Angella’s Blog

Let me first sum up my opinion about Current. It is an open medium to provide information about the world around us. It is not only news, but fashion, and the element of being human. I find it captivating, invigorating and frustrating. I find myself wanting to praise and condemn all in the same posting or news cast. Current itself is both online and on television so unlike most of my classmates I can be a part of it in two worlds. The point is that the people choose what the news (and ads for that mater) is. You can create it, post comments on it, watch it and read it. I have become addicted to it, maybe because so much of it gives me a glimpse into a world I understand so little about.

If you want to become part of Current you can do so in a variety of ways. I first started by watching the pods, short segments of news. After watching it for several days I got interested in the online element and how it was all put together. So I went online. From there you could do as I did and get registered. I then proceeded to read more information on others postings and felt compelled to comment on a few. I am now looking into the next step and that is posting my own story. I am still having trouble narrowing down what I would like to discuss. But if you never feel the need to create a story you can still shape the news that is presented on tv by voting for the news stories.

As far as participation I have not received any negative feedback thus far. Everyone seems to be entitled to their own thoughts. It is both honest and biased but with all things there are two sides to the story. The people are of varied backgrounds though you never get to know them in a way to grasp who they are on a multidimensional level. You can, however, learn from their posts. After a while you see a common theme on the stories they comment on and how they comment on them. You start to get an idea of what they may be like but you can never truly tell. You can also figure ways to push peoples buttons and some postings I think intentionally do that. I figure I have more important things to do with my time and overall so do most of the others.

And speaking of things to do with my time, I find it hard to narrow down the stories I want to research. There are so many stories and in so many areas. I have yet to see one topic left untouched. For example today I have read stories on: The Duggars 18th child, a new ocean current, puppy mills, the Cardinal on atheists, and the fact that the penny now costs more than its’ worth. These are only a small selection of available news stories, at this moment there are 58,458 stories posted. I could never get through them all in one day so I pick the ones that fascinate me the most and admittedly very close to the first page.

What I love and hate the most about this network is anyone has a voice. This opens it up to intellectuals and those who are concerned about the world and the people around them. It also opens it up to people I call fillers. These people are filling their time and our precious space with junk that is neither informative or constructive. They must be bored or have no ability to construct an original thought. They remind me of the child that screams above everyone else just so you will notice them. They either talk about a subject and obviously no nothing about it or they bash everyone using profanity. I was once told that you can get any point across using profanity but it was only the good ones that would require thoughtful expression and needed no assistance from vulgar words. Obviously they have yet to meet some of the wise persons I have come in contact with.

This in no means describes or fully details the people or stories behind Current but is merely a look into what I have seen and taken part in. I feel to fully understand the world that is Current you must put yourself into it. I have merely stuck the proverbial big toe in to test the waters and have yet to fully plunge myself in. I either reserve myself out of fear of confrontation or I feel intellectually inferior. Either way I must get beyond myself and move into a new more aggressive direction. I feel encouraged to become more and do more.

Originally, I was not sure what to think of this class and even now I could not describe it with any justice. I have discovered a few things about myself along the way, which I guess is probably the point of it all. That and the fact that I was pushed outside my comfort zone.

So the things I learned was:

1. I like lists (I knew this but if you read any of the firsts few posts you can see it)

2. I have found that I can successfully IM and the world will not end as I know it.

3. That I can make some funny commentary in blogs, and though I didn’t blog religiously I didn’t find it to overwhelming at the end.

4. My view of technology changes daily and I am sure it will continue.

5. Finally, Everything I read for this class is outdated, and everything I did was soooo yesterday bye-bye Myspace and hello Bebo? (Okay I am not sure about either one of these but I know they are out there and my students use them; and the rest well that was a joke about the world of technology)

Thanks for a interesting semester.

 ”And to all a good night” Santa (okay not Santa but you get the point)

After I put my comment on Current about the Disney billboard, I have received notifications that others have responded as well. It seems each time you make a response every response after you get sent through email. I like this feature, it helps me keep track of the stories that are most important to me. I have found the conversations to mirror classroom chats(online) where you list the name of who you were speaking to and then the message. There is with any “society” those who use foul wording and contribute little to the effectiveness of the group, but overall most people posted what they felt and many supported their standing. There has also been confusion within the group based on how the post was worded, the same as if someone were to miss read our body language or manner in which we presented ourselves. Fortunately, the matter was cleared up quickly.

Today’s news is a mix of the inconsequential to the shocking facts of life ( 6 year old burned- Caste system ). There is so much more than what I see on a day to day basis. This channel/website has offered me a view into the world. I am now just trying to figure out what to do with it all.

There is so much information that is put into a day at Current. I think that this is why I like it so much. You get a variety of information. Today there is one particular posting that I must reference. It is disturbing but no less surprising.

The post contains information about Disney’s use of young children and the image that is projected by them. Amidst the recent scandal over Miley Cyrus’ photos for Vanity Fair and some people screaming art while others scream pornography, a journalist posted a photo and commentary on what I feel to be just as frightening if not more.

The photo is of a billboard in China of a child and we are talking younger than 12, posed in her Disney underwear set, playing with Disney puppets and in pigtails. What was as disturbing to me as the attire was the way in which the child was posed. In no way could this photo be considered art. I think there must be regulations put on this type of advertisements. There has to be someone who limits what these children are allowed to show. It disgusts me that what once used to be a household name synonymous with purity and family consciousness has fell prey to sex for sale for higher ratings and earnings.

You must check it out as soon as you can, these stories go quickly.

current.com look for underage Disney branded

Instead of going into the world of Myspace or Facebook, I have decided to challenge myself with the world of Current. Current is a television, internet channel that can be viewer created , including commercials.

What has drawn me to this particular group is the widespan coverage of issues around the world. I have viewed hours of work done by contributors and am currently seeking ideas for my own pod. Pod being a short segment of documentary. I have tossed a few ideas around in my head and a few I have bounced off of my husband. My next step will to be to submit the idea to the current channel producers. I can also submit questions online that can be rated by viewers.

I hope to have done this in the next week. I think I have finalized my plans and will write up the idea Sunday or Monday. I might even get to have it slotted on the VC (viewer created). I let you know what happens.

Contrary to what you might think I have not fallen off the face of the Earth, although I might feel as if I have. The last few weeks during break and after I have been watching things a little more closely. Students, teachers, politics and the like have all received equal attention from me. I found my thought processes changing by the minute. Where I see room to breathe and change others see a system that has always been this way. Some days it is hard to be encouraged to try new things and face challenges when you want to offend noone but you can’t standing in the same still position just because that is the way it has always been.

For this week I have been looking at how education and culture work together. I have really looked to cultures outside my own or ones that I have a connection to but have never looked more into it. For example, my father’s Native American ancestory. His mother was Native American, and my great great grandmother lived on a reservation. Most if not all the traditions and stories that were once passed down are all gone. The only thing that remains is the color of my father’s skin and my traditionally long hair. My hair was kept long almost my entire childhood. I can only remember one time that it was shorter than shoulder length. To date I haven’t cut my hair more than a trim in 13 years. This is my only tie to my grandmother and her family. I connect with her even though she passed away shortly after my birth. She was a strong and passionate woman. She bore 16 children and raised 14 of them. Her belief was in her family and their farm land.

But back to education. There are organizations out there that are working towards saving the culture of many groups that have split up more and more over time. For example, many Native americans no longer live on reservations. They are slowly losing languages, stories, history, and their culture. Many of them have no recordings of the ancient words. I find it so important that we know about our cultures. There are certain aspects (the same with families) that we may not like but there are so many wonderful things that are getting lost.

Okay obviously I enjoyed the cooking segment of part 2 of this chapter. At the first introduction of the chapter title I actually thought who cares? I now understand now that the personal thinking chapter was an exploratory study into himself. This is a beneficial practice that I instantly wanted to try after reading about it.

I thought back about some of the things that I have learned, and a few that I am still working on. (I was just so excited to catch the yo-yo I didn’t think how I actually learned to do it.) Even though I am still in the learning process and can’t quite catch the yo yo every time or 1 out of 3 times for that matter I will continue to practice until I reach that switch moment were I can learn to recreate the same circumstances every time.

Yearners and Schoolers would be an accurate portrayal of many that I have come in contact with. Yet we must not forget those that fall in the middle. The ones that although see that education must be reinvented, feel that the approach may not be as fast forward as Pappert portrays the Yearners to be.

I would have to say that I feel that there is never only two sides to a coin. If you look carefully there is still an edge, a space between them if you will,  no matter how small. We cannot overlook those that want they change but came at it with reservation. I have to say that revamping a company that is falling away to fit the new consumer, may be a risk. It can be either profitable or it can be the fall of said company yet the consequences are still not as high as those if you revamp education as a whole and let down thousands of children whose lives are in our hands. I would venture to say I would rather lose a million dollars than be responsible for the downfall of a generation. That being said I have went to the extreme here mainly to make a point. It is as easy to point out the beauty of a newly created system complete with an individualized and complex education tailored to fit the students needs, as it is to show how disastrous and destructive a new system could be.

1. Connecticut is the capital of Massachusetts.

2. Is it November? (A week before Christmas break).

3. Are there 28 days in every month? (asked by a teacher on Feb. 28th) answered with No! (obviously they haven’t looked at a calendar).

4. Why do they give you 2 forks, 2 spoons and 2 knives at some restaurants but only 1 napkin? ( Good question, someday I’ll ask).

5. Why is red called red and who decided it would mean stop? (If you know this one let me know!)

6. Why do we call this a middle school if we have 4 buildings we go through? (another good question)

7. Why do they call it a snow day if we are canceled for ice?

8. My favorite:  I didn’t get my homework done because I had to ask for toilet paper. At this point I stopped the student. I did not want to know the rest of the story.

I hope you have enjoyed these. If you have some favorites fill free to comment with them.

When researching information about this week’s assignment I am reminded of other things I have read and a few that I have seen this week. I will get to those later.

First of all, in assessing educational equity I think we must define what part. I think that we can all agree that we have a system that is set up to allow all children of this nation an education. That I believe is where the similarity ends. When your looking at the educational opportunity of students the level of educator and school defines to a great degree the future abilities of the students. It is not hard to believe that most of the best teachers often aim for the best schools; location, location, location. This is usually because of the second factor.

Money, there is more money for a paycheck, more money for supplies, and more money for extending the classrooms outside the physical walls of the building. Which leads me to a third factor.

The ability to have technology and the resource of having individuals that will interact with schools.  A school that is considered on the higher end has a multitude of individuals that are willing to come to their school to talk with students, set up new programs, volunteer their time and abilities. Most of the students in lower economic schools have families that barely have enough time to sleep and are much more focused on just the day to day responsibilities. The higher end schools are much quicker to replace outdated equipment where lower income schools may have to be satisfied with a few working computers or hand downs from other schools.

If there were a way that all schools could be equipped with the same up to date technology and persons who know how to use it, I think that this would open the doors wide for an equal exchange of ideas and a breakdown of social stigmas relating to where you are from. Imagine the capabilities that students would develop by developing friendships and networks with students from around our country and our world. What a lesson on cultural geography.

Digital technology hampers equity because we do not live in a world where all schools are equal. Students that do not have this kind of access are falling further behind. Their teachers may not be up to date and their schools cannot afford the constant updating. When it comes to their futures these students will have to learn on their own time using resources that they can find in order to be competitive in the world. Especially for jobs that require professional training.

The affect on a culture is the same. Without the opportunity to access the technological world these cultures may fall behind. Now it may depend on the culture whether that is good or bad. I think that there is still a place in this world for cultures who feel they do not need these things and go on surviving they way have for centuries. Who am I to argue with their system which is not outdated by the next day. However, I can see definite potential for good. Expansion of knowledge, products and ideas created that have never been heard of, a treasure trove of history and a new way of observing this world.

O to beat the silicon ceiling…

Has it not always been that women lagged behind or weren’t given the opportunities of men in many areas of life. I can remember a report I once did on how the field of education even teaching positions were once held by mainly men. It was the same way for science and math classes, but now there is not one male science or math teacher in my building. I guess what I am saying is give us time. I know that the studies show that there is a decline in the number of women in the field yet the younger generation is very technology savvy and just as many girls in my class are interested in how all this works as there are boys. I try to support all of them and encourage a healthy interest in the subject. Maybe with the support of schools providing more education to all educators that there would be great examples for young ladies to look up to.

Okay so what did I see that reminded me of this assignment. A group of students on computers at my school. I listened and watched from across the room interested in the things Danah Boyd had seen. What I saw was most of the students (including girls) creating videos, web pages and updating profiles to include friends from school. They laughed and joked just as you or I did when we had given our friend a note in the hall (by the way these are not antiquated yet). This is their world their way to connect and share friendships and just because the computer was there didn’t mean they no longer had human interaction it just now was part of it.