Traditional Education

I would put the image in the center, but the text wrap effect makes me look like I actually know what I'm doing. I assume. This image was stolen from the Napa Valley school of Massage website.

TRADITIONAL EDUCATION

I'm a big fan of alternative education. I'm a mellow guy, but my attention span isn't really one that shows mercy to anything I don't care about. In classes that I know I should pay attention but don't want to, I just don't. It seems like schooling these days is always preparing you for a test or another class. Very little that you learn in school is actually learned. How often do you hear kids complain, "Where would I ever use this in the real world?" Well a lot of times backin elementary school, a class could be about learning more than what the subject of the class is. Not anymore. Maybe it's just me, but for subject I don't care about, I try as hard as i can to retain enough information for long enough in order to regurgitate it onto a test paper and come out with a decent grade. For classes I like, I have no problem listening for hours and really learning. These classes come few and far between. That's why I enjoy projects, activities, trips... anything out of the ordinary. I would even rather have a research paper than a lame test recapping what happened in the last chapter of the Book of No One Cares. I'm the kind of person who learns better when I have to make it up for myself, if you hand it to me I'll just rely on you for more.

Blogs might help in the sense that it's something you navigate through. You go as deep as you feel like or just go over the surface to get a glance. The negative side is if it's really boring or a very difficult subject to master, a blog explaining things might not be enough.

The Mystery

I realized that it might seem pretty insane that I've already started this. Let me first say, I'm not the kind of studet who usually does things 2-3 weeks in advance, although I'd like to be. Actually, I'm at work all break from 9-5 everyday, and there is not a single thing to do. I'm actually eagerly anticipating the start of the quarter, I hate waiting for things. So for now, I'm checking out my only online class (this one) and finding out as much as possible. I'm scared that everyone has a Xanga or Myspace or something already, and I'll be the only one sitting around twidling my thumbs and wondering what's going on. Well not I, at least for this assignment. My posts my be completely irradic and not at all what is being asked for, but rambling eats up the time and I'm actually getting a kick out of this. In fact, I'm going to put up another image from this computer and ramble about it. This pic is of a Cranwell's Horned Frog, also known as the Pacman Frog. They come in yellow too, but those are albino. They're called pacman because they are pretty much a huge circular frog (max diameter 8") that does nothing but eat. They eat insects, other frogs, mice, baby chicks, fish... Whatever moves. I personally find them hilarious, and have one as a pet that isn't nearly as big...yet. Oh, it's almost 5 o' clock so let's wrap this up. Have a nice day.

What's going on?

I reviewed my blog and it actually looks pretty sweet. I like the parchment kind of feel, makes me come off as ... well, I don't really know what it makes me come off as, but I like it. I don't get what we are doing with these, maybe we'll find out as time goes on? Is a blog the same as an ePortfolio??? Or are we doing that later? Surfing around on other people's blogs leaves me with the impression that this is more of a self-publishing magazine. I think that's great, although it has little to do with what I thought an ePortfolio was. The internet has made it so any random shmoe (i.e. me) can be a published journalist. I think it was a blogger that exposed some big scandal way back, can't remember what, although I probably should. Anyway, glad to see that this is all working out. I might try to add an image to my next post. Actually, why don't I try that now? Hey you know what a good suggestion is... we should submit any written assignments for classes and stuff in a blog like this. The teacher could see the posting time, and the student's would have all their assignments easily accessible and archived. Plus other people could read essays etc. Well, maybe people don't want to be so exposed. That's another thing with the internet, too easy to be over exposed. Maybe I'll put up some of my essays that I'm proud of. Oh, for that picture... I'm at work right now so I don't know what this picture is. Hope it isn't obscene. Oh, that is very cute.

Prologue

I'm not terribly impaired when it comes to the internet, but I'm also no swashbuckler in terms of blogs. I've barely heard of Xanga, and I pretty much missed the MySpace train. I've never made an online portfolio, blog, or otherwise. Why am I taking this class? To learn how, of course. I've chosen blogger.com because it was the least intimidating when I got to the site, and I don't really understand if we're meant to make a resume type thing, a profile/bio, or an online journal. Hopefully by the end, I'll know what I'm doing and be able to make a spiffier ePortfolio than what this is turning out to be. Ok, I think I've rambled for an appropriate length, let's see how it all looks...