Readings
Literally
In yesterdays symposium, there was much talk about what it means to be ‘literate’. There appeared to be an emphasis on knowing the mechanics behind the form in which content is produced, rather than the content itself. Although there were several views on it, at one point my brain just stopped registering what was being said and it left me in a state of severe confusion @_@
So I took matters into my own hands and consulted my trusty (digital) dictionary to define the word ‘literate’. It was defined as an adjective used to describe someone who is able to read or write, or has knowledge in a specified field. If we apply this to networking online, doesn’t that mean we are all network literate since we are able to read, write, and have at least some knowledge of how to interact with our blogs? Sure, we may not know the mechanics behind it, but I guess that just makes us not as literate as other people who can (?)
If we consider people who are deemed computer illiterate by employers or others in society, isn’t it the fact that they can’t use or navigate through computer programs or systems the reason for this? Aren’t people who are able to use programs like Word or Excel considered computer literate even if they may not understand the engineering behind it?
On the other hand, what happens when someone creates a ‘form’, be it a website, app, or keyboard which enables people to compose songs, but he himself doesn’t know the techniques behind song-writing? Although he knows the mechanics behind the form, he doesn’t know the mechanics behind the content. To me he is musically illiterate, but mechanically literate.
This may seem like an over-simplified way of understanding what it means to be literate, however this is the only way I can wrap my head around this concept. It’s probably obvious, but I’m still a bit confused and may have even contradicted myself somewhere, but if someone like Paul Graham was reading this then they probably wouldn’t mind.
Model 2
This reading goes through some pretty interesting theories about different types of people and learners. Like a lot of readings, it was densely packed with information, a lot which may have passed me by, but nonetheless I was able to take away some ideas.
Espoused theory refers to how people express what they think they would do in a particular situation, or how they want to appear to others. On the other hand, what governs their actual behaviour is the theory-in-use.
Both single and double loop learning involves ‘detection and correction’. Single loop learners, however don’t question or reflect on basic knowledge, and instead take things for granted. This may be because, they are generally more concerned with ‘winning’ and the way they appear to others. Even without valid reasoning, they will assert their opinion defensively, and as such, their learning will be impaired.
On the other hand, double loop learners consult data before making assumptions and seek to hear others’ experiences and knowledge rather than imposing their own. They value common goals, mutuality and openness, making good team players. They tend to question assumed knowledge, and reflection is essential for them.
No wonder
Ok so we’re 3 weeks into this unit and I’m still lost. I just realised that I’ve been doing the readings for the week ahead, so I ended up doing reading 4 this week. I hope that’s not against any unwritten laws.
Trying to structure this blog somewhat systematically is not so easy. Reflecting on my earlier posts, I have tried to take some notes, or rather reflect, on the symposiums and readings. I can already see old habits dying hard.
Writing in paragraphs means I end up writing too much and getting too stuck into it. In the end, I literally just cut off my train of thought to prevent myself from blabbing any further. On the other hand, I attempted to write succinct dot points, but I felt the ideas were not conveyed as clearly… I don’t feel blogging is getting any easier, it might take some more time.
Ultimately, I still have no idea where I’m going with this blog.
‘As We May Think’
Some take away ideas I got from the ‘As We May Think’ reading:
– Science has enabled knowledge to be recorded, parts of it extracted and developed over time to survive generations
– It is easy for significant pieces of information to be buried under the ‘inconsequential mass’ if it does not reach individuals who are invested in such information
– In order for a record to be of use, it must be grasped, stored, extended and most importantly ‘consulted’
– Conventional ways of recording are constantly evolving, with better or more functions, to enable faster procedures
Blogs FTW
Being the naturally inexpressive person I am, starting a blog is incredibly nerve-wracking. Publicly documenting my reflections, thoughts, and ideas makes me feel exposed, and it’s certainly not something I would do of my own accord so this Network Media unit is really pushing me out of my comfort zone. However, I do think this will beneficial to me in several ways.
As mentioned in this weeks reading, the ability to work with a range of mediums is crucial for a media student in this digital age. Blogs enable users to integrate images, videos, sounds, and links in addition to text allowing posts with various textures. Even though in my current condition, I’m already struggling with these measly paragraphs, in time, I expect the use of other media forms to come naturally.
Secondly the requirement to take notes in the form of blog posts means that I will actually have something to refer to, if need be, in the future. To write short and succinct notes is quite a challenge for me; I typically end up copying word for word or worse, nothing at all. There’s also the aspect of publicness to consider. Regardless of whether there are readers at all, I have to write in a way that’s understandable to an audience and this will hopefully help me to improve my writing skills.
Finally, as a personal thing, this blog will allow me to express myself and develop my “outgoingness”. If I can just get over my fear of judgement, this lamely named blog will surely help me grow as both a media student and a person.
Blogs FTW!
Hello world!
Welcome to your brand new blog at Media Factory .
To get started, simply log in, edit or delete this post and check out all the other options available to you.
For assistance, visit the edublogs User Guide. (Or come to class.)