Sunday, May 25, 2008

Computer + Student ≠ Education

Well knock me over with a feather!

I spent a great amount of time at the Internet Governance Forum in Rio, last November wondering aloud exactly WHY it is that "we" need to wire Africa so they can look at naked Russian teenagers like the rest of the world.

Despite the hand-wavery crowd was loudly braying that hooking up Africans would make things all better over there.

OK. Except maybe first we should, you know, fix the problems of a lack of food and electricity? I know, I know, give them computers and they will fix their own problems, and to a degree, that is indeed correct, but they are no a panacea.

So anyway, the computerization of educations appears to be a bit of a flop over in wealthier climes, too.

Thanks for the PC. What do I do with it?

CORONADO, Calif.--This probably doesn't come as a surprise to most parents, but plopping a computer down in front of a student doesn't necessarily translate into academic success.

Don Helfgott of Inspiration Software, Tom Greaves of Project Inkwell, and Jeanette Hammock of True North Logic (left to right) discuss technology in education.
(Credit: Tom Krazit/CNET News.com)

We've heard a lot in recent years about the One Laptop Per Child initiative, and similar competing programs, which aim to improve educational standards in various parts of the world through computing power. But according to a panel discussion at the Future in Review conference, the computer itself isn't the issue; educators need to find meaningful ways to introduce computers into their day-to-day instructional process.


I think that one thing that should be taught in school is the lesson about "The Internet is Forever". i was out for brunch with a friend and her younger sister, who is precocious but clearly on the verge of nubility and adolescence. .. I tried to give the girl a little advice about not trusting anybody with personal information online, i don't know if any of it sunk in.

The reason I did so was a couple of weeks ago when searching for a friend on Facebook, I found a young girl with the same name as my friend. She's in secondary school somewhere in America. She probably thought it wise and funny to write FUCK and ME on each of her boobs she partially flashed on her FB profile. I'm willing to bet she will come to regret that decision.

Monday, May 19, 2008

Rosie the Riveter never looked so Riveting




Spam, but kudos on the sexy re-purposing. Would it be tasteless to say loose lips sink ships?

Saturday, May 10, 2008

Dear Illiterate, Incoherent News Readers

Look, your job is a simple one. Pour yourself into a suit or a pantsuit, face the camera, smile (or look somber, whatever your notes tell you to do) and read the Tele-prompter. Not too difficult. The camera does the rest, transmitting you into our homes both visually, and audibly. And it is this last with which I have a problem.

You know that story you've been reading about Burma (aka Myanmar)? Yeah, the cyclone thing. Terrible deaths, injuries, homes lost?

K, the thing is - what kind of government do they have again? A military junta?

Now, that word - how do you pronounce it? Hun-ta, or better yet, hoon-ta. NOT FRIKKEN JUN-ta! The word is Spanish, dear idiot, and the least you could do is try.

I swear the next news-reader who says JUN-tah, I'm going to go down there, and make them a nice bow-tie out of their tongue.

Just because Bill on Channel 4 Action News or some down-trodden correspondent holed up in Bangkok at the moment on the network feed mispronounces it doesn't make it right.

So please, if you are someone who has big tits or a big chin and has to read stuff, and that's your only job in life, try to do it well. I mean the reading part. Your chin and tits will take care of themselves.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/junta