A lot of things have been running through my head since Tuesday's class. Things that go a little something like this:
I'm overwhelmed by the amount of work required for this course. I can't seem to keep up with the readings. It's frustrating when we are asked to read so much and can't devote ample time to all of it in class. It's difficult to find a happy medium when tech problems arise and visitors visit. I suppose the discussions are supplemented on the blog. But I'm still old school when I read something that's assigned I want to discuss it face to face. I'm getting used to the blog...but it's still taking some time.
I'm extremely frustrated with my podcast. I spent so much time (as did we all) on finding the right pictures and images and no one will ever get to see them. My topic warranted an accompaniment (sp?) of many images. Violence against women affects all women all over the world. I wanted to capture that mood with the images. Also I wasn't aware that using a song from a CD that I purchased at a store was copyright infringement. How would I have avoided this? Would I have given credit to the lovely Natalie Merchant at the end of the podcast? I just never realized how many restrictions are out there. As I stated on the class blog I would never dream of plagiarizing when writing a paper. Before doing a play/musical you must apply and then pay for the rights. Personally I'm still battling with file sharing. I did it and still do on occasion. I guess this should be any different than applying for the rights to a play. It's just a hard concept to grasp when music was available for free for so long and now (most times) it has to be paid for. Back to the podcast- I really liked what I thought was my finished product and wish you all could see it. The Vagina Monologues has been an important part of my life for four years now and it would have been great to share with you all.
Downtown Partnership
First off, I'd like to thank Ray for posting such a detailed message about our meeting with Lloyd. So thanks Ray.
The Beard Building is beautiful. I haven't been upstairs yet which I'm guessing is where classes will be held. I don't want to have the blog be titled the Blue Frog Blog. It's cute that it rhymes but the blog isn't about the Blue Frog. Yes we'll probably be writing there but I don't like the association. I also don't like it because I work at Coffeemania. We are two different types of coffee shops, the Blue Frog is a sit down and Coffeemania is a drive-thru. So we're not really in competition with them. But I just don't like the idea. I went to the open house on Thursday night. It was written up in the paper, you'll see my name...Alex and I were inteviewed. It's funny because she wrote that I skipped class to go. Well I left early to check things out...Anyway, I didn't really know anyone there. I recognized a few people, but I think that's because they are customers from Coffeemania. It would have been nice to mingle a little bit more and chat with some business owners. maybe there will be more opportunity for that at the 40 Below event. It's this Thursday for business owners 40 and under, or those 40 at heart who are dedicated to revitalizing Cortland. Should be a fun event...hope I can make it. Dr. Wolf might not like me "skipping" class two weeks in a row. Lloyd wants us to have 2 articles up ASAP. I don't know what to write about. I went to the Pumpkin Fest yesterday...it was bigger than I remember. Lloyd wants us to question ourselves, and ask why before and during our writing. He said that's his journalism background speaking up. But I'm having trouble with this. I kind of thought we would be reporters for the Downtown Partnership Blog. But he doesn't want us to do only that. I'm interested in what events/happenings have to do with SUNY Cortland as well. Maybe I could write an article discussing how all of this is important for SUNY Cortland. How it's important to bring the campus downtown. Essentially, there would not be a downtown if it wasn't for the college.
That's all I got right now. I want to post about Friedman but there's so much, I don't know where to start!
Me and Alex
Boy Reading
Wish I had time for more of this lately...
About Me
- KatieL
- Homer/Cortland, NY, United States
- I'm a soon-to-be teacher who makes her pocket money as a barista. I love to perform onstage or in the classroom.
5 comments:
Katie,
I understand, and I am able to empathize. There is a lot of information that we are trying to absorb this semester, especially in 506. When, as adult graduate students, we have to work while attending class, it can be overwhelming. Personally, I feel that there is sooo much material we, as teachers, should be reading; I wish I could read a lot more right now, but I have to prioritize. Hey, welcome to life.
If it were possible, I would have liked to work with you and Ray on the downtown Cortland project; it seems like a worthwhile endeavor. However, I live in Syracuse and just do not have enough time to immerse myself in the Cortland community.
As for your podcast, I too regret the lack of images--perhaps they were too intense for the program. I would like to be able to provide you with meaningful, constructive comments, but I cannot. Though I listened to your narration, I could only do so once, and without the images. I tried several times to open podcasts using my pc at home--without success. I really wish I could listen to yours again and see some images. I feel, in this case, your self-assessment is more meaningful than any feedback I could provide.
Do you feel like you could use these programs in your classroom? Did the frustrations you had with the process enable you more likely to understand/empathize with the difficulties your students may have with the programs?
As I write these comments, I must confess that I can't remember much about your narration. I felt rushed while listening to the podcast, and I haven't retained much.
I apologize for not providing more helpful feedback.
PS I do know how difficult it is to blog on a regular basis, especially when our content is topic specific. I'm willing to bet that more than 90% of what we do in life right now has little or nothing to do with English and/or education. That will change once we become teachers, I think.
Katie, you offer so much here I won't try in this comment to cover it all.
I admit I don't think the reading is onerous. In fact, I have felt that it's light for a grad class.
Friedman is readable and if you stick with him and read a chapter on a regular basis you will be caught up with him.
I don't find the chapters in Alvermann -- we've only read the first few -- too much either.
I can admit that all of last week's reading (not including Friedman which I have already read)
didn't take an hour. And some of us had already read the Ursula Kelly in 663.
W/out the technology apps to work on for last week that would constitute a significantly lighter load than the expectations for a grad class--which is 3 hours outside of class for every hour in class.
I'm not trying to be churlish here honestly. I would be the first one to say the reading is too much.
I think it's too much if one tries to do it on Tuesday (or Monday night). It's critical to read throughout the week. Even a half hour a day would result in one's completing the reading for any week.
Now when the iLife apps are added on, then I understand that ups the ante.
We are very conscious of that...and will continue to be. I do think it's an unrealistic expectation for a grad class that we will discuss all of the readings.
I don't see that as a goal quite honestly. Grad education means more and more that one is responsible for one's own learning--and processing that learning. I would like to see a situation where class members read carefully and come in with a specific topic from the reading they want to address. I think the facilitators did that last week. I wish we had had more time too.
I like to see students processing the readings on their blogs--or referencing them in posts to others' blogs.
Another expectation for grad. education is that students will make choices about what they pay particular attention to as readers. Reading several assigned texts (or bringing in others of interest) well is more important than trying to read everything.
Re: the Downtown project--I'm not sure I understand what your concern is about the blog (not the conflict with coffeemania--that I get) project and Lloyd's expectations.
Stop in and talk with me about that.
As for the podcast, I am so sorry you had difficulty w/the images loading.
I know how frustrating that is, believe me. But I do think we are very unrealistic in the expectation that this new tech is going to work the way we want it to in an initial assignment.
The most we could get out of that assignment I felt was a chance to figure out what works and what doesn't. I would want to get right back on the bike so to speak and make a very short version of what you set out to do w/fewer images and see how that works.
All of these tools require a significant investment of time up front--it will get easier. One skill builds on another.
But any learning we have done that results in mastery over a complex task requires the same amount of time. For some reason, though, it seems we expect that not to be the case w/these technology apps.
Yes, the whole copyright issue is interesting--we are very much in a transition period when "rights" change from day to day it seems.
So glad to see you blogging!!
Do respond....K
Katie,
thanks for your comments about my podcast. I am sorry that yours had problems--- I would be frustrated also! I can't wait to see what you do on the next project. You are so creative and I hope everyone gets to see that.
Karen, I find it interesting that we're only counting the assigned readings as reading. What of all the blog readings? I think that's what sometimes makes the reading load for this course seem heavy (not that I'm complaining). But when there are over 20 of us in the class and some people post more than once a week, there's a lot to read!
Natalie, that's a good point. You're right. I wasn't counting reading classmates' blogs which I spend a great deal of time doing.
I think when you have many demands on your time, you have to be selective--and aim to read a couple of classmates' new blog posts a day and leave it at that.
A blogroll can help you do that...makes it much easier to see what's new and get to it quickly.
Post a Comment