So basically next week our class, including me, won't be allowed to use ANY technology.i hope i'll last for 5 days.
well there will be
no games
no internet
no music players
no telephone- except emergencies
no TV or DVDs
no cellphones
no computers/email- except for school work.
It is going to be from 25th till 29th after school =)
Also we are supposed to keep a journal every day. Simply to write about the day, what we did and how hard/easy it is.
Yeaah..good luck to me!..=)
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Criterion E: Evaluation.
Criterion E: Evaluation
For this project we were supposed to work in pairs in order to find an error on Wikipedia. My partner was Nandy. We worked together and we found an article on Wikipedia that was specifically wrong. The article that we had found was on our school, International School of Ulaanbaatar. My own design specifications were:
o Edit the text properly
o Find reliable sources
o Do everything as supposed to such as the MLA citations that were required for this criterion. As from what I can see, I completed all of my specifications. I have edited the text on Wikipedia while giving out proper and reliable sources. I cited all of them in the MLA format also.
Nandy who was my partner, looked at my design specifications and she said that they're reasonable and good. =)
For criterion A, we were supposed to answer some questions which were mainly about Wikis, Wikipedia, and cites like this. The main questions were the usage of it, reliability etc. As for my investigation, I answered all of the questions by searching for information on the internet. It was pretty interesting because we found out a lot of new useful information and found out a lot of new things also. For this project we were separated into pairs and my partner was Nandy.As for the steps, firstly we thought of a few main themes or topic/ideas that we are familiar with and that are most likely to be wrong on Wikipedia. Our list was mainly related to Mongolia, Bosnia and things that we are interested in. For the second step, we searched for these articles on Wikipedia and read them all in order to find an error. Only one of them had an error and it was the International School of Ulaanbaatar article. The article states that in ISU we are offered an U.S. curriculum but not anymore. It has been changed to the IB. Therefore the article that I edited was this one. It was fairly easy because I am familiar with the OSI and all of the information there is on the page was very broad and simple so it was easy for me to spot the errors. I was pretty satisfied with my investigation because I answered all of the questions that we were asked and I fulfilled the criteria quite well.
For criterion B we were supposed to find that specific inaccuracy on Wikipedia which we were supposed to edit on our blogs. After this we were to cite the sources that we found the basic information on in MLA format. Afterwards, we were to write down a list of our specifications which we are going to follow in order to make our project good. This criterion I did fairly well, but the only wrong thing was the fact that I did not post my criterion on my blog on time but saved it as a draft only. That was the only ‘disappointment’ for me.
And last, our criterion D which is Create. For this part we simply went to Wikipedia, logged on and edited the article on Wikipedia that we had chosen. Today, I checked the article and there was no change on the text that I have written last time. I am happy. The main reason for no one changing the article is because I gave a reliable source that supported my argument.
As for the impacts on the society it was very important from me doing this. For example if a student was looking on the ISU article and they saw a mistake such as the one on the program offered in ISU that I have edited, that would have changed their future. If that student saw that ISU is based upon a U.S. curriculum, they would be getting wrong information because the curriculum these days is the IB which is the only program being offered at ISU now.
For this project we were supposed to work in pairs in order to find an error on Wikipedia. My partner was Nandy. We worked together and we found an article on Wikipedia that was specifically wrong. The article that we had found was on our school, International School of Ulaanbaatar. My own design specifications were:
o Edit the text properly
o Find reliable sources
o Do everything as supposed to such as the MLA citations that were required for this criterion. As from what I can see, I completed all of my specifications. I have edited the text on Wikipedia while giving out proper and reliable sources. I cited all of them in the MLA format also.
Nandy who was my partner, looked at my design specifications and she said that they're reasonable and good. =)
For criterion A, we were supposed to answer some questions which were mainly about Wikis, Wikipedia, and cites like this. The main questions were the usage of it, reliability etc. As for my investigation, I answered all of the questions by searching for information on the internet. It was pretty interesting because we found out a lot of new useful information and found out a lot of new things also. For this project we were separated into pairs and my partner was Nandy.As for the steps, firstly we thought of a few main themes or topic/ideas that we are familiar with and that are most likely to be wrong on Wikipedia. Our list was mainly related to Mongolia, Bosnia and things that we are interested in. For the second step, we searched for these articles on Wikipedia and read them all in order to find an error. Only one of them had an error and it was the International School of Ulaanbaatar article. The article states that in ISU we are offered an U.S. curriculum but not anymore. It has been changed to the IB. Therefore the article that I edited was this one. It was fairly easy because I am familiar with the OSI and all of the information there is on the page was very broad and simple so it was easy for me to spot the errors. I was pretty satisfied with my investigation because I answered all of the questions that we were asked and I fulfilled the criteria quite well.
For criterion B we were supposed to find that specific inaccuracy on Wikipedia which we were supposed to edit on our blogs. After this we were to cite the sources that we found the basic information on in MLA format. Afterwards, we were to write down a list of our specifications which we are going to follow in order to make our project good. This criterion I did fairly well, but the only wrong thing was the fact that I did not post my criterion on my blog on time but saved it as a draft only. That was the only ‘disappointment’ for me.
And last, our criterion D which is Create. For this part we simply went to Wikipedia, logged on and edited the article on Wikipedia that we had chosen. Today, I checked the article and there was no change on the text that I have written last time. I am happy. The main reason for no one changing the article is because I gave a reliable source that supported my argument.
As for the impacts on the society it was very important from me doing this. For example if a student was looking on the ISU article and they saw a mistake such as the one on the program offered in ISU that I have edited, that would have changed their future. If that student saw that ISU is based upon a U.S. curriculum, they would be getting wrong information because the curriculum these days is the IB which is the only program being offered at ISU now.
The Ger District Trip.
Last Tuesday, the 12th of May, the grade 10 class went on a field trip to the Ger District in UB.
First, we went on a very interesting and fun tour of the Ger District. We visited a few families, and most importantly we visited the Flourishing Future, the community center. We talked to the students in the Head-start where the students prepared for school by reading and writing in Mongolian language. We all looked at their progress in reading and writing.
After this, we visited the family that we were building the fence for. All of us worked hard (except Choong Hwan :D) We dug a toilet for the family, we set up posts for the rest of the fence that is about to be built. It was hard work, but it payed off.
We got to see and understand what their lives are like. It was very interesting hearing all the stories about the families. I can not imagine how hard it is for those people to live their lives like this. We are not used to this and most of us can not understand what it is like.
Anyway, for me personally it was a fun,interesting,new and a very good experience because I got to see, get to know what their lives are like. Most of us live in our own bubbles and sometimes it is neccessary to get out of them and think about others,about consequences and about life out there.
Thankss =).
First, we went on a very interesting and fun tour of the Ger District. We visited a few families, and most importantly we visited the Flourishing Future, the community center. We talked to the students in the Head-start where the students prepared for school by reading and writing in Mongolian language. We all looked at their progress in reading and writing.
After this, we visited the family that we were building the fence for. All of us worked hard (except Choong Hwan :D) We dug a toilet for the family, we set up posts for the rest of the fence that is about to be built. It was hard work, but it payed off.
We got to see and understand what their lives are like. It was very interesting hearing all the stories about the families. I can not imagine how hard it is for those people to live their lives like this. We are not used to this and most of us can not understand what it is like.
Anyway, for me personally it was a fun,interesting,new and a very good experience because I got to see, get to know what their lives are like. Most of us live in our own bubbles and sometimes it is neccessary to get out of them and think about others,about consequences and about life out there.
Thankss =).
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Criterion D.
Ok..so I changed the Wikipedia article on the International School of Ulaanbaatar Curriculum just now and finally it is correct.I hope that someone will not delete it.. =)
Basically, I went to Wikipedia,logged in with our class username and password and simply edited the text. Afterward, we can add or remove the sources if needed.
The more sources we have,or the more useful and informational they are, we have a lower chance of someone removing/deleting or changing (back) the article.
Here is the text and the changes that I have made:
"The program of study used is the International Baccalaureate which consists of the MYP(Middle Years Program) and the DP(Diploma Program). The teaching methodology stresses activity-based learning, and the children are encouraged to enjoy and participate in the investigation of all areas of study. The School offers a full range of subjects, including English, Drama, mathematics, science, arts and crafts, music, physical education, French, Chinese, Korean and Mongolian. Teaching materials are primarily from Britain and the United States and instruction is in English. Classes in English-as-a-Second-Language are provided for those children who require it".
Basically, I went to Wikipedia,logged in with our class username and password and simply edited the text. Afterward, we can add or remove the sources if needed.
The more sources we have,or the more useful and informational they are, we have a lower chance of someone removing/deleting or changing (back) the article.
Here is the text and the changes that I have made:
"The program of study used is the International Baccalaureate which consists of the MYP(Middle Years Program) and the DP(Diploma Program). The teaching methodology stresses activity-based learning, and the children are encouraged to enjoy and participate in the investigation of all areas of study. The School offers a full range of subjects, including English, Drama, mathematics, science, arts and crafts, music, physical education, French, Chinese, Korean and Mongolian. Teaching materials are primarily from Britain and the United States and instruction is in English. Classes in English-as-a-Second-Language are provided for those children who require it".
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Criterion B.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_School_of_Ulaanbaatar
The program of study used is based upon model U.S. curricula, extended for international use. The teaching methodology stresses activity-based learning, and the children are encouraged to enjoy and participate in the investigation of all areas of study. The School offers a full range of subjects, including English, Drama, mathematics, science, arts and crafts, music, physical education, French, Chinese, Korean and Mongolian. Teaching materials are primarily from Britain and the United States and instruction is in English. Classes in English-as-a-Second-Language are provided for those children who require it. A community English program has also been established, teaching the basics of English language to local children on a part-time basis.
http://www.isumongolia.edu.mn/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=14&Itemid=22
"The International School of Ulaanbaatar (ISU) seeks to offer the best educational system possible, based on an international curriculum.
ISU has always maintained a strong commitment to celebrating cultural identity and responsible citizenship and one of 150 schools worldwide that offers all three of the IB Programs.
ISU offers the International Baccalaureate Diploma for Senior Students, and has done so since 2002, the Middle Years Program for Grades Six to Ten since 2002, and the Primary Years Program for elementary students since 2000".
As for my specifications
1. edit the text properly
2. find reliable sources
3. do everything as supposed to. =)
MLA Citations for my sources
For the school's home page:
International School of Ulaanbaatar. "Curriculum." International School of Ulaanbaatar. May 2009. Deifort LLC. 13 May 2009
For the wikipedia article:
"International School of Ulaanbaatar." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. 29 Mar 2009. Wikipedia. 13 May 2009
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Wikiality
What is a wiki? Who creates them? Why use them? Who edits them?
A 'wiki' is a collection of web pages that are designed and created to allow anyone with to contribute to the changes they wish to make. Wikis are created by anyone that wishes to do so. They sometimes have useful information and they are very easy to use. Sometimes, the content on the pages is not right and therefore is not a good source of information. One of the most famous wikis today is Wikipedia. For this cite all you have to do is create a username/account and sign up. After this step you simply sing up and edit the page in any way they want to.
What is your task? Why is it important for you to learn about Wikipedia?A 'wiki' is a collection of web pages that are designed and created to allow anyone with to contribute to the changes they wish to make. Wikis are created by anyone that wishes to do so. They sometimes have useful information and they are very easy to use. Sometimes, the content on the pages is not right and therefore is not a good source of information. One of the most famous wikis today is Wikipedia. For this cite all you have to do is create a username/account and sign up. After this step you simply sing up and edit the page in any way they want to.
In our IT class we are doing a project on ‘Wikiality’: How they first appeared, who uses them, who edits them etc. For us it is very important to learn about this because we are the ones that use Wikipedia, Wiki-answers and other types for references. Most of the time, we do not know if the content on the page was edited or not. It is pretty hard to see on certain pages that we do not know much about.
Where does Wikipedia get its information?
Mostly Wikipedia gets the information from other websites and people cite that as a reference in the page. Sometimes people that edit the pages randomly type anything that is either relevant or not to the title/topic.
Who is in charge of deciding what goes into an article and what gets removed from an article?
The people that decide what is going to be saved on the page are the ones that edited that certain article themselves. They can write whatever they wish to but it is very likely that the content of the article will be changed in a few minutes. Therefore anyone with an account on Wikipedia can go into a certain article and edit it any possible way they wish to.
If there is some debate about whether a particular bit of information should or should not be included in an article, what is the process for deciding?
I am pretty sure that these debates, on what is going to be saved in an article, happen very often. The process for deciding is nothing but people with accounts logging in and editing that certain page as they wish to. For example if there was an article about religion and someone logged in and wrote in that article that “religion is nothing but fiction. There is no God because I am the greatest”. If another person saw this they would edit this article because they did not agree with the information given. This could go on for a long time and there would be more than two people involved in it.
But also a possible way is just seeing the difference in the number of sources. Whoever has more
sources in their reference part, they get to publish their article.
How reliable do you think Wikipedia actually is?
As I mentioned above, there are many articles with the proper information. This information is usually found on other websites which are usually cited in the ‘reference’ box.
Whenever I am doing a project on something, most of the time I go to Wikipedia too. I look for that certain information on Wikipedia and most of the time the content is correct. But there were a few times where the article was completely wrong and the information is clearly incorrect mostly because the person who edited the page wrote about something totally different and clearly wrong.
So sometimes Wikipedia is a reasonable source, sometimes it is not. In my opinion the more famous the article is, the chance of the content being wrong is quite low.
How would you know whether a particular article really is accurate?
Whenever we search for something on Wikipedia, it is important that we know at least something about the topic so when we use the information we know what the article is about. When I use Wikipedia, it is always after I know a little bit about the topic. This way if something was written in a article we would know if it was correct or not. Another way to check if that particular article is correct, is to search for the topic on the internet or ask someone.
How would you go about discovering whether an article contains inaccurate information?
After using Wikipedia it is important to check the information on the internet, in books, with your teacher or anyone that could be familiar with that certain topic. Well this is what I usually do.
For this project we were separated into pairs and my partner was Nandy.
As for the steps, firstly we thought of a few topics that we were familiar with and that were most likely to be wrong. Our list was mainly related to Mongolia, Bosnia and things that we are interested in. For the second step, we searched for these articles on Wikipedia and read them all in order to find an error. Only one of them had an error and it was the ISU article. The article states that in ISU we are offered an U.S. curriculum but not anymore. It has been changed to the IB.
“The program of study used is based upon model U.S. curricula, extended for international use. The teaching methodology stresses activity-based learning, and the children are encouraged to enjoy and participate in the investigation of all areas of study.” Well the error is that there is no U.S. curricula anymore but instead ISU offers and IB program which contains of the MYP (Middle Years Program) and DP (Diploma Program).
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