Link 6: Jill Schmidt Task 9
https://blogs.ubc.ca/jillmet/2023/11/04/task-9-network-assignment-using-golden-record-curation-quiz-data/
When comparing Jill’s experience of the data analysis with my own, it became clear that our distinct approaches to analyzing music preferences through the Palladio app revealed contrasting perspectives. While I found myself drawn to the dynamic and interactive visualizations, Jill grappled with a strong preference for the more structured Threadz app from a previous course (which is quite interesting). This contrast highlighted the unique ways in which we each engage with and interpret visual data, reflecting our individual cognitive styles and preferences.
Jill’s reliance on the familiar structure of tables and boxes within the Threadz app demonstrates a preference for systematic and organized representation of data, providing her with a sense of clarity and order. On the other hand, my exploration of the Palladio app allowed me to immerse myself in the interconnected nature of the visual data, fostering a deeper understanding of the complex relationships between music preferences and class dynamics. This difference in our tool preferences shed light on the diverse ways people interpret data and make it their own knowledge.
In Jill’s reflection, her careful work with tables showed how well she understands data, paying close attention to details. On the other hand, I enjoyed exploring the visual aspects of Palladio, which helped me see the connections between different pieces of information. This difference showed how we each have our own way of looking at and understanding data, based on our own styles and ways of thinking.
The diverse ways Jill and I engaged with the visual data in our analysis demonstrates the richness and versatility of visual representation in today’s digital age. While Jill’s meticulous work with tables highlighted the importance of clear and structured data organization, my exploration of Palladio’s visual intricacies brought to light the dynamic and interconnected nature of data representation. This contrast not only exemplified the various tools and approaches available for visualizing complex information but also emphasized the significance of selecting appropriate mediums to effectively communicate data-driven insights. As technology continues to evolve, the diverse array of visualization tools provides ample opportunities for educators to cater to different learning styles and cognitive preferences, fostering a more inclusive and accessible educational experience for students with varying analytical approaches. This recognition of the diverse visual representation of data encourages educators to embrace a multifaceted approach to knowledge dissemination, ensuring that students can engage with information in ways that resonate with their individual learning styles and cognitive abilities.
November 20th, 2023
Link #5: Task 8 Cody Peters
https://blogs.ubc.ca/codyp540/2023/10/24/voyager-curation-task-8-2/
It appears that Cody’s approach to selecting songs differentiates from mine as they had a more comprehensive set of criteria. Their methodology involves a complex interplay of socio-cultural, instrumental, and tonal considerations, leading to a diverse range of selections as opposed to mine, focusing solely on the “enjoyment” of listening. It was interesting to see Cody initially sought to include culturally representative songs but abandoned this approach due to the limitation of representing only a select number of cultures. This was something that I noticed as well during my completion of the task. Although I see there is an acknowledgement of various cultures, with only 27 recordings on the track, it is nearly impossible to be inclusive of diverse cultures.
In contrast to my Cody’s criteria, I have concentrated more on the ease of user engagement and the cultural resonance of the songs. I believe they may be due to our backgrounds in teaching and possibility life (this is only gauged through Cody’s other tasks. I am sure there are tons of commonalities between us). Their emphasis on the intricate composition of each piece showcases a theoretical approach that values the complexities of musical layers and the interplay of various instruments and voices. I truly appreciate the detail that Cody put into their selection of ten pieces. The effort put in provides an opportunity of enriching the listener’s experience by emphasizing the nuances and intricacies within the music.
It’s evident that Cody’s approach to song selection is extremely methodical. I appreciate Cody’s additional pieces that they would like to add based on today’s musical landscape. Their careful consideration of diverse elements has resulted in a rich and diverse collection that tries to reflect the complexity of our diversities in music appreciation on planet earth. In contrast, my own curation process has been driven by a desire to create an emotional resonance and connection with a wide audience, prioritizing familiarity and accessibility. While our approaches differ, both reflect a deep appreciation for the multifaceted nature of music and its ability to transcend cultural boundaries. As I continue to navigate this journey of musical exploration as a music teacher I find myself inspired by my colleague’s thoughtful methodology, making me have an adjusted approach to music selection within my ensembles at work. More and more throughout this course I find myself moving towards approachable music for any culture rather than learning the “classics” of wind ensemble.
November 9th, 2023
Link #4: Simon Worley Task 6 https://blogs.ubc.ca/sworley/2023/10/15/etec-540-task-6-the-emoji-description/
In the reflection provided by Simon, he grapples with the complexities underlying what initially appeared to be a simple task of translating text into emojis. At first, Simon approached the task with the presumption of easiness, only to encounter the difficult decision-making process involved. This was something similar to my own experience, often feeling frustrated at the lack of “vocabulary” available to speak my mind.
Simon’s shift from constructing elaborate sentences to a more literal approach shows a similar attempt to myself, trying to navigate the limitations of the available emojis while maintaining the concept. I often felt as if it was me learning a new language. I attribute it similarly to me learning Korean for my fiance, where the goal of each sentence is to simply hit a few concepts and worry less about proper sentence structure.
Simon’s evolving perception of emojis, as conveyed through the reference to Bolter’s (2001) perspective, the recognition of emojis as a “mode of representation” that breathes life into ideas and messages with a sense of delight. I like Simon’s thoughts of Emoji’s as a highlighter between textual and visual modalities in digital communication.
Simon’s reflection on the intricate interplay between textual and visual representation and the evolving understanding of emojis as a nuanced communicative tool. Through the linking, I found myself diving deeper into the role of an emoji within our digital communication age. Similar to Simon’s concluding thoughts, emojis have transcended their initial role as simple pictorial representations to myself. They have become dynamic and indispensable communication tools, enriching our digital interactions with added nuanced layers of meaning and emotion.
October 26th, 2023
References:
Bolter, J. D. (2001). Writing space: Computers, hypertext, and the remediation of print (2nd ed.). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Linking #3: Mike Forsyth https://blogs.ubc.ca/mforsyth/home/etec-540/task4-manual-scripts/
Reading Mike’s reflection on his experience with handwriting and the challenges he faced did not resonate with my own experience but it gave me a better understanding of how others approach learning in relation to writing. Writing by hand has not been an integral part of my academic journey, serving as a sanctuary during moments of mental impasse like Mike. I have used laptops and tablets growing up in education. There was a similarity between Mike and myself. Their acknowledgment of the difficulty in adjusting from keyboard reliance to the physical act of writing was a struggle for myself as well.
I empathize with the physical strain he encountered during the writing process. There’s a profound realization of the effort previous generations must have invested in handwritten documentation, a sentiment that struck a chord with me. Many lengthy texts such as the Christian Bible had to be handwritten before the invention of the printing press. In music, there are certain rules to symbols such as if one letter has a particular symbol, all other letters will have the symbol applied to them as well even if it’s not written. This rule was created so that composers did not have to meticulously write every small symbol throughout a symphony.
I had a different experience in terms of errors. Mike subconsciously scribbled or crossed out tiny errors while I took my time and paused if I felt the slightest sense of error was about to occur. It made me ponder how personalities can come out of handwriting that cannot be as easily uncovered in keyboard text.
Mike’s reflection serves as a gentle reminder of the enduring power of the handwritten word, evoking a sense of nostalgia for a time when every stroke of the pen carried a piece of the writer’s essence. There is a sense of personality as everyone has their own font in thought and visuals.
Bobby
October 11th, 2023
2. Reflection to Garth Von Buchholz Task 3: https://blogs.ubc.ca/garthvb/2023/09/24/task-3-voice-to-text-task/
How has your colleague’s experience differed from yours? And how do you know?
A key difference between Garth’s experience and reflection of task 3 in relation to mine was the common focal point between our answers. Garth focused on the structure and layout of the dictation script while I focused on the readability. I appreciated Garth’s acknowledgement of speech pattern and spontaneously not supporting the dictation and that was an area that I did not realize through my own reflection. Dictation software is strong at recognizing patterns however when Garth went off tangent during their 5 minute speech, the software struggled to comprehend. While looking back at my own speech, I believe there was evidence of spontaneity that gave the STT software difficulty in recognizing.
Another key difference between my colleague’s experience and my own were in the response questions chosen. Garth chose to complete a detailed response of the questions “In what ways does oral storytelling differ from written storytelling” and “What if you had “scripted” the story? What difference might that have made?”. In retrospect, These questions were quite meaningful and I wished I reflected on those questions to deepen my own experience with STT. Garth’s response to the difference of oral and written storytelling was quite accurate to my own understanding of it, utilizing the human senses as a means of differentiating oral and written storytelling. Oral is focused on aural skills while written is focused on sight. I do like how Garth also mentions touch for accessibility awareness.
As a music teacher, the sense of sounds is critical in my daily life. Listening is about 80% of my career. Although Garth focuses on the structure of oral language, their thoughts made me ponder on the importance of listening from STT. The dictation software is incorrectly writing down our speech because of its listening capability. It makes me think of miscommunication, oftentimes the person simply misheard as it spirals into argument. There is a relationship between the user and the STT. Both sides must try to listen and understand in order for proper communication to be successful. It is quite fragile but beautiful of a relationship.
October 1st, 2023
1. Reflection of Jerry Chen’s Task 2: https://blogs.ubc.ca/etecjerrychen/2023/09/17/task-2/
How has your colleague’s experience differed from yours? And how do you know?
Jerry’s experience of Dr. Boroditsky’s speech was quite similar to mine in a sense that our personal connections to her concepts were similar. We are both from Chinese backgrounds and when Jerry mentioned the thought of when a Chinese person greets another they ask “have you eaten”, it was a connection I felt on a personal level. A small difference was that when I was listening through the lecture, I did not connect to the differences of greetings based on cultural places as Jerry had in their reflection. Upon doing the linking assignment, that connection was made.
What web authoring tool have they chosen to manifest their work?
One simple concept that Jerry had that I would implement is the posting of the lecture video above for reference. I was able to click on the timestamp with the accessible video and connect their reflections to the lecture in real time. The small accessibility difference manifested an opportunity that is not currently available with my submission of the assignment.
What theoretical underpinnings are evident in your/your colleague’s textual architecture and how does this affect one’s experience of the work?
A concept that was interconnected by Jerry was the amount of detail put towards the connection of Western Culture and Eastern Culture. From examples of hand counting to the way one tells time, the overlapping examples were evident in my colleagues’ textual architecture. Dr. Boroditsky mentions culture and its influence on language. With my task, I focused on how the influence of language is based on thought and how one thinks based off their native language. Jerry focused on the interpretation of common acts such as telling time and counting numbers. The simplicity of understanding the difference in culture was evident throughout Jerry’s reflection on the task.
Overall, there was a sense of reinsurance and an opening new perspective through Jerry’s post of Task 2. There were similarities in our personal experiences in relation to the lecture. As well, seeing different approaches and thoughts to the same statements that Dr. Boroditsky gave a deeper understanding of language and its influence that could not have been found without this linking assignment. I am curious to see if this feeling of reinsurance and opening of new perspective will continue as I connect with more colleagues in this course. I thought perspectives would always be different but now I feel that similar conclusions may occur more often. The diversity of students in this course is a positive aspect of it. I am excited to continue linking content after this first linkage.
Bobby
September 17th, 2023