As a foreigner, but one whose formative years were spent in the USA, this was a priceless moment. I confess that living overseas I couldn't listen to the speech live, so I read it last night. Mr. Obama speaks to our generation, the one that has ridden the fast years as kids and young adults, looking up at the older generation for clues of what went wrong and what was rightly done. I also confess I shed a tear or two reading the speech; for although a foreigner, my values were shaped in America; honor and hard work were principles that lead to success, and anyone had the right to a dream and the means to reach it. That's the reason why many foreigners, far away from their own countries look up to this moment as the moment they've all been hoping for, a moment of reckoning and of dreams again being possible.
I have no idea werther former presidents spoke or not to their generations as Obama did with this speech, but this one really did it for me. I believe our generation was robbed of their innocence and dreams before their even had a chance.The forecast today looks promising...
I couldn't vote for Barrack Obama: but had I been an American citizen, I most surely would have, and would feel as elated as I do now. I just hope we're not thrusting upon his shoulders all the dreams and hopes for him to bear on his own (or the blame when tougher times continue to arise), but that America and foreign countries alike are willing to share the load and ready to shoulder in themselves to help this man meet all our expectations.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
eLearn 2008 Part II
Ok, that was long enough between part I and II. I apologize for that.
One of the subjects that was most drawn on presentations was that of Online gaming as learning environments and that of course included Second Life.
It is to be understood that Physical gaming as opposed to virtual gaming requires at least a temporary portioning of the physical environment for the game or simulation to take place, the laws of physics apply to all players and people typically behave with socially construed rules and norms continuously maintained. Virtual games on the other hand are free of many of these restrictions or variables; however the minute you get into the augmented realm that is that of Second Life for example, the situation isn’t all imaginary and a temporary positioning of a physical (although virtual) environment is required as much as design laws apply to possible interaction. Likewise because of the virtually physical environment, socially construed norms and rules virtually permeate the interaction!
Having said the above, we find from the paper presented for a University Curriculum for Second Life Course (Calif. State University) that authentic context and activity are built in, there is access to expert modeling and performance, there are multiple roles and perspectives available, with collaborative construct of knowledge that allows scaffolding, reflection and coaching of individuals, including authentic assessment possibilities.
I also attended some good presentations on design and development of web-based formative peer assessment, on open models that addressed multilingual aspects of online participation and e-learning. However, the most outstanding discussions from my personal perspective are the ones I have mentioned in PartI and here.
One of the subjects that was most drawn on presentations was that of Online gaming as learning environments and that of course included Second Life.
It is to be understood that Physical gaming as opposed to virtual gaming requires at least a temporary portioning of the physical environment for the game or simulation to take place, the laws of physics apply to all players and people typically behave with socially construed rules and norms continuously maintained. Virtual games on the other hand are free of many of these restrictions or variables; however the minute you get into the augmented realm that is that of Second Life for example, the situation isn’t all imaginary and a temporary positioning of a physical (although virtual) environment is required as much as design laws apply to possible interaction. Likewise because of the virtually physical environment, socially construed norms and rules virtually permeate the interaction!
Having said the above, we find from the paper presented for a University Curriculum for Second Life Course (Calif. State University) that authentic context and activity are built in, there is access to expert modeling and performance, there are multiple roles and perspectives available, with collaborative construct of knowledge that allows scaffolding, reflection and coaching of individuals, including authentic assessment possibilities.
I also attended some good presentations on design and development of web-based formative peer assessment, on open models that addressed multilingual aspects of online participation and e-learning. However, the most outstanding discussions from my personal perspective are the ones I have mentioned in PartI and here.
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