Archive for June, 2006
History proves that knowledge is power. Those in power do not want to share knowledge. They call those that share knowledge traitors. They try to over shout those that would speak and so far it has worked. The NEW YORK TIMES is now evil. ACLU. Evil. Cindy Sheenan. Evil. 9/11 widows. Evil.
You have got to admit it is ingenious. They got to New York Times to print articles about it’s own traitorous ways. The current administration has a spin machine that even Hitler would envy. So the New York Times has now put the nation at higher risk for, say it with me, “another terrorist attack.” I can just see Bin Laden laughing at the latest news; like he isn’t smart enough to make sure there are no internet, bank, library, or phone conversations that can interfere with their agenda. Good thing the New York Times let him know so they can go an hide the evidence. I can’t help but giggle at the idea but you know if you say it 50 times a day over every news outlet available, most of those too busy to think will believe it. The power of suggestion is powerful especially if you censor out other information. Check out the movie “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” to get an idea of how censorship and media spin can change the public opinion within hours.
Every class separation used knowledge as a means of separating those in power from others. The upper class is always the most educated. Slaves are invariably denied education. The Nazi regime used slogans and propoganda to modify the public definitions of right and wrong. They cencored anything that may indicate what they were doing might be considered objectionable. It was treason to publish anything that was not approved by Hitler’s administrative guidelines. Doesn’t this sound hauntingly familiar?
With education there is power; the ability to read and access to information and various viewpoints of the same events allows each individual to make choices based on information beyond their limited experiences. This is a large threat to those in power. If people know what is happening, they may form an opinion that is not spoon-fed through their microphone. Educated masses end up with a lot of power. Possibly enough power and understanding to make changes?
The current administration uses Nazi-like propoganda and slogans to change the definitions of legal, traitor, and patriot. Legal now means whatever the administration decides to do. It’s legal because they are… um… the law? Sounds like they got the idea from Sadaam. A traitor is anyone that says the emperor is wearing no clothes and calls them on their dictatorship-like tactics. A traitor is a newspaper that exposes the actions of elected officials. A patriot is now someone that knows how to use post traumatic torture (constant references to 9/11) to keep the public dazed and confused.
America has become a dictatorship with an angry army of fundamentalist stepping up to the microphone to drown out the the disillusioned majority. Everytime an impeachable infraction is reported, the machine sets out to drown out the story with a sick slogan and a whirlwind of media enhanced drama. The Bush Administration is a modernized version of the Hitler Regime: narrowminded focus impressed upon everyone.
Technorati tags: Bush, September 11, traitor, treason, fundamentalist, Tony Snow, media, New York Times, censorship
June 28th, 2006
The power of the internet, the power of the blog. Harness it and use it to make the world a better place. Use it to take a stand. Raise your voice, be heard, and make a lasting impression. Isn’t that what blogging is about?
There is a vastness that beckons to be filled with our thoughts, our ideas and our passion. The internet, the World Wide Web, the 24-hour online headline exists entirely to be touched, to be possessed by those that would take part and become involved with the present and a future beyond that of our own homes, towns, and lives. We take the first steps of creating a history rich with voices and information that will be referenced and analyzed by generations yet to come.
Available at the fingertips of those that seek information and varied viewpoints. We fill the emptiness they would access without our constant input. From fingertips to fingertips, eyes to eyes, ears to ears, from death to the living, we blog our lives, our dreams, our frustrations and grief. And so my fellow bloggers, I issue a call to arms:
On September 11, 2006, there will be 2,996 blog sites that will dedicate a post in honor of one of those that perished on September 11, 2001. Join me and 2,995 other bloggers in creating an enduring echo of our time. D.Challener Roe is organizing this endeavor to:
remember NOT who did it or why, but rather to remember those that became victims and WHO they are … not just a name. To remember them each and individually.
The very nature of blogging ensures that the future will never forget our history, that those that lived in our time, will live forever in this virtual time capsule of an online presence.
Please leave a comment with the name of the victim you will honor and a link to your site.
Technorati tags: September 11, 9/11, NYC, New York, Never Forget, Memorial, 2996, blog, www, tribute, victim, honor
June 26th, 2006
A favorite professor of mine will be instructing an online / distance course over the summer. One of the reasons I love this professor is that she always asks feedback from students so she can make the class better each semester. In preparation for instructing her first online / distance learning class, she assembled a panel of students that have taken online / distance learning classes to get an idea of what would work best. As I gathered my thoughts for the panel, I realized there may be others that would like to know the pros and cons of taking online courses. I have taken seven online courses for college credit and 12 online courses for certification, 3 distance learning college courses as well so I think I have a pretty good idea of what is out there.
Pros:
+ Online courses that are taken at another college and transfered do not count toward/against your GPA. For me, this was a way to bypass a professor that graded unfairly. It is also a way to take courses that you are weak in without hurting your overall GPA.
+ Open book learning. You really learn a lot by researching your answers instead of trying to memorize a book. I have a difficult time memorizing vocabulary. When I want to know what a word means I look it up (and never forget it after that). Online courses allow you to research answers and in the end I learned more than I would have in the cram session most students do before quizes and tests.
+ No classes to try to fit into a schedule. No need to try to adjust your work schedule to fit in that odd class. No more 8am classes…
+ The assignments are more busywork than difficult. The hardest part of an online course is figuring out what the professor wants in an assignment. A note to online instructors: show examples for every assignment.
Cons:
- The college credit online / distance learning courses were not “at your own pace” as advertised. This is my major pet peeve about online/distance learning courses. They advertise “work at your own pace” but I have never taken an online / distance learning course that allows you to access the next module/chapter assignments early and there are due dates on everything. There were times wanted to go on vacation or I got really busy but I still had to get everything done within a very restricted schedule. I would have liked to be able to get ahead on assignments if I can and requested early access on every online / distance learning course I took but I was never accomodated.
I did not mind the deadlines as much as the restriction on how much I could do at once. Sometimes I was just in the mood to get things done and it would have been nice to finish the course in 6 weeks instead of 8 if I could. Another note to online / distance learning course instructors: Open the entire course from the start and allow students to get ahead.
- Some courses may be too difficult to attempt to do online or from a distance. I would not want to try calculus online or from a distance as it is a subject that needs real time interaction to learn conceptual and abstract ideas. I recommend courses that usually rely on memorization to assess learning such as history, psychology, business classes, economics, etc.
- Many students are not capable of following directions. If you cannot read and figure out the assignment, then online learning is not for you. The directions are sometimes abstract and require you to identify exactly what is required for the assignment. For example, every online class I took required the students to participate in class discussions by asking a question about the chapter and then responding to at least two other questions in the forum for each chapter. If that does not make sense to you, don’t take an online course.
I hope this helps others decide and get a better idea of what they are up against with online courses. Anyone else ever taken online college courses? How did it go? Anything I missed?
Technorati tags: education, online, college, review, adult, course, learning, gpa, distance
June 24th, 2006
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