Tag Archive
Subsidiarity and Generativity: Two Important Concepts
Today, computer use is viewed from a functional perspective; do mundane tasks more efficiently i.e. word processing, more appealing visual presentations. Technology should be viewed as part of our culture; related to Zittrain’s generativity concept. The computer, PC, and Internet contribute to society and culture. Both technologies provide a different means of communicating; a... »
Education as a Solution
When I think about the potential for computer virus attack I get worried. After reading the Jonathan Zittrain chapters I wonder why there isn’t more destruction wreaked by rogue hackers and evil doers. According to Zittrain, the personal computer (PC) and the Internet developed rapidly because access was available and creativity flourished. In the... »
Janet Emig, Final Commentary :)
In “Writing as a Mode of Learning,” Janet Emig takes a rather unique stand both in how she views writing and in how she defines it as a learning process. She describes writing as heuristic, and by that, it seems she is praising writing because it is a continuous learning process, with unending lessons... »
Stoller Commentary 5870
I hope I am not the only one in our class that enjoyed reading this article by Paul Stoller that beautifully blends the ideas of “Ethnography/Memoir/Imagination/Story.” I think that most Americans have this preconceived notion that storytelling is for children and that in becoming adults we must settle for getting our information from less... »
Commentary – Ferguson
It’s a cliche in crime dramas to say that a murderer wasn’t a murderer until he killed someone, but it is true. The circumstances that led up to their decision can be traced back to the playground at school, or the neighborhood where they grew up. Most of the things that children believe about... »
Vico Commentary
This chapter begins with a chastisement of the thoughts of Francis Bacon, who according to Vico acted like a “potentate of mighty empire” that upon reaching the highest ranking available lost all sense of reason and practicality in a search of a wisdom that is “complete perfection” (Vico 4). From his criticisms of... »
Technology in the Classroom
The ideas presented in Distant Voices are ones that I find particularly interesting. The idea of using technology to enhance teaching, or even as a primary means of teaching, are ones that I believe will help students. As is pointed out in the article, the reason writing classes have remained so static has been... »
Pryer Commentary #9
When I grow up, I want to write like write like Allison Pryer. When I read a piece of writing that is of such high quality, I find it hard not comment on it. In Imagining Educational Research? On the Uses of Fiction in Autobiographic Inquiry, Pryer discusses, as the title states, using... »
Commentary # 9 Pryor
“Imagining Educational Research? On the Uses of Fiction in Autobiographical Narrative Inquiry” Author Allison Pryor Commentary # 9 As with any good scientific research, ethnography should be untainted by any sense of the emotional. The feelings of the subject and the researcher should be set aside along with their individual biases. In our first class sessions we discussed... »
Orientalism
Edward Said presents some interesting notions on the idea of Orientalism, as both a concept and as a field of study. Said’s concepts are similar to some of the readings we have done earlier in that he explains the difficulties we have in understanding another culture. We, as westerners, tend to view all things... »