This blog was written in response to an e-learning assignment scheduled for Week # 7 of the Digital Literacy Module.
I chose the digital story "Bruises" as told by (Ms) Olga Vigi; website http://www.storycenter.org/stories/index.php?cat=3 refers.
Sypnosis of the Story
From a very young age, Olga and her Nicaraguan parents immigrated to Toronto, Canada to seek a better life. To eke out a living, her lowly-educated parents had no choice but to leave Olga in a "foster" home for coloured kids which is not exactly an ideal environment for kids to grow up in. As expected, Olga grew up to be a "delinquent" kid at school, constantly getting into trouble with the School Authority and even the local police.
All her teachers called her a "pink arse kid" (pardon the vulgarity but as used in the digital story) except for Mrs Robinson, who saw her as a "person deprived of much needed care and concern from a very young age."
Soon, Olga was expelled from her School, mixed with bad company, got herself pregnant and became a single parent.
Ironically (and happily for her, too) her daughter became her God-sent Angel and her raison d'etre (main purpose for her life/existence) and transformed her life altogether. Armed with a renewed vigour for life and an abundance of self-discipline, she enrolled for night classes, got a place in collge and finally graduated with a degree in Social Science.
Olga went with her daughter (her Angel) back to her old school to look for Mrs Robinson who could only beam with pride, her tears flowing ceaselessly.
Olga is now working with the Toronto Immigration Authority, assisting newcomer youth and their families to settle in.
What's so good about this digital story?
In the short span of 2 mins 47 secs, using a powerful and engaging storyline, Olga was able to use her personal anecdotes to speak her own story and appeal to educators/teachers to see their troubled students as "victims of their unfavourable growing-up environments" just like Mrs Robinson did and not to quickly classify them as bad or lazy students.
There was a lot of meaning-making in the selection of photos/images used in the story eg:
1. A long row of coloured lockers to represent the composition of coloured children in her school.
2. The long flight of stairs in her School which looked so "soulless" when she was a student but was later transformed to a "soulful" experience when she went back with her daughter to visit Mrs Robinson. Her bright red dress and the warmth of the sun's rays suggested optimism for the future, that of Olga and her daughter.
3. Towards the end of the story, her acknowledgement texts will no doubt tug at the heartstrings of all viewers alike eg:
a. To my parents whom I thought didn't care but actually, didn't know how.
b. To Mrs Robinson, the only teacher who saw me as a person.
c. To my darling daughter, my reason for living, and
d. To all those students who fell through the cracks.
After viewing the story, one couldn't help concluding that indeed, against all odds, Olga has grown up to be a matured adult, discerning and able to count "critical thinking skill" as one of her assets.
How I would improve on this story
By incorporating some music pieces, featuring children's laughter in syn with the photos showing Olga and her daughter happily playing together. I might even include a taped version of "I love you, Mummy" for special effects.
Here, I am attempting to increase the amount of "human element " in this story.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Blog # 9 -- The eICU, a reality for the US, a potential DL descriptor for Singapore
This morning, I was reading yesterday's Straits Times (dated 18 Feb 2010) when I chanced upon an article (page B3) about an electronic Intensive Care Unit (eICU) system bought by Philips Healthcare two years ago to monitor 6,000 or about 10 per cent of ICU beds in the United States, resulting in a big drop in the number of deaths in ICUs which generally account for about half the deaths in hospitals.
An eICU team comprising one doctor and two nurses can monitor as many as 150 ICU patients across several locations at any one time and this scenario could well typify the materialisation of Singapore's vision to become a regional medical hub by exporting its expertise without its doctors leaving town.
The software monitors the vital signs of the patients and can see trends that occur over several hours, alerting the local hospital team that a patient might need attention, even before alarms in the ICU are set off.
For Singapore, since the technology provides information and surveillance in real-time, each public health cluster could have one eICU monitoring all the ICU beds in different hospitals.
Personally, for me, I have never doubted the high quality of medical care available in Singapore...its the high cost that scares me. Sure, the eICU will add another layer of protection and care for patients but how many ordinary working-class citizens and Permanent Residents will be able to afford it.
Well, that's a feedback for our extremely highly-paid politicians to consider and 'to lose some hair over'...
An eICU team comprising one doctor and two nurses can monitor as many as 150 ICU patients across several locations at any one time and this scenario could well typify the materialisation of Singapore's vision to become a regional medical hub by exporting its expertise without its doctors leaving town.
The software monitors the vital signs of the patients and can see trends that occur over several hours, alerting the local hospital team that a patient might need attention, even before alarms in the ICU are set off.
For Singapore, since the technology provides information and surveillance in real-time, each public health cluster could have one eICU monitoring all the ICU beds in different hospitals.
Personally, for me, I have never doubted the high quality of medical care available in Singapore...its the high cost that scares me. Sure, the eICU will add another layer of protection and care for patients but how many ordinary working-class citizens and Permanent Residents will be able to afford it.
Well, that's a feedback for our extremely highly-paid politicians to consider and 'to lose some hair over'...
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Blog # 8 -- Continuation of Blog # 7
What then are the other DL descriptors which will influence the lives of Singaporeans 1 -5 years down the road?
In the medical arena, soon, there will be telemedicine and chronic health care services, particularly suitable for diabetes and hypertension patients. Presently, they have to go to the polyclinics for follow-up care but soon, these care services could be delivered to the patients at home where instruments connected to the Internet can measure sugar levels and blood pressure, letting medical staff monitor the patients remotely.
The IT experts are also predicting that within the next 36 months, there will be a video revolution where the majority of people will communicate through video email rather than typing an email messsage. This vision will materialise with the NGBN (Next Generation Broadband Network) which promises speeds of 100MBps, thus making interactive video a reality.
At the moment, the hurdles to overcome are the problems associated with the lots of fast bandwidth, namely, unstable and inconsistent delivery, too expensive for the masses and compounded by the use of complicated devices eg camcorder. To lend support to the prediction, already, the Flip pocket camcorder is being marketed and it promised easy-to-use features as well as a user-friendliness to children and grandparents alike.
And finally, what I would term the 'Mother' of all DL descriptors which could happen in the next 3 - 5 years and that is the 'omnipresence' of the Internet, regardles whether it is 3G, wired or wireless Internet. Already NTT Domoco in Japan is testing wireless speeds of 100 MBps and the tech providers and device makers have already been identified. The trick is HOW to stitch them together to deliver services securely and in an affordable manner.
When that day comes, as I am confident it would, communication would no longer be the same. The impact on Education would be great as it would drive experiential learning away from rote. For example, students who are learning about ecology with netbooks or e-readers can go to MacRitchie Reservoir or Bedok Reservoir and learn about the ecosystem of the surrounding areas. They can tap into the data centre, pull data down and post video clips of what they have seen without worrying about whether there is a broadband connection or not.
The list of possibilities is simply endless. Isn't the future of the IT world amazing...so full of yet-to-be-explored wonders?
Tell you a secret. Sometimes, I do feel a little unc0mfortable during the Digital Literacy class. Not to worry. It has nothing to do with the way it is conducted. On the contrary, I think, credit must really be given to Dr T and Dr N for their creativity and innovativeness in organising the lesson plans to give the students maximum hands-on practice on the Net, at the same time beefing up the fundamental knowledge of the less tech-savvy students like myself.
The discomfort comes from glancing round the class now and then and reminding myself that I am the oldest member, yes, even older than both our lecturers.
Well, that thought is gone now...replaced by an earnest desire to equip myself to the best of my ability to welcome the revolutionary changes to the IT world in the next 5 years and barring any unforseen circumstances, I want to participate actively and be engaged in these changes, in a professional sense.
In the medical arena, soon, there will be telemedicine and chronic health care services, particularly suitable for diabetes and hypertension patients. Presently, they have to go to the polyclinics for follow-up care but soon, these care services could be delivered to the patients at home where instruments connected to the Internet can measure sugar levels and blood pressure, letting medical staff monitor the patients remotely.
The IT experts are also predicting that within the next 36 months, there will be a video revolution where the majority of people will communicate through video email rather than typing an email messsage. This vision will materialise with the NGBN (Next Generation Broadband Network) which promises speeds of 100MBps, thus making interactive video a reality.
At the moment, the hurdles to overcome are the problems associated with the lots of fast bandwidth, namely, unstable and inconsistent delivery, too expensive for the masses and compounded by the use of complicated devices eg camcorder. To lend support to the prediction, already, the Flip pocket camcorder is being marketed and it promised easy-to-use features as well as a user-friendliness to children and grandparents alike.
And finally, what I would term the 'Mother' of all DL descriptors which could happen in the next 3 - 5 years and that is the 'omnipresence' of the Internet, regardles whether it is 3G, wired or wireless Internet. Already NTT Domoco in Japan is testing wireless speeds of 100 MBps and the tech providers and device makers have already been identified. The trick is HOW to stitch them together to deliver services securely and in an affordable manner.
When that day comes, as I am confident it would, communication would no longer be the same. The impact on Education would be great as it would drive experiential learning away from rote. For example, students who are learning about ecology with netbooks or e-readers can go to MacRitchie Reservoir or Bedok Reservoir and learn about the ecosystem of the surrounding areas. They can tap into the data centre, pull data down and post video clips of what they have seen without worrying about whether there is a broadband connection or not.
The list of possibilities is simply endless. Isn't the future of the IT world amazing...so full of yet-to-be-explored wonders?
Tell you a secret. Sometimes, I do feel a little unc0mfortable during the Digital Literacy class. Not to worry. It has nothing to do with the way it is conducted. On the contrary, I think, credit must really be given to Dr T and Dr N for their creativity and innovativeness in organising the lesson plans to give the students maximum hands-on practice on the Net, at the same time beefing up the fundamental knowledge of the less tech-savvy students like myself.
The discomfort comes from glancing round the class now and then and reminding myself that I am the oldest member, yes, even older than both our lecturers.
Well, that thought is gone now...replaced by an earnest desire to equip myself to the best of my ability to welcome the revolutionary changes to the IT world in the next 5 years and barring any unforseen circumstances, I want to participate actively and be engaged in these changes, in a professional sense.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Blog # 7 -- Digital Literacy (DL) descriptors 'Akan Datang' (Malay for 'Coming Soon')
As I ponder over the DL descriptors that could well influence the life of Singaporeans in the near and not-too-distant future, as usual, my mind drew a blank.
Previously when I had not signed up for this DL module, I would not have given the question a second thought, let alone, cause the demise of some more brain cells from its prematurely depleted bank (I reckon) in my brain.
Then, I thought of the possibility of having to face Dr T and/or Dr N over the sparingly scattered (blog) postings to date and that thought alone was sufficient to spur me to scan the past few days' copies of The Straits Times...
The following posting is adapted from 2 articles in The Straits Times dated 10 Feb 2010; one on page 23 and the other on page 28.
By the way, have you heard of Project Gutenberg? Do you know that you can download for free, yes, for free close to 30,000 e-books to your PC, iPhone or most portable devices. Check out www.gutenberg.org
The above paragraph sets the 'backdrop' for me to predict that very soon, in Singapore, there will be the 'advent of the e-reader' craze. Already, there are ways to circumvent the system if you know someone who has an American credit card (immediately, Dr N comes to mind).
Things like packing half a dozen novels for a weekend gateaway and lugging around three pocketbooks to read on a 15-minute train ride will very soon be a thing of the past. The e-book reader iRiver Story, now retailing at SGD 499 at Popular bookstores in Singapore, with its 2 GB of internal memory and weighs just 284g, can actually store 8,000 e-books.
Undeniably, the battle of the e-reader between digital heavyweight Sony and book giants Amazon and Barnes & Noble is in full swing, with the e-book skeptics watching somewhat curiously from the sidelines...to be continued.
Previously when I had not signed up for this DL module, I would not have given the question a second thought, let alone, cause the demise of some more brain cells from its prematurely depleted bank (I reckon) in my brain.
Then, I thought of the possibility of having to face Dr T and/or Dr N over the sparingly scattered (blog) postings to date and that thought alone was sufficient to spur me to scan the past few days' copies of The Straits Times...
The following posting is adapted from 2 articles in The Straits Times dated 10 Feb 2010; one on page 23 and the other on page 28.
By the way, have you heard of Project Gutenberg? Do you know that you can download for free, yes, for free close to 30,000 e-books to your PC, iPhone or most portable devices. Check out www.gutenberg.org
The above paragraph sets the 'backdrop' for me to predict that very soon, in Singapore, there will be the 'advent of the e-reader' craze. Already, there are ways to circumvent the system if you know someone who has an American credit card (immediately, Dr N comes to mind).
Things like packing half a dozen novels for a weekend gateaway and lugging around three pocketbooks to read on a 15-minute train ride will very soon be a thing of the past. The e-book reader iRiver Story, now retailing at SGD 499 at Popular bookstores in Singapore, with its 2 GB of internal memory and weighs just 284g, can actually store 8,000 e-books.
Undeniably, the battle of the e-reader between digital heavyweight Sony and book giants Amazon and Barnes & Noble is in full swing, with the e-book skeptics watching somewhat curiously from the sidelines...to be continued.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Blog # 6 -- How NOT to short-change my Digital Native students?
There is actually no need for me to state this point but I needed to set the backdrop for this post and that is...any experienced teacher will know, in the course of conducting a lesson whether he is actively engaging his students or not...their eyes and body language are so telling.
After reading Prensky's (Part II) article, I felt somewhat 'guilty-conscious' when confronting the Digital Immigrant (DI) teacher/Digital Native (DN) student issue as the author had stated in no uncertain terms that the onus for the type and quality of education received by the DN students lies very much with the DI teachers.
Personally, for myself, the issue is even more daunting as for my secondary school education, I grew up in the era of log books and slide rules to be followed by the advent of the 286 and 386 computers (way before the Pentium series of computers) during my tertiary education days.
Much as I hate to agree with Prensky, the 'still small voice' inside me tells me that there is a need for me to learn the world's new (Digital) language in order to effectively communicate my still-valuable knowledge and wisdom pertaining to the English Language, among other things.
I need to learn how to put computer technology to use in the service of good pedagogy. In particular, I need to learn the technology to test websites, to develop a plan of action for using the Internet, with specific goals in mind and procedures on how to accomplish the tasks and how students will be evaluated for the activity.
Finally, when I am able to guide my DN students on the learning objectives and outcomes for online content and to integrate technology as my new refocussed approach to teaching, then can I proudly proclaim (to myself, of course) that my DN students were not short-changed in their learning.
Please empathise with me as my commendable ordeal has just begun...
After reading Prensky's (Part II) article, I felt somewhat 'guilty-conscious' when confronting the Digital Immigrant (DI) teacher/Digital Native (DN) student issue as the author had stated in no uncertain terms that the onus for the type and quality of education received by the DN students lies very much with the DI teachers.
Personally, for myself, the issue is even more daunting as for my secondary school education, I grew up in the era of log books and slide rules to be followed by the advent of the 286 and 386 computers (way before the Pentium series of computers) during my tertiary education days.
Much as I hate to agree with Prensky, the 'still small voice' inside me tells me that there is a need for me to learn the world's new (Digital) language in order to effectively communicate my still-valuable knowledge and wisdom pertaining to the English Language, among other things.
I need to learn how to put computer technology to use in the service of good pedagogy. In particular, I need to learn the technology to test websites, to develop a plan of action for using the Internet, with specific goals in mind and procedures on how to accomplish the tasks and how students will be evaluated for the activity.
Finally, when I am able to guide my DN students on the learning objectives and outcomes for online content and to integrate technology as my new refocussed approach to teaching, then can I proudly proclaim (to myself, of course) that my DN students were not short-changed in their learning.
Please empathise with me as my commendable ordeal has just begun...
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Blog # 5 -- Digital Literacy specifically for Singapore...
The catastrophic effects of the recent earthquake in Haiti were immense and somewhat mind-boggling. Singapore sent two medical teams to aid the relief efforts and anyone interested in the latest developments and problems encountered by these teams could just log on to a particular blog for the latest updates.
This is but one manifestation of the efficiency expected of any Singaporean-led project and in this instance with much help from the NET.
This is but one manifestation of the efficiency expected of any Singaporean-led project and in this instance with much help from the NET.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Blog # 4 -- (Adaptation of) Review of Prof Lanham's latest book "The Economics of Attention"...
There was something in Dr N's (Mark's) reply or was it something to do with his body language that piqued my interest in the (mentioned) book.
During last Wednesday's (27 Jan 2010) class, I had lamented that a number of websites these days were bombarded with advertisements cleverly woven into their web pages and that the 'joy' of finding out the information required now becomes very much...a frustrating experience, having first to sieve through the 'maze' of advertisements.
Mark cleverly suggested that there was nothing new in my observation and advised that I could refer to Prof Lanham's latest book for a different perspective.
So, I did and in the process, learnt about the following:
1. That attracting Attention is the Priority. How? By using stylistic devices (in language, art, advertising, design etc). Style, is now the very substance of 'stuff' (knowledge) in the information economy.
2. The 'Winners' are not those who have the best goods to offer customers but those who can bring the 'eyeballs' of information-saturated consumers to rest on their particular stock of goods/services/information.
3. Our culture continues to be one of materialism, the type driven by the aesthetics of style.
Cheers.
Wilson
During last Wednesday's (27 Jan 2010) class, I had lamented that a number of websites these days were bombarded with advertisements cleverly woven into their web pages and that the 'joy' of finding out the information required now becomes very much...a frustrating experience, having first to sieve through the 'maze' of advertisements.
Mark cleverly suggested that there was nothing new in my observation and advised that I could refer to Prof Lanham's latest book for a different perspective.
So, I did and in the process, learnt about the following:
1. That attracting Attention is the Priority. How? By using stylistic devices (in language, art, advertising, design etc). Style, is now the very substance of 'stuff' (knowledge) in the information economy.
2. The 'Winners' are not those who have the best goods to offer customers but those who can bring the 'eyeballs' of information-saturated consumers to rest on their particular stock of goods/services/information.
3. Our culture continues to be one of materialism, the type driven by the aesthetics of style.
Cheers.
Wilson
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)