I’ve always been a huge fan of photography and have been trying to perfect my picture taking skills for years, hence, I am absolutely infatuated with the concept of image blogs. In my opinion, image blogs are similar to going to the portrait gallery in Washington DC, but being able to experience it from the comfort of my own home. Sometimes an image may not tell a story, it may be just about sharing, capturing or harnessing an image that is beautiful, unique, or intriguing. Furthermore, images that are designed to tell a story, don’t always tell a distinctive tale. The image may provide many different narratives, regardless of the capturer’s intended theme, depending on who is viewing it.
I immensely enjoyed researching the image blogs and of the ones in this module, Red Rule was awesome and definitely my 2nd favorite image blog! What a way to harness the amazing blessing of color perception and differentiation! It would be interesting to make a comparison between these photos and a group of photos with a different color theme such as, black, purple, or yellow. Would these colors stand out as prominently and as strikingly as the color red does? Another interesting way to use these photos would definitely be in the art education arena especially to discuss how color affects line and symmetry and perspective in photography or other art. These photos could be used as an activity to test to whether the color red always stands out first as the most noticeable in each image or whether things like, placement or different shades of red, contrasting colors, or other aspects of the photo determine red’s vibrancy or lackluster effect. Even further, these photos could be analyzed to search for pictures, shapes or other subtle images within the pictures. The possibilities for usefulness of this image blog are perhaps, endless, in my opinion. I’ve started visiting it on a daily basis!
The Plants and animals image blog was interesting, as well, and yet another favorite. I thoroughly relish capturing images of the plant world myself, so I could appreciate the images in this image blog. The photographs were indeed quite a dazzling display of splendor. In a classroom setting, the flower images could easily be used to analyze similarities and differences in the plant world.
Fliction is an ingenious way of telling stories of events through images, which I appreciated greatly. The individual posting the image doesn’t have to do much, except post a picture and see what people have to say about it! In the same way that a dance piece or a piece of artwork at a museum generates plenty of dialogue, a good amount of discussion can come from looking at digital images. For instance, some dialogue surrounding the Jane Goodall Camp image blog might bring up topics such as, the importance of paying close attention to detail, being meticulous, or thoroughly researching a project. The fliction images forced to me to think creatively, and I enjoyed that!
Knitting/spinning was an image blog that was not part of the suggested image blogs for my class, however, it turned out to be my favorite! From the title, one probably wouldn’t imagine that the images they would find here would be all that interesting. However, the photos are actually quite stunning. Knitting/spinning is an example of how a person can take a simple idea, a simple item, a simple image, and transform it into something extraordinary. Strategic placement of the items, lighting, and even the use of line symmetry greatly enhances the colors, the shapes, and aesthetic perfection of the items in these images You wouldn’t think that images of yarn and knitting stitches could be such a visual delicacy. And when I say visual delicacy, I mean the previous statement almost literally, as the photo in this particular image is so visually stimulating that it appears almost edible! I think that an interesting way to use these photos in a classroom would be to think outside the box and imagine other things that the photos appear to represent, in a way similar to the picture book, It Looked Like Spilt Milk by Charles Shaw. For instance, the photo above kind of reminds me of a plate of pasta. :)
Ansel Adams would probably be excited about image blogs if he were living today, as he once said, "A photograph is usually looked at - seldom looked into." I believe the ways in which individuals of the 21st century are utilizing the art of image blogging, somewhat fulfills the art of "looking into" photos.
view from gray's peak
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Friday, July 30, 2010
bleh, blah, blog (part deux) "personable blogs"
The more that I researched blogs, the more I was pleased to know that "lackluster" is not a requirement. I found many examples in which blogging possesses voice and a reflection of one's personality, possibly even an extension of one's personality. Scott Hambrick's blog was, in my opinion, an example of a blog that demonstrates personality. The author truly lets his audience know what is important to him. And apparently what is important to him is his family and his activities in his church community. He shares some of his thoughts about the EDIT class that he is taking with personal reflections about the use of technology in the classroom and such like, and on occasion he mentions Richardson’s blog. While the purpose of this blog seems to be to reflect on topics from the class, it is clear that he is also very passionate about his faith, family and friends.
In the same regard, I very much enjoyed the format and content of Rosenfeld’s blog. While it is quite informative and discusses a variety of educational topics, Rosenfeld uses a distinctively personal and positive tone in his writing. Rather than rattling on about all of the negative things going on in the educational world, he discusses the positive aspects and speaks very highly of the people he works with, making note of his pleasure in the successes of his students’ and teachers’ efforts. Additionally, his entries are filled with fresh and innovatively progressive ideas and approaches to instructing students. An account which I enjoyed was that of his summer program. The idea of assessing student without letter grades spoke volumes about the author’s desire for students to engage in authentic learning experiences without being tested to nauseum. It was clear to me from some of Rosenfield’s entries that he advocates of performance tasks and and hence, the act of making learning an educational and fun experience!
Speaking of fun, of all of the educational bllogs that I researched, I would have to say that I found Warlick’s blog to be the most interesting and enjoyable. The content, voice, and layout were all exceptional, in my opinion. From the comments on his blog page, it sounds like the author is an extremely energetic and enthusiastic educator. He finds enjoyment in his profession, appears to be very animated, and incorporates humor into how he expresses his thoughts and ideas. He does not seem to take himself too seriously, in a manner of speaking. In short, his blog has personality.
Some of the items I found most striking in his blog were the tag cloud, the “here’s where I am blogging from,” and the photography sections. The “where I am blogging from” demonstrates how progressive the use of technology has become, making it so much easier to communicate with anyone at anytime about anything! The photography section is a wonderful example of how every day can be a learning experience and the importance of capturing those experiences so as not forget them and turn them into memories. Hambrick really uses his blog to show how the process of blogging can be creative and fun, while being informative at the same time. His blogs have a narrative feel and his very distinct voice spoke volumes to me about how using blogging to think critically as well as make personal connections with your intended audience.
The last blog that I researched is a blog to which I am already a follower. I am an avid rock climber and engage in many other outdoor activities, as well. Hence, I enjoy reading the blogs made by my friends, Joe and Arun, who live in Boulder, Colorado. The three of us share a strong passion for the outdoors as well as for traveling. While I tend to recap my adventures in an annual newsletter at the end of every year, Joe and Arun have chosen to write immediate, thoughtful accounts of their explorations. Their blog is a very personally narrated account of their adventures. However, analyze it more carefully, and I actually find that I learn something new about my friends’ passions, thoughts, and opinions about the places they have been.
I enjoy reading Joe and Arun’s blog because of its comprehensibility. Additionally, it is quite user friendly, and the images that they choose to go with the narratives make the accounts all the more interesting. Their voices are distinct, so much so, that I can tell which entries were written by Joe and which ones were written by Arun.
Joe has been climbing for quite some time and has climbed in a numerous places worldwide including Oman, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and Thailand. I, for one, am thankful for his wealth of knowledge on the subject, and that he chooses to share his knowledge in this way. Accounts about rock climbing, have a natural narrative flow, such that when he is describing the ascent of a climb you feel as if you are actually climbing it with him. Whether he intends to or not, his detailed accounts of types of climbs, needed gear, and critical analyses of the pros and cons of the difficulties of each climb, make his blog an effective way for climbers of all skill levels to research amazing climbing areas, without having to read through an entire climbing guide book.
This blog inspires me to continue traveling and seeking out new adventures. When I cannot embark on quests with them, I just open up their blog to see what new and exciting places I should seek out for my next climbing and outdoor adventures. Joe is currently embarking on a mission to rock climb in every state. I am anxiously waiting to read his accounts on these adventures!
Upon reflection of my research on blogging, I realize that I had, for one, never really considered the idea that a blog could be used to relay information or organize general facts about topics, but I am now also aware that blogs can serve as an alternative way to exercise critical thinking. Only until looking at some of the blogs for this module, have I witnessed blogs organized in a way in which an individual’s intent is NOT to treat the blog as an online journal of written accounts. After reviewing the blogs for this module, I became more aware that blogs can be much more detailed and complex than I had ever imagined. I became extremely excited about the benefits of using blogging in the classroom. Especially the thought of how blogging has the potential to give educators the freedom to grade from any location. If assignments are completed online, not only are they more easily accessible, the hassle of carting papers assignments back and forth from home to school would practically be eliminated. It would follow, that the confusion of losing papers and whether or not assignments have or have not been completed would practically be eradicated, as well. Upon reflection of the readings in the text, one of my newest missions as an educator is going to be to make my language arts program, as “paper-free” as possible! :)
In the same regard, I very much enjoyed the format and content of Rosenfeld’s blog. While it is quite informative and discusses a variety of educational topics, Rosenfeld uses a distinctively personal and positive tone in his writing. Rather than rattling on about all of the negative things going on in the educational world, he discusses the positive aspects and speaks very highly of the people he works with, making note of his pleasure in the successes of his students’ and teachers’ efforts. Additionally, his entries are filled with fresh and innovatively progressive ideas and approaches to instructing students. An account which I enjoyed was that of his summer program. The idea of assessing student without letter grades spoke volumes about the author’s desire for students to engage in authentic learning experiences without being tested to nauseum. It was clear to me from some of Rosenfield’s entries that he advocates of performance tasks and and hence, the act of making learning an educational and fun experience!
Speaking of fun, of all of the educational bllogs that I researched, I would have to say that I found Warlick’s blog to be the most interesting and enjoyable. The content, voice, and layout were all exceptional, in my opinion. From the comments on his blog page, it sounds like the author is an extremely energetic and enthusiastic educator. He finds enjoyment in his profession, appears to be very animated, and incorporates humor into how he expresses his thoughts and ideas. He does not seem to take himself too seriously, in a manner of speaking. In short, his blog has personality.
Some of the items I found most striking in his blog were the tag cloud, the “here’s where I am blogging from,” and the photography sections. The “where I am blogging from” demonstrates how progressive the use of technology has become, making it so much easier to communicate with anyone at anytime about anything! The photography section is a wonderful example of how every day can be a learning experience and the importance of capturing those experiences so as not forget them and turn them into memories. Hambrick really uses his blog to show how the process of blogging can be creative and fun, while being informative at the same time. His blogs have a narrative feel and his very distinct voice spoke volumes to me about how using blogging to think critically as well as make personal connections with your intended audience.
The last blog that I researched is a blog to which I am already a follower. I am an avid rock climber and engage in many other outdoor activities, as well. Hence, I enjoy reading the blogs made by my friends, Joe and Arun, who live in Boulder, Colorado. The three of us share a strong passion for the outdoors as well as for traveling. While I tend to recap my adventures in an annual newsletter at the end of every year, Joe and Arun have chosen to write immediate, thoughtful accounts of their explorations. Their blog is a very personally narrated account of their adventures. However, analyze it more carefully, and I actually find that I learn something new about my friends’ passions, thoughts, and opinions about the places they have been.
I enjoy reading Joe and Arun’s blog because of its comprehensibility. Additionally, it is quite user friendly, and the images that they choose to go with the narratives make the accounts all the more interesting. Their voices are distinct, so much so, that I can tell which entries were written by Joe and which ones were written by Arun.
Joe has been climbing for quite some time and has climbed in a numerous places worldwide including Oman, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and Thailand. I, for one, am thankful for his wealth of knowledge on the subject, and that he chooses to share his knowledge in this way. Accounts about rock climbing, have a natural narrative flow, such that when he is describing the ascent of a climb you feel as if you are actually climbing it with him. Whether he intends to or not, his detailed accounts of types of climbs, needed gear, and critical analyses of the pros and cons of the difficulties of each climb, make his blog an effective way for climbers of all skill levels to research amazing climbing areas, without having to read through an entire climbing guide book.
This blog inspires me to continue traveling and seeking out new adventures. When I cannot embark on quests with them, I just open up their blog to see what new and exciting places I should seek out for my next climbing and outdoor adventures. Joe is currently embarking on a mission to rock climb in every state. I am anxiously waiting to read his accounts on these adventures!
Upon reflection of my research on blogging, I realize that I had, for one, never really considered the idea that a blog could be used to relay information or organize general facts about topics, but I am now also aware that blogs can serve as an alternative way to exercise critical thinking. Only until looking at some of the blogs for this module, have I witnessed blogs organized in a way in which an individual’s intent is NOT to treat the blog as an online journal of written accounts. After reviewing the blogs for this module, I became more aware that blogs can be much more detailed and complex than I had ever imagined. I became extremely excited about the benefits of using blogging in the classroom. Especially the thought of how blogging has the potential to give educators the freedom to grade from any location. If assignments are completed online, not only are they more easily accessible, the hassle of carting papers assignments back and forth from home to school would practically be eliminated. It would follow, that the confusion of losing papers and whether or not assignments have or have not been completed would practically be eradicated, as well. Upon reflection of the readings in the text, one of my newest missions as an educator is going to be to make my language arts program, as “paper-free” as possible! :)
bleh, blah, blog (part un) "info blogs"
In the past, when someone would say, “Hey! You should check out my blog!” the content was usually written accounts about someone’s thoughts and/or opinions on a subject. For example, a friend of mine had just received her bachelor’s degree in literature and had always been a fan of literature and film of a very macabre nature. Hence, she created a blog to discuss her thoughts about current film and literature in a way in which others could comment and engage in discourse about her interpretations of a particular piece, film or quote. Another friend created a blog of random sights or thoughts that she would experience throughout her day. She would take a picture of something interesting that she saw that day or she would overhear an interesting conversation on the train home from work and record her thoughts about it in her blog. The above examples are the extent of my limited experience with blogging.
I learned that this is clearly not always the case after reading Richardson’s blog. He effectively put together diverse specifics about the convenience of wikis, discussions about blogging and its usefulness in a variety of areas in the educational world, including classroom environments, and particulars on the vast worthiness of other technological tools and their effectiveness in the classroom. In addition to providing his audience with these essentials, Richardson also presents strategies for utilizing these tools successfully. His blog contains videos of his lectures, motivational speeches, even a calendar of events of sorts, giving details of his speaking schedules and/or other workshops being offered in which similar topics are discussed, a resource section which is dedicated to the explanation of what technological tools are available, including websites for learning about wikis, and probably some other things that I may have overlooked. It seems that richardson’s goal is essentially to deposit a wealth of information which informs his public of the new, wonderful tools available in the world of technology and how educators can effectively use them. In short, Richardson’s blog struck me as an elaborately and intricately detailed “how-to” website.
I very much appreciate the usefulness of Richardson's blog because it demonstrates how blogs can be used to relay information about specific topics to an audience, however, this particular blog was too overwhelming for me. I felt inundated by the various tabs, and in my opinion the blog itself was not very user friendly. While it was very informative, it was definitely a “stimulation overload” experience for me.
In the same respect, Colleen Mcneil’s blog is another blog that I would place in the category of “informative”. Much information is given about blogs and wikis, including updates on conferences, new technology items, and how to use these new tools. While this blog does not overwhelm one as much with data as does Rosenberg’s, it isn’t the type of blog that I would seek out on purpose. I realize that the perk of creating an informative blog is that they are updated more frequently, but I would still prefer to search for a website to learn the desired information.
to be continued...
I learned that this is clearly not always the case after reading Richardson’s blog. He effectively put together diverse specifics about the convenience of wikis, discussions about blogging and its usefulness in a variety of areas in the educational world, including classroom environments, and particulars on the vast worthiness of other technological tools and their effectiveness in the classroom. In addition to providing his audience with these essentials, Richardson also presents strategies for utilizing these tools successfully. His blog contains videos of his lectures, motivational speeches, even a calendar of events of sorts, giving details of his speaking schedules and/or other workshops being offered in which similar topics are discussed, a resource section which is dedicated to the explanation of what technological tools are available, including websites for learning about wikis, and probably some other things that I may have overlooked. It seems that richardson’s goal is essentially to deposit a wealth of information which informs his public of the new, wonderful tools available in the world of technology and how educators can effectively use them. In short, Richardson’s blog struck me as an elaborately and intricately detailed “how-to” website.
I very much appreciate the usefulness of Richardson's blog because it demonstrates how blogs can be used to relay information about specific topics to an audience, however, this particular blog was too overwhelming for me. I felt inundated by the various tabs, and in my opinion the blog itself was not very user friendly. While it was very informative, it was definitely a “stimulation overload” experience for me.
In the same respect, Colleen Mcneil’s blog is another blog that I would place in the category of “informative”. Much information is given about blogs and wikis, including updates on conferences, new technology items, and how to use these new tools. While this blog does not overwhelm one as much with data as does Rosenberg’s, it isn’t the type of blog that I would seek out on purpose. I realize that the perk of creating an informative blog is that they are updated more frequently, but I would still prefer to search for a website to learn the desired information.
to be continued...
Friday, July 23, 2010
i HATE sitting!
i have no idea how to sit still...
hence, blogging and reading are about on the same level of personal priority for me. oh yes! i love literature and books and even collects old books! i absolutely adore reading stories to children. i am fanatical about teaching my students to appreciate reading, and language arts, but i'm pretty much a hypocrite.
i encourage my students to read from a variety of genres, when personally, i only enjoy reading biographies, some historical fiction, memoirs, and essays. i can't just read anything. some people do that. they can just sit down and read anything and everything. they are so passionate about reading that they have a hard time putting books down. i am the opposite. i have a very hard time picking books up. i love them (books) so much, but it's just hard for me to dedicate the necessary time needed to participate in the art of reading.
here's a fun scenerio: i'll read the inside flap of a book, or someone will reccommend a book to me... i'll buy it or check it out from the library and then i'll start reading it, get distracted (i.e. another way of politely saying "bored") and then it will be some months or sometimes even years before i pick it up again and actually finish it. this happens all the time!
it is very hard for me to get "into" fictional accounts. i feel more inclined to read about things that have actually happened to real people...maybe i feel more connected to the characters, when i know that they are real. hence, a narrative has to really grab me and literally throw me into the book with it's words, if it wants me to read it. dave eggars is one of the few authors who can do this. neil gaiman is another.
let's continue with my hypocrisy. i preach to my students that they should read every day, but i rarely read every month.
another pitiful scenario: i always tell myself when i go on a trip, "oh, i'm so going to read so many books on this trip and get caught up on my reading!" i pack about 3 to 5 books in my carry-on and genuinely intend to read at least one on the plane ride to my destination and another one on my way back home. then i tell myself that when i have down time while i'm on vacation (people are always talking about this elusive "down time" that they get when they are on vacation... somehow, i guess i'm so busy and nosey and wanting to meet up with so many people, that i have never ever met this "down time" character) that i will sit at a coffee shop, the library, go to the mountains, or the beach and read some of my books.
that never happens!
here is what happens.
now, let's analyze my relationship with blogging. it's basically the same. i'm so busy, and blogging is the type of activity that i must be dedicated to and i must "sit down" or at least sit still in order to write in a blog. i was pretty good at writing in my paper journal when i was younger...even up until my mid-20's. i used to write about events that happened to me daily or just vent about random things. i would usually do this in the evening before i went to bed. i am actually still much better at using my paper journals than i will probably ever be at blogging. it's not like i can just cart my laptop around with me everywhere and pop a squat at any given moment and write about some random thought that came into my head or some interesting thing that i just saw. but i do usually have some kind of paper journal on me at all times. this way i CAN just jot down a thought or two really quickly, while i am on the train, or waiting for the bus, or waiting for traffic to clear at an intersection when i'm on my bike or something. again, the adhd randomness and need to be 'moving" and "doing" at all times makes it difficult to rationalize "sitting" and blogging when i could be "doing" so many other things. and i can't do them and blog at the same time. i can't wash dishes and blog, i can't clean and blog, i can't ... well, actually, i guess i COULD do laundry and blog, but then i couldn't do my hair! i can't run and blog, i can't climb and blog, can't hike and blog, can't can't can't can't CAN'T!!!!
...but going to do my best to TRY.:)
random side note for next blog topic: "what the hell is down time?"
hence, blogging and reading are about on the same level of personal priority for me. oh yes! i love literature and books and even collects old books! i absolutely adore reading stories to children. i am fanatical about teaching my students to appreciate reading, and language arts, but i'm pretty much a hypocrite.
i encourage my students to read from a variety of genres, when personally, i only enjoy reading biographies, some historical fiction, memoirs, and essays. i can't just read anything. some people do that. they can just sit down and read anything and everything. they are so passionate about reading that they have a hard time putting books down. i am the opposite. i have a very hard time picking books up. i love them (books) so much, but it's just hard for me to dedicate the necessary time needed to participate in the art of reading.
here's a fun scenerio: i'll read the inside flap of a book, or someone will reccommend a book to me... i'll buy it or check it out from the library and then i'll start reading it, get distracted (i.e. another way of politely saying "bored") and then it will be some months or sometimes even years before i pick it up again and actually finish it. this happens all the time!
it is very hard for me to get "into" fictional accounts. i feel more inclined to read about things that have actually happened to real people...maybe i feel more connected to the characters, when i know that they are real. hence, a narrative has to really grab me and literally throw me into the book with it's words, if it wants me to read it. dave eggars is one of the few authors who can do this. neil gaiman is another.
let's continue with my hypocrisy. i preach to my students that they should read every day, but i rarely read every month.
another pitiful scenario: i always tell myself when i go on a trip, "oh, i'm so going to read so many books on this trip and get caught up on my reading!" i pack about 3 to 5 books in my carry-on and genuinely intend to read at least one on the plane ride to my destination and another one on my way back home. then i tell myself that when i have down time while i'm on vacation (people are always talking about this elusive "down time" that they get when they are on vacation... somehow, i guess i'm so busy and nosey and wanting to meet up with so many people, that i have never ever met this "down time" character) that i will sit at a coffee shop, the library, go to the mountains, or the beach and read some of my books.
that never happens!
here is what happens.
- i go to the beach...i play in the water, i listen to music, i admire the scenery, i take a nap, i chat with my friends, i read about 5 pages in my book and then i start the above cycle again. water, music, scenery, nap, chatting....i go home happy and exhausted.
- when i go to the mountains, i hike, i enjoy the scenery, i take meditation/prayer stops (while i'm meditating, i get distracted and remember that i have placed a book in my backpack, get distracted again by some bird or other living creature and that's the last thought that appears concerning the book), i breathe in the fresh air, i go home fulfilled, refreshed, and exhausted.
- i go to a coffee shop, i usually bring my laptop, i end up chatting online, i end up seeing someone i know and talking for 3 hours because i don't know how to shut up, i enjoy entirely too much scenery (i.e. i people watch), i meet someone new, i end up committing to a fabulous event that evening with the new person or people, i get home sometime far past the wee hours of the morning. somehow, i manage to not even think about books when i'm at a coffee shop...
- when i go to the library, i peruse, i look at books, i think "oh, i should read this. it looks very interesting!", i put it down, because i know that all of the above scenerios will happen, i'll be 58 years old before i finish that book, so i might as well not add another book to the thousands that i'm still trying to get caught up on.
so, this is what happens. i have good intentions, i just don't know how to sit still. plus, i am quite the multitasker. if i am sitting down reading a book, or trying to read a book, i immediately start thinking of other things that i could be doing at that exact moment, like, running, laundry, going to the store, meeting up with this person or that, hiking, biking, climbing, cleaning, organizing, paying bills, the list goes on and on... the one thing that i am thankful for in our age of fabulous and wonderfully progressive technology, is the audio cd! i can do so many things while listening to a book and still sort of say that i read it. sure, i didn't read it with my own eyes, but at least i am getting from start to finish. just in an alternative way, right?:)
now, let's analyze my relationship with blogging. it's basically the same. i'm so busy, and blogging is the type of activity that i must be dedicated to and i must "sit down" or at least sit still in order to write in a blog. i was pretty good at writing in my paper journal when i was younger...even up until my mid-20's. i used to write about events that happened to me daily or just vent about random things. i would usually do this in the evening before i went to bed. i am actually still much better at using my paper journals than i will probably ever be at blogging. it's not like i can just cart my laptop around with me everywhere and pop a squat at any given moment and write about some random thought that came into my head or some interesting thing that i just saw. but i do usually have some kind of paper journal on me at all times. this way i CAN just jot down a thought or two really quickly, while i am on the train, or waiting for the bus, or waiting for traffic to clear at an intersection when i'm on my bike or something. again, the adhd randomness and need to be 'moving" and "doing" at all times makes it difficult to rationalize "sitting" and blogging when i could be "doing" so many other things. and i can't do them and blog at the same time. i can't wash dishes and blog, i can't clean and blog, i can't ... well, actually, i guess i COULD do laundry and blog, but then i couldn't do my hair! i can't run and blog, i can't climb and blog, can't hike and blog, can't can't can't can't CAN'T!!!!
...but going to do my best to TRY.:)
random side note for next blog topic: "what the hell is down time?"
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