On the Internet: Ed Tech

It takes only a brief moment of online browsing to conclude that the internet has the capability to create miracles. Of course many say that the internet itself is a miracle, but I believe that we are still on a path to extract the potential of this amazing tool, and thus, I emphasize its "capability" over its state of being. Pope Francis declared the internet to be "something truly good, a gift from God" despite its negative side-effects. Right now, I would like to focus on some of the positives.

Ed Tech

The internet contains nearly all human knowledge. This is an amazing thing in and of itself, but it is not the miracle. After all, what use is a random conglomeration of information without much guidance on how to use it? It's not enough to simply splash information on a page and call it a day. 

No, the miracle is how the internet has been used for educational technology. That is, websites created for the purpose of teaching a coherent subject, with facts written by experts, on a well-developed user interface. These sites can act as a legitimate educational class when education is not easily accessible or affordable. In addition to offering resources though, these websites have created new mechanisms that revolutionize the way that we learn information, making it faster and more enjoyable.

This means that anyone who has the desire and willpower to learn a subject, can. Think about the potential that can unlock from people all around the globe. Think about the opportunities for personal advancement that can be given to virtually anybody.

I would like to talk about some good sites that I've encountered.

Duolingo

If you know me well, you've probably heard me talk about this app at one time or another. Currently, Duolingo offers Spanish, French, Italian, German and Portuguese. It's an addictive game, but you actually learn something productive in the end. The site claims to be funded by user translated articles. I'm not quite sure how that works because beginner language students often do not give great translations, but let us be thankful that it does.

Codecademy

All you guys know about this site because we used it in STAC. It teaches HTML, Javascript, PHP, all that good stuff. To me it seems like a coding version of Duolingo, but that's only because I used Duolingo first.

Memrise

Memrise is primarily focused on learning through memorization. This works quite well for learning languages and other subjects. The learning is imagistic and fast-paced, while also making sure you review what you've already learned.

Khan Academy

Khan Academy is a resource for information on all traditional schooling subjects, plus test prep and programming. It is a tool for both students and teachers, offering advice for tasks such as implementing the common core. In terms of traditional learning, it offers all the resources.

What Might John Dewey Think of the Ed Tech Revolution?

I would like to quote from this interesting article on the Memrise website as a closing statement.

"If you believe in that view [the traditional view of education], then access to the traditional learning materials was the big problem, and technology has already mostly solved it. All that remains is to make sure that as many people as possible can get online and get access to the materials, and a way to judge which materials are the very best.

But I think that aims too low. Universal access to information is a good start. But only when we re-invent the moment-by-moment experience of learning will we achieve changes that are worthy of the astonishing potential of technology."

The Current World of Writing

Recently I've realized that if I want to write more, I ought to read more. This may be obvious, but let me expand. What I believe is that it is not enough to simply read classics of the past, no matter how good they may be. It is also necessary to follow the literary world of the present, much of which exists in blogs, magazines, and newspapers. 

I've spent the past hour or so browsing for random, interesting blogs, preferably idea and literary based though not necessarily. Based on what I've observed, I've come to one main conclusion.

Most writing is distributed through popular blogs, newspapers, and magazines. On the other hand, most writers have their own independent blog as their base.

That is, a writer will make articles for popular media as a way of gaining notoriety, but also maintain his or her own personal projects which have their own smaller but personal following. 

This makes a lot of sense. 

From this, I surmise that there are two types of modern-day writers. The first are active journalists who maintain these popular outlets. The second are passive writers who work on their own terms but rely on these outlets to access an audience.

Right now, I am working in a limited version of the second category. I am working for myself, but I am not seeking notoriety at this time. 

If I do attempt a journalism major, I could end up in the first category, or stay in the second. It all depends on what I want to do. 

I hope to read some more popular-ish blogs just for kicks, and if I enjoy them a lot, maybe I'll consider writing for them one day. Going to NYU, that could be a legitimate possibility for me.

Still, I'm not sure if that's what I would want to dedicate myself to, because I feel that I would want a vocation that actively helps make the world a better place. I suppose I could write for an outlet that does just that. It's still too early to predict anything though. 

There are many doors. There are many options. Right now, I'm just taking everything one piece at a time.  

A Belated Valentine

A Belated Valentine
I'm sharing this one because it has an interesting story.

When I was in Disney, I was having a conversation with a guy from my grade who I had gone to pre-school with. Our mothers had talked and apparently my mother had found a valentine he wrote to me back then. It was likely one of those valentines you pass out to the entire class, but nevertheless, he insisted that I write him a belated response and post it in my blog. He also demanded this letter meet his expectations, coming so late.

Hopefully, I was successful.

Coffeebreak: A Play

I am making a new change to this blog. Not only will I not post things I write on my daily writing blog, I will only bother to talk about the posts that have particular significance for me, either because of their good quality or personal value. Posting everyday about my writing process is not only time consuming but likely unnecessary.

Coffeebreak: A Play
So why have I chosen this post to talk about? A number of reasons. After recieving one act plays in STAC, I decided I would make an attempt to write my own. I didn't go into this project with any ideas. I simply started writing, and this was the result.

One thing that's unusual about this play in comparison to the rest of my posts is that it's not particularly funny. Up until this point I had focused on writing humor, but this day, I simply wanted to write without that kind of restraint. That means that this writing is more personal, and thus, more vulnerable.

That's something I often have difficulty with when I make art. True and emotional art makes you very vulnerable. I am a very open person. Perhaps a little too open at times. Here's the thing though. I am perfectly capable of sharing my past traumas and emotional experiences, but I only feel comfortable doing so in hindsight, when I can fully understand the circumstances and forgive myself for my own behavior. In the heat of the moment, I don't like having my feelings shared and criticized.

On the other hand, writing this piece was actually quite cathartic for me. It's one of those pieces of art that you make because you really just have to get something out. I think I needed to release some things I've been feeling lately, and that's why this piece spontaneously appeared.

After I wrote this, I was scared. I knew I would have to post it on my blog. It wasn't like I was going to write a second entry and share that instead. Then I thought, why should I? It's definitely rough, but I think it's pretty decent and it has potential to be better if I ever make the effort to revise it.

The day after I wrote this, I felt very strange. The piece hung over me as both a burdon and a liberation. I had a number of apprehensions, but I was also happy to open the door to expressing deeper emotions, as opposed to thriving on the surface with shallow humor.

I think that much young writing about deep emotional issues often comes out as shallow, like you're trying too hard. This is why I've avoided it. What I see now though is that it only comes out shallow if you go in with the intention of making it emotionally complex. If it happens by accident, it seems much more genuine. It's sort of like acting in that way. If you act like you're sad, it sucks, but if you make yourself feel sad, it's great.

So now, I have brought more flexibility to my writing. I'm hoping that one day I will be able to skillfully combine humor and drama into a wonderful mix to represent the dramady that is our existence.

Soap Suds: A Poem

Soap Suds: A Poem

I was watching How I Met Your Mother, and in the episode Bedtime Stories, Marshall was trying to stop his son Marvin from crying by reciting tales about his friends in the form of rhyme. I wanted to try it. A few days beforehand, I was telling a friend some strange stories about boys that have made terribly hilarious attempts to flirt with me. One of these stories has become the poem thus.

I have a feeling this one is going to turn into a vlog.

How To Get Your Roommate To Stop Playing Christian Rock

How To Get Your Roommate To Stop Playing Christian Rock

While on the phone with my brother, I told him to check out my blog. He did, and he told me I should write a post about how to get his roommate to stop playing Christian Rock all the time. I took the idea and ran with it. The suggestions probably won't help him at all, but hopefully they will make him laugh.

Why I Make Art

Why I Make Art

After reading the packet we got for our STAC homework, I figured the best way to create a response for why I make art was by brainstorming my random thoughts. This post is a collection of some of the best (and most amusing) reasons I make art.