Tuesday, November 30, 2004
Feel like going lilac today!
Our second online activity is drawing to a close after Jay granted an extention. Elisabeth and I were getting very anxious about the lack of activity but now it all seems to be coming together. All this thought about evaluation has led me to reflect on engagement. Initially in an educational sense, but then it occourred to me that Camus had a thing or two to say about l'homme engagé: he recognised that we could live a meaningful life by living in révolte. Also all this talk of formative and summative evaluation tied up with Sartre's perception of en soi and pour soi states..I feel at last as though I'm getting back to a level of intellectual challenge that I last found when taking my degree. And there was I thinking that 2 kids had put paid to vital brain cell activity !!
I wonder if it is possible to continue studying to a Masters? I must pluck up the courage to ask Jay.
Our second online activity is drawing to a close after Jay granted an extention. Elisabeth and I were getting very anxious about the lack of activity but now it all seems to be coming together. All this thought about evaluation has led me to reflect on engagement. Initially in an educational sense, but then it occourred to me that Camus had a thing or two to say about l'homme engagé: he recognised that we could live a meaningful life by living in révolte. Also all this talk of formative and summative evaluation tied up with Sartre's perception of en soi and pour soi states..I feel at last as though I'm getting back to a level of intellectual challenge that I last found when taking my degree. And there was I thinking that 2 kids had put paid to vital brain cell activity !!
I wonder if it is possible to continue studying to a Masters? I must pluck up the courage to ask Jay.
Monday, November 22, 2004
I've been meaning to catch up on this for a while but I have stopped myself because some aspects of the project development were becoming depressing. I don't want to make a habit of indulging in self pity when there is a hitch. I'm pleased now to have something positive to say :)
A full licence version of wimba is up and I can continue to lobby for greater recognition of the potential of adding sound to the website. I find it hard to cope with the ambivalence of some linguists to the potential of sound, after all surely communication by voice is our trade. I feel sure it is fear that plays a role in the attitudes I have witnessed: fear of extra work, changing the status quo, maybe concern that this may be a can of worms too far! From the techies too there is opposition: their quiet, sleek workstation areas would be disrupted by people using headsets, there may even be hygene risks of sharing headsets..no, really! What about the spread of bacteria on the average mouse? I'm sure that many keyboards are a health risk. In reality I see a fast advancing tide of internet telephony , bluetooth headsets are already commonplace..what are we afraid of? Is this a potential culture shock for those already at the forefront of thier arena?The Language Centre is already a haven for users of audio visual technology who think nothing of following their fave French soap or catching up with the news in Russia on the satellite channels. I am sure the change can be managed effectively with a little consultation.
Anyway, I did say I was going to be positive..I have ordered a wireless laptop for presenting and business teaching and this will be a vital tool for taking the message abroad (if you see what I mean!) and even though I have to create some more material for wimba (again!) at least it's working and I really must raise awareness of their collaboration with Perception as this is an area already being supported by e-lab. So much to do, so little time!
A full licence version of wimba is up and I can continue to lobby for greater recognition of the potential of adding sound to the website. I find it hard to cope with the ambivalence of some linguists to the potential of sound, after all surely communication by voice is our trade. I feel sure it is fear that plays a role in the attitudes I have witnessed: fear of extra work, changing the status quo, maybe concern that this may be a can of worms too far! From the techies too there is opposition: their quiet, sleek workstation areas would be disrupted by people using headsets, there may even be hygene risks of sharing headsets..no, really! What about the spread of bacteria on the average mouse? I'm sure that many keyboards are a health risk. In reality I see a fast advancing tide of internet telephony , bluetooth headsets are already commonplace..what are we afraid of? Is this a potential culture shock for those already at the forefront of thier arena?The Language Centre is already a haven for users of audio visual technology who think nothing of following their fave French soap or catching up with the news in Russia on the satellite channels. I am sure the change can be managed effectively with a little consultation.
Anyway, I did say I was going to be positive..I have ordered a wireless laptop for presenting and business teaching and this will be a vital tool for taking the message abroad (if you see what I mean!) and even though I have to create some more material for wimba (again!) at least it's working and I really must raise awareness of their collaboration with Perception as this is an area already being supported by e-lab. So much to do, so little time!
