WEEK TWO BLOG

Please read "The Allegory of the Cave" on Wikipedia. What, in your own words, is an allegory? What is the allegory all about? What connections can you make with The Matrix? And, yes, there is a lot of material on the web about this. If you use ideas from a source, be sure to tell us where it came from and post the link. Do not cut and paste off someone elses' blog or website onto your blog.

Hectic

So, the last couple of days have been hectic. It takes a few weeks for students (and myself) to get used to the quick pace of the media cluster. Now that we have to start the ePortfolio sooner in the semester that gives us three complictaed tasks to master in a few days--blogging, Blackboard, and ePortfolio. For next semester I need a PowerPoint that explains what the three are for, what the differences are between them, why we are doing them at all and etc. The good thing is, of course, that my students always end up being pretty tech-savy by the end of the semester as we also learn PowerPoint and (as time allows) Movie Maker as well.

This weekend I will finish out the schedule for the rest of the semester so I can "hand it out" (that is, post to Bb6) next week.

Don't Panic!

To all my blogging students: Don't Panic! You do not have to have all the class links on your blog this week. You can use my links to get to some of your classmates to read and respond to their blogs. If you are NOT on my list to the right, be sure to post your blog address in WEEK ONE in Blackboard. I will not evaluate the first week's blog until later in WEEK TWO.

Happy blogging and keep up the good work!

Now, about the LOST episode last night. What the heck was up with that? My current theory is that the island houses a singularity (essentially a collapsed black hole) which makes time bend around it and is slowly collapsing a part of the universe around itself (the island). Anyone else watch LOST?

WEEK TWO BLOG (for those who want to get an early start): Please read "The Allegory of the Cave" on Wikipedia. What, in your own words, is an allegory? What is the allegory all about? What connections can you make with The Matrix? And, yes, there is a lot of material on the web about this. If you use ideas from a source, be sure to tell us where it came from and post the link. Do not cut and paste off someone elses' blog or website onto your blog.

SPRING I 2008

Welcome to my class blog! This semester the theme is Truth, Lies, and Videotape and my class will be focusing on the theme of "Living in the Matrix." We are not going to watch all the Matrix films because the Reloaded and Revolutions are just too much . . . seriously.

Those of you in my class need to complete the following: 1) set up a blog here on blogspot (start at blogger.com); 2) add a link on your blog to my blog; 3) give me your blog address with your name; 4) add links to all classmates' blogs.

Starting today, I will be posting weekly discussion questions to get you started on your blogging adventure. You must post every week (I evaluate the blogs every Monday) and respond to classmates. This week, of course, the blog is about the Matrix film. I would like you to write a review of the film (about 500 words) analyzing interesting ideas you see. Feel free to use our readings, but be sure you indicate in your blog which ideas come from the readings.

Good luck and happy blogging!

Reading

Mary asked about books to read, so I will occassionally pop a couple out here. My first suggestions of "best books ever" are the following (not in any particular order):

1) Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu.
2) The Republic by Plato.
3) The Analects of Confuscious.
4) The Dhammapada.
5) The Ramayana.
6) El Cid.
7) Don Quixote by Cervantes.
8) The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis.
9) The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera.
10) House of the Spirits by Isabell Allende.