Friday, January 29, 2010

Howard Zinn

Giroux, H. (2010, Jan. 28). Howard Zinn: A public intellectual who mattered. truthout. http://www.truthout.org/howard-zinn-a-public-intellectual-who-mattered56463.

I actually took a class from Howard Zinn. I was 18, and arrived at Boston University surprised at the fact that it was possible. So, I signed up and went. It was a large Political Science lecture class. I don't remember much about the material; it's possible that I dropped it, or didn't attend very regularly; it was 37 years ago. I vaguely remember trying to go to his office hours, but I didn't have any reason, besides meeting him personally, and when there was a line of about fifteen students waiting, I backed off.

Such is life. I have to read the article a little better; it's not too late to notice, who he was, and what he actually said.

Wednesday, January 06, 2010

TESOL 2010

During the break, I'm trying to get ready for Boston and the TESOL Convention at the end of March. First, I have this:

Making sure they know from Wikipedia
Teaching Tips (20 min.), #168065
Second Language Writing IS
7:30 AM Room Otis at the Westin

Summary

Writing teachers can give high-level writers better awareness of the practical implications of using Wikipedia as a reference, with an exercise that highlights academics' reaction to it.

Description

High-level writing students are often aware of the value of Wikipedia as a resource, and may even be in the habit of using it regularly, as many American students are. Like American students, however, they are often only vaguely aware of why academics might object to its use as a reference or trusted authority. In fact the whole problem of evaluating online sources looms as huge for students entering academic classes, and teachers must constantly find new ways to remind students of the disastrous consequences of failing to evaluate, or evaluating poorly, the sources they choose for their research. This writing exercise introduces and highlights this problem by making Wikipedia itself the topic of inquiry, encouraging students to see both sides of the debate over its value, and expecting them to take sides on the question, in the form of an essay that uses quotes about its merits and defects as a resource. When the exercise is over, students are better at not only documenting the sources they use, but also evaluating them before the process starts.

The other two, which are essentially the same, appear here.

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as the world churns

Schonfeld, E. (2010, Jan. 2). 10 Technologies that will rock 2010. Seeking Alpha. http://seekingalpha.com/article/180565-10-technologies-that-will-rock-2010?source=article_sb_popular. Accessed 1-10.

Leggio, J. (2009, May 22). Nine worst social media fails of 2009...thus far. ZDNet. http://blogs.zdnet.com/feeds/?p=1204&tag=nl.e539. Accessed 1-10.

Kleinman, Z. (2009, Dec. 3). Children who use technology are 'better writers'. BBC News. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8392653.stm. Accessed 1-10.

Kirkpatrick, M. (2009, Dec. 2). Identity wars: Google and Yahoo! bow to Facebook and Twitter. ReadWriteWeb. http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/identity_wars_google_yahoo_bow_to_facebook_twitter.php. Accessed 1-10.

more coming, and I'll organize it too!

Monday, January 04, 2010

EVO 2010

from the CALL-IS:

Announcing the Electronic Village Online 2010

The CALL Interest Section of the international TESOL professional association is pleased to offer the opportunity to participate in the Electronic Village Online (EVO) 2010 sessions. This is a professional development project and virtual extension of the TESOL 2010 Convention in Boston, Massachusetts. The intended audience for this project includes both TESOL 2010 participants and those who can participate only virtually.

You do not need to be a TESOL member to participate in a free, six-week, wholly online session of the EVO, Jan 11 - Feb 21, 2010.

Please visit our Announcement Web page to select one among the various offerings:
http://evosessions.pbworks.com/Call_for_Participation2010