Election 2008

Things That Make You Go Hmmmmmm

noreply@blogger.com (Kris L.) — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 05:38:00 +0000

So, it is the middle of August, the Sox lead is down to 4 games and people are starting to panic. Obviously, as a seasoned member of Red Sox Nation, I know that there is positively, absolutely no reason to panic. That said, when thinking about the numbers, I couldn't help but marvel at how similar baseball and politics are. When the poll numbers go down for a politician you either see the faithful reassuring that all is well or you see the flip floppers jump to the strongest candidate within the party. So, does that mean politics is Americas second favorite past time?

What does the straw poll really mean?

noreply@blogger.com (Kris L.) — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 02:30:00 +0000

So Mitt Romney won (or bought, depending on who you believe) Iowa. What does that mean. Once again, it depends on who you believe. If you listen to Romney’s people, this win just about cemented his role as nominee. If you listen to the other candidates folks, the straw poll turned out exactly as expected and means very little. The truth is likely somewhere in between, as is the case with many situations we are all faced with. Similar viewpoints can be expressed when it comes to the material covered in this class. None of the techniques we learned are all bad or all good however each has a place in our classroom to better engage, motivate and educate our students. The key is to know our students to best be able to determine the correct tools to use. This class has provided us a plethora of examples and a nice basic familiarity with them, now it is up to us to put them to use.

Web 2.0 - Access to More Information or Just More Confusion

noreply@blogger.com (Kris L.) — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 02:58:00 +0000

Is Web 2.0 too much or not enough? This topic was recently discussed in depth by Andrew Keen and David Weinberger and the discussion was published in the Wall Street Journal. Though Mr. Keen makes some valid points about the quality of some content on the web, Mr. Weinberger ultimately triumphs with his points on the expanse of knowledge and content available to users who never before would have had access to the material. Mr. Weinberger also points out that much of the web has a reliable rating system and that, in fact, the users themselves help to make each other better and more reliable. Students now can collaborate with other students in countries all over the world, In addition, they can publish material and they have access to research tools and information which far exceeds that found in their local libraries. Radical trust is a rather excessive term to describe the use, viewing and participation in content on the web. A more appropriate term might be learned evaluator and analyzer or perhaps educated trust.

The key, which is evidenced in the discussion between Messrs. Keen and Weinberger, is that the web viewer must be able to accurately judge the reliability of a source before decided how much to depend on that source. As the teacher, it will be my job to work with my students’ parents to teach them the difference between a reliable and unreliable source, the best way to ferret out that source and how to be a responsible and reliable contributor to on-line content. For example if we were to create a class blog on a particular subject and wanted to put links to other sites on the same topic, the students would have to investigate and monitor those other cites to make sure that the information portrayed on them is accurate to the best of their ability and/or has been corrected. The same can be said for wikis and podcasts, the information relied upon must stand up or it will take you down with it. These tools can also be used to interact with a community of learners through which the students themselves can help to monitor the content being placed on “their website”. Tagging teaches the power of the google search. The search will find you everything, but the search is only as reliable as the search terms put in it, and even then, not every site identified is a reliable on in and of itself. This concept of term reliability and the reliability of those items retrieved in a search also applies to You Tube, Flickr and LibraryThing. That said, I must hasten to point out that just because something is available in print form does not always mean it is reliable and thus having students go to a library and do a search is in no way a guarantee of accuracy.

In the end the key with the web is to teach our students how to navigate through the murk that is the web, and the plethora of information that goes with it, and come out of their interaction with the web with more RELIABLE information that they can then use in their pathway to becoming educated citizens.

Delicious

noreply@blogger.com (Kris L.) — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 04:53:00 +0000

What a great tool to use for our classrooms. No more worrying about remembering all of the sites you wanted to utilize for a project, they are all right there at your fingertips. Not only will it make our lesson plans easier to access for us, it will also make teaching those lessons more accessible for the students. Also, to use this tool as a tool for professional development, what a great way to utilize all that each teacher has to offer and making the school truly a place of collaborative learning. Best of all, you can use any computer available at the time you want to make additions, edits, etc. No more relying solely on one computer, del.icio.us is truly accessibility at its best.

Interest in Election 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Kris L.) — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 04:05:00 +0000

The second podcast deals with the early interest taken in the 2008 election.

Election Interest

Election Technology

noreply@blogger.com (Kris L.) — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 04:38:00 +0000

The first podcast deals with a new style of debate which will premier on Monday, July 23, 2007.

YouTube Debate

Debating in the 21st Century

noreply@blogger.com (Kris L.) — Sat, 21 Jul 2007 01:18:00 +0000

This Monday, the Democratic candidates for President of the United States will truly face questions from the people. Viewers were invited to submit their questions on YouTube and debate host Anderson Cooper and a panel of CNN political commentators will select some of those questions to be presented to the candidates. The Republican candidates will participate in a like debate on September 17th. In this debate the actual video will be played on the screen and then the candidates will be given the opportunity to respond. This is a whole new way for citizens to participate in the political process. Now, people who do not live in cities where debates are being held will still get a chance to let the candidates know what is on their mind. With so much of life now conducted on the web, it is smart of the politicians to bring the process to the people. It will be interesting to see if the political pundits are correct about what America is thinking or if the candidates will be taken by surprise. At the very least, the public (presuming the questions chosen are representative of a cross-culture of the public) will finally get answers to their questions and hopefully, will translate those answers into a trip to the voting booth in 2008.

RSS and the 2008 Election

noreply@blogger.com (Kris L.) — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 06:03:00 +0000

The concept of RSS is one which is tailor made for following the 2008 Election. With 9 (perhaps soon 10 again) Republican candidates and 8 Democratic candidates, it would take hours every day to keep tabs on the changes to the candidates’ websites. In addition, to keep track of exit polls, fundraising and other media coverage would require nearly constant computer surfing. Here enters RSS. By entering the URLs for a few carefully chosen media sites, my students can keep tabs on Election 2008 updates without spending all day checking on the websites individually; they can even look at the views of other parts of the country by linking a media website local to that region. My students can also follow all of the candidates, or perhaps only the one they are assigned to cover, simply by linking the RSS feed for that candidate’s (those candidates’) websites to their blogs. Also, my students can then keep tabs on other candidates through their classmates’ blogs. Ultimately, this provides me another tool for assessment as I can have my students place Election updates on their blogs and as a class we can follow the progression of the candidates as one is elected our next Commander-in-Chief. Many young people today say they feel disconnected from the electoral process. This is one tool through which the students will not only feel connected, they will be an active follower of/participant in the process.

The Effect of Journal Articles on My Sandbox Unit

noreply@blogger.com (Kris L.) — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 04:43:00 +0000

The first article that I reviewed was entitled “TechPresident takes a Web 2.0 Look at the 2008 Presidential Campaign”. In this article author Michael Lopresti discusses how the internet has become a significant factor in the election process and one that cannot be ignored by any political campaign. Lopresti further goes on to argue that the internet will play a “central role” in the 2008 election. This article brought up the interesting theory of voter content within the websites and how that is a part of the “Web 2.0 principal of openness and direct engagement”. Though I had thought in depth about having my students study and follow the election using the web. I hadn’t really considered teaching my students about having input in the election. Lopresti’s article really got me thinking. If the people, the voters, were able to communicate with the candidates directly about what issues were on their mind, the candidates would really get a better idea of what the people want to know. This article definitely brought to mind a plethora of new lesson plans that I could do with my students, including lessons about looking at different websites that “talk” to the candidates. This article also brought to mind other websites than the ones I had intended on using, those being the candidates websites, CNN, MSNBC and Fox. Mr. Lopresti’s article talked about a blog that had tabs on the top of the page linking it to MySpace, You Tube and Flickrfriend among others. I had not really thought about having my students use MySpace or You Tube, but the idea of using sites that they are likely already familiar with is exciting as it may help to head of some of the resistance normally associated with lesson plans.

The second article I reviewed was entitled “E-Power to the People”. This article talked about the effectiveness of the current political parties in their attempts to reach out to the people. Author Parker Rossman discussed new ways for the parties to operate, chief among them to change the conventions from the current pep rally to a real dialogue about issues. According to Rossman, spending more time on the issues will allow the elected officials to better represent their citizens. Rossman also cites the negative tone of politics and suggests that it might be better to focus on solutions to problems as opposed to focusing on the failures of the other party. Rossman suggests and innovative tactic in which the elected officials become a voice for the poor and that the delegates are briefed on the vantage point of the people on certain issues so that they can best represent them. Finally Rossman focuses on how the so called questions from the candidates to their constituents have morphed into requests for campaign contributions. Mr. Rossman’s article had an effect on me, especially inasmuch as I had not yet decided how I wanted my students to deal with the negativity that surrounds politics. I was afraid of dissuading the future voters of America before they even reached voting age. Mr. Rossman’s article convinced me that my students should see the negative side of politics. After all, it is a reality, and it is what they are going to see if and when they start paying attention to the political scene. Mr. Rossman’s article also gave me an idea for a lesson plan for my students – what would they change about politics, why and what impact do they think it would have? Should be interesting to see how my students believe politics can be improved.

References

Lopresti, Michael. “TechPresident takes a Web 2.0 Look at the 2008 Presidential Campaign”. EContent, May 2007, Vol. 30 Issue 4, pp. 10-11, 2p.

Rossman, Parker. “E-Powet to the People”. Futurist, Sept,/Oct. 2006, Vol. 40 Issue 5, pp. 6-7, 2 pp.

A Group Wiki Experience

noreply@blogger.com (Kris L.) — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 03:59:00 +0000

The assignment for weeks 4 and 5 of class revolved around Internet Safety. Specifically, my group was asked to create a guide for parents to use. This was the first time I have ever worked on a group project where my group never met face to face and I must confess to being a little nervous. Fortunately, I was blessed to have an amazing group of people to work with. From the start we all jumped in with conversation, thoughts, etc. We decided to spend the first few days of the time period researching and brainstorming. Once that was done, we worked on an outline for the group guide. Finally, we divided up the sections of the guide and each worked on a section, with one member of our group working on proofing the sections and pulling together a summary. All in all, we each contributed a part and the final product is truly a group effort.

I really enjoyed using the Wikispace for this project. Though initially skeptical, in the end, it really resulted in a group effort. The best part, for me, about using the Wikispace for the project was that it allowed each person to work around her schedule without trying to coordinate schedules for a group meeting time. For myself, it was often easiest to communicate during a break at my office or at night, for others, the timing was different. It didn’t matter when we posted, as long as we posted. Contribution could come whenever convenient for that person.

I would definitely consider using Wikispaces to coordinate group efforts by my students. I found it to be a most enjoyable, yet still effective, experience.

As for the google docs concept, this is, to me, completely fabulous. The idea of being able to work on something regardless of whether I am home, my parents' house or work and not have to worry about remembering the flash drive is wonderful. Plus, being given the option of making something public or private is also great as I can make sure I am happy with something before posting it for all to see. This could be key in a classroom where students are nervous about being judged by their classmates. Overall, a great tool with amazing possibilities.

When Freedom of the Press Goes Too Far

noreply@blogger.com (Kris L.) — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 04:14:00 +0000

Freedom of the Press. It is a staple of our Constitution and something many journalists fight for. Most of the time, I support them. This is not one of those times. This past week conservative commentator Ann Coulter stepped wayyyyyyy over the line not once, but twice. First, she informed us that she would be thrilled if Democratic Presidential Candidate John Edwards died in a terrorist attack. In today’s post- 9/11 society, with thousands of our troops dying in the War on Terror, this statement is beyond reprehensible. As a joke, this would be far from funny, unfortunately she was not kidding. Secondly, during an interview with MSNBC host Chris Matthews, Coulter was ignorant and rude in a conversation with John Edwards’ wife, Elizabeth. Mrs. Edwards called into Chris Matthews’ show to ask Ms. Coulter to refrain from a certain negative campaign tactic. This tactic involves Wade Edwards, John and Elizabeth’s son, who was killed in an automobile accident in 1996. Mrs. Edwards was calling as a mother, to ask Ms. Coulter to stop using such a painful event in their family’s history during the campaign. Mrs. Edwards could barely get a sentence out, as Ms. Coulter was intent on interrupting her every phrase, not giving Mrs. Edwards the chance to finish her thought and sitting there with a smirk on her fact the entire time as though we should all be proud of how she was acting and how dare Mrs. Edwards, or anyone else, question her. When Mrs. Edwards finally gave up speaking, Ms. Coulter’s only response was “You’re a candidate’s wife, no I will not stop,” Completely unacceptable. Ms. Coulter’s comments and actions would be inappropriate regardless of the candidate, this is not a pro-Edwards position. Yes, running for President of the United States puts one in the limelight, but even in politics a boundary must be drawn and now is the time to do it. Stop Ann Coulter. Stop supporting her, stop listening to her and stop buying her books. This is not the first time she has crossed the line and it will not be the last. Make her feel it where it will hurt her most, in the pocketbook. Let Ann Coulter be an example for all other columnists and commentators that certain behaviors will not be tolerated and disrespecting the memory of a candidate’s deceased family member is one of them.

Independent for President

noreply@blogger.com (Kris L.) — Sun, 24 Jun 2007 15:38:00 +0000

Can an Independent candidate really win the Presidency? Much has been made this week of New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s decision to change his party affiliation from Republican to Independent/Unenrolled. This is after having changed his affiliation from Demoacrat to Republican so that he could run for and win the New York mayoral office. Bloomberg has denied these intentions, saying he has every intention of serving out his term as mayor; though one should note that he knows exactly how many days are left in his terms of office. This brings up the issue of the two party political format that currently exists in this country. One need only remember the last two independent candidates to run for office – Ralph Nadar and Ross Perot. In 1992, Ross Perot received 19 percent of the popular vote, but not one electoral vote. Is the system set up only for democrats and republicans with the winner take all Electoral College? One issue for independent candidates has always been money. Experts estimate that it would cost an independent candidate approximately ½ a billion dollars to run a competitive race. For Bloomberg, this money is not an issue. With the American public seemingly disenchanted with both parties – see the approval rate for President Bush and for Congress – the timing may not be better for an independent to make a run. Keep watching, this is sure to get even more interesting.

Blogs in Education

noreply@blogger.com (Kris L.) — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 03:32:00 +0000

I think blogs are a fabulous tool to be used in education. Not only do they allow the teacher to communicate with students, parents and the community, but they open up a whole new world to the students. For example, my sandbox topic is the 2008 election. Students in my class could set up a blog to talk to the candidates, political pundits, political strategists and political commentators, and that is just to begin with. My students could talk to students in other parts of the country to discuss what coverage of the candidates is like there, who they think should win and why. On a more day to day basis, the blog is a great communicatory tool, especially now where parents often have multiple jobs and 47 differrent things on their daily schedule. By using a blog as a communicatory tool, parents can check the blog at post at their convenience, not yours and still be a part of their child's education.