11.18.05
Posted in INSTRUCTional Technology at 11:05 pm by lisa
what does
your blog reveal
about you?
What does your blog reveal about you? Is it your preference to remain anonymous or do you prefer to claim your fame in the blogosphere? Is it even possible to be publicly private?
Blogs are typically written in the first person narrative, thus inviting the audience to establish a relationship with the blogger. As a blog develops, themes emerge. Interests are exposed through the writing and choice of subject matter. The voice of the blogger becomes familiar. The audience begins to form an impression of who the blogger is. The design of the blog, color-font-layout, all paint a visual of the personality of the blogger. The use of images, illustrations and photographs reveal the intimate work of a blogger.
Meredith Badger’s paper Visual Blogs, published in Into the Blogosphere: Rhetoric, Community and Culture of Weblogs explores the use of imagery in blogs and how information about the blogger is revealed, knowingly or unknowingly. An interesting read.
How do bloggers maintain a degree of separation from the audience while building an online community?
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11.11.05
Posted in Legally Blogging at 11:38 am by lisa
You’re blogging along and all of the sudden - WHAM! You’re hit with a Cease and Desist notice. You’re confused. You didn’t even think anyone was really reading your blog in the first place. So you voiced an emphatic opinion about a politician or ranted about a product that didn’t meet your expectations. Freedom of speech is a basic right after all. Maybe you wrote a synopsis of the latest movie you saw or broadcasted a great podcast you came across. What could’ve been wrong with that? Maybe nothing.
Reality is your blog has given you a virtual voice in a global environment. One that may or may not be wanted. Some individuals and businesses would rather not have you as a spokesperson, and may be misusing intellectual property and other laws in an attempt to stifle the legitimate free expression of online users.
Are you within your legal rights? Positive or negative, you are responsible for the content you post and possibly even for the comments responding bloggers leave. It is up to you to understand the protections that the First Amendment and intellectual property laws give to your online activities. Luckily, there’s help.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation’s mission is to defend digital rights. A Legal Guide for Bloggers, is a collection of blogger-specific FAQs designed to help you understand your rights and, if necessary, defend your freedom.
If you’ve received a letter asking you to remove a link to a Web site, delete information or stop engaging in an unsolicited activity, than this site is for you: Chilling Effects Clearinghouse. A joint project of the EFF and prominent law schools, Chilling Effects will help you decipher Cease and Desist notices so you can make informed decisions about your online activities.
Blog informed.
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11.04.05
Posted in e-j&-'kA-sh&n blogs at 4:57 pm by lisa
What effect is blogging having on the brains of bloggers?
While educators debate the use of blogs in the classroom, literacy and digital fluency, Drs. Fernette and Brock Eide explore the topic of blogs with a focus on the brain. The Eide Neurolearning Blog is about all things Neurolearning, current research and articles about brain-based learning styles and differences.
“…it always makes sense to ask whenever large numbers of people start using their brains in new and different ways, what effects these new activities are likely to have on brain structure and function. Blogging, which only seems to be accelerating in popularity, is a prime candidate for such investigation.”
In their post Brain of the Blogger their conclusions are presented here:
1. Blogs can promote critical and analytical thinking.
2. Blogging can be a powerful promoter of creative, intuitive, and associational thinking.
3. Blogs promote analogical thinking.
4. Blogging is a powerful medium for increasing access and exposure to quality information.
5. Blogging combines the best of solitary reflection and social interaction.
Whether you are a teacher or a parent, the Eide Neurolearning Blog is a valuable resource about educating the whole child.
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10.28.05
Posted in INSTRUCTional Technology at 4:06 pm by lisa
A recent news post Beyond ‘’Toys, Travel and Food’ posted to the Inside Higher Ed News blog expands upon a panel discussion held last week at the Educause conference in Florida. The topic: “incentives and rewards” as a means for enticing professors to experiment with and adopt the latest technological innovations in their classroom work. Glen Everett, presenter and Director of IT at Stonehill College, admits that though practical rewards may entice, it is the disincentives that contribute to the lack of faculty technological adoption. The fact that integrating a new technology is typically not recognized or rewarded in the tenure process seems to be the most prominent road block.
What I find most interesting here is not the blog content but the comments that followed. Although the author of the blog, Doug Lederman, may have intended to promote discussion on addressing support from the top rungs of the institutional ladder, what he got seems to be a runaway blog.
Taking no prisoners, responding bloggers share their own opinions of what causes the lack of faculty buy-in. Hardware that fails and software that isn’t designed to meet educational needs are easy targets - but it doesn’t stop there. Over-zealous directors, faculty clicks and IT support that lack classroom teaching experience also take a hit. Whether we choose to see ourselves here or not, it is clear that technological advancement of the institution is the responsibility of all segments of academia and the desired outcome must remain focused on student learning.
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