Response to Point/Counterpoint: Multitasking

Hi Class,

I decided to read the Point/Counterpoint article in the latest issue of ISTE’s magazine (March/April 2012).  The topic, Multitasking, particularly caught my eye because it is something I am horrible at!  I was curious to see what “the authorities” had to say on it, and to some degree, I was hoping to stroke my bruised un-multitasking ego a bit with reading the Bane response.

In the end I actually appreciated both the Boon and Bane responses.  Chris Stefanski, who wrote the Boon section, made some good points about the need for us to develop our multitasking abilities.  I hadn’t thought much about actively training and developing my multitasking abilities previously.  In fact, I figured I was just mono-tasking person by genetics.  It’s true that life in general, and our future jobs, in particular, are places where we will need to have a strong ability to jump from one task to another and then back again.  It’s a luxury to be able to do each task in a linear fashion, so developing an organizational system and some mental flexibility could help mono-taskers like me cope with the real world.

The Bane response was given by Dennis McElroy, who did manage to stroke my ego a bit by stating the simple fact that human brains just aren’t designed to tackle multiple tasks at one time.  The key seemed to lie in the complexity and magnitude of the tasks.  Few people can do several complex tasks at one time or even do one complex task while being distracted by powerful noises, aromas, or visuals.  However, doing one complex task with minor background stimulants can actually be beneficial. 

It seems like the key is to be well organized, exercise your ability to switch from task to task and back again, and use background stimulants to aid but not overpower.  Then we can try to get things done and not just have a heap of half-hearted and partially completed multi-tasked tasks!

Melissa

Reflection on Common Core Standards

Hi Everyone,

Even though I understand the positive aspects of states' abilities to set up their own standards for credentialing, certifications and licensing, it always seemed like mobility in the U.S. is made difficult by these varying standards.  You can teach or practice medicine, for example, over the course of decades in one state, but once you move to another, you'll most likely have to pass the new state's exams to work.  The same goes for education; if you excel in school in one state then move to another, you may be lacking competency or credits and be delayed in the new state.  These Common Core Standards provide an excellent way to teach minimum competency across the country and give all students the opportunity for a rich and well-balanced education.  In addition, there's the added benefit that textbooks could be produced for a universal curriculum at every grade level because the same material would be covered in every state.  Cutting down on textbook costs would put money back in the school districts' wallets to pay teachers' salaries and cover other supplies and expenses.  I see these Common Core Standards as being very beneficial, and definitely worth the effort needed to execute on them!

Melissa

Response to "Assessment Rubric"

Hi Class,

I had heard of rubrics before, but somehow missed the point that they were meant as an alternative grading tool until reading this synopsis.  The idea of assessing students’ learning in the classroom through a more rounded approach, as opposed to standardized multiple-choice tests, seems like a fantastic way to pinpoint students’ strengths and weaknesses.  The student may be brilliant in one aspect of the assignment, but not quite making the connection in another aspect.  By narrowing down the points the student is stuck on, the teacher would be able to focus on those areas for improvement.  Besides that, the students could also feel a sense of accomplishment and pride in the points they excelled at. 

The rubrics also give students a concise layout of expectations for their work, which is something many teachers’ assignments lack.  How many times have we been assigned a project or paper where the teacher gave a minimum word count as the only requirement, and we were completely confused about the grading criteria when we received back our graded assignment?  Rubrics seem like a great way of laying out expectations, but also giving students the freedom of creativity within those expectations. 

Melissa

Hi Everyone,

In addition to my formal degree, I have a certificate in Computer Science, but that didn’t help me enjoy this article one bit.  I found it to be a frustrating read with all the core ideas left in the abstract.  There were lots of big words and long sentences, but the end result felt like not much had been said at all.  I got the big picture: we should prime K-12 students to collect, analyze, and present data with computers.  This point could have been brought forth in a fraction of the space.  The table on “Core Computational Thinking Concepts and Capabilities” did present some solid examples of their fuzzy theoretical arguments, such as “Use Excel” or “Do Matrix Multiplication.”  Most of the items in the table are already used in schools -- I know most of my teachers have used them.  However, I don’t see how the “increased use by both teachers and students of computational vocabulary” (p.52) will necessarily help students learn them any better.   It seems like Valerie Barr and Chris Stephenson, as Computer Science advocates, are trying to pawn off “computational thinking” as a brilliant new-fangled idea.  Okay, now I’ll get off my soap box J

Melissa

Response to “Digital Libraries Shifting the Landscape”

Hello Class,

This article discusses the digitization of books by Google and e-readers such as Kindle and how they will affect the future of libraries.   The co-authors of the article are clearly supportive of these recent developments in technology and their potential usefulness in allowing global access to libraries for students, researchers, and just the average Joe.  

I’ve read a lot about Google’s attempt to scan vast library collections as well as the legal implications of scanning & making public copyrighted texts, so it’s made me curious to follow up on the current status of the legal filings.  Even though I see the amazing benefits of making books, journals, and other resources available to everyone online, I also understand the importance of copyright law.  If all written material was made free of charge, there would be no monetary incentive in writing anything new!  It will be interesting to investigate how the Google project has panned out.

An intriguing statistic the authors mention is that only an estimated 20% of libraries’ collections are used 80% of the time.  They suggest that the “popular” 20% could be kept in both electronic & hard copy format, while the remaining 80% could simply be held electronically.  This seems like a nice suggestion, although, I wonder how much less that 80% will become once it isn’t readily available for the average shelf-browsing library patron.  With government and school cutbacks to libraries, however, could be a good cost-cutting compromise that would still provide great resources to students and the public.

Thanks for listening!

Melissa

Response to "Computing in the Clouds"

Hi Class,

Doug Johnson’s article "Computing in the Clouds" did a great job pointing out the positive side of cloud computing, however, he seemed to have a disturbingly lax and careless view of cloud computing’s potentially negative aspects.  He brings up several good points to ponder about these risks, but his wording conveys an unconcerned attitude, almost as if he is mentioning them just to confirm to readers that they are nothing to worry about.

One example of Mr. Johnson’s lax attitude was clear in his statement regarding file privacy.  He uses Google as an example and notes several points about their official privacy practices.  Although he does admit that “who gets access to what is getting more granular all the time”, his solution to any potential breach of privacy is simply to live, as he puts it, “sin-free”.  The big picture he’s missing is that the documents we create for business or in education contain huge amounts of personal or confidential data.  It can be anything from financials, to new product developments, to personal data about students.  Okay, so he abstains from making uncouth statements or sinful confessions through Gmail.  But what about internal reports containing personal information on children or their families?  How could their safety or future be impacted by documents leaked into the wrong hands?  It’s easy for a corporation like Google to create a code of ethics, but it’s up to the employees of that corporation to uphold those ethics.  In addition, hacking has recently plagued countless large companies that assumed they were bastions of best security practices. 

Don’t get me wrong, I think the potential gains of cloud computing are enormous.  It has already been a great boon to organizations and individuals that need or desire low-cost, flexible, compatible and portable applications for creating, maintaining and sharing documents.  I am just hesitant to jump blindly onto any new bandwagon without thoughtfully analyzing the dangers involved.

Melissa

Response to "Point/CounterPoint: Is Blogging Worth the Risk?"

Hello Everyone,

Prior to this class I hadn’t written a blog.  Although it was mostly due to the fact that I didn’t have anything earth shattering to announce, there was also a bit of apprehension about posting my views in such an open forum.  My concerns mirrored Lisa Nielsen’s statements in her “NO” stance on the issue.  After hearing stories about others who had been criticized, alienated, and even sued over their postings online, it simply wasn’t worth the risk in my mind. 

James Maxlow’s “YES” stance made a couple very good arguments for blogging, however.  His comment about the importance of including our personal concerns in our professional communication struck a chord with me.  Having a personal interest in our career makes what we do everyday more fulfilling and much more than just “a job”.  I can see that blogging can be a powerful tool for professionals to be able to share ideas, learn from each other, and inspire one another.  The key, as Maxlow points out, is that the views posted should be “thoughtful and deliberate”.  So in addition to having a thick skin, if we choose our words carefully, keep in mind the effects on a broad audience, and consider the future implications of our statements before posting, then we should feel less inhibited about blogging.  This is one I’ll have to mull over a bit more.

See you next class!
Melissa