"I have a confession to make: Today I plagiarized multiple documents at work. I took the writing of others and presented it to my supervisor as if it were my own. It was an open secret that my entire report, written "by Jason Johnson," had been composed by others and that I had been merely an editor. Instead of a reprimand, I was rewarded with a post-briefing latte.
But on some level, it still felt wrong. Before coming to work at my current company, I spent most of the past 15 years as an educator, advising students from second-graders to college seniors that taking the work of others and presenting it as your own is morally wrong and intellectually dishonest. I've fretted over proper citations and labored with students over the highly subjective art of paraphrasing."
Read More: www.washingtonpost.com/
3.27.2007
3.26.2007
Blog Sweep #3
I'm still waiting for some people to "wake up" in this class and write more, but after sweeping through the blogs for the third time, I can say with confidence that those who ARE blogging a lot seem to be benefiting from it. The writing is getting better, the topics are more varied and interesting, and comments about the blog-to-write process in general are positive and encouraging. I think it works! -- and can work, still, for those who are still off to a slow start.
One thing I've noticed is that either people are writing a lot or they aren't writing much at all. There are a few people in the middle (writing an "adequate" amount), but I think if I mapped the official data there'd be a big "dip" in the graph reflecting these extremes.
What's up with that?
My guess would be that "good blogging" requires getting over a certain hump and that, once you're over that hump, writing a bunch of "thoughtful" journal entries is almost as easy (or manageable) as writing a few. So for those who are still troubled with inertia and a lack of "inspiration" (see my post on inspiration), the blog is still seen as a burden and one that gets worse each day because, well, with each passing day that's another post NOT written. On the other hand, for those who managed to find a groove, get in the swing, develop a habit, and make blogging a "way of life," it's now a lot easier to keep up with it and not fall behind.
Anyway, it would be nice to know what the bloggers themselves think of this phenomenon. All I can do is report the trend, which I'll summarize as follows: A few people writing a lot; a lot of people doing almost nothing; very few people in between those two extremes.
One thing I've noticed is that either people are writing a lot or they aren't writing much at all. There are a few people in the middle (writing an "adequate" amount), but I think if I mapped the official data there'd be a big "dip" in the graph reflecting these extremes.
What's up with that?
My guess would be that "good blogging" requires getting over a certain hump and that, once you're over that hump, writing a bunch of "thoughtful" journal entries is almost as easy (or manageable) as writing a few. So for those who are still troubled with inertia and a lack of "inspiration" (see my post on inspiration), the blog is still seen as a burden and one that gets worse each day because, well, with each passing day that's another post NOT written. On the other hand, for those who managed to find a groove, get in the swing, develop a habit, and make blogging a "way of life," it's now a lot easier to keep up with it and not fall behind.
Anyway, it would be nice to know what the bloggers themselves think of this phenomenon. All I can do is report the trend, which I'll summarize as follows: A few people writing a lot; a lot of people doing almost nothing; very few people in between those two extremes.
On Research Blogging
I'm starting to see the limitations of this artificial "barrier" between journal entries and CBook entries. On the one hand, I think it can be highly useful to be able to "dump" things, file things away, in the CBook, but now that I want to write about those quotes I think it would be much easier simply to interleave my comments between quotes, thus mixing other people's "voices" with my own. One solution is to open the blog itself in a new window (like I just did) so I can see the quotes "over there" while writing about them "right here." But I'm not sure that's the best solution.
So, something to keep in mind for the future...
Meanwhile, I posted these quotes from an article I read late last semester on blogging and research. I remember being very excited about this paper because it seemed to justify or foreground much of what I was planning to do with blogs in this course. Now seems like a good time to revisit some of those "bits" and see how they apply.
Quote #1 & #2: True, but I can see how writing on blogs gets "individuated" too in the absence of a clear mandate for everyone to check in, and often, to see what the "larger collective" is up to. In this class, for example, everyone seems to be writing with "the rest of the class" in mind -- in some cases, there's a rhetorical emphasis on direct address ("hello everyone!") in the journal writing -- but I don't know if that translates to real "affiliation" in and among bloggers. The practical upshot of this, I think, is that we need to read each other's writing more often, leaving comments, because I do believe more powerful writing comes from this, having seen evdience of that already in this class. By committing to reading (with focus, attention, concern), we can build the kinds of "authentic, tangible" audiences otherwise lacking in most school-based writing.
#3: Blogging as "memory extension work" makes sense to me. Putting the CBook in "conversation" with journal writing is one way to formalize that memory work -- that's the idea (and the ideal) at least. It's nice to think that the blog (and now, 4 years after this article was written, there are other available digital tools, like FB and MS) can "reveal a structure" to the kinds of searching and path-traveling that we do when we explore and develop ideas. I'm not sure this works in practice, though, or at least I wonder if the knowledge "structure" is defined well enough to be at all discernable in the mass of stuff that tends to show up on a research blog. What's great about the blog as a research tool is that it works as an archive (database) tool that CAN be organized in such a way that narratives and structures appear, but I think this requires a second degree or level or *ordering* that is not necessarily inherent to the blog structure itself. I don't think "blogging" produces the "audit trails" so much as bloggers (through labeling and time-stamping, for example) can CREATE trails in the otherwise tangled undergrowth of their own searching.
#4, 5, 6, 7: In many cases (in this class), some of the optimistic language in these passages is bearing out. I sense (and understand from reflection writing) that people are writing "for real" and not doing the kinds of "pretend" research they might have done if offered a more conventional research paper assignment. My own research questions on the topic of research blogging would be: Does research blogging (CBook + Journal) actually promote "reflection on one's knowledge trails" and if so, how does it manifest? What does that "reflection" look like? How can it be measured?
It would be nice to get student responses to these and other questions. Obviously I'm using this course to promote the idea of "beginning from significant problems" in one's research rather than, well, beginning (late) with a canned topic because you think the prof will "like" it. The question, though, is how much does the blog component of this course help or hinder that larger course objective? Does the CBook (along with the journal) facilitate the creation of knowledge "structure" or does it get in the way?
So, something to keep in mind for the future...
Meanwhile, I posted these quotes from an article I read late last semester on blogging and research. I remember being very excited about this paper because it seemed to justify or foreground much of what I was planning to do with blogs in this course. Now seems like a good time to revisit some of those "bits" and see how they apply.
Quote #1 & #2: True, but I can see how writing on blogs gets "individuated" too in the absence of a clear mandate for everyone to check in, and often, to see what the "larger collective" is up to. In this class, for example, everyone seems to be writing with "the rest of the class" in mind -- in some cases, there's a rhetorical emphasis on direct address ("hello everyone!") in the journal writing -- but I don't know if that translates to real "affiliation" in and among bloggers. The practical upshot of this, I think, is that we need to read each other's writing more often, leaving comments, because I do believe more powerful writing comes from this, having seen evdience of that already in this class. By committing to reading (with focus, attention, concern), we can build the kinds of "authentic, tangible" audiences otherwise lacking in most school-based writing.
#3: Blogging as "memory extension work" makes sense to me. Putting the CBook in "conversation" with journal writing is one way to formalize that memory work -- that's the idea (and the ideal) at least. It's nice to think that the blog (and now, 4 years after this article was written, there are other available digital tools, like FB and MS) can "reveal a structure" to the kinds of searching and path-traveling that we do when we explore and develop ideas. I'm not sure this works in practice, though, or at least I wonder if the knowledge "structure" is defined well enough to be at all discernable in the mass of stuff that tends to show up on a research blog. What's great about the blog as a research tool is that it works as an archive (database) tool that CAN be organized in such a way that narratives and structures appear, but I think this requires a second degree or level or *ordering* that is not necessarily inherent to the blog structure itself. I don't think "blogging" produces the "audit trails" so much as bloggers (through labeling and time-stamping, for example) can CREATE trails in the otherwise tangled undergrowth of their own searching.
#4, 5, 6, 7: In many cases (in this class), some of the optimistic language in these passages is bearing out. I sense (and understand from reflection writing) that people are writing "for real" and not doing the kinds of "pretend" research they might have done if offered a more conventional research paper assignment. My own research questions on the topic of research blogging would be: Does research blogging (CBook + Journal) actually promote "reflection on one's knowledge trails" and if so, how does it manifest? What does that "reflection" look like? How can it be measured?
It would be nice to get student responses to these and other questions. Obviously I'm using this course to promote the idea of "beginning from significant problems" in one's research rather than, well, beginning (late) with a canned topic because you think the prof will "like" it. The question, though, is how much does the blog component of this course help or hinder that larger course objective? Does the CBook (along with the journal) facilitate the creation of knowledge "structure" or does it get in the way?
Research Blogging
from:
Lankshear, Colin, and Michele Knobel. “Do-It-Yourself Broadcasting: Writing Weblogs in a Knowledge Society.” Paper. American Education Research Association Annual Meeting. Chicago, April 21, 2003. [my paper copy]
Quotes:
1. [Writing] …tends to get ‘indviduated’ in writing pedagogy. [However,] much of the power in powerful writing lies in affiliation with some larger collective (11).
2. …the fact remains that students in school-based writing classes typically have no authentic, tangible audience (11).
3. …other than the blog there is no efficient digital tool for archiving and tracking information in ways that can narrate paths taken in the systematic exploration and development of a theme, topic or point of view and thereby reveal a structure of knowledge. Blogging lends itself to this kind of memory extension work in ways that produce useful audit trails of ideas that emerge and develop as one searches the internet for information on matters of personal interest (17).
4. …getting beyond the kinds of ‘pretend’ research activities (classroom ‘projects’) that typically prevail in school curriculum work, and beginning from significant problems that call for serious data collection and analysis (18).
5. …blogs as research tools... (18).
6. …promoting reflection on one’s knowledge trails across the internet (18).
7. …research as blogging, and blogging as research… (19).
Lankshear, Colin, and Michele Knobel. “Do-It-Yourself Broadcasting: Writing Weblogs in a Knowledge Society.” Paper. American Education Research Association Annual Meeting. Chicago, April 21, 2003. [my paper copy]
Quotes:
1. [Writing] …tends to get ‘indviduated’ in writing pedagogy. [However,] much of the power in powerful writing lies in affiliation with some larger collective (11).
2. …the fact remains that students in school-based writing classes typically have no authentic, tangible audience (11).
3. …other than the blog there is no efficient digital tool for archiving and tracking information in ways that can narrate paths taken in the systematic exploration and development of a theme, topic or point of view and thereby reveal a structure of knowledge. Blogging lends itself to this kind of memory extension work in ways that produce useful audit trails of ideas that emerge and develop as one searches the internet for information on matters of personal interest (17).
4. …getting beyond the kinds of ‘pretend’ research activities (classroom ‘projects’) that typically prevail in school curriculum work, and beginning from significant problems that call for serious data collection and analysis (18).
5. …blogs as research tools... (18).
6. …promoting reflection on one’s knowledge trails across the internet (18).
7. …research as blogging, and blogging as research… (19).
3.21.2007
Facebook LOL ?
Okay, all you Facebook face facing people, check this out!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FahBBnfHAQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FahBBnfHAQ
3.18.2007
Homiletics
from you know where...
Homiletics (Gr. homiletikos, from homilos, to assemble together), in theology the application of the general principles of rhetoric to the specific department of public preaching. The one who does or studies homiletics is called homilist.
It may be further defined as the study of the analysis, classification, preparation, composition and delivery of sermons.
Homiletics (Gr. homiletikos, from homilos, to assemble together), in theology the application of the general principles of rhetoric to the specific department of public preaching. The one who does or studies homiletics is called homilist.
It may be further defined as the study of the analysis, classification, preparation, composition and delivery of sermons.
3.17.2007
Project
adapted from that great unreliable resource known as "wikipedia"...
"A project usually needs resources to deliver its results. Most of the time project execution is based on a detailed plan, which considers also external factors and constraints.... For major projects it is necessary sometimes to set up a special temporary organization, consisting of a project team and one or more work teams.
Major projects can be divided into subprojects, and 'program' denotes acollection of related projects."
[For Community Handbook Project: "buddy list" = project/work team, focused on particular subproject (grammar/style point)]
"A project usually needs resources to deliver its results. Most of the time project execution is based on a detailed plan, which considers also external factors and constraints.... For major projects it is necessary sometimes to set up a special temporary organization, consisting of a project team and one or more work teams.
Major projects can be divided into subprojects, and 'program' denotes acollection of related projects."
[For Community Handbook Project: "buddy list" = project/work team, focused on particular subproject (grammar/style point)]
3.16.2007
Alchemy Website
http://www.levity.com/alchemy/texts.html
"Texts primarily dealing with allegorical, philosophical and spiritual alchemy."
"Texts primarily dealing with allegorical, philosophical and spiritual alchemy."
Alchemy
I'm really interested in the subject of alchemy, especially as it relates to education. What's the connection--you might ask--between alchemy (the ancient practice of trying to turn base metals into gold) and education? Well, I've learned from past research that alchemy has often served historically as a controlling metaphor for discussing education as a process of transforming un- or under-developed human beings in hopes of turning them into something better, more "golden." This metaphor is strongly present in the work of Jan Amos Comenius, the 17th century teacher whose "Paradise of the Heart" story is central to the VQ Guidebook. Comenius, among others, viewed education as a modern scientific process rooted nonetheless in premodern traditions, like alchemy, that focused on transforming, refining, and adapting "raw materials" in order to make them more useful to society.
In this model, young students are the "raw material," or "base metals," in pursuit of refinement. The classroom or the school then serves as the specialized device or technology (in alchemical science this is called the "kerotakis") by which raw, unusable human beings can be effectively transformed into more valuable chunks of "gold."
In my CBook I've placed a URL to a website that's interesting in and of itself -- "The Alchemy Web Site." I'm not sure, but in the world of alchemy studies this might be as "refined" as it gets, but there are some incredible texts there, and for that it's a useful database.
The kerotakis drawings are also from that site.
In this model, young students are the "raw material," or "base metals," in pursuit of refinement. The classroom or the school then serves as the specialized device or technology (in alchemical science this is called the "kerotakis") by which raw, unusable human beings can be effectively transformed into more valuable chunks of "gold."
In my CBook I've placed a URL to a website that's interesting in and of itself -- "The Alchemy Web Site." I'm not sure, but in the world of alchemy studies this might be as "refined" as it gets, but there are some incredible texts there, and for that it's a useful database.
The kerotakis drawings are also from that site.
How to Get an 'A' (in this class)
Grades are obviously an important concern, in this or any class, and given my position as professor and therefore the one who signs off on grades, I do take them seriously.
However, given all the pressures and anxieties often associated with grades, they can also get in the way and become themselves distractions to learning. In my opinion, focusing too much on grades can actually interfere with your effort to get a good grade!
Each of one of the following suggestions is a shorthand abbreviation for a much larger issue, but I offer these here as a way to start, or continue, a conversation on grading. Feedback is welcome and encouraged.
How do you do well in this class? I would recommend that you...
1. Stop trying to "get an A." Instead...
2. Make writing (and reading and research) a "way of living" (VQ 68) as opposed to a nagging course requirement or something you have to do to get through.
3. Cultivate a "research attitude" (VQ 89) in yourself and help cultivate a "research attitude" in those around you, especially your classmates.
4. Approach your education as a process of "creative evolution" (Ferm 9) and not only a step toward accreditation.
5. Treat your classmates and your professor as allies, not as impediments to your success.
6. Keep your mind open to new possibilities (take risks).
7. Take advantage of ALL the learning resources (and materials, equipment) at your disposal (VQ 14).
8. Use every activity and interaction in this class (on your own, in groups, with the professor) as an opportunity to demonstrate your interest in and commitment to all of the above.
9. Take all feedback seriously and work to incorporate the best of it into your work.
10. Continue to work hard and don't settle for the easy way out.
What else could go on this list?
Are any of these recommendations unreasonable?
Which ones make sense to you and which ones don't?
However, given all the pressures and anxieties often associated with grades, they can also get in the way and become themselves distractions to learning. In my opinion, focusing too much on grades can actually interfere with your effort to get a good grade!
Each of one of the following suggestions is a shorthand abbreviation for a much larger issue, but I offer these here as a way to start, or continue, a conversation on grading. Feedback is welcome and encouraged.
How do you do well in this class? I would recommend that you...
1. Stop trying to "get an A." Instead...
2. Make writing (and reading and research) a "way of living" (VQ 68) as opposed to a nagging course requirement or something you have to do to get through.
3. Cultivate a "research attitude" (VQ 89) in yourself and help cultivate a "research attitude" in those around you, especially your classmates.
4. Approach your education as a process of "creative evolution" (Ferm 9) and not only a step toward accreditation.
5. Treat your classmates and your professor as allies, not as impediments to your success.
6. Keep your mind open to new possibilities (take risks).
7. Take advantage of ALL the learning resources (and materials, equipment) at your disposal (VQ 14).
8. Use every activity and interaction in this class (on your own, in groups, with the professor) as an opportunity to demonstrate your interest in and commitment to all of the above.
9. Take all feedback seriously and work to incorporate the best of it into your work.
10. Continue to work hard and don't settle for the easy way out.
What else could go on this list?
Are any of these recommendations unreasonable?
Which ones make sense to you and which ones don't?
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