John's Blog

Web 2.0

2008-10-31T08:02:00.008-04:00

I've spent part of the past several days reading articles from Campus Technology and been struck by the rapid evolution in the use of blogs, wikis, learning management systems, etc. in higher education. The days of "chalk and talk" are long gone !

A traditional hub of teaching and learning--the library--is now called the "information commons." When one thinks about this new term and the historical meaning of "commons," it becomes quickly apparent that higher ed is emphasizing collaborative learning as never before. Collaborative learning however has been (or historically should have been) a hallmark of Lasallian education, i.e., students working together to enhance the learning of all.

A concern emerges about this evolution: while the "commons" notion is both democratic and Lasallian, there must be an evaluative process, i.e., the teacher must at some point assess the level of learning, that students can demonstrate that they have learned. As a teacher for many years I have always been concerned about what students have learned at one level and whether this knowledge prepares them for follow-on courses and/or other courses which assume familiarity with the content of previous courses. While I need to discuss this matter with other more knowledgeable than I, it does appear from my reading that many of these new initiatives are often "stand-alone" courses. Integration of courses is needed.

Phillies Win

2008-10-30T07:40:00.004-04:00

Happy days have arrived in Phliadelphia, and the so-called "curse of William Penn" has ended! In truly exciting fashion, the Phils had superb pitching, outstanding defensive play, and strong clutch hitting from the lesser stars in the lineup.

Reading other blogs in recent days, especially those who decried the fact that the absence of the Mets, Yankees, Dodgers, Red Sox, etc (i.e., "better" big-TV market teams) led to lower TV ratings. Ican't state anything about how the Rays did against the Yankees, but they did beat the Bosox in the ALCS. The Phils beat the Dodgers in the NLCS and had a better record in their division than the Mets.

A sea of humanity filled downtown Philadelphia at the end of the game, with spontaneous celebrations beginning throughout the city. Philly fans, for whatever their faults, have always appreciated the devotion and hard work of the players but were unmerciful to those perceived as giving less than their best. Many of the celebrants were happy to be part of this long-awaited victory.

Educating for Peace in the Holy Land

2008-04-07T16:52:00.003-04:00

Last week the University's "Diplomat-in-Residence" Program sponsored a three-day event involving representatives from Israel, the Palestinian Authority, and faculty, staff, and students from Bethlehem University. While occasionally provocative (with speakers presenting very different points of view regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict), it did nevertheless allow members of the University community an opportunity to hear them directly and not through a media funnel.

"Second Life" is everywhere !

2008-03-28T16:27:00.002-04:00

I had first heard about "Second Life" virtual reality a couple of months ago, but cannot believe its rapid expansion into popular culture:

CNN's website has a story today on the treatment of autism in SL;
CSI-NY repeated an episode this week which involved characters in SL; an episode of Law & Order: SVU also focused on virtual reality;
A few weeks ago a reporter for The New York Times conducted an interview in SL. When completed, the interviewee flew away (something you can do--Peter Pan-like--in SL;
Today a colleague passed on a copy of Saint Joseph's University's Business School magazine which describes their SL endeavors

Amazing !

Am I 2 Old ?

2008-03-10T09:24:00.006-04:00

I saw this article in the New York Times yesterday. It brought home to me how quickly information technology is changing the way people interact with each other. Until hand-held units have the ease-of-use of the Star Trek communicator, it will be a challenge for older folks to tap out messages on those tiny keyboards.

Spring Break

2008-02-29T14:54:00.003-05:00

The University's Spring Break begins this afternoon. For the first time in nearly a decade I will be remaining on campus this coming week, as my usual traveling companion, my brother Jim, is off studying Sacred Scripture in Israel. The coming week shouldn't be too hectic, and the campus will be quiet. On Monday the office itself is closed. A new Administrative Assistant starts on Tuesday (filling a four-month-long gap in the staff) , and I have a handful of meetings during the course of the week.

End of HD-DVD

2008-02-19T16:24:00.004-05:00

Well, now you don't have to spend a fortune to purchase a High Definition DVD combination player. The announcement that Toshiba was ending its foray into High Definition DVD player market made me remember the battle 30+ years ago between VHS and "Betamax" videocasette recorders. Indeed, a commentator stimulated a "deja vu" moment for me. As some thought then that "Betamax" was better technologically than VHS, the latter was marketed better, so too now: HD DVD is/was better than "Blu-Ray," but the latter was more readily accepted by the marketplace.

Sub-prime Mess

2008-02-19T16:18:00.002-05:00

I heard on NPR this morning that yet another world-class bank is writing off $1 billion from its first quarter profits. One would think that these people would be smarter, but then again "Greed is good ..." These folks also expend fortunes to buy modern art (which look like painters' drop cloths.)

New Google Earth & New Pictures

2008-02-18T16:01:00.004-05:00

I got a notification of an update for "Google Earth" today. I downloaded the upgrade, installed it, and then looked at some familiar sites:

La Salle's pictures are still old: neither St. Basil's residence hall (opened in Fall 2005) or the new surface in McCarthy Stadium (laid down in Summer 2006) appear.
The picture of the condo where Jim and I spent Spring break in 2007 still remains a construction site.
However, the new church of Our Lady of the Assumption in Atlanta is now there.

New Wiki !!!

2008-02-14T19:37:00.001-05:00

Spurred on by a colleague at La Salle, I now have my own "Wetpaint" wiki. (I don't know where I will find the time to keep all these things current !)

Tavana V. La Salle

2008-01-28T19:00:00.001-05:00

You may have read last week that La Salle was sued by a member of the University faculty in federal court for alleged discrimination. Well, the jury decided in the University's favor this past Friday ...

Old Blog is History !

2008-01-25T10:51:00.001-05:00

Given its link to a too-easily identifiable GMail address (which I no longer use), I created a new GMail account. I thus have deleted the old blog.

Jim's Wiki

2008-01-25T10:40:00.001-05:00

My brother Jim is in Israel now studying Sacred Scripture at the "Biblical Program." He has created his own wiki as an electronic journal of his experience. You ought to check it out, as it is quite elaborate with text, travel photos, etc.

New PC

2008-01-25T10:27:00.001-05:00

I competed the assembly of a new PC last evening. After spending several months considering which components I would include, I ordered the material from the online vendor "Tiger Direct;" I think that I got a good price on the components. After a couple of hours of assembly, with a couple of minor false steps (major ones can be expensive!), I fired up the new unit and everything worked just fine. Now I have to install all the software, which will be a weekend project.

Greetings

2008-01-24T16:02:00.001-05:00

Greetings !

I really didn't like the lengthy email address I had with the earlier one. So I am starting anew.