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Nov. 26th, 2006 @ 06:06 pm Naughty or Nice?
Dear Santa...

Dear Santa,

This year I've been busy!

In June I turned [info]j_floh in for running naked in the mall (3 points). Last Thursday I saved a busload of nuns in Angola (326 points). Last Monday I pulled [info]jenwilson's hair (-5 points). Last Saturday I broke [info]susan3's X-Box (-12 points). Last month [info]acarreiro and I robbed a bank (-50 points).

Overall, I've been nice (262 points). For Christmas I deserve a new bike!

Sincerely,
superlport

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Nov. 2nd, 2006 @ 05:25 pm What kind of accent do you have?
What American accent do you have?
Your Result: North Central

"North Central" is what professional linguists call the Minnesota accent. If you saw "Fargo" you probably didn't think the characters sounded very out of the ordinary. Outsiders probably mistake you for a Canadian a lot.

The West
The Midland
The Inland North
Boston
The Northeast
The South
Philadelphia
What American accent do you have?
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Feb. 24th, 2006 @ 02:39 pm Do you think this explains me?
the Questioner
Test finished!
you chose CY - your Enneagram type is SIX.


"I am affectionate and skeptical"



Questioners are responsible, trustworthy, and value loyalty to family, friends, groups, and causes. Their personalities range broadly from reserved and timid to outspoken and confrontative.


How to Get Along with Me



  • Be direct and clear.
  • Listen to me carefully.
  • Don't judge me for my anxiety.
  • Work things through with me.
  • Reassure me that everything is OK between us.
  • Laugh and make jokes with me.
  • Gently push me toward new experiences.
  • Try not to overreact to my overreacting.

What I Like About Being a Six



  • being committed and faithful to family and friends
  • being responsible and hardworking
  • being compassionate toward others
  • having intellect and wit
  • being a nonconformist
  • confronting danger bravely
  • being direct and assertive

What's Hard About Being a Six



  • the constant push and pull involved in trying to make up my mind
  • procrastinating because of fear of failure; having little confidence in myself
  • fearing being abandoned or taken advantage of
  • exhausting myself by worrying and scanning for danger
  • wishing I had a rule book at work so I could do everything right
  • being too critical of myself when I haven't lived up to my expectations

Sixes as Children Often



  • are friendly, likable, and dependable, and/or sarcastic, bossy, and stubborn
  • are anxious and hypervigilant; anticipate danger
  • form a team of "us against them" with a best friend or parent
  • look to groups or authorities to protect them and/or question authority and rebel
  • are neglected or abused, come from unpredictable or alcoholic families, and/or take on the fearfulness of an overly anxious parent

Sixes as Parents



  • are often loving, nurturing, and have a strong sense of duty
  • are sometimes reluctant to give their children independence
  • worry more than most that their children will get hurt
  • sometimes have trouble saying no and setting boundaries

Renee Baron & Elizabeth Wagele

The Enneagram Made Easy
Discover the 9 Types of People
HarperSanFrancisco, 1994, 161 pages



You liked the test? so please RATE it :-)

You are not completely happy with the result?!
You chose CY

Would you rather have chosen:

  • AY (EIGHT)
  • BY (FOUR)
  • CX (TWO)
  • CZ (ONE)




    • My test tracked 2 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender:


    free online dating free online dating
    		 You scored higher than 0% on ABC

    free online dating free online dating
    		 You scored higher than 58% on XYZ
    Link: The Quick and Painless ENNEAGRAM Test written by felk on Ok Cupid, home of the 32-Type Dating Test
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    Dec. 11th, 2005 @ 05:05 pm (no subject)
    Current Mood: drained
    Dear Santa...

    Dear Santa,

    This year I've been busy!

    In April I helped [info]ashleybrown84 see the light (8 points). In October I pulled [info]maria_dellanno's hair (-5 points). In September I helped [info]jenmccarthy across the street (6 points). Last Wednesday I gave [info]steffy_ece a Dutch Oven (-10 points). Last Tuesday I signed my organ donor card (28 points).

    Overall, I've been nice (27 points). For Christmas I deserve a red Radio-Flyer wagon!

    Sincerely,
    superlport

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    Dec. 9th, 2005 @ 10:48 am What kind of Blogger are You?
    Current Mood: rushed
    Your Blogging Type is Pensive and Philosophical

    You blog like no one else is reading...
    You tend to use your blog to explore ideas - often in long winded prose.
    Easy going and flexible, you tend to befriend other bloggers easily.
    But if they disagree with once too much, you'll pull them from your blogroll!
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    Dec. 8th, 2005 @ 05:33 pm 2005 Quiz
    Current Mood: contemplative
    Your 2005 Song Is

    Hung Up by Madonna

    "Every little thing that you say or do
    I'm hung up
    I'm hung up on you"

    You'll be rockin' in the New Year in your croch-o-tard!
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    Nov. 30th, 2005 @ 03:03 pm Optional Part of Flickr Assignment
    Current Mood: drained
    The site I found was Fotki Photo Sharing at http://www.fotki.com. This site seems to be similar to Flickr, however it allows some extra features and does not restrict you with how many pictures you are allowed to upload each month. Fotki allows you to upload a free unlimited amount of photos to share with friends and family. It also allows you to print the pictures of your choosing. Blogs, photo selling, full page customization, photo contests and Fotki e-mail are all avaiable to Fotki members. Each Fotki member also has a guestbook where they can post links to new photos, journal entries and visitors can comment on their pictures. Plus Fotki offers Co-Branding so members can easily customize their page at home or while on the road.
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    Nov. 28th, 2005 @ 10:44 pm What about real books?
    Current Mood: drained
    This week's articles proved to be quite interesting. I was already aware of the fact children are replacing their experiences with books, but this article showed me just how prevalent it has become. I have nothing against technology, as I find it makes our lives easier in many ways. However, I have to wonder if children are able to have face-to-face interactions with people and other materials, (such as books), as we did. It seems to me that children are so consumed with computers that they are missing out on a variety of experiences. In many classrooms, children are required to complete their assignments using a computer. Although it allows children to develop the necessary keyboarding and computer skills, it also takes away from the opportunity of simply using a pencil and paper. Many children's printing and handwriting seems to suffer because of this. I remember as a young child having notebooks devoted to printing and handwriting, now that we are in the 21st century, this no longer seems to exist. Instead of these notebooks are replaced with time in the computer lab. With regards to the e-books, I must admit I was not too impressed with them. They seemed to take a long time to download and I find my eyes hurting while trying to read the print off the screen. I can only imagine what this would do for a young child's sensitive eyes. I remember as a young child always looking forward to bedtime when one of my parents would read me a story. With e-books, this is not possible as you cannot bring a PC to bed with you. Even if one has a laptop it would still be awkward and take away from that "cozy" feeling you have when you are reading a book in bed.
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    Nov. 21st, 2005 @ 07:01 pm English only speaking computers
    Current Mood: full
    This week's articles got me thinking further about how technology works and how accessible it is to people of various cultures. I never really thought of it before, but I have just realized how the internet is geared mostly to English only speaking people. I'm sure if we were to look hard enough we would be able to access sites which are written in a foreign language however, how popular are they and how many people are aware of them? It was also interesting to learn that hackers are responsible for the internet existing as they were they ones to "hack" through information and share it with the world. This sounds quite similar to open source software as people are able to manipulate the software to suit their own individual needs and share it with other people. Open source software sounds great and if I were more computer savvy, I would consider using it myself.

    As for children replacing their original books with electronic ones, I have to wonder just how effective that would be. I remember growing up books playing an important role in my life. Reading books is what made me happy as a young child and it also allowed me to unwind after a long day. Even now as an adult I enjoy reading for fun and it is part of my nightly routine before I go to bed. To have my regular books replaced by electronic ones would be slightly frightening as I would have an electronic sounding voice reading to me, instead of being able to read the material myself. In my opinion, the electronic voice is simply a substitute for a caregiver's voice which can provide entertainment when reading stories which require various voices associated with different characters. This takes away from the interaction a child would recieve had they been read to by an adult. Even though it sounds like it could be a great tool, I am not sure how effective it would be in facilitating children's learning.
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    Nov. 12th, 2005 @ 03:04 pm Children are Great Photographers!
    Current Mood: pensive
    This week's articles taught me something very important. When given the opportunity, young children are very creative with cameras. I was so impressed by all the pictures taken by young children! It was nice to view the pictures taken by these children One of the sites: Children as Photographers, (http://www.cap.ac.uk/), shows hundreds of pictures taken by children all over the world. I was interested by the research project which started this whole process. It was amazing to see what they chose to take pictures of and the reasons why. The quality of the pictures is also excellent, proving that children are able to take quality pictures at a young age. I found a lot of children under the age of 8 chose to take pictures of familiar items, (such as their pets or toys), found inside the home. It seems that these young children are choosing to capture memories of what is most familiar to them. Possibly these are the items the child can identify with the most. Research projects such as this one are great at exposing children's photographic talents.

    Stewart's article also titled Children as Photographers, (http://www.apug.org/forums/showthread.php?t=3812), also discusses young children's ability to take quality pictures, some as young as four years old. These children were able to take expressive pictures of their parents full of colour and emotion. The children aged seven and above chose to take pictures using adventurous subjects and were able to stage and pose for pictures. As the children got older the researchers realized they enjoyed taking pictures outside using natural settings as their subject. It was also interesting to see how the children used visual cues in order to improve on their skills. It is great to see research studies which showcase young children's abilty to express themselves through photography. This provides caregivers and educators the opportunity to see the world through a child's eyes.
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    Nov. 12th, 2005 @ 02:12 pm Drawing
    Current Mood: curious

    Drawing
    Originally uploaded by green_eyed_gal_99.
    This is a cartoon drawing of my sister, Julie, and I. While we were in Australia, we went to a Market and decided to have our picture drawn. Notice the Sydney Harbour Bridge in the background. Do you think it looks like me?
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    Nov. 8th, 2005 @ 03:08 pm I can see clearly now

    60134647_0a04444263_o
    Originally uploaded by green_eyed_gal_99.
    This is a picture of the sunrise Downtown Toronto on a early Saturday morning. Isn't it great?
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    Nov. 7th, 2005 @ 11:26 am Week 10 - Access Grid Experience
    Current Mood: busy
    I always knew video conferencing existed, however since I had never actually witnessed one before, I did not know what to expect upon entering the room for last week's lab. It was amazing to watch everyone communicate with Ken. At first it seemed as we were just watching someone on TV. As the video conference went on and Ken was looking everyone in the eye it really felt we were almost communicating face-to-face. It was interesting to see all the angles of the camera and what we were able to see and what Ken was able to see on our cameras.

    I must admit the reason I did not ask any questions was due to the fact of the size of the class, I was not seated in a spot where Ken would see me and felt "shy" to have to go up in the middle in order to be viewed. This is something to keep in mind when working with children. There are many children who love to speak out in front of large audiences, however there are many children who do not feel comfortable speaking in large groups and prefer to express their opinions in a smaller sized setting. Normally I am one of those people who do not mind speaking to a large group of people. However, since this was a new experience for me, I feel it would take me some time to get comfortable before I could communicate via Access Grid. I noticed the people who were communicating were already seated in Ken's view. This enabled him to view them as they were talking, which in my opinion makes it easier for everyone to pose their questions/comments, as you already have the person's attention if they are able to see you.

    It was interesting to see how video conferencing worked through the Access Grid. It is interesting to see how technology works and how we can use it to advance the world around us.
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    Oct. 31st, 2005 @ 10:17 am Children: Photography and Video Conferencing
    Current Mood: rushed
    I learned a lot from reading this week's articles, and I was quite intrigued by them as well. “Video conferencing with preschool children: Mass communications media in music instruction” discusses two classrooms, one in Vancouver and one in Sydney, Australia communicating through video conferencing in order to teach a rhythm pattern for a music class. I found it quite interesting this piece of technology was available to children at such a young age. I feel this is a useful tool as it allows children to learn from people who live half-way across the country and be able to see their faces as well. The only downside to this article is the fact that the Vancouver children were not able to pick up the same concepts because of the video cutting out. I realize this form of technology would only be available to schools that could afford it as it would be very pricey. Therefore I have to wonder if would give children a worldly perspective if they are restricted to a small group of people.

    I found the article on the Visualization Lab quite similar to the first article with the only difference were the subjects since this article was discussing an adult's use of video conferencing. In the corporate world I believe that video conferencing has been proven to be an asset. In the business world where people are dealing with clients and other important executives it is important to be in constant contact with particular companies. Before the age of video conferencing one would have to travel in order to attend important meetings. Nowadays, one can communicate via a video conference without having to leave their office boardroom.

    Lastly, I thought the article discussing children as photographers was well written. This article reminded me of my younger cousins ages five and seven. Whenever I am at a family event with my camera, they are always asking to use my camera to take a picture. Upon viewing their pictures I am amazed by their point of view. It reminds me of what it is like to be that height and see things from that perspective. Also, my cousins feel important that I trusted them to be responsible enough to use my digital camera. Viewing pictures from an event captures the memory of the event itself. It allows the person viewing the picture to go back and relive the particular event, or if they were not present, a feeling of actually being there. If we were to give every child a camera, it would be interesting to see what the pictures would say about the world around them.
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    Oct. 24th, 2005 @ 02:17 pm Race and the Internet
    Current Mood: stressed
    I found this week's article slightly depressing especially after reading "A Rape in Cyberspace". This article simply explains just how easy it is for this type of behaviour to take place over the internet. The perpetrator in this article, Mr. Bungle, didn't even have to leave his home in order to commit this particular crime. It's a shame that people like him are able to use an ID in order to conceal their identity. When the victim spoke out, Mr. Bungle's ID no longer existed, however it seems he became Dr. Jest, which means that he will continue to commit such crimes until something is done in order to prevent future cyberattacks from happening. Some may argue it may not have the same affect since it was not done physically, however I believe it is still the same as the victim is left to deal with after effects of this psycho.

    "Race In/For Cyberspace: Identity Tourism and Racial Passing on the Internet" discusses the issue of race on the internet. This article opened my eyes to such communities such as LambdaMoo which is focused directly on race. Our society is so obsessed with physical appearance and even though people cannot see each other, it is important to them they know what the person they are talking to looks like. I remember going on chat forums when I was younger, one of the first questions that is asked in a conversation is race/ethnicity. Sometimes when a person reveals their particular ethnicity/race, some judgements are immediately formed, which could lead to problems down the road as it allows for hate crimes or other types of harassment.

    “Bridging the Digital Divide” identifies a gap between race and computer access. According to this article there is inequality when it comes to race and their ability to have access to a computer and the internet. Majority of Africian American families do not have a computer in the home and therefore rely on being able to use it at school or work. The author describes that people will be able to achieve the same goals if they are given the same opportunities. In an ideal society this would be easy, however we must be realistic and realize this will require a lot of effort on society as a whole in order to bridge the divide.
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    Oct. 14th, 2005 @ 03:56 pm Children and Computers
    Current Mood: tired
    After reading all this week's articles I learned more about the amount children are involved in computers these days. I have always been aware that children are able to navigate themselves on the internet, however these articles set them the children to look like they are being brainwashed. In the first article "Seductions of Sim: Policy as a Simulation Game" by Paul Starr I learned more about these "SIMS" games, I must admit prior to this article I was not too familiar with these games before reading this article. I have never been personally exposed to any type of SIMS game before and this article provided me with a good learning experience. I learned about the hidden messages that exist within these games and it is shocking to know this is what most children are being exposed to. It makes me wonder how much influence these hidden messages have on young children.

    The second article I read was "Sleep-deprived kids and the media" by Dr. Dave which I found on
    http://www.mediafamily.org/mediawisecolumns/sleep_mw.shtml. I found article very interesting because it discusses the fact that most children are sleep deprived due to the numerous hours they spend on the computer, watching TV or playing video games during the night. He discusses how children who do not receive enough sleep get into more accidents, less likely to do well in school and are more prone to mood swings. It is true there are many children may already have a hard time falling asleep at night, being exposed to TV, video games etc. stimulates their mind even more therefore making it even harder to fall asleep. Dr. Dave advises parents to ensure their child(ren) are receiving the proper sleep they need. I found myself nodding my head as I was reading this article and provided me great insight into a topic that I had personal experience since I too, was in the same boat when I was a child and could not sleep throughout the night. I would go downstairs into my living room and watch TV until I was able to fall asleep. However, in the morning I would feel that I never had a proper rest and would feel groggy. What I found helped me was reading a little bit before I went to bed every night and from then on my sleepless nights were over.

    The third article I read was "Open Source Household" by Daniel Stern. In this article Stern discusses the frustration people may face when navigating certain software such a Microsoft. He discusses how his children are all computer-literate as he has taught them all how to operate software called Linux. He states his children do not know anything different and were exposed to computer software before the age of five. It seemed to me he was trying to force this on his children even though they may not show much interest. It makes me wonder if these children are choosing to learn more about the technological world or is it because it what their father would want?
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    Oct. 10th, 2005 @ 11:48 am Hacking the Public
    Current Mood: productive
    After reading this article, I am worried about how much information about myself is accessible to the general public. There are several websites/techniques in order to gather someone's personal information. If someone is listed in the phone book, all that one would need to do is look up their name on www.411.ca in order to find their address complete with postal code and a map on how to get there. In the last week, there has been a warning on the news to be cautious of an e-mail from an individual disguising themselves as popular banking institutions in order to gain the necessary info in order to be able to access individual accounts. Obviously this is a good piece of information for the general public to know, as it may save some individuals from divulging their public information. However it may not save everyone. As time goes on hackers are becoming more and more cleverer they no longer need to ask a person for their personal information, they can simply search for it online without you even knowing. This frightens me as because I feel like I am being watched by a hidden camera without having given my consent. If there was someone who would like to find out where I lived and other personal information, they would be able to find it.

    What really shocked me is when we were completing Google Lab #2 last week. One of the steps required us to find an excel file online. One of my friends was able to find a spreadsheet with some personal information. If this was a hacker, they would be able to do a lot of damage. This opened my eyes as I realized my personal documents could have been read by dozens of strangers and I had no idea about it. This new found information will be very useful in making more of an effort to guard my personal information. It is interesting to see how much trust people have put into the internet and the realization this trust does not really exist. Hopefully, society can spread the word and aid in the education of everyone around us.
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    Oct. 3rd, 2005 @ 10:06 am Censorship and Children
    Current Mood: calm
    The first website I checked out was an excerpt from "Not in Front of the Children: 'Indecency,' Censorship, and the Innocence of Youth". http://www.eff.org/Censorship/?f=200105_heins_book_excerpt.html
    In this article, the author Marjorie Heins discusses the need to censor children and young adults from anything characterized as "indecency" by the United States Congress. My opinion is this article is valid because it involves history on previous cases of censorship and discusses decisions made by U.S. Congress. According to Congress, censorship is needed because young children are not able to know the difference between what is real and what is fantasy. I agree with the fact that young children require a lot of supervision as they need the appropriate guidance in order to determine what is right and wrong. However, in the case of the high schools only teaching abstinence as a form of sex ed, I feel it is like giving students one side of an argument and expect them to choose sides. As children get older and they become young adults I believe they have the right to be informed of choices and consequences. My high school was an all-girls Catholic school and as a result we were only taught about abstinence. Even though that was what were taught, a lot girls at my school were sexually active and as a result a high percentage became pregnant. Some of the girls I talked to wished they were better educated and knew their options in order to prevent this from happening.

    The second website I looked at was "What Factors Influence Teachers' Level of Follow Up on Their Training? Further Findings from the 2003 End of School Year Survey - Intel Teach to the Future U.S. Classic Implementation" http://www2.edc.org/CCT/publications_report_summary.asp?numPubId=174 This website discusses whether or not teachers continue to use strategies in the classroom upon the completion of their training and the impact it has on teaching technology. Again this looks like a credible site which provides a lot of information about children and technology. In my opinion a course or some other form of training which helps in learning different strategies to teach technology is great. A lot of teachers may struggle and not know what exactly to do. Such programs and surveys allow teachers to provide feedback and know what really works when it comes to technology.
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    Sep. 26th, 2005 @ 08:00 am Surveillence in the classroom
    Current Mood: awake
    Reading this article allowed to me to further think about the use of a webcam in a child-care facility. As a result, several questions concerning this topic enter my mind. The parents who were interviewed explain they use the webcams in order to see what their children are doing while they are in child-care. Some of the parents also explained it eases their guilt of being separated from their child. Other parents talked about the need for security and knowing their child is in fact in a safe place and is being treated properly by the staff and other children. I can understand and sympathize with these parents as it is human nature to want to know their child is well cared for in their absence. However, I have to wonder how effective the use of webcams really is. Even though the children do not know they are being monitored, the staff is aware they are being watched possibly by all the parents who use the centre. If I was one of those staff I would be extremely nervous knowing that someone was watching me and I had no idea who they were.

    Also I have to wonder just how secure watching a child on a nursery webcam may be. I was concerned in the beginning of the article when one of the mothers said the room of which her child’s group was in, did not require a password in order to view. This allows the public to view a group of children exposing them to a public world where anyone is able to view them and their daily activities.

    Although the parents who participate in the use of watching their child on a webcam, I believe this is only short-term as the true way to remaining confident of their child’s safety is to actually get to know the centre and the staff who work there.

    With regards to the article concerning the child who was saved from drowning by a camera, I have to say this is a great piece of technology. However I am also concerned, as some caregivers may use this as a method to watch after a child instead of them doing it themselves. I believe is should be used as an aid and not to replace an actual human being doing the job of watching people. Also it is important to note that technology of this nature would be rather expensive and therefore there would be a lot of pools who would not be able to afford it.
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    Sep. 17th, 2005 @ 01:27 pm blogging: self-directing learning
    Current Mood: accomplished
    I found Halavais' article on blogging quite interesting. I admit I was aware of blogging, before this course, I never was interested in creating my own online journal. Part of the reason is due to the lack of expertise of operating and maintaining my own online journal and the other was because I did not believe my personal entries would really be secure. However, upon beginning this course I have already begun to learn a lot in these two short weeks. Using LiveJournal is not as complicated as I had originally thought. I have also learned that if I choose to write a personal entry, I can do so without being afraid of another person reading it.

    Halavais mentions a number of valid points on the subject of blogging. When a blog is used as a tool for a course, the students are able to communicate on a different level with the instructor and their peers. Blogging also allows the student to take a greater responsibility for their learning as they are required to learn how to operate and maintain a online journal in order to participate. If they require assistance, they have instant access and a "class" full of people who are willing to help them answer their questions and ease their frustrations. A good example of this is last week when majority of the people in this class were having problems with posting. Upon voicing their questions, there were many people in the class who were willing to help these individuals understand how to navigate their way around LiveJournal and allow them to post their reflections on each week's readings. Since we are all members of ECE912 we are able to communicate with one another without having to be in a classroom. We are also able to comment on each other's readings, which allows us to see other people's perpectives on the same article. Also, to an individual who may not be comfortable enough to voice their opinions in a classroom setting, this forum allows them to have their say without having to be shy.

    Another point Halavais makes is blogging allows people to take their knowledge and apply it
    to something different. As well, blogs provide an opportunity for students to be experimental with their learning. By making blogging a part of a course, it provides students the chance to try something they may have never tried before. By providing new experiences for students it enables them to learn more about themselves and the world around them.
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