This is the link to my week 6 blog response. The name is Bryan 205
http://remoteaccess.typepad.com/remote_access/2007/06/big_problems_in.html#comment-72530794
ED 205 Blog 3 MLK Jr.
I recently came across a very interesting website regarding the credibility of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr (www.martinlutherking.org). Now before I get into an analytical evaluation of the site, I am going to point out a few initial observations. First of all, the only identifying mark of site’s creator is a small line of text at the bottom of the page, which reads “hosted by Stormfront.” When I clicked on the link I quickly found out what type of organization Stormfront is–a white power organization. At this point, one can only conclude that the site is going to be biased. Despite the bias of the site’s creators, there are all kinds of reliable sources that were quoted in the information provided. These sources range from Newsweek Magazine to the FBI to MLK Jr.’s close friend. Personally, I found the site to be quite eye-opening and was quite surprised to hear just how much the facts contradict the way that my previous educators have tried to portray MLK (as a true hero and an unwaivering leader). Although I think that this would be an excellent tool to use in a high school education setting, I did find plenty of instances where the language and content of the site’s various links would not be appropriate for said age group. Ironically enough, the most objectionable link is the “rap lyrics” link that spells out the lyrics to various anti-white rap songs and depicts brutal anti-white murders committed by blacks.
As far as the validity of the site, it is a .org site, so it is clearly not as relaible as a .gov or .edu site. I did not notice the use of a tilde in the wed address to indicate that it would be a personal website. However, the author is not clearly presented to the audience and actually takes some investigating to discover. These issues present the problem of people automatically relying on them as a source of fact without truly investigating the source. From my evaluation, the source is obviously bias, as it is authored/affiliated with a white power organization, Stormfront. As I previously pointed out, the site loses credibility due to the actual web address and because of other criteria, the authors did in fact make up for these shortcomings by citing credible sources in their research.
When I searched “Martin Luther King” on Google, I found that this website appears as the sixth “hit.” I would guess that this is in part because of the number of key words in the web address (contains Martin, Luther, and King). Another explanation could be because of its .org domain. Due to this factor, the site is posing as a more credible website than a personal site, for instance. If these two reasons don’t suffice, I would also point out that there has been controversy surrounding MLK’s credibility for years now. If enough people have seen this website, it has gained in popularity and will continue to draw more hits based on the number of people that have viewed its contents.
Authority–The Stormfront organization is a white power group. Basically, this means that they hate blacks. Due to this fact, they are probably not reliable experts in terms of critically and fairly analyzing the subject of Martin Luther King. Although I found there information to be intriguing, and most likely true, the authors were obviously biased and looking to portray MLK with a negative slant.
Affiliation–This is summed up in my assessment of the “authority.”
Objectivity–I did not notice a whole lot of advertising (not including the Stormfront logo at the bottom of the homepage). As stated previously, the site is definitely biased.
Audience–I think that this site is meant for a mature audience and that this would not be a good site to reference in an education level lower than the collegiate level. The content is graphic and swear words are not censored in some of the links.
Currency–I was not able to find a date on the information contained in this website. The only date that is visible on the homepage is a date from a Newsweek Magazine quote from 1998. Other than that, there is really no other way to date this material.
Content–As far as content is concerned, I found this site to be very interesting. The content completly shatters the typical portrayal of MLK Jr., and it is very interesting to heat the other point of view. I would argue that the content was relevent to my perusing interests.
Wesite Design–The website loaded quickly on my computer. All of the links work and load just as quickly as the homepage. The only nonfuctional portion of the website was a video link off of the homepage entitled “The Brothas be Peaceful in da Hood.” Aside from these observations, the site was fairly easy to navigate and the links seemed pretty self-explanatory.
BLOG RESPONSE 2 for ED 205
Here is the link to my second blog response: http://msaufong.com/myhomerecipe/?p=364#comment-8380
My name is Bryan 205.
Software B2
The five specific software programs that I feel should be learned are as follows (in order of importance):
1) Microsoft Word
2) Microsoft Excel
3) Microsoft PowerPoint
4) Middle school prealgebra parts 1 &2
5) Hyperstudio
Explaination of ranking:
I ranked these software programs in this specific order based on career practicality. For almost any white-collar job, employees will need to use MS Word, Excel, and in some cases, PowerPoint (depending on your position within the company). In my previous business experience, I used Word and Excel multiple times per day. With this being the case, it would be important to learn the in’s and out’s of these programs. Occasionally, I had to use PowerPoint to create presentations for our morning meetings. At the time, I was only mildly familiar with this application and could have benefitted tremendously from a “crash course” in said program. Overall, I think that schools should commence instruction of MS Word at about 4th grade. As far as Excel and Powerpoint, I feel that these programs can wait until about 8th grade.
I added in the Middle School Pre-Algebra software package, because studies show that most students are deficient in their knowledge and grasp of math and science. Using this program would start teaching students the fundamentals of math concepts at an earlier age. Since they will be using math for the rest of their lives, this would be a beneficial program. Given the intended age and education level of this software package, I think students should begin using it at about 6th or 7th grade.
Lastly, I added Hyperstudio, which is essentially a very elementary version of PowerPoint. I added this to the list to help students understand the basics of visual presentation software applications. I was in 4th grade when my teacher begin teaching us about this program. I would say that that seemed to be an appropriate age for learning this software.
Week Two Research Lab
Although text-based software programs can be beneficial to the learning process, they cannot provide as interactive or dynamic a learning experience as multimedia programs can. “Previous studies have proved that technology can provide meaningful ways for educators and students to process information and collaborate in order to promote critical thinking and social justice through education (Sleeter).”
According to Christine Sleeter, a multicultural educator, multimedia teaching tools broaden the form of knowledge available to students. Given the opportunity to have a more broadened education will benefit not only the student, but society as a whole. This is because multimedia technology is often very interactive and provides a unique and thourough means of ensuring student retention. If students are retaining more information and becoming more educated, then they will in turn become a more educated workforce.
Another benefit of multimedia software is that it “…provides access to diverse learners by teaching to a wider range of learning styles than most traditional learning styles (Sleeter).” This concept is crucial in schools that have a significantly diverse student body. Also, the use of multimedia software in attempting to reach diverse learners will help educators effectively break down one of the most significant barriers in education.
Given the benefits of this technology, every dollar used to purchase this type of software will be a dollar well-spent. Even with a tight budget, schools can not afford to bypass this opportunity. The goal of most educators is to become more effective in the classroom and to have their pupils learning and retaining more and more information. The use of multimedia software in classrooms will help to acheive both of these goals.
*Source
Author: Christine Sleeter
Title: Technology as a Tool in Multicultural Learning
Source: Multicultural Education 10 no2 3-9 Wint2002
Overview:
This article discusses some of the primary benefits and challenges of utilizing technology to integrate the principles and and practices of multicultural education. The author briefly discusses the history of technology and mulimedia interactive programs throughout education. In the concluding paragraphs, the article discusses the positive results encountered in multicultural education settings derived from the use of multimedia interactive programs and other developing technologies.
Blog comment posting!
Bryan205
www.atticmooses.com/blog/2007/04/02/128/
This is the link to the blog that I commented on for week two.
Ed 205 blog one
1) In my current living arrangement/environment I have access to a few computer-related products of technology. First and foremost, is my Sony Vaio laptop computer. Second, I have access to the computers supplied by Grand Valley’s on-campus labs. Other than that, I have an I-Pod, a Motorola Razor phone with internet, and finally, a BA-II plus calculator that I use in my finance classes to calculate time value of money problems.
In my previous educational experiences, I have used technology in a variety of ways. From my early years of schooling through about 7th grade, computers were used primarily as rewards for good behavior. The actual reward was the privelage of playing video games. From about 8th grade through my current semester in college, computer technology has been used more and more for research purposes. This has been a progression, however.
My teachers/instructors have helped me through the use of technology by responding to my e-mail inquiries at an astonishingly rapid rate. Without e-mail, I would have to wait until the next day’s class or office hours to get my questions answered. Other than that, I have had one or two college professors use podcasts to aid in the learning process. This is both convenient and helpful in that it prevents me from having to go into class to learn.
In this class, I hope to learn more about integrating technology into lesson plans. Also, being a business major, I am interested in knowing more about ISTE and their standards. I would be interested to know how often their standards are reviewed, updated, and altered.
I would perceive education technology to encompass all aspects of integrating technological advanes into the classroom to create the most cutting-edge education for the modern student. Education must also include testing and evaluating new equipment to determine whether or not it would be an effective piece of material to use in the classroom.
Week One Blog: Part II
http://educedge.edublogs.org/2007/05/10/what-does-global-education-mean/
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