A theme that makes sense for class blogging! I’m more excited than I should be about this.

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It’s only taken me most of the semester to figure this out but I’ve finally found a theme that I think is perfect for class blogging.

To provide some context – at the beginning of this semester I had managed to figure out how to syndicate all of my student blogs, how to use categories and aggregate the blogs to a specific page on my class website… Kind of like this…   This looks nifty and I feel cool saying “I aggregate my student blogs onto my class website” but the concern I had/have was that the unorganized, sort of stream of consciousness look, really does not make participation easy for students.  What I mean is that without an easy way to access peers’ blogs, students often default to looking at the last blog posted since that is how they show up in the aggregated blog roll.  I don’t want students to blog for the sake of blogging; I want blogs to serve as an opportunity for collaboration and discussion beyond the walls of the classroom (both for my FTF and OL classes).  The aesthetics of how the blogs appear need to facilitate this interaction as opposed to serve as a barrier… the way I see it is that if it’s difficult to participate using blogs, I may as well use a discussion board.  Along with everyone else, I often get excited about digital tools but I always want to stay grounded in making sure that the use of these tools make sense to achieve the outcomes of the class, assignment, module, etc.

Having said that… I love the idea of requiring students to create a digital identity and enjoy (though sometimes it hurts) helping them build their digital literacy (more about my thoughts on that is here).

I’m excited to share that I found the SOLUTION for making blog posts organized in such a manner that I believe makes the process of student participation easier.  At the beginning of this semester, I located a plugin called Class Blogging that looked JUST like what I wanted but I couldn’t (and didn’t have the time) to figure out how to use it.  Well… today I figured it out and while I have some things I’d like to see updated about the theme that I’m sure some techie person at CI can help me with..hint hint.. (like a dynamic navigation menu or at least sub-items on the menu), I’m SOOO impressed with the Screen Shot 2014-11-14 at 2.42.38 PMfunctionality that it provides… check out the list here.  THANK YOU OBERLIN COLLEGE! The plugin comes with additionally functionality I did not know I wanted (like an admin page that calculates word count!).   I’ve enabled this theme and plugin to one of my course websites to share with you.  If anyone knows how to update themes and is willing to work with me, I would love to get help on tweaking this theme a little.

As a side note, I use FeedWordPress to aggregate my student blogs which automatically pushes all of my students to “contributors” to my blog.  This means I can edit their info, including their avatar, in the users section of WP.  I **WISH** I would have been clearer about what I want my students to note as their “display name as” name when they created their blogs because that would have saved me a lot of time editing their names (and figuring out who they are since some got a bit creative with their names). I also realize that if I did not want my students to create their own blog, I could add them as contributors to my blog… yeah… it MIGHT have taken me all semester to figure that out but… the light bulb finally went off.

Now that I feel good about the visual representation of blogs on my course sites, I think I might consider adding another layer of participation to some of my modules by assigning students (or groups) to the role of moderating the week’s blogs.  Oh and… tags… I need to explore those since the Class Blogging theme provides the option to aggregate tags into a word cloud for the class which could not only be cool but could provide a great source of class discussion and could possibly be used for formative assessment.

Blog #7

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In the the previous class discussion we had a scenario where we were given a star and tearing them off or keeping the ends according to the script that was being read. I thought it was interesting to see how the people on the stars can sometimes be the ones to turn their backs on us if we tell them that we are gay. I personally had a star that had all the pieces together at the end. But it was interesting to see other people tear theirs off. I can imagine what they were thinking as they were tearing off the names of the people whom they trust the most. Also in one of the previous class we had our presentations about the chapters of the books in The Hope in the Unseen. At first I was a bit nervous of giving a presentation in front of the class, but as I kept going I was feeling less and less nervous. I think the more practice I get  the better.

 

For this weeks reading they were touching basis of the different gender inequalities that still exist between men and women. One of the main ones that was pointed out was the difference of men and women pursuing higher education. One of the most notable examples was how more and more women are pursuing jobs in STEM fields. Whereas before this field was only controlled and dominated by the male individual. It is good to see how women are willing to stand up to this patriarchal world and pursue jobs in a field that is being dominated by masculinity.   Another main idea that was discussed in the reading was the notion of how LGBT students are not being represented well in college institutions. These students feel oppressed because they see it as we only are accepting either males of females in our institutions and no other sex. I think institutions should take an initiative and provide help and other services to make LGBT students feel more welcomed and not feel oppressed to be proud of who they are.

1. Yes we do see more women in STEM field jobs, but how are men reacting to this notion?

2. If LGBT students do no feel welcome in college institutions, is that keeping them from obtaining an education?

3. Will colleges take the initiative  and make LGBT students feel welcomed and accepted and not just writing out propositions that show support for them?

The Complexity of Ethics

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Post a link to a current event involving unethical or ethical leadership.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/usc/la-sp-josh-shaw-plaschke-20141113-column.html#page=1

What would take for more people to engage in the ethical actions presented?

I think that it is just people’s conscious and integrity that it takes for people to engage in the ethical actions presented. Although not everyone can see the ethical side of this story (and I can admit that it took me a couple reads through the article to see it myself), when looking at the larger picture, Shaw eventually decided to come clean about his acts, and not everyone would be able to do that.

What actions are needed to change the unethical behavior into ethical behavior?

I think that I use the term integrity loosely in the prior question, as to me integrity means do the right thing at all times, and clearly that is not the first decision Shaw chose when the incident first happened. However, he eventually came around, whether that be because of his integrity or other reasons.

 

Based on your responses to the Core Values Questionnaire, what are your core values?

My core values, according to the questionnaire, are justice and integrity.

To what degree would you say that your actions align with your values?  How would you want to improve in this area?

I think that my actions align with my values often, but definitely have space to be improved. I think that justice is an important value to me, but also covers a lot of areas that can sometimes be overlooked. A way of improvement would be to review all areas/perspectives to keep them all on the “front burner” as often as possible.

Do you think other people know your core values?

I think that people who have worked with me would be able to identify my core values. However, friends that have not worked with me in a professional or even somewhat professional setting would probably not be able to name my core values.

Are you comfortable talking about your core values with others?

Because integrity became a new value that I hold near and dear to my heart within the last 5 years, I try to talk about it as often as possibly and share my personal belief on integrity. I even try to subliminally teach my students (grades 1-5) integrity whenever I get the chance. I have no problem talking about my core values with others.

In your planning for the future (e.g. next five years), how will your values influence what you do?

I think that my values are going to influence what I do daily and positively. I am constantly trying to gain people’s opinions on matters and/or self written definitions to gain perspectives on the values I know I hold for myself to see how I am able to constantly enhance those. With being able to enhance them I have to potential of influencing a child’s life when I work with them.

 

The Complexity of Ethics

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Unethical Tweet Of The Month: Andrew Barovick

  1. What would take for more people to engage in the ethical actions presented?
  2. What actions are needed to change the unethical behavior into ethical behavior?

It is somewhat understandable to post something in response after a victory during elections to the opposing candidate. However, the post should not overstep boundaries, it should be considerate as to how others might take the post. Not everybody is going to see or hear what was initially meant by the post. In the article Lawyer Andrew Barovick was under the impression that he was posting a tweet that to him seemed to be somewhat funny, but not offensive. However, although his intentions where not to cause any conflict or to offend anyone, he managed to do both. Having a leadership position within the New York City Bar Association’s Medical Malpractice Committee , his comment was considered to be on a scale from 1-10, to a be a 9. Because he is seen as a leader people expected more from him, especially when they gave him the opportunity to retract from his initial post. In order to change the unethical behavior into an ethical behavior, in this case Mr. Barovick would have to apologize, to the previous post. Although he did resign from his leadership duties, his resignation is not considered to be a form of apology.

Based on your responses to the Core Values Questionnaire, what are your core values?

  1. To what degree would you say that your actions align with your values?  How would you want to improve in this area? I feel like my actions do align with my values. At least for me I always try to look out for those that i consider to be family. As well as making sure that the actions that I take part of are just. The best way in which I can improve in this area would be by considering looking at the big picture without my emotions clouding my judgement. Sometimes I tend to overlook small things when it comes to those that are closest to me.
  2. Do you think other people know your core values? I feel like they are aware of what my core values are.
  3. Are you comfortable talking about your core values with others? I am comfortable in talking with other about my core values with others.
  4. In your planning for the future (e.g. next five years), how will your values influence what you do? In the future I do believe that my core values will influence what I will be doing in the future. Personally my core values have influenced me to pursue a career of education simply because I want to have the opportunity to provide the same opportunity that I received growing up, a good education.

Blog # 7

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The last two classes we did two different activities the first activity consisted of the star activity which represented the LGBT community. This activity was insightful as many people don’t realize that the LGBT members suffer not only within the outside community,but also with in family dynamics. Activities such as these are a great eye opener to allow yourself to see what other people may go through and give you the opportunity to provide empathy. The following class was focused on ” A hope in the unseen” each group presented the chapters they were assigned to. This was a great way to learn about Cedric’s story and the connection other people had with Cedric’s story. Everyone did a great job on their presentations and loved them. These past weeks readings really emphasized on gender in higher education I found the Goldman article interesting to read it presented a variance of statistics of women in higher education. Goldman goes on to state that women are now the majority in higher education. For example, here at Channel Island University women are the majority. However, Goldman states that women are still underrepresented in STEM fields. It’s terrible that women are not treated equally in those field and it’s very surprising are the experiences women in STEM fields reported. Although women are encouraged to join these field many women continue to feel oppressed in these fields due to the inequality that is presented. Although, women are faced with these challenges a lot more women are pushing through and breaking t Stereotypes and breaking gender specific fields. Questions: 1) Why do educators believe women lack knowledgeable skills in science field carriers? 2) What can campuses do to promote STEM studies for women? 3) Will gender inequality ever diminish? The last two classes we did two different activities the first activity consisted of the star activity which represented the LGBT community. This activity was insightful as many people don’t realize that the LGBT members suffer not only within the outside community,but also with in family dynamics. Activities such as these are a great eye opener to allow yourself to see what other people may go through and give you the opportunity to provide empathy. The following class was focused on ” A hope in the unseen” each group presented the chapters they were assigned to. This was a great way to learn about Cedric’s story and the connection other people had with Cedric’s story. Everyone did a great job on their presentations and loved them. These past weeks readings really emphasized on gender in higher education I found the Goldman article interesting to read it presented a variance of statistics of women in higher education. Goldman goes on to state that women are now the majority in higher education. For example, here at Channel Island University women are the majority. However, Goldman states that women are still underrepresented in STEM fields. It’s terrible that women are not treated equally in those field and it’s very surprising are the experiences women in STEM fields reported. Although women are encouraged to join these field many women continue to feel oppressed in these fields due to the inequality that is presented. Although, women are faced with these challenges a lot more women are pushing through and breaking t Stereotypes and breaking gender specific fields.

 

Questions: 1) Why do educators believe women lack knowledgeable skills in science field carriers? 2) What can campuses do to promote STEM studies for women? 3) Will gender inequality ever diminish?

 

 

 

 

The last two classes we did two different activities the first activity consisted of the star activity which represented the LGBT community. This activity was insightful as many people don’t realize that the LGBT members suffer not only within the outside community,but also with in family dynamics. Activities such as these are a great eye opener to allow yourself to see what other people may go through and give you the opportunity to provide empathy. The following class was focused on ” A hope in the unseen” each group presented the chapters they were assigned to. This was a great way to learn about Cedric’s story and the connection other people had with Cedric’s story. Everyone did a great job on their presentations and loved them.

These past weeks readings really emphasized on gender in higher education I found the Goldman article interesting to read it presented a variance of statistics of women in higher education. Goldman goes on to state that women are now the majority in higher education. For example, here at Channel Island University women are the majority. However, Goldman states that women are still underrepresented in STEM fields. It’s terrible that women are not treated equally in those field and it’s very surprising are the experiences women in STEM fields reported. Although women are encouraged to join these field many women continue to feel oppressed in these fields due to the inequality that is presented. Although, women are faced with these challenges a lot more women are pushing through and breaking t Stereotypes and breaking gender specific fields.

Questions:
1) Why do educators believe women lack knowledgeable skills in science field carriers?
2) What can campuses do to promote STEM studies for women?
3) Will gender inequality ever diminish ?

blog 7

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This week’s reading was all about gender in higher education. The articles covered an array subjects that were strongly correlated with gender, while the chapter reading was more focused on the change in higher education enrollment and completion between the sexes.

I found the reading intriguing this week because they addressed so many issues with identity that I was completely ignorant about.  For example the article about transgendered students opened my eyes to see how transgender  individuals find complications in education. Also the article presents the idea that you could choose to identify with a different gender both of these concepts are foreign to me and would have never crossed my mind. I also enjoyed reading about the hardships of the individuals in this article because they were incredibly vulnerable, and helped me understand why this is such a pressing issue.

The article about the feminist male was also very interesting because it was easy to relate too. I do not consider myself a feminist, because there are things about their position that I do not agree with, but I was raised by a single mother. Watching my mother play both roles of mother and father has helped me understand that women are more than capable of doing what most consider a man’s responsibility. I see myself as an advocate for respect, equal opportunity and treatment of women, and like the author I wonder how many times I have blotched things up with my ignorance, and behavior because I am a male. I loved the humility and desire to grow in respecting and understanding the struggle of women that the author offers as a solution in his article.

The chapter reading was also insightful. I meditated on the information for a while after reading it. I was not aware of the fact that women outnumbered men by such a large number in higher education attendance, and completion, at every level. Considering the fact that minorities attending, and completing higher education is already low, coming to terms with the fact that the majority of those minorities are women is alarming for the male minority. I had to stop reading at that moment consider the implications of this information. I was also able to see how unfair the work force is, given the fact that women are attaining degrees at a higher rate than men, and are still the minority in most of the workforce.

In short I found that the readings for this week were not only interesting, but inconceivably challenging. The challenges were not in the difficulty of text, but in the content of the text. It was difficult to read the painful memoirs in the articles. Also I was challenged to reconsider, and restructure, my position in some of the topics covered. I do not believe in respecting the values or positions that people may have, but I do believe in respecting people with those values. We may never agree on everything, but we must learn to live in peace and work towards mutual edification. Regardless of race or gender (whether assigned, or chosen) we are all people and deserve to be treated equally.