The Blogger

To address the question, what are my impressions of using a blog? I’m not someone who has ever kept a diary in the past. Maybe because I’m an artist, I have stacks of art all the way back from high school… a record of of sorts. My opinion of a blog is a record, an electronic diary. I’ve not used a blog before; personally I don’t have a desire to make my personal writings public, my life just it’s that interesting. That was my perception of a blog, it was a personal diary. That said I can see many other useful mediums. As an artist, I could create a blog, although more on the visual side, to track my art. I can see marketing advantages to using one, maybe an online newsletter. What I did find interesting was that many blogs are syndicated and one could subscribe using RSS, a connection to both mediums. For example I like this website of woman photographers http://nymphoto.com/index.php, the site is simply organized which includes personal blogs. That does interest me to read blogs in this context. To change my tune, while writing this article, I was told of a blog of a woman going through cancer, with five small children. You know, I may not want to record my life, there are plenty of create writers that do and do a wonderful job of keeping a blog. It was touching, well written and I enjoyed reading it. So that said…

I’ve not used RSS “the Really Simple Syndication” before, cute acronym! I enjoyed setting it up my web feed, personalizing what feeds to include, what not. I’m not sure I will reference the page often though. The Daily Beast thedailybeast@e.thedailybeast.com isn't a RSS feed, although it's a "condensed" version of news of sorts. I kind of liked it, and it reminded me of the content of a feed. That said, I like the choices we have, overwhelming, but good.

Article evaluation

The amount of information we have access to these days is overwhelming, information overload. What is important and what isn’t? The Cone of Learning by Edgar Dale article, I think both blogs and RSS is a passive way of learning. You certainly are receiving visual information, although most of what you’re doing is reading. And didn’t the article say that we retain very little of the top of the cone? That higher on the cone, the less senses are used. The most abstract way of learning. To really learn we need to demonstrate, apply, practice, analyze, design, to create is very important in the learning process. That said I can't say I am convinced or know yet that blogs and RSS feeds is really relevant to actual learning. Maybe I’m missing the point of evaluating these mediums.

I certainly received direct, purposeful experience by the act of creating a blog and RSS, as stated in the Cone of Learning article. Both verbal and visual learning was happening, first hand doing. Also in the article, maybe all the snippets of information we are creating in blogs and RSS feeds are a “contrived” experience. With all this complex information flooding our brains, this is a way we can “edit” these mediums. Simplify what we get. It does seem to be the way streaming information is being presented these days with mediums like Facebook, twitter, etc. It seems the trend of the way we get information.

I did like the article Falling Asleep at Your Keyboard: The Case for Computer Imagination. With the continual evolution of technology we need people to think outside of the box. As a creative, I’d like to think I’m part of that process, certainly when it comes to graphic design. In the beginning of the article, billions of dollars have been spent to upgrade technology, although the use is still flat and limiting. The article doesn’t really address this, gave scenarios, good and bad. Flash for the sake of flash, there needs to be a purpose. As an instructional designer, Blackboard is limiting in some ways, you read, use discussion boards, maybe view a power point, and watch a movie, do an assignment, take a test. What could I do make the course better, more engaging, impact learning and thinking? I haven’t found it within the parameters given. I explore incrementally although it seems to be more organizational than technology. Personally I’ll keep working on that question though.

Like the conclusion in the Siegel article, “we need to focus more on how the new tools impact our ability to think and learn.” That I agree with. How would I consider Siegel’s concept “imagination,” in the current tools we explored this week in class, I think the blog is somewhat more “imaginative.” There are certainly more custom tools for unique looks, photos, video streams, etc. More is more of a creative edge as content is created a author. When you look at a person’s blog, the blog takes on a personality. The RSS reader is more static in that respect. I can see the advantage of the tool is a connector of ideas and thoughts. And by exploring new tools we certainly learn are something.