Wikepedia is a free, online encyclopedia that can be used, edited, and re-edited by anyone who chooses to use the wikepedia source. Although Wikepedia is one of the most commonly used sources of information, it should not be considered a reliable source. If any student makes the choice to use Wikwpedia to complete a report, its accuracy should always be checked by other reliable sources. The fact that anybody is able to go in and change information already written in Wikepedia is troubling to me. A person's reputation can be ruined all because some individual decided that it was in their best interest to change information, or type false information into the encyclopedia about a person or a well-known source. It is slander and should be illegal for someome to falsify a source. Misleading information can cause major problems for companies and individual businesses that are advertising market on Wikepedia. Walmart is one of the biggest companies in the United States. The fact that information was changed about the company was not right and the violators should have been punished.
Virgil Griffith, a graduate from the California University of Technology created the Wikepedia Scanner, which tracks down the IP Address of the person or people who changed information in the Wikepedia Encyclopedia. I think that this scanner is a good way of tracking down the people who make Wikepedia an unreliable source, but what good is it if these people are not going to be punished? Slander is a crime, Providing false information to the police is a crime, and so is identity theft. The fact that people can change information that may be true, and change it to what they want other people to believe is not too different from the crimes listed above. The scanner should be a device used by the FBI to track down these violaters and have them arrested. Tampering with evidence is punishable by law. Isn't changing reliable information into a false source considered a form of tampering with the "evidence" of that particular source? So that's the point. Wikepedia can not be considered a reliable source of information, and it should be illegal for somebody to change the information that can be printed in the Wikepedia Encyclopedia.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Week Eight: What If You Had A Vision
In Karl Fisch's November Blog he discusses a "What If" factor. He wanted to send a message to young people across the world. He discusses a 20/20 vision. He talks about how many students depend on so many other tools to help them accomplish their goals. Karl fisch wanted to try to help students envision what life would be like if they no longer had these particular things to depend on. After reading Fisch's blog, I realize that he wanted to influence young people to have faith in themselves to accomplish whatever it is they needed to get done. He wanted them to have a vision of what it would be like to learn things on their own instead of depending on other tools to teach them. For example, Fisch used a scenario of students using calculators on tests. he clearly stated that "If students were allowed to use calculators on tests, then how would they learn to solve mathematical problems to find the answer."
He also talked about what students would do if they didn't have pen or paper. I believe that he was trying to send the message that students should have their own thoughts and be able to put them into their own words. He was trying to convince them to take their focus off of what is written on the paper and aim at accomplishing the goals that they have set for themselves. I thought that his presentations were very well put together and that it does put viewers into a frame of personal thought. If we spent our entire lives depending on others to do things for us, then we would not even know what it feels like to do things on our own.
After viewing Karl fisch's entire blog, the word responsibility came to mind. I believe his purpose was to try to influence students to become responsible for their own goals and their own lives. Responsiblity is what makes us independent responsibility. Without struggling to make things happen for yourself, or without accomplishing a goal on your own, how would you ever know what it is to be grateful? Many students depend on tools, software, paper, and other things to help them solve problems, learn, or establish new information. What Karl fisch wanted students to do is to become responsible for themselves and learn to do things on their own. He wanted students like myself to think about how I could do something if my source was no longer available. How would I maintain myself then?
He also talked about what students would do if they didn't have pen or paper. I believe that he was trying to send the message that students should have their own thoughts and be able to put them into their own words. He was trying to convince them to take their focus off of what is written on the paper and aim at accomplishing the goals that they have set for themselves. I thought that his presentations were very well put together and that it does put viewers into a frame of personal thought. If we spent our entire lives depending on others to do things for us, then we would not even know what it feels like to do things on our own.
After viewing Karl fisch's entire blog, the word responsibility came to mind. I believe his purpose was to try to influence students to become responsible for their own goals and their own lives. Responsiblity is what makes us independent responsibility. Without struggling to make things happen for yourself, or without accomplishing a goal on your own, how would you ever know what it is to be grateful? Many students depend on tools, software, paper, and other things to help them solve problems, learn, or establish new information. What Karl fisch wanted students to do is to become responsible for themselves and learn to do things on their own. He wanted students like myself to think about how I could do something if my source was no longer available. How would I maintain myself then?
Week Seven: Karl Fisch and Computer Technology
Karl Fisch had an important point and message in his September blog. Computer Technology plays a major role in the field and study of education today. Everything that a person learns can be confirmed through research on the computer. All teachers should know how to manipulate computer tools and software because everything that they use will be programmed into the computer. Not only lesson and curriculum will be used in computer software, but student data will also be stored in the computer. It will soon be impossible to perform any function as a teacher without using some kind of program that has been stored into the computer. Several businesses have even made it possible to check work hours over the computer and payroll information that would normally be printed out on a stub. Without any knowledge of how to operate that particular software, employees would not be able to access this information.
Some people may think Karl fisch was a little harsh in saying that teachers should find themselves a new job if they are computer illiterate, but I strongly agree with him. Yes he says that it is nothing to be proud of and I agree with him on that as well. Sometimes we may feel as if we know the basic skills for operating computer technology, but how much do we really know? I think that courses should be offered in high schools as well as college universities to prepare students for computer technology. By the time those students enter the work force, everything they need to know will be programmed into those computers. A lack of this knowledge could possible interfere with a student's success in the workforce. A lack of certain skills and a lack of knowledge of a particular software could hender them from receiving the job they may desire.
As an educator, I felt inferior to other students in my Educational Media class because of the computer software that I was not familiar with. Without the knowledge of how to access information or store information into these particular programs, I could not be an effective educator in the future. How could I possibly teach children about software that I am not familiar with myself? It is very important for computer technology to be expanded across nations to students as well as educators. When I am successfully educated on each particular software and I am able to demonstrate the ability to use the software properly, then I will stand up and say that I am ready to move on as an educator of the youth.
Some people may think Karl fisch was a little harsh in saying that teachers should find themselves a new job if they are computer illiterate, but I strongly agree with him. Yes he says that it is nothing to be proud of and I agree with him on that as well. Sometimes we may feel as if we know the basic skills for operating computer technology, but how much do we really know? I think that courses should be offered in high schools as well as college universities to prepare students for computer technology. By the time those students enter the work force, everything they need to know will be programmed into those computers. A lack of this knowledge could possible interfere with a student's success in the workforce. A lack of certain skills and a lack of knowledge of a particular software could hender them from receiving the job they may desire.
As an educator, I felt inferior to other students in my Educational Media class because of the computer software that I was not familiar with. Without the knowledge of how to access information or store information into these particular programs, I could not be an effective educator in the future. How could I possibly teach children about software that I am not familiar with myself? It is very important for computer technology to be expanded across nations to students as well as educators. When I am successfully educated on each particular software and I am able to demonstrate the ability to use the software properly, then I will stand up and say that I am ready to move on as an educator of the youth.
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