off to others how good I am at technologies.

This experience would be definitely very useful in my career as a teacher. I hope I can help students who are reluctant to experience new technologies feel achivement after finishing new task. Because it would be my turn to help students get over their limits.

Virtual World: Second Life

"God is Dead"

by Fredrich Nietzsche

Retrieved 07 June, 2010 from theshermanfoundation.blogspot.com/2008_07_01_

When I learned about virtual world, I remembered what Nietzsche said "God is Dead." Humans does not need to follow God's decision because they can design their identity in the virtual world such as "Second Life." In the times of Nietzsche there were still contraints beyond human's ability even though the people experienced dramatically increased freedom from religion thanks to the scientific development. However the virtual world make it literally possible for humans to determine their identities such as gender, appearance and body figures. Humans do not need to worry about their innate traits that transmitted regardless of their wills because they can choose second life on the virtual world.

There are still limits of human's determination about themselves because it just occurs on the virtual world not reality. However I guess it is expected to actualise in the real world with the help of developed science such as bioengineering and geneticengineering.

This aspect of future makes me excited and afraid at the same time.

RSS (Really Simple Syndication)

Retrieved 07 June, 2010 from www.deskshare.com/Resources/articles/rss.aspx


When I first came across RSS, I admired this amazing technology because it automatically brings brand new information. This is not spam mails which always bring us various virus. It is USEFUL information based on my interests.

It was my savor because it could help me enjoy my laziness. I didn't need to spend time and effort for finding information. Anyway I got to access information thanks to the RSS.

But from some point, I realised that I did not look at brand new information. That's because they are always there and I started to get used to ignoring new information. I could not be excited about automatic upgrade any more. It's just like piles of washings to me.

And I also realised this convenient technology prohibits human from developing ability of evaluating information. This automatic makes me abandon the critical thinking process because it provides everything.

Of course it can help me to save time and effort. However I should not rely on RSS entirely becasue I could lose the learning experience of thinking process. I can take advantage of the benefits of RSS if I am still aware of the significance of thinking process even though it is required to spend time and effort. This experience reminds of Korean saying:

Teach children how to catch fish instead of providing fish

Social Network: Pros and Cons

"Do you have facebook?"

This question is getting the first sentence of the conversation when people make a friend in these days. It can represent the current status of facebook as the most popular social network. In particular it is a major way of socialising with friends for young generations by inviting and accepting parties. Likewise we have started to take it granted of socialising based on social network such as facebook. Therefore it is important to consider the pros and cons of social network.

Ther are many advantages of using social network. Most of all people can interact with many peoples with less effort and time if they use social network. They can send invitation to lots of people with a few clicks on the social network. It can save time and money that used to be required if they send mail or ring for the invitation.

Nevertheless there are some concerns to be considered when people use the social network. Especially people are exposed to the risk in terms of digital safety. That's because many people add personal information on their social network. Even though they think their information can be kept safely with the help of password, there are still many rooms for users to be exposed to failure of keeping personal information.

Thus people need to be aware of the possible digital crimes. In terms of legal approach, there should be more concise and clear regulation to protect digital network users from digital crimes.

Inforamation Literacy

Graphic by bLaugh(2008). Retrieved 03 May, 2010 from: http://davidrothman.net/category/information-literacy

We are drowning in information but starved for knowledge.

-John Naisbitt






Information literacy can be defined as " a new liberal art that extends from knowing how to use computers and access information to critical reflection on the nature of information itself, its technical infrastructure and its social, cultural, and philosophical context and impact" (Shapiro & Hughes, 1996).



It is one of the prerequisite abilities in this era because we are living in the Information and Global age.



Most of all, students can get access a range of information through internet thanks to the digitalised information as long as they have computer equipments. Thus they confront another concerns that which information should be accepted and which one discarded among the sea of information. Students should get critical literacy in order to resolve this problem. They need to raise the critical awareness when they address inforamtion so that they can interpret intentions between the lines. Likewise, students should be tuaght how to address information by considering a range of messages from various standing points. In this way they can acquire knowledge that can help lead thier lives by processing information through critical awareness.

Why should we adopt multiliteracy approach?

Graphic by Marr R. Kaser(2008). Retrieved 03 May, 2010 from: http://naungancinta.wordpress.com/2008/04/11/multiple-intelligences-which-one-your-learning-style/


As this video clip showes, multiliteracy approach in teaching English is required in order to keep with the changing world. That's because people need to interact people beyond their countries in global age and English is adopted as a global language to communicate people who come from various cultures. Thus the primary outcome of teaching English is how to communicate appropriately with people in the world rather than how to acquire grammatically correct English.
This multiliteracy approach is beneficial not only to communication between different cultures but also to individual learners who have different learning styles. According to the Multiple Intelligences(MI) theory of Howard Gardner, learning can be facilitated by addressing differentiated intelligences such as visual-spatial, verbal-linguistic, logical-mathematical, bodily-kinesthetic, musical-rhythmic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, naturalistic, existential intelligences.
In this way, every single learner can enhance and accelearate learning under the multilieracy approach.

Multiliteracy

Textspeak: Language or Not?

Alfred Stieglitz(1917), Photograph of Micel Duchamp's Fountain (1917). Retrieved 19 April, 2010 from: http://www.toutfait.com/issues/volume2/issue_4/music/betancourt/popup_8.html

Language is not a static system. It has been changed in accordance with shifted way of thinking, living and working in the human history. Even now there could be some linguists who exert themselves in order to coin new words (especially in technology areas) while some words are in the way of extinction. Likewise textspeak can be regarded as a new phase of language reflected by needs of people in today.


I think it is more attractive to young generations no matter what language it is. That's because many young Korean people prefer to use textspeak rather than orthographically correct words. I think these features of textspeak appeal to its users.

• take less effort to use by shortening words
  
• feel more comfortable because standard assessment can't be applied


• have more freedom by coining it in their own way

However there is an interesting point in textspeak. Textspeak necessiate some extent of phonological/phonetic awareness in order to coin or decipher it for the users. Even though it looks like there is no consistent rule in using textspeak, it requires complicate linguistic rules to its users.


This aspect of textspeak, I think, is similar to Marcel Ducham's artwork fountain. Marcel Duncham put this readymade urinal in his exhibition , which brough a dispute to people whether it is an art or not. The key issue is where creativity of the artist is in the fountain. The creativity lies in interpreting the artwork instead of making something new. Likewise textspeak seems to be the urinal in the exhibition because it requires logical thinking to use textspeak as language as if audiences need creative thinking to interpret the urinal as art.


However, the use of textspeak without linguistic awareness needs to be prevented. That's because it will destroy and deteriorate the systematic rules in language.


Thus I think children should acquire appropriate language at first. Once they can be aware the systematic rules in languae after learning linguistic information, then they can enjoy using textspeak by applying informed linguistic knowledge.

Danger of majority rule of collective intelligence

According to wikipedia, collective intelligence can be defined as " a shared or group intelligence that emerges from collaboration and competition of many individuals and appears in a wide variety of forms of consensus decision making" (Wikipedia).

I think this is one of the best methods that apply constructivism in teaching and learning environment. Because everyone can participate in both learning and teaching by sharing their knowledge.

However, I want to look at the weak point of this wonderful method. (Because I believe recognising weak points is the startingpoint of development for the better phase.)

Collective intelligence is supposed to make a decision which can be accepted and agreed to most of individuals in the group. That means the statement consented by majority of group would be decided as a truth.
Here is my question :
"What if only one person knows the truth and the rest of people believe their wrong answers are correct?"
Then the consensus would be made by the majority group with the belief "the more, the better". And the wrong statement would become a truth with the help of majority rule.

I have thought about this problem and these are my possible solutions.
People need to be critical about their understanding even though it is regarded as truth thanks to the consensus by many people. The hypothesis supported by many people does not necessarily mean that it's true.
And the person who is in minority group and strongly believes that his/her ideas are right should develop the belief enough to persuade the others rather than giving them up.

Then the collective intelligence can be validated and reliable qualitatively as well as quantitively.

Being a specialist blogger

Today is Monday, which is the last day before the weekly assignment.
I realise that I am quite passive in making my blog.
So I have decided to become an expert on blog creating from now on.
Because I am aware of the importance of computer technologies in teaching.
If I am reluctant to keep up with the changes of teaching tools, I will be stuck in my old habits.
That's why I have decided to change my attitudes towards technologies.
First of all, I will have my blog set as the home page on my laptop.
This will remind me every time when I turn on the laptop to create a new entry.
And I will write in my online diary about my journey of becoming a specialist blogger.
That can help me update new postings.
This is the promise that I have to make to myself.
I hope I will keep the promise and I'll be confident at blogging at the end of this semester.

Disadvantage & Advantage of Web 2.0

Personally I don't like working with computer. There is no special reason. I think I am one of the digital immigrants. Maybe I could be someone who is just trying to immigrate to the digital world. But I can understand the powerful effects and fascination of web 2.0. My works on the web can be published to the world with the help of existing software. That makes me feel like I did something and became someone. But still I have to depend on the software to make blogs unless I'm the best computer programmer. Maybe that's one of the reasons why I do not like working with computers. Besides, I have to update often. Otherwise it will be left behind and look like just garage with out of fashion stuffs.

But the power of blog is amazing. In Korea, there are some people called 'power blogger'. They can make big money from posting advertisements because these blogs are very popular. People go to the blogs to find and share information. Likewise blog can be a very good virtual place to communicate regardless of location, age, and time. So it might be helpful to reduce prejudice that can occur in person-to-person situation.

Social Constructivism in Education

I believe every human being has his/her own ability. It could be in the area of commerce, arts, or science. That means eveyone can be a teacher in their field. At the same time, everyone can be a student out of their area. That's why people need to learn from each other . By respecting other's ability as well as mine, human can acquire truthful learning. I think that's the most valuable points of social constructivism in education.