This is Connexions. It is a site that is maintained by students and teachers. I think that I will stop making posts about this and create a link list for resources on the wiki.
Keep your eyes open.
Keep your eyes open.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Another great set of links
Yet another page with free educational vids and lectures to download. I especially liked the General Chemistry page from UC Berkeley. Free videos that teach chem? It can't be.
What kind of geek are you?
Take a look at all of the possibilities that await you in the land of geekdom.
Monday, May 26, 2008
What should I do over the summer?
How about completing some online courses?
This is from Open Culture (my new favorite site) and has dozens of courses that apply to your IB Diploma or can be used for personal enrichment.
I have added some of these podcasts to my browser and I vow, with all of you as witnesses, that I will listen to at least one broadcast a day. That is one recording from any source. As long as it is teaching me something new, it qualifies. Who will make this commitment with me?
Go out and gain the knowledge, don't sit and complain that the knowledge won't come to you.
This is from Open Culture (my new favorite site) and has dozens of courses that apply to your IB Diploma or can be used for personal enrichment.
I have added some of these podcasts to my browser and I vow, with all of you as witnesses, that I will listen to at least one broadcast a day. That is one recording from any source. As long as it is teaching me something new, it qualifies. Who will make this commitment with me?
Go out and gain the knowledge, don't sit and complain that the knowledge won't come to you.
Is this really true?
Read this and look at the countries involved.
What has happened to equality of access? Where are the have nots?
If half of us really do have phones, what does this say about the need for access?
'No phones in school' is a common refrain, but is it applicable any longer?
What has happened to equality of access? Where are the have nots?
If half of us really do have phones, what does this say about the need for access?
'No phones in school' is a common refrain, but is it applicable any longer?
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Meeting for Grade 10
Welcome to those of you in Grade 10 who have signed up for the IB Diploma Program.
There will be a meeting for all future IB students on Sunday the 25th of May. The meeting is second period in Room 46. Your attendance is mandatory if you plan on entering IB next year.
See you there.
There will be a meeting for all future IB students on Sunday the 25th of May. The meeting is second period in Room 46. Your attendance is mandatory if you plan on entering IB next year.
See you there.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Where is the love?
There doesn't seem to be much going on at the wiki. Wikipedia defines a wiki as
a collection of web pages designed to enable anyone who accesses it to contribute or modify content, using a simplified markup language. Wikis are often used to create collaborative websites and to power community websites.
I think this means that you are supposed to be involved somehow. So far there is not one discussion, not a single students generated page or resource and no student input. The wiki is a good place for HL students to share research on the case study over the summer. It would also be a good place to create a link list of pages that can help IB students.
Why did I restart the site? Why don't you make use of it? The wiki is not only for ITGS, it can be used for all of your subjects. So get to it.
a collection of web pages designed to enable anyone who accesses it to contribute or modify content, using a simplified markup language. Wikis are often used to create collaborative websites and to power community websites.
I think this means that you are supposed to be involved somehow. So far there is not one discussion, not a single students generated page or resource and no student input. The wiki is a good place for HL students to share research on the case study over the summer. It would also be a good place to create a link list of pages that can help IB students.
Why did I restart the site? Why don't you make use of it? The wiki is not only for ITGS, it can be used for all of your subjects. So get to it.
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Nothing but Good News Today
Some days you get a reminder that things might not be so bad.
First the BBC tells you to make the switch and breakaway from the darkside.
Then you are given all of the justifications you need to make the right choice.
Lastly, you are given a view of the divine land that waits for you in all of its beauty.
Even the Pirate Bay has something to be proud of.
It's a beautiful morning.
First the BBC tells you to make the switch and breakaway from the darkside.
Then you are given all of the justifications you need to make the right choice.
Lastly, you are given a view of the divine land that waits for you in all of its beauty.
Even the Pirate Bay has something to be proud of.
It's a beautiful morning.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
For the IB Exam
Well seniors, your exams are close.
At this point you should be well into your review. I suggest going through the guide and looking up every item listed in the Knowledge of Technology sections. Use Howstuffworks.com or Wikipedia and read through every topic. Most of those articles list benefits and problems so use that for the issues and areas of impact.
Outside of that there is not much else to do. For the HLs continue to review your research about La Vianda Supermarket and look up any associated technologies on the Web. You might want to read a little bit about Peru, just in case they really focus in on the social context stuff.
At this point you should be well into your review. I suggest going through the guide and looking up every item listed in the Knowledge of Technology sections. Use Howstuffworks.com or Wikipedia and read through every topic. Most of those articles list benefits and problems so use that for the issues and areas of impact.
Outside of that there is not much else to do. For the HLs continue to review your research about La Vianda Supermarket and look up any associated technologies on the Web. You might want to read a little bit about Peru, just in case they really focus in on the social context stuff.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
What does it mean to do IB?
For those of you who have come in to complain about this science or that science here is another site you can use. It is called Free Science Videos and Lectures. They have a good selection and you should take a look.
This site got me thinking about something that has been bubbling in my head for a few days. The effort and work of my IB students. Now I am not going to go on a rant and say that you are lazy, you aren't. But I don't know, or I should say I haven't seen one of you that makes good use of your time for studying and preparation. As you are coming to understand, it is all about time. There is only so much time in a day, in a week in a year. Then the exams arrive.
It is also about your expectations. What do you think you should be accomplishing in class? Does this correspond to the expectations of your teachers? or your coordinator? How much work can you get done in class?
The truth is that we do not have enough time to teach you everything for your IB subjects.
Let me say that again. Even with almost two years we do not have enough time to go over everything that you might be tested on. We couldn't begin to cover all aspects of each topic that is listed for your courses. We wouldn't even get to the halfway point.
If we are lucky we can cover the main points of the topics that are listed in the syllabus. Everything else is up to you. That's right it is up to you, not your teachers.
'That's not right' you say. 'Our teachers are supposed to tell us what to memorize so we can get sevens on the exam'. Wrong. That is your wish but it is not reality. The truth is that your teachers can cover only the basics, you must go out and get the rest. It is called studying and it is what IB students do. The usual term is 'extra work' and it is completely up to the student.
You should be spending several hours a day on these activities: watching lectures, listening to podcasts, participating in online discussions and anything else. If you think studying means rereading the same pages of your textbook that you went over in class you are wrong. That is memorization and it is not knowledge.
If you are not making regular use of resources like the one above than what are you doing? And what makes you think that you have anything to complain about?
If you wait for other people to tell you what to do or what to learn, you will accomplish neither.
This site got me thinking about something that has been bubbling in my head for a few days. The effort and work of my IB students. Now I am not going to go on a rant and say that you are lazy, you aren't. But I don't know, or I should say I haven't seen one of you that makes good use of your time for studying and preparation. As you are coming to understand, it is all about time. There is only so much time in a day, in a week in a year. Then the exams arrive.
It is also about your expectations. What do you think you should be accomplishing in class? Does this correspond to the expectations of your teachers? or your coordinator? How much work can you get done in class?
The truth is that we do not have enough time to teach you everything for your IB subjects.
Let me say that again. Even with almost two years we do not have enough time to go over everything that you might be tested on. We couldn't begin to cover all aspects of each topic that is listed for your courses. We wouldn't even get to the halfway point.
If we are lucky we can cover the main points of the topics that are listed in the syllabus. Everything else is up to you. That's right it is up to you, not your teachers.
'That's not right' you say. 'Our teachers are supposed to tell us what to memorize so we can get sevens on the exam'. Wrong. That is your wish but it is not reality. The truth is that your teachers can cover only the basics, you must go out and get the rest. It is called studying and it is what IB students do. The usual term is 'extra work' and it is completely up to the student.
You should be spending several hours a day on these activities: watching lectures, listening to podcasts, participating in online discussions and anything else. If you think studying means rereading the same pages of your textbook that you went over in class you are wrong. That is memorization and it is not knowledge.
If you are not making regular use of resources like the one above than what are you doing? And what makes you think that you have anything to complain about?
If you wait for other people to tell you what to do or what to learn, you will accomplish neither.
Monday, May 12, 2008
A good tool for IB students
All of you have several large research assignments coming up next year. World lit papers, projects, portfolios, extended essays and anything else a you might get (say from an IT teacher who knows you are done with your IA). Keeping track of and properly citing your sources is always difficult. Many students don't seem to even understand the concept. Well Zotero is here for you.
You can check out this browser attachment (for Firefox) that allows you to automatically save sources you collect from the web. These can then be pasted into your papers wherever they appear. No more keeping track of everything manually or trying to go back at the end and find everything you used (what was that Website again?).
Give it a test run with your next assignment.
You can check out this browser attachment (for Firefox) that allows you to automatically save sources you collect from the web. These can then be pasted into your papers wherever they appear. No more keeping track of everything manually or trying to go back at the end and find everything you used (what was that Website again?).
Give it a test run with your next assignment.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Testing a new program
I am using the Scribefire add-on for Firefox. It lets you blog on the go as you surf the Web. I thought I would try it out to let you know about a site I found called openculture that offers free language podcasts among other things.
Podcasting was the topic of last year's Case Study for you HLs. Take a look, maybe learn Chinese.
Podcasting was the topic of last year's Case Study for you HLs. Take a look, maybe learn Chinese.
Returning to chapter 8
Networking is all about communication.
In order to communicate using IT you have to understand how things work. You should read this article on email, and this one on instant messaging for the next class. We are also going to look at social networking briefly since it will be covered in more detail next chapter. You should also look up any technologies we discuss in class or that are in your book. If you don't find them at howstuffworks.com then go to Wikipedia.
Next class we are going to pick up where we left off.
In order to communicate using IT you have to understand how things work. You should read this article on email, and this one on instant messaging for the next class. We are also going to look at social networking briefly since it will be covered in more detail next chapter. You should also look up any technologies we discuss in class or that are in your book. If you don't find them at howstuffworks.com then go to Wikipedia.
Next class we are going to pick up where we left off.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Back to the Wiki
Since so many of you have asked for the Wikispaces site, here it is.
But, this time it will be up to you to maintain it, just like a true wiki. You will also be sharing it with the new IB students who are in grade 10 right now and will be juniors next year.
I will host the files that you need most and keep the admin privileges for myself. Everything else is up to you.
You will still need to check this blog for updates, the wiki is going to be a file dump and forum.
See you there.
But, this time it will be up to you to maintain it, just like a true wiki. You will also be sharing it with the new IB students who are in grade 10 right now and will be juniors next year.
I will host the files that you need most and keep the admin privileges for myself. Everything else is up to you.
You will still need to check this blog for updates, the wiki is going to be a file dump and forum.
See you there.
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