A Semester in Review: Portfolios

 

It would be strange now to bring a physical portfolio to an interview. I can imagine the heavy weight of the file, the case bought at the local Staples, and carefully put together with the body of one's work. It swing heavily in their briefcase slapping their thigh as they nervously make their way to the meeting. The weight has been lifted, and now we have endless back up copies of our painstaking work uploaded onto the computer. We have upgraded from a portfolio saved to a thumbdrive now available on a cloud that the user can access from pretty much any smart device. This makes it easier to organize our work to display our credentials. It also gives the user more control of the layout and various design aspects that would be limited otherwise. There are multiple platforms that offer either free services to portfolio templates or limited free trials to at least create one version. 

I have found in my academic career that many professors gravitate towards incorporating eportfolios into their curriculum. This creates a space for a student to evaluate the quality of their work over the course of the semester and reflect on how they have improved their knowledge base. This also prepares students for the workforce as a way to advertise their skill set. I think the repetition of reflection throughout the semester helps the younger students to get into the habit of reflection and to do the busy work that they might not want to do, but the majority of our lives are spent doing things we do not want to do. Yet, in the end we feel a sense of accomplishment at having overcome the obstacle of doing something that was undesirable. I think in this sense this is a most important way to prepare inexperienced young adults for their career. We might be passionate about whatever it is that we are studying, and we might feel totally dazzled by working in that particular industry, but sometimes it can still feel like work. The passion gets us there, but the struggle is not over yet. 

A portfolio can help to rekindle our passion for our jobs when we become jaded by our careers. It can gives a sense of accomplishment. It can help guide us to the next step in our journey. A portfolio is for going places and not for remaining stagnant in contentment.   

Future Technology

 

Some of us humans are still fighting for our autonomy yet now we face the irony of artificial intelligence gaining its autonomy as well. I am sure that Alan Turing would be shocked to find that computers have not gained the consciousness that he had envisioned would have happened by now. Though to be fair AI has made significant advancements since the time of the Turing Machine. It does sometimes seem that I am in the midst of a science fiction universe, but only because sometimes writers can make an astute prediction! I still do not see flying autonomous cars like The Jetsons, but that is something that could certainly be possible in the decades to come. 

I wonder what the future of technology will do to our reading habits, will people still enjoy the art of writing? I hope that people do not get too impatient for reading in favor of videos or film. I wonder what the world of cinema will have to offer as trends move us towards more interactive platforms. I know that some predict that videogames will become more popular because it is a platform designed for community and stimulation thus possibly incorporating film to work in the same fashion. I remember an experimental Netflix movie that came out a couple of years ago that had the audience choose the path the characters were going to take, so that each time it was a different outcome. This was an interesting idea, but one that was only testing the waters of audience engagement and had not quite worked out all the kinks. The idea of augmented reality comes to mind and the avatars that one can choose to represent themselves in that world. There would be no need to keep up your appearances in real life because you could always present yourself exactly how you want in the alternate reality. This reminds me of WALL-E, which if I am being honest, freaks me out a little bit. I feel that the more "connected" we become on the internet, the further away we become from each other. It is called "social media," but we only show a window into our life, catered to promote an image we hope we are projecting. I fear that our social interactions are becoming more mechanical, and we are losing touch with social etiquette. 

I am sure that I have read far too many science fictions books and watched too many movies that has led me to be a little pessimistic about the future. I realize that humanity always has a way of persevering and somehow, someway it all works itself out. We will rise to the new obstacles with the creative problem solving skills we all have within ourselves. I look forward to seeing what predictions come true and pray that some of the more scary ones will not.  

Community of Practice Model launched Social Media

 

When we think about how comfortable we have become with the use of social media on our smart devices and computers, we might wonder how we there. It can partially be attributed to the Community of Practice Model, proposed by Etienne Wenger and Jean Lave, which is a group of people who have a shared common interest collaborating for the sake of furthering their education. Yet, these men simply classified and defined a practice that has been around for centuries. It could easily describe the learning process in general such as someone interested in learning how to build a house learns from someone else that is experienced in doing so. It is an observation of how we commune and share knowledge and thereby thrive. 

Social media has only enhanced this practice because it eliminates the boundaries of time and distance. It can be a casual grouping or made to be a professional setting depending on the shared interest. The applications designed to connect people from all over the world - Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, Instagram etc. - are easy to navigate finding the right group that fits your purpose. It saves time and energy to get access to others knowledge by the use of filters written into the code of the program. Doctors can be found sharing successes and failures with medicine cross culturally helping to progress that field thus saving lives! In the times before the internet, knowledge was much more localized except for the circulated published journals and library resources. It took longer for news to travel than it does now almost instantaneously. 

The application that I found the most helpful was Reddit, because of how you can find your specific professional forum. There you can post what thoughts or questions you might have for your peers in that field. The community is strong on Reddit, with many people being happy to respond and lend their advice or support. The Community of Practice illustrates how resilient humans are, as we strive to know more than we did before often for the sake of the greater good. This means it will continue to evolve as we grow more intelligent, and technology enhances. I cannot wait to see what more will happen in my lifetime! 

Assistive Technology in Education

The field of assistive technology applies to anyone using a smart device. Though this also applies to the new emerging tools and resources for those that face any disability(ies) making the technology more accessible. The voice of Siri, an artificial intelligent system, has become a household name for Apple users. This system is voice activated and takes the cue from the speaker assisting with internet search, directions, or making phone calls. But, Siri is only one of the many available today, and some of us need more assistance. In the classroom environment, assistive technology can help with literacy needs, note taking, organization, communication, visual and hearing impairments, and so much more!  

These are exciting times that we live in - the age of artificial intelligence - that enables a population to living with more agency than ever before! I found five free applications that are really helpful in the education arena: Seeing AI, AudioNote 2, SoundingBoard, Ridit, and Smiling Mind. 

Seeing AI can be downloaded through Microsoft or Apple App stores to your tablet or smartphone device. It helps those that have a visual impairment to make sense of the world that they cannot see. With the use of you device's camera, the AI will describe what is around you, it can read barcodes, facial recognition, read text, colorz, and more. 

AudioNote 2 can be downloaded through Apple App store to your iPad or iPhone device. This is an interactive way to take notes incorporating drawing tools, recorded lectures alongside written notes, and a way to catalog and share with others. This application is helpful to those that struggle with listening, comprehension, attention and more. 

SoundingBoard this application can be downloaded through the Apple App store to your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch device. This is a wonderful way for those that are non-verbal communicators to learn how to communicate. There are different boards that cover various topics of daily language usage connected with images and when touched will speak for the non-verbal person. It helps the learner connect the imagery to the words produced for that icon. 

Ridit this application can be downloaded on Google, Apple, Microsoft app store directly to your smart device. This is a helpful literacy tool for those that find their dyslexia challenging. It can scan the text that you need to read and then break it down into one word read at a time. The font is dyslexia friendly, and the speed and font size can be adjusted to your satisfaction. This can used in the classroom or in the comfort of your home! 

Smiling Mind can be downloaded to any smart device downloaded from your app store. This can be used by educators to cultivate a more conscious and meditative environment for their students. But, this can also be used by individuals, helping to process feelings, and connect your mind and body. These are very helpful tools to those that might struggle with communication or awareness to others emotions, helping the individual to be more cognizant of how to connect with others. It also can aid more effective communication about how an individual feels and if their needs are being met. This app can help resolve conflict and lessen anxious behavior. 

As I went through each of theses applications I imagined what more an application could offer to those that need assistive technology to live more independently. I realized sometimes, the AI is not enough and we need a physical person. I thought that if the gig economy could support an service such as Uber and DoorDash could there not also be room for caregivers. There are those that cannot afford to pay a full-time caregiver/companion and it would be really cool if they could hire someone just for the day without the long-term financial responsibility. I really hope that we will see something like this in the future because as much as AI has brought much fulfillment to people's lives, I think there is nothing that beats human beings helping out one another.   

Web 2.0

 It is rather amazing how far the internet has come in the last thirty years. When I was first learning how to use a computer as a young elementary student I was in the “computer lab” being told how to place my fingers on the keyboard much like learning to play the piano. I played word games to strengthen my typing speed or later using AIM chat to talk to my friends. Today I type on my touch screen smart phone with only a couple digits and FaceTime with friends. I can also remember a time when using the Apple Maps or Google Maps on your smart device was new and how very basic the GPS design functioned where as now I get so much more out of my Google Maps — even restaurant reviews! The connectivity of such applications and interactive websites that direct things like our online shopping habits is incredible. Humans are constantly communicating, but so are the devices we use in constant connection in some way or another. 

The experience of Web 2.0 is a reality for those of us that are fortunate to own smart devices, therefore it is an easy resource to take for granted. Users can understand the benefits of all that Web 2.0 has to offer, but it also needs to be made affordable for all. Luckily there are affordable cell phone plans emerging with companies such as Mint Mobile and Visible. The more people that benefit from Web 2.0 the more widely educated we can all become in American society!  

Copyrights & Fair Use

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

                                                                                                   Images above are from Wikipedia Commons 

In Elizabethan England literature had yet to be recognized as a true profession. There were writers of course, that if lucky, were financially supported by courtly or wealthy patrons. Though, it was more a time of circulating manuscripts rather than published works. Once a manuscript was sold to a Stationer (as they were called) that publisher owned the complete rights to reproduce the work. This could be a limited right to a few years, or not. There was no real benefit to publish one's work because the author had no copyrights or royalties from book sales, and instead was shared privately. It was a time to safeguard creative works so that no one would steal it. 

Today, there are copyright laws that have been put into place to protect creators' content. We have come a long way from the wild west of Elizabethan publishing. These laws are to protect intellectual property of such creations of music, art, literature, drama, software, designs and more! We must ask permission to use a creator's content that is under copyright. There is a possibility that some content is under Fair Use and can be used conditionally under the specified guidelines. There are works under the Public Domain that are not copyrighted and we can use this content freely. There are penalties for what they call copyright infringement if someone uses content illegally. 

Some of us can remember a time when music stealing by download was a thing, such as Napster who was unauthorized to distribute musical content. Now, we have Spotify that uses the same concept, but is not free, and the musical artists have to agree to terms of use. A few months ago Nike filed a lawsuit with pop-rapper Lil Nas X collaborator MSCHF for distributing altered satanic shoes that they did not agree to a collaboration. They repurposed a certain supply of Nike Airmax sneakers to fit his branding identity with his recent album, and sold them to fans. The case has since been settled, but it was how Lil Nas X responded to the accusations that makes we wonder if younger generations even care about protecting creative content. It would have certainly been easy enough for Lil Nas X's team to reach a collaboration deal with Nike to properly distribute his fan fare. These rules were put in place for the rights of the artist, and I hope we can teach the younger generations to not to take them for granted. 

If you want to read that lawsuit article: Nike sues the maker of Lil Nas X 'Satan Shoes' for trademark infringement 

Digital Literacy

         When we advocate for digital literacy, we are really attempting to give people the tools for discernment. When we look at the society that we keep, and subsequently extended to the wider world around us, it is a question of what kind of filter do we absorb information. Digital literacy is more of a norm in our modern world more than ever before therefore it should be introduced in children's early development. This will help guide them through the noise as they mature into the workers of the future. With the spread of the internet, having such a broad reach, comes great responsibility with such a force of global connection. A great educational source on this topic for teachers and parents can be found on Common Sense Media. It gives direction on how to instruct different age brackets: Preschoolers, Little Kids, Tweens, and Teens. So, that by the time they get to college digital literacy is nothing new, and they are more prepared as young adults. 

        When I think about digital literacy, I am drawn most to media because it visually stimulates a narrative that immediately makes it easier for audiences to digest. I consider for example, as a movie lover I am all for a robust period piece realizing that writers of the screenplay, directors, or producers will take creative liberties in the telling of a historical event. They must do it to create drama, to build tension into the climax, and some people watch these films believing everything in it was true. We have to remember that dramatic (or whatever genre) movies are an expression of feelings and ideas being explored and not a documentary. This sometimes translates to our news stories as well to guide a certain public opinion and we have to be vigilant so that we do not get swept up. To have that type of discernment we have to consider propaganda how it is being used and for what purpose. Then we can think critically for ourselves about what information is being circulated accepting what is sound logic or if it is not we do not allow it to guide our judgment. There are some decently dated movies that I have watched that I believe give a good representation of media literacy. Broadcast News and Network that focus on televised news. The Truman Show illustrates the possible effects of reality television. The Player showcases the commercialization of Hollywood, and its agenda. 

"Network" (1976)

"Broadcast News" (1987)

"The Player" (1992)

"The Truman Show" (1998)