PlanetUSF

Yesterday, I borrowed the following books from the COB library;

Chute, Alan G, Thompson, Melody M. and Hancock, Burton W. The McGraw-Hill
Handbook of Distance Learning. NY: McGraw-Hill. 1999.

Lau, Linda K. Distance Learning Technologies: Issues, Trends and Opportunities.
London: Idea Group Publishing. 2000

McAdam, Daisy. E-Learning Management and Marketing in Libraries. Papers Presented
at the IFLA Satellite Meeting Section Management & Marketing Management & Marketing Section – Geneva, Switzerland, July 28-30, 2003.

Hopefully these will help me refine the topic for my paper and give me some good information as it relates to libraries.

I also got my textbook (finally!). So I’ve got lots of catching up to do.

A flower blooms not without reason
It can’t disperse its wonders come around any season
That’s not right, that’s treason
Tender care is what it needs,
Loneliness and darkness are its fears
It thrives for a friend, yes, a friend indeed,
For what is it without a friend?
But just another seed
A seed to grow into just another weed
Bloom my flower, bloom,
Don’t become an ugly weed
Live without fear
Fear of loneliness, fear of being left behind
Don’t let it grasp you but conquer it,
And you shall conquer life
Reach for the sun
Grasp its warmth
Let it guide you through life,
Empty, short, or long,
live it strong
Bloom, my flower, bloom
Bloom till your dying day,
Where you can prove and say,
I flowered the most beautiful flower,
I took in the sun with every leaf,
My stem stood strong,
My roots dug deep,
Hear me, and hear me clear,
I lived a life without a fear!

In the picture, on pg. 23 in the Inventing Arguments book, two astornauts, one man, one woman, look at eachother in astronaut gear. They are seated, and seem to be in either a meeting or a conference. Behind one of the astronaut are pictures, telling me they are in something ceremonial-like. By the expressions on both of the astronaut’s faces, they seem to be in a serious mode. Both look at one-another sternly, most likely in conversation. I can sense from the picture, that both astronauts are proud of their accomplishments or are proud of the mission they were choosen for. The picture is more fullfilling as there is a female astronaut who accomplished this feat of becoming an astronaut, which in today’s society is still more difficult than for any male. It is also a good picture in the fact that both astronaut connect as colleagues in a proffesional and yet normal way.

When first looking at the picture on page 23 in Inventing Arguments, I notice the expressions on the astronaut’s faces. They seem to be discussing something serious. They don’t seem exactly happy or sad, but maybe troubled. I think that they are talking about something that’s going on and what they should do. Their gear is very bulky and heavy.They almost look like fugitives with the orange jump suits. The suits aren’t gender related and just seem to focus on protection, not design. Also, in the background there are historical pictures of other astronauts. The body language of the two astronauts is tense. The woman seems to be more nervous and hanging on to an unidentifiable object.

I found the University of Idaho’s distant education guide very enlightening! I did not realize all the various tools that could be used to facilitate distant education. It made me imagine the many possibilites that exist in a country like ours where there is a fragmented population scattered on several islands.
Additionally, the information on distant learners and the challenges that they face spoke volumes - I can identify with some of those issues that were raised. As a distant learner it is especially important to remain focused even when there are distractions. I would suggest that all persons read the guide and bookmark the site because alot of the info is very pertinent to us!

I’m taking a course in History of Higher Education in the US. So far, we’ve read about Higher Ed from the foundation of the Colonial Colleges (beginning with Harvard in 1636) to the end of the 19th century. Some things that stand out:

1. Most colleges in that period, even state colleges, started as religious institutions. Their main purpose was to educate clergymen and political leaders.
2. The US had an inordinate amount of colleges and university per capita, when compared to European countries.
3. Until late in the 19th century, college was free to the students. The state, private donations, community/congregational support, and the faculty (yes! The faculty!) financed the schools.
4. As I wrote previously, for a time higher education wasn’t considered a noble or practical pursuit.
5. Other than students seeking professional degrees (i.e. doctors and lawyers), students took the same curriculum: the classics (Greek, Latin, philosophy, etc.) Not very practical for an expanding country was it? That could explain #3 and #4, right?

Captains log, Tuesday 12:29 Pm
The men are tired, It’s been a long day already getting up early to meet partner and it’s just begun, I’m in my foundation class awaiting the beginning so i can get a project over with. Then I have to study a lot for chemistry, then go to a class, then study for chemistry more which stinks b/c i wanted to do this capoera class but i need to study, thats about it, hopefully i’ll eat sometime in that block or sleep…those are for the weak anyways…only time will tell. Eddie Out!

Hello world is the traditional opening for a new blog. Actually, I mean hell0 Nursing Informatics Students.

I just opened this blog but am not yet clear on exactly how I will integrate this tool into my teaching/learning. Any ideas? Leave a comment or question so I will know you’ve been by. Thanks.

You too can open your own blog by going the USF sponsored blog site. You can click on blog.usf.edu on my “blogroll” (the list of “My Links” shown on the column on the right side of the screen).

I have also listed a link for Shauna Shullo, from the Center for 21st Century Teaching. Among other things, her blog has additional information about blogging in general as well as detailed instructions for opeing your own USF blog.

Thanks for visiting and leaving a comment. Elaine Slocumb

After reading the article “Dig Adds to Cherokee “Trail of Tears”, I was not very suprised to see how emotional the article was. I automatically thought that the article was based on Pathos. According to the Penguin Handbook, pathos means that it appeals to the emotions and deepest values of the audience. It proves that the United States Government just wanted the valued land and did not have any feeling toward the Native Americans. Once the gold was found, they made the decision to remove the Cherokee. This was a very emotional experience for all of the Cherokee. Some of the Native Americans escaped into the mountains, leaving behind many friends and some family. Nearly 15 percent of the Cherokee had died on the Trail of Tears. This shows what emotion and devistation this had on the group. The way the article was written is also full of emotion. Many strong words were used to explain such pain these Native Americans were in.

Back when I was in high school I was a pretty good diver. I got all sorts of awards and metals, got invited to compete in dive meets all ove the country, I even broke my high school record. Wait, I didn’t just break the record I shattered it. But I never won a Florida High School Athletic Association state dive meet. I never got a state ring and that is what I wanted more than anything. The one time I came close went something like this. In a big dive meet like a conference, district or state finals competition, you are scored on eleven dives. On the ninth round I was in third place, five points behind the guy in second and eight points behind the guy in first. With three dives left it was a reality that I could get first. All fifteen of us did our ninth dives and the guy in second messed up. I moved into second and my dreams of winning states were slowly coming true. The tenth round was starting and it was a dive that I worked on and worked on, it was my most “shakey” dive but if I could score well on it my last dive was my best dive and I could easily win. I did my tenth dive and scored pretty well on it, well enough to move into first. Everything was falling into place and I was going to win. I was very confident with my last dive and thinking of winning. I didn’t pay attention to the guy that dove before me and he had made a rather large splash and soaked the end of the board with water. I went to do my dive and my worst nightmare happened. I slipped off the board and failed my dive dropping my into fourth place and out of the winning my state final.

10 Things I Plan To Do Before I Die, In No Specific Order

1. Solve Rubik’s Cube.
2. Visit Hendrix’s Grave.
3. Write A Book.
4. Invent Something.
5. Make A Trillion Dollars.
6. Debate Michael Moore, Al Franken & Janeane Garofalo At The Same Time.
7. Destroy Every Hippie To Ever Exist.
8. Start An Institution With Objectivist Principles.
9. Sell As Many People Out As Possible.
10. Forge The Greatest Testament Of Power And Superiority, Being A 7000 Ft. Statue Of Myself Made Out Of Solid Platinum.

Over an adult’s working life:

• high school graduates earn an average of $1.2 million
• associate’s degree holders earn about $1.6 million
• bachelor’s degree holders earn about $2.1 million

Source: Census Bureau. The Big Payoff: Educational
Attainment and Synthetic Estimates of Work-Life Earnings

Over the weekend, I happened to be flipping through the channels on my television and a show caught my eye. I am not sure the name of the show, but it was a talk show on ESPN 2. The topic for that day’s show was the music industry and how it is now affecting sports. There were many guests but I only recognized a few such as Snoop Dogg and Master P. I know that there were a few there from the sports industry, but because I am not a big sports fan I don’t know who they were. The big debate though was that many people think that music is having a negative impact on those athletes in the sports industry. For instance, the dress code that is now enforced is partly due to the fact that some of the people that are head in the sports industry feel that their players are looking to much like “thugs” or ultimately are giving out the wrong impression for their industry. Taking a stance on this point of view, I feel that this is ridiculous. The music industry is always getting blamed for the actions of other. Musicians are trying the make their paycheck just like the next man. Why is it that they are constantly at fault? Many people in my opinion don’t understand the expressions of musicians, so in that case they judge them based on their own ignorance and incompetence. Instead of many people trying to understand what is being conveyed, they are quick to say that something they don’t understand is the reason that society is corrupt. The one thing that I truly believe is that “there is nothing new under the sun” meaning that everything musicians do has already been done or already known. People just don’t want to accept because America is supposed to be the ideal society.

Of Yale at the end of the [19th] century it was remarked: “The life of the campus was so dynamic and vital that even professors … at heart half accepted that ideas, the search for truth and scholarship must be among the lesser products of their show.”

Rudolph, Frederick. (1962) The American College and University: A History

In 19th century America, the success of the self-made man led to the perception of higher education as a diversion. At that time going to college was not the way to move up on life; on the contrary it took young men away from the pursuit of wealth.

The poem that I chose to analyze is called Fallen Star by the late Tupac Shakur. This poem has an overall mood of how society was bringing him down and how so many people wanted to see him fail. He had so many fans, but at the same time many people would be happy to see him leave the Earth. Tupac conveys all these thoughts through vivid imagery and strong language. In this poem, Tupac did not seem angry but rather he gave the vibe of ignorance. The world was ignorant of his life goals and because of their lack of knowledge; he was made out to be the devil’s advocate. In Tupac’s poem, he was straight forward in getting in opinion across. He used strong language such as “ridicule,” “flickering starlight,” and “lifeless corpse.” Tupac used such strong imagery to convey his point that ignorance of some can lead to the demise of another. Tupac continually used the words “fallen star” or words that related in order to make a point about the person whom to he was referring. “Fallen star” is great imagery because in a sense it is an oxymoron. Stars are held in great esteem and are in the highest place possible, the sky. A star has the gift of being in a place that is hard to conceive on many standards. When a star has fallen, its resting place is the ground. In the sense that he is using the words, the fallen star is a person that was “2 be loved by so many” but now is “mourned.”

The Poem for Anyone Who Like to Read it for themself:

Fallen Star by Tupac
They could never understand
what u set out 2 do
instead they chose 2
ridicule u
when u got weak
they loved the sight
of your dimming
and flickering starlight
How could they understand what was so intricate
2 be loved by so many, so intimate
they wanted 2 c your lifeless corpse
this way u could not alter the course
of ignorance that they have set
2 make my people forget
what they have done for much 2 long
2 just forget and carry on
I had loved u forever because of who u r
and now I mourn our fallen star

Super Bowl Sunday is arguably the most anticipated sports event of the year. Tonight, two teams will battle in Detroit for the right to be called champions. This should be a close game, but after an impressive season led by second year quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, I think the Pittsburgh Steelers will reign victorious. ESPN reporters, Len Pasquarelli and Rick Spielman, think the key to a Steelers win tonight will be a strong offense. Tailback Jerome Bettis is expected to run the ball frequently to help his team manage the clock. With a lot of talented wide receivers to throw to, the Steelers quarterback will have plenty of options to pass to, but will he have enough time? The offensive line has to play big and protect their quarterback from an aggressive Seattle defense.

The Seattle Seahawk’s coach Mike Holmgren, has some experience in big games. He already has one Super Bowl ring and is looking for his second, but I don’t think his team is as talented as its opposition. Many analysts still have faith in the Seahawks. ESPN reporter John Clayton supports the underdog in Super Bowl XL. He predicts that Seattle will force the young Pittsburgh team to make mistakes. Turnovers and special teams plays will be important in deciding the outcome of tonight’s game. Clayton believes the Seahawks will capitalize on every opportunity and leave Detroit with a championship. Only one thing is certain about tonight, and that is people will be glued to their televisions to view this spectacle. The game begins at 6:18 PM (ET) and ABC will be the broadcasting network.

Well, hello everyone! As you know, my name is Crystal and I am a native Floridian. More specifically, I have lived in Orlando my whole life. I have spent my entire life living in the warmth of the sunshine state, never having traveled anywhere west of Tennessee. My traveling has always been limited to the summer months, and even though I have been to Canada and New York a million times, I have never seen snow. I know what all you northerners are thinking, ”Are you kidding?” but the sad reality is that it’s true. Basically I stick to the water sports. Three years ago I learned how to water ski and fell in love with the sport. Along with that, I also kneeboard, play tennis, and in high school I ran track and played flag football. Flag football, believe it or not, has become a major sport here in Florida. My team made it to the state tournament last year, which was pretty cool.

On another note, I have one sister and one brother. My sister is 15 and a cheerleader, and my brother is 13 and into the whole sports thing. He plays golf, runs track, plays basketball, and soccer. Speaking of sports, I love football. My favorite teams are the Bucs and the Broncos. Football is practically the only televised sport I can watch besides tennis. And unlike the rest of my family, golf bores me to death. My brother, dad, grandfather, and all my uncles play golf. It’s like a family thing or something. All I know is Florida is way too hot to be outside sweating for hours a day hitting a ball (no offense to any golfers out there). Well that is all I have to say for now, so until next time everyone be good!

A spate of updates of Blackboard tools were installed recently.
These updates fixed a number of lingering bugs, and added some much requested functionality.

Click on any of the links to see documentation on how to use that tool.

Teams LX (Wiki):
- Fixed bugs, in particular the course linking issue
- Enhanced appearance

Journal LX (course blog):
- Enhanced appearance

Search LX:
- Improved, more thorough searching
- Enhanced appearance

Student Performance Assistant:
- Fixed image linking problem. Images now display correctly.
- Much faster page loads.
- Last access dates correctly reported on all pages.

One of the essays I have decided to write on is “Standardized Teaching vs. Education. Throughout this essay, Justin James speaks of the things lost through standardized teaching. Most forms of curiosity is lost. Students no longer are able to be a part of the learning experience. Testing requires practice and practice. All the time spent on practicing gives students the message that learning and education are simply about how well they test. Education becomes more and more about getting a good grade. Exploring is no longer an option. Students are not able to enjoy learning. Teachers are more concerned with high scores on the standardized tests. Ann Lahrson Fisher wrote “Side Effects of Standardized Testing.” A few of the examples are as followed:
1. Someone else knows what you should know better than you do.
2. Your interests are no longer important.
3. The subject areas being evaluated on the test are the only things that are important to know.
The list goes on and on. Students begin to school as a series of tests. The scores on the tests determine much of their educational future. Students get bored and tired of the test. Essentially, the students’ attention and dedication can be lost.
I think learning should be more than just sitting in a desk and taking a test. While testing is important, I do not think it is the only way knowledge should be measured. Students learn better when they are involved. Continuous testing can begin to label students. I think that makes an uncomfortable learning environment.

Koenig, A. M., Lofstad, R & Staab, Eric. (2004) “Higher Education Acceditation in the United States: What International Education Professionals Need to Know.”
From a paper presented at the EAIE Conference, Torino, IT, September 18, 2004.

This article really schooled me on accreditation. I did not realize that accreditation is voluntary. Well I suppose that it isn’t really voluntary. No one forces you to do it, but it is highly in your best interest. I also didn’t realize that people on accrediting bodies are also volunteers. I thought that the accrediting bodies employ people whose job it is to review educational institutions. You learn something new every day!

I finally purchased a new laptop, and went with the new iBook. I must admit that I was very, VERY slow to coming over to give mac a chance to prove itself. For years it had a pretty GUI that had design elements that made me crazy. This is not to say that I liked Windows any better. Linux has been (and still is) my favorite operating system, if only due to its flexibility (if one is willing to work and learn). But this mac seems much like the Linux box that I always wanted. I can run my GNU tools on the same desktop as Photoshop and have the slick and easy mac quick production tools like iMovie while rdesktopping into my Windows box for those ridiculous websites that require one to use that beastly thing called Internet Explorer.

Gandhi, Smiti (2003). Academic Librarians and Distance Education: Challenges and
Opportunities. Reference & User Services Quarterly v. 43 no. 2 (Winter 2003) p. 138-54

When Dr. Frank wrote that this article is, “an introduction to a wide range of issues surrounding distance learning library services,” she wasn’t kidding! Reading this article was a test of my attention span. I am now nursing a slight headache.

But, all jokes aside, this article is one that I think is very important one that provides a sort of checklist for libraries in institutions that provide distance education offerings. Writing about the challenges that libraries face when providing services to distance learners, is also writing about challenges that libraries face when providing services to face-to-face learners. But the fact that distance learners do not enter the library does place some limitations on the options of resources that a librarian can use to answer a research query. This also makes certain issues even more pressing than they were previously.

The cost of databases is serious concern in the face of declining library budgets. Some libraries may resort to buying reference databases and then purchasing fewer print resources. But this compromises the options available to the face-to-face client. Distance learners like on campus learners often feel like because the internet is instant and every present that reference services also have (or should have) the same level of availability. The rise of distance learning also brings to the fore, the need to educate people on the limits of internet resources. Not everything on the internet is good. And not everything on the internet is free. These are concepts that librarians need to impress upon people whether they are distance learners, or on campus.

There is, though, one aspect of this article that I have to disagree. Gandhi states a few times towards the end of her article that because the library has a physical presence on campus, it does not need to market its services to the campus community. My experience has been the exact opposite. We at the College of the Bahamas must constantly promote our service to the college community, so that they can be aware of what we offer right here on campus. But as we move to expand our presence to our many islands, it will become increasingly important that librarians work with faculty members to make the best resources available to our students.

Nick Cannon ft. Anthony Hamilton
[Nick Talking]
Talking Ma
I know the Situation is Personal
but it something that has to be told
as I was making this beat
you was all I could think about you heard my voice

[Verse 1]
Yeah Just think Just Think
what if you could Just
Just blink your self away..
Just wait just pause for a second
Let me plead my case
Its the late 70’s Huh
You Seventeen huh
and having me that will ruin everything huh
its a lot of angels waiting for their wings
you see me in your sleep so you cant kill your dreams
300 Dollars that’s the price of living what?
Mommy I don’t like this clinic
hopefully you’ll make the right decision
and don’t go though with the Knife Incision
but it hard to make the right move
when you in high school
how you got to work all day and take night school
hopping off da bus when the rain is pouring
What you want morning sickness or the Sickness of morning

[Chorus]
I’ll Always Be apart of you
Trust Your Soul Know His Heart Is True
If I Could Talk I’d Say To You
CAN I LIVE
CAN I LIVE
I’ll Always Be apart of you
Trust Your Soul Know His Heart Is True
If I Could Talk I’d Say To You
CAN I LIVE
CAN I LIVE

[Verse 2]
I’ am a child of the king
aint no need to go fear me
and I see the flowing tears so know that you hear me
when I move in your womb that’s me being scaring
cause who knows what my future holds
yo the truth be told you aint told a soul
yo you aint even showing I’m just 2 months old
thorough your clothes try to hide me deny
me went up 3 sizes
your pride got you lying saying aint nothing but a migraine
it aint surprising you not trying to be in wick food lines
your friends look at you funny but look at you mommy
that’s a life inside take a look at your tummy
what is becoming ma I am Oprah bound
you can tell he’s a star from the Ultrasound
Our Sprits Connected Doors Open Now
Nothing But Love And Respect Thanks For Holding Me Down She Let Me Live…

[Chorus]
I’ll Always Be apart of you
Trust Your Soul Know His Heart Is True
If I Could Talk I’d Say To You
CAN I LIVE
CAN I LIVE
I’ll Always Be apart of you
Trust Your Soul Know His Heart Is True
If I Could Talk I’d Say To You
CAN I LIVE
CAN I LIVE
[Repeat 2]

[Nick Talking]

Its uplifting foreal yall
I aint passing no judgment
aint making no decisions
I am just telling ya’ll my story
I love life
I love my mother for giving me life
we all need to appreciate life
a strong woman that had to make a sacrifice
Thanks for listening
Thanks for listening
Mama thanks for listening

I chose this song because I like the way the author, Nick Cannon talks about abortion without stepping on any toes. He finds a way to weave around the subject to let you know what he is talking about without actually coming out and saying “abortion is wrong”. I feel like he wrote this song to his mother for being so young when she had him and he is thanking her for giving him life. One of the parts that really caught my eye that made me actually realize what he was talking about is when he said “you see me in your sleep so you can’t kill your dreams”. It clicked that he was talking about killing a child. This song holds a particular significance to me because one of my close friends just had a child. She just turned 20 years old. She also had a little boy a couple days ago and I’m very glad that she decided to keep him. She had a lot going for her like an almost full ride track scholarship to Indiana University. She gave all that up to have him. This song talks about how she tried to hide her pregnancy from everyone and how when the baby grows up he is going to be a star. The beat to this song is like an upbeat pop/hip hop song. There are children voices singing the chorus in this song I think to impact the listeners more.