Please enjoy my video on how we cite have changed over time and the implications of the internet!
Author: Agnes
Task 12: Speculative Futures
StandardMy dystopian world was inspired by our Chapter 5 reading from Dunne and Raby (2013, p. 73) when the author describes a dystopian future as a “cautionary tale of what lies ahead if we are not careful”. I considered what scares most people, and that is their invasion of privacy and reflected on what would happen if we do not regulate privacy invasion.
My Utopian world was inspired by Dunne and Raby (2013) when they described a Utopian world as peaceful and harmonious. I wanted my world to represent a similar feeling. Although, most aspects I included appear desirable and are often fantasies of individuals, i.e. no school, living longer, wanting to be lazier etc., when it is observable in my narrative, it will make people wary of this type of future as well.
Please view my Speculative Futures narratives here:
Watch my Powtoon: ETE540 Task 12
References
Dunne, A. & Raby, F. (2013). Speculative Everything: Design, Fiction, and Social Dreaming. Cambridge: The MIT Press. Retrieved August 30, 2019, from Project MUSE database.
Task 10: Attention Economy
StandardFor starters, I want to praise any of my colleagues who completed the game to its end. I am embarrassed to say I barely made it past a few stages of the game, despite dedicating a substantial amount of time, and repeated efforts in my attempts.
Here is where I ended up:
If one of my attempts to proceed in the game did not work, I would re-click what I knew progressed me prior and then my strategy became to click multiple locations on the page, and see what happened. Not that strategic, more desperate than anything. Frequently, I grew impatient (and I am a very patient person), exited the game, and started it again. I think my impatience stems from feeling so confident navigating web content, and using technology, that the expectation I placed on myself was too high. I am used to familiar patterns of locations and navigation language of hyperlinks, help chat tools, and scrolling. My familiarity with this comprehension is because I grew up shopping online, and researching on the web in high school and University with familiar web patterns. These skills and understandings are transferrable to new sites I visit.
I reflected on the stereotype that older adults have difficulties navigating the web, sometimes clicking buttons at random, and are unsure of how to comprehend how an app works. This is precisely how I felt in this activity. I wonder if this stereotype is prevalent due to their unfamiliarity with patterns of web design and navigation that are so engrained in someone like myself, who belongs to a generation consistently exposed to the web throughout our lifetime. When it comes to shopping or utilizing the web, Brignull’s (2011) term Homo Economicus seems not applicable. All customers are not the same, as they come to the online store with different capacities, and are impacted by their confidence as online shoppers, and prior experience in web navigation. I have recalled hearing older family members stating they gave up or will do it later, when online shopping because navigating was frustrating or difficult, which mimics a familiar feeling of what I had in this game. Maybe instead, the user design experience for an older adult was a VR experience of someone walking into the store, observing items and telling the assistant what they wanted to purchase. This would be in alignment with what an older adult is familiar with when it comes to shopping. This would reduce frustration, and the familiarity would enhance trust.
One of the dark patterns of the activity was being asked for our email addresses without identifying why the email address and information are necessary to be collected. I made up an email address and felt cautious about entering any identifying information because I am unsure how they would use that information. Also throughout my time within the game, it felt as though the game was not trying to make the experience easier for me. It felt as though I was not welcome, and felt unsupported. Certainly, I felt defeated by the game and wanted to leave the site so many times. This is a great activity for new web developers, to understand that the easier and more transparent the site is for the customer, they will see an increase in positive user feedback, leading to more sales, profit, and positive reviews.
References
Brignull, H. (2011). Dark Patterns: Deception vs. Honesty in UI Design. Interaction Design, Usability, 338.
Task 9: Network Assignment
StandardInitially, taking a peek at the first file sent to us, I struggled to find my name, but was thankful to see my name in the other section’s file! As a result, I did analyze both graphs thoroughly. I analyzed Section A graph by following paths and walks of the graph (Systems Innovation, 2015). I found this was strategic when trying to interpret the data. Seeking meaning and connection amongst my colleagues, I noticed the following:
1) First, I recognized that I belonged to Community #2, alongside the following students: Emily MacDougall, Alexis Reeves, and Sophy Chu. The below screenshot is the isolation of just our community 2. One can observe my significance within this network when finding the node that is representative of my name.
2) Adjusting the facet filter, I observed the target totals and was able to view the nodes (track #’s) that were not significant in our group. These were tracks 17, 27, 8 and 10. Surprisingly, I did not select any of those. A question I am left wondering is, why others did not select those as well? In System Innovations (2015), they mention that connectivity significance is not always positive. This made me ponder that what if these unpopular choices that were made, were in fact better choices, that were not made by the rest of us? What if it is better to be an outlier in data?
In addition to that thought, I reflected on the learning we did this week on search algorithms. I considered that maybe there are fantastic websites that provide excellent information that is overlooked by algorithms, because of limited access. and unpopularity. Maybe the algorithm believes that a particular result is not relevant to me… but what if it is? What if we had some choice in what is relevant? For instance, I like when Facebook offers the option to see more of certain posts, or less of certain types of posts. I feel a bit slighted that I may be censored from information because of algorithms. That is where the political piece comes in. Yes, with machine learning, algorithms evolve independently, but there are still humans in charge of these algorithms with distinct political preferences, beliefs, and cultural perspectives. How (or can we) ensure that algorithms remain free from political agendas?
3) I found the graph was limited because I would have had to consult with my colleagues’ Task 8 blog posts, to view their reasoning for their selections. I was not able to decipher their reasoning using the Palladio graph alone. If we completed a google form as a section, then we offered a reason attached with our choice, then given access to the master google spreadsheet, we could then select a track title, and view the frequency of it, and view a short answer of their reasoning. That may have been a way of understanding the reasoning of the selected choices.
However, it could still be possible within this Palladio graph if there were other nodes that were included in the graph ie. for generic reasons, location etc., that would provide more edges to translate connections.
4) From a cultural perspective, maybe other students chose selections that they recognized or based on traditions of their cultures. It would be important that we had classmates that were from different parts of the world to offer their input on what we put on the Golden Record. There certainly is bias present if all participants are from North America or a certain section of Canada. We all are pursuing higher education and part of the same MET program, so that may produce a particular similar perspective in some respects.
References
Systems Innovation. (2015, April 19). Network Connections [Video]. Youtube. https://youtu.be/2iViaEAytxw
Task 8: Golden Record Curation Assignment
StandardAt first, when I was trying to determine my criteria for the assignment, I thought I probably will choose the songs based on my favourite pieces. I thought that other lifeforms may want to hear the most beautiful compositions from our earth. I was surprised how quickly my criteria changed while listening to the podcast episode and taking into account their input.
When listening to each song, I worked through various stereotypes and biases of the lifeform that would intercept this record. At first, I assumed they would have our intelligence or higher. I then thought they may not have evolved as we have so wondered what creatures the audience of this is.
When communicating, it is integral to consider your audience. I felt that I shifted my original focus from only wanting to select beautiful songs (which the only criteria would be if I enjoyed listening to them and wanted to hear more), to just wanting to make sure they could hear, interpret or comprehend the music that was delivered on the golden record. I wanted to make sure varied aspects of our civilization on earth had been covered. I wanted to showcase how humans live and interact with our planet. I also wanted to vary the type of musical formats to ensure there is a greater chance the recipients could receive the sound. I have listed my top ten choices below and have a brief reason for my selection.
10. Java, court gamelan, “Kinds of Flowers,” recorded by Robert Brown. 4:43
As the podcast host and guest (Taylor, n.d) identify, this piece shares information about our earth through naming flowers and offers symbolism of spiritual and physical states. This piece fits my criteria in that it is sharing substantial information through songs about elements of nature and human connection on earth. I thought that this was one of the only songs that featured the inter-connected dynamics of our planet.
9. Australia, Aborigine songs, “Morning Star” and “Devil Bird,” recorded by Sandra LeBrun Holmes. 1:26
This song made the list because of the low sound that is made. Including this song is important if the recipients of the golden record can only understand this low vibrational tone.
8. Japan, shakuhachi, “Tsuru No Sugomori” (“Crane’s Nest,”) performed by Goro Yamaguchi. 4:51
I chose this song, as it is composed using a bamboo flute. I felt that if there is a chance that a flute made out of a similar plant like bamboo was made by another planet, then they may have produced similar sounds. Also, because it is made out of bamboo, they would be able to know more about our foliage on earth.
7. Mozart, The Magic Flute, Queen of the Night aria, no. 14. Edda Moser, soprano. Bavarian State Opera, Munich, Wolfgang Sawallisch, conductor. 2:55
The vocals of this opera song show how sophisticated our music is. Also, it represents the talents of humans to use their voices in impressive ranges.
6. Georgian S.S.R., chorus, “Tchakrulo,” collected by Radio Moscow. 2:18
Since the theme of this song is preparing for battle, it was important to include this song to feature an element of humans on earth- war. War and conflict have been common to civilizations on earth, and this is another identifier of our planet.
5. Peru, panpipes and drum, collected by Casa de la Cultura, Lima. 0:52
I liked this sound and wanted to include a song with drums and panpipes because it would be my assumption this may be an early musical instrument for another lifeform. Of course, this is an assumption made by comparing our evolution of music. Another assumption is that the lifeforms are not as sophisticated as ours. Regardless of the recipients recognizing the sounds, I felt drums also are iconic to many cultures around the world.
4. Beethoven, Fifth Symphony, First Movement, the Philharmonia Orchestra, Otto Klemperer, conductor. 7:20 – This selection I chose for the high and low range of frequencies, considering another lifeform may not be able to hear a particular frequency, this song hosts high and low musical notes, encouraging communication being passed to the other lifeforms. I also included it as this is a common and familiar sound.
3. Peru, wedding song, recorded by John Cohen. 0:38
The vocals on this song were the driving pull to this song. My thought is that if other life forms can make noises and have voice boxes like us, they may recognize some of the sounds. The theme of the song represents a familiar celebratory and ceremonial practice to humans i.e. a wedding, which is something to remember about the people on our planet.
2. India, raga, “Jaat Kahan Ho,” sung by Surshri Kesar Bai Kerkar. 3:30
This song I felt represents South Asian music and wanted to ensure that part of the world was represented. I also find the song so peaceful and inviting, and an important feeling to send to other lifeforms.
1. “Dark Was the Night,” written and performed by Blind Willie Johnson. 3:15
The Voyager Golden Record hosts talk about how this piece reflects poverty. World Vision (2021) identifies that 689 million people around the world live in poverty. I think it is important for this musical piece to be included for other life forms to know that we have a lot of humans on our earth who suffer, and live in poor conditions. Although there is a golden record being sent to them, this shows a realistic perspective of how many people on earth live.
References
Peer, A. (2021, August 23). Global poverty: Facts, faqs, and how to help. World Vision. https://www.worldvision.org/sponsorship-news-stories/global-poverty-facts#:~:text=In%20the%20United%20States%2C%2010.5,ability%20to%20meet%20basic%20needs
Taylor, Dallas, host. “Voyager Golden Record.” Twenty thousand hertz. N.d. https://www.20k.org/episodes/voyagergoldenrecord?rq=golden
Linking Assignment – Connections to my Classmates
Connection #1 – Amanda (Task 1)
Link: https://blogs.ubc.ca/webspace/2022/05/29/whats-in-my-bag-2/
How has your colleague’s experience differed from yours? And how do you know?
| Amanda | Me | Similar or Different? |
| “help me function through my daily routines” | “essentials I regularly ensure that are in my purse before leaving the house” | Similar. We both discuss that the items in our bags are purposeful and necessary for our daily routines. |
| “I stay connected throughout the day” | “My career as a teacher relies on an exceptional amount of planning, prepping and communicating outside the school day” | Similar. We both feel the pressure to remain in touch, communication-wise with our school community as a teacher. |
| “My bag today looks very different than what it would have looked like 15 years ago.” | “If I were to take a look at my bag 10 years ago…” | Similar. We both described how different our bags would be 10-15 years ago, and identified particular items that would be different. |
What web authoring tool have they chosen to manifest their work?
Amanda used an iPhone to take a picture of her bag contents and uploaded it to her WordPress site.
How does their tool differ from yours in the ways in which it allows content-authoring and end-user interface?
Amanda’s website has a section that highlights recent comments on her posts, which is optimal to view our classmate’s interactions with her content. I also have this feature on my site. I actually noticed that I was not receiving comments after the second week. I quickly realized it was because I had published my tasks as pages, which do not offer options for comments. I redesigned the items within the menus on my site and reposted the pages into posts, which are now open for comments.
What literacies does their site privilege or deny in comparison and contrast to yours?
Amanda described more in-depth a few items of interest, the guitar pick, blue token and air tag. Her reflection on traditions, suggests that cultural literacy proves to be a focus within her writing. She describes that the guitar pick is regularly in her backpack which speaks to the musicality in her life, and her talent for playing the guitar. I wonder where Amanda learned how to play guitar, and what experiences led her to continue her passion for playing, as she describes having guitar picks throughout the places she frequents. She also identifies that she has blue tokens as a reward for student behaviour. We know from Behaviourism theory, that using tokens to reinforce behaviour aligns with the token economy system in behaviour modification. Lastly, the apple air tag is a new trend in tracking the location of items, or friends/family. This would increase efficiency in locating critical items such as keys, or a backpack. Also, it highlights the current context, in that society needs a ‘stuff locator’ because we all have so much stuff.
I also speak about traditions in my task submission, when I describe my motivation for volunteering and compare how my dad carried memories with him as photographs. I reference Alexander Macdonald (2016) in my post demonstrating how traditions can be reinvented and reused over time, and this is relevant when examining the contents in our bag. When comparing what we have in our bags, people in the future will compare items that have in common/different, just as we compare to people in the past when trying to examine the context. Oral tradition was focused on by Macdonald (2016) and I wonder if teachers that taught Amanda, or teachers at her school taught her to use the blue tokens with one of her students, or if she observed this being done as a classmate.
References
TEDxTalks. (2016, February 26). Oral tradition in the age of smartphones | Alexander Macdonald | Tedxfulbrightdublin [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egO_46P894k
Connection #2 – Trista (Task 6)
Link: https://blogs.ubc.ca/etec540trista/2022/06/25/task-6-a-emoji-story/
How has your colleague’s experience differed from yours? And how do you know?
| Trista | Me | Similar/Different |
| “almost felt impossible to find a picture for some words that are general and vague” | “For instance, with the word create, I tried to find another word that would connect to an emoji, but was unable to do so.” | Similar. We both felt as though it was difficult searching for an emoji image to represent words to project our meaning to the audience. |
| “As an educator, it makes me question whether my literacy teaching practice is preparing my students for this multimodal representation that they will face in the future.” | No contribution on this subject. | Different. After Trista reflected on her process she questioned if as teachers are we preparing students for the multi-modal world of representation. Not only to respond/view/read but also to create? This is a valuable reflection item. |
| “Depiction of pictures largely depends on the viewer” | “I considered my audience” | Similar. We both considered the audience of our published works. This was interesting, as sometimes when I write I often just think about my own clarity of the text I write. However, I was hyper-focused on this task to ensure that the audience would be able to make meaning of what I wrote. |
What web authoring tool have they chosen to manifest their work? How does their tool differ from yours in the ways in which it allows content-authoring and end-user interface?
Trista used WordPress, and what I liked about her site is that it is bright white and simple. My site is a themed template, and is colourful and may look vibrant, but may be too visually stimulating or busy for some users. The text font is easy to read, and it is simple to navigate, as you can progress to the last or next post at the bottom. I do not offer that feature, but instead, have a menu on the left-hand side for users to navigate. Also, she has comments enabled, allowing for an interactive interface.
What literacies does their site privilege or deny in comparison and contrast to yours?
Trista highlights her experiences in writing influencing this emoji activity. We are used to writing events in chronological order, especially when recalling events, or summarizing something we viewed, listened to or read. She identifies that she naturally wrote her story in chronological order. That intrigued me because when using text, we naturally expect when hearing or reading or listening to a summary that the recall will state the order of events, interactions with characters, or influential moments. This is the general understanding amongst our literacy teachings and understandings. When creating multimodal, do we have the same expectations to understand things in order, or are there different rules or understanding in multimodal representations?
My post focused on how it was difficult to select emojis that conveyed the explicit meaning of the words I used in my summarising paragraph. I described that it was difficult to convert every word into an emoji and instead the emoji had to be symbolic of an event or idea. Most of the emojis represented proper nouns, and it was hard to find verbs, let alone adjectives to create simple sentences with emojis.
The similarity between our posts is that we engaged with the idea that the rules for text communication are ingrained in us, and it is hard to be confident with how we communicate without experience or a set of rules to follow.
Connection #3 – Alexis (Task 7)
Link: https://blogs.ubc.ca/communicationjunction/
How has your colleague’s experience differed from yours? And how do you know?
| Alexis | Me | Similar/Different? |
| “Completely embrace multiliteracy” | “Redesigned the activity” | Similar in that we both exhibited creativity, however, Alexis utilized multimodal pathways to re-express her Task 1 posting. I redesigned the activity focusing on sound and audio |
| “allow for those that learn better in a more kinaesthetic way” | “The sounds that you choose may lead to more insight than we may be aware of. “ | Different. Whereas I created/redesigned an activity for classmates to do that asked the audience to tell us more about themselves, Alexis diversified all her content to reach an extended audience immediately. Alexis did a great job at ensuring she was inclusive in her post. |
| “I therefore included opportunies in the remixed content to comment, contribute and co-author and ‘like’ comments or material that the audience could relate to or saw as relevant to them.” | “Did you feel an urge to want to shut it off?” and “Classmates, I would love to hear about your preferred sound notifications!” | Similar. Both of our postings included encouragement of our audience to interact with our posts. For Alexis, they could comment and contribute, and for me, I was deliberate in creating a prompting question for my audience. |
What web authoring tool have they chosen to manifest their work?
Alexis had an entry that captivated my interest, in their choice to use a multimodal presentation of their work, with the platform ‘milanote’.I have never seen or heard of this platform before, so I took some time throughout the week to explore it. Milanote (https://milanote.com/) is a visual board that embeds, notes, videos, links, drawings, images etc. in a digital board, akin to an interactive bulletin board. The platform is collaborative. I appreciate that they used this collaborative board, especially since this week we focused on multi-modal representations and this is a significant example of a multimodal representation. Precisely including the elements of the assignment, audio and images, and interactive. She included a link in which we can use to go directly to the site, and en embed an image that I was not able to view due to my computer settings, but I can tell is there.
How does their tool differ from yours in the ways in which it allows content-authoring and end-user interface? What literacies does their site privilege or deny in comparison and contrast to yours?
One of the modes Alexis used to convey their meaning, is ‘Mimix’ (https://apps.apple.com/us/app/mimix-sign-language-translator/id1156035569) a sign language translator app, that uses a 3D avatar to communicate in ASL. This is so incredible, I have never come across this before. I wish for my project that I considered inclusion because although I did create a transcript for my audio, including a sign language translation offers an extension in inclusion to those who utilize ASL to communicate. My post was not as interactive as Alexis’. Mine was creative in that I maintained the same goal of the task, which was to get to know my classmates, but I chose another way in which my classmates could share more about them. This engagement is telling more about you by taking a look at your habits, or personal settings/belongings is more interesting than just writing an introduction summary on oneself stating generic statements about your life. I was creative in my idea of how to redesign the mode of the task I believe. I also think Alexis exhibited substantial creativity in this weekly task.
Connection #4 – Sophy (Task 10)
Link- https://blogs.ubc.ca/etec540thc/2022/07/23/task-10-attention-economy/
How has your colleague’s experience differed from yours? And how do you know?
One of the most evident differences in Task 10, the Attention Economy task, is that Sophy was able to make it to the end. We both acknowledged our frustrations with the task, but they were able to complete the task in a decent amount of time! Impressive! The screenshots that are included on their webpage are frames of the congratulatory message reaching the end, acknowledging the success they had in the game. I was so surprised to see their observation of the Cyrillic character that was optional in the password. I did not observe that small specific aspect.
A similarity in both our task reflections was the expectation that we have for any experience interacting with webpages, we have this unconscious expectation it will be familiar with what we have come to experience before.
How does their tool differ from yours in the ways in which it allows content-authoring and end-user interface?
I see they included a Genially slideshow of images, and I have not tried that yet in my postings. If the situation permits, I hope to try it in the future. Inserting those slides makes the post more dynamic.
What theoretical underpinnings are evident in your/your colleague’s textual architecture and how does this affect one’s experience of the work?
Harris (2017) states that technology is not neutral, and then in week 12, listening to episode 60 of Leading Lines from Vanderbilt University, one of the speakers also put forward, that technology is neither good nor bad, but it is not neutral either. I found this theme present this week, as Harris (2017) describes the “race for our attention”. This game certainly shows that technology can be deceiving, but favours those who pay close attention, therefore not neutral.
When I was listening to Tufekci (2017), it was intriguing when she explored how we would have no idea if people were being shown the same information when it comes to sites that host algorithms. Also, the speaker mentions that at some point, there are algorithms that can only be understood at a basic level. What I started to imagine, is it would be to our benefit, if instead of, or in addition to the ‘privacy’ button that resides on most websites also had a link to a video, in basic language explaining how data is being collected, storage information of it, and if it is contributing to an algorithm, or if you are being shown limited content. In Task 10, I certainly had difficulty, and wondered too, is my game experience different than someone else’s? We would assume it is the same, but what if it is randomized to truly infuriate 1/10 people, with having no solutions for moving forward, and that person was me? It is unlikely, but it connects with Tufekci’s (2017) point on how we know if the information is being withheld from us, or if we are provided with a different experience in online services because of algorithm bias.
In our Task 10, I was hesitant early on, because it requested our email address, and nowhere on the site did it describe why they needed our email address, and what would be done with it. Whereas, Sophy clearly went past this page, and was able to decide to provide this information in a quick manner, due to the time at end of 6:23. This is a current dark pattern that is so prevalent today. Privacy buttons are accessible, however, they are often at the very bottom of a website home page, and include jargon that is not comprehensible to the average person. There is still not enough specific information that is being shared. Tufekci (2017), also states, “imagine what a state can do with the immense amount of data”. The speaker goes on to explain how politicians and people of technological and financial power can manipulate and persuade us, without us knowing it. A solution for this would be increasing education of the general population- with my idea of increasing education on algorithms, data, and technology, with providing clear and simple videos for people that describe exactly what the goals of the site are ie. data collection, where they are selling it to, algorithms etc.
References
Harris, T. (2017). How a handful of tech companies control billions of minds every day. [Video]. TEDx. https://www.ted.com/talks/tristan_harris_the_manipulative_tricks_tech_companies_use_to_capture_your_attention?language=en
Tufekci, Z. (2017). We’re building a dystopia just to make people click on ads. [Video]. TEDx. https://www.ted.com/talks/zeynep_tufekci_we_re_building_a_dystopia_just_to_make_people_click_on_ads?language=en
Connection #5– Liana (Task 8)
Link: https://blogs.ubc.ca/540ranallo/2022/07/17/golden-record-curation/
How has your colleague’s experience differed from yours? And how do you know?
Liana identified three main foci of how they would come to a decision for the song list, which included: country, emotional response, and musical instruments. I thought this was a unique approach to maintaining three distinct criteria when deciding on each song. Although I was not as specific as Liana in my overall motives, we did show similarities in our choices. I selected the song ‘Jaat Kahan Ho’, and identified that I wanted this part of the world to be included in the music. Here I considered that a multitude of geographical areas should be represented as Liana felt. Next, I selected ‘Peru, panpipes and drum’ based on the drum as a musical instrument. Liana listed instruments that were integral to include, however, I was intentional in varying some of the instruments to ensure at least one song was recognizable.
However, I did not choose a song based solely on its emotional response, although I was tempted to initially. I describe in my reflection how I wanted to choose which ones were my favourite, based solely on how I felt when listening, but I decided to ensure I had a reason for each. Liana identifies that “music is emotional rather than a logical experience”. For this assignment, I went entirely the logical route and solely considered how to connect our world features to the lifeforms accepting the music.
What web authoring tool have they chosen to manifest their work?
Liana used the WordPress site, and I liked the style and design of their website. It is easy to navigate, with hyperlinks to other tasks along the top, whereas mine can be found along the side.
Connection #6 – Thomas (Task 12)
Link: https://blogs.ubc.ca/thomasw/task-12-speculative-futures/
How has your colleague’s experience differed from yours? And how do you know?
In my assignment, I created a utopian and dystopian narrative in a video format, where the viewers were able to imagine what both worlds would be like. Thomas uniquely combined both worlds in a GIF which I thought was imaginative! I am also intrigued that his final project will be in a documentary format. I also thought it was unique in his description that he described that even the person in power was “plugged in” to someone else’s ideas, shaping their every move. Sometimes people who are in positions of power, are in fact powerless and are held hostage by others’ desires, and vision.
What web authoring tool have they chosen to manifest their work?
Thomas utilized photoshop to create a GIF to describe a speculative future. I am so impressed with how he created this! I have never attempted this before and would like to take time to dabble with it at some point. The GIF was simple but quite representative of how people in power can have an incredible impact on us, reminding me of our week 8 module. Also, the fact that the politician revealed themselves as a robot was quite awesome!
What theoretical underpinnings are evident in your colleague’s textual architecture and how does this affect one’s experience of the work?
Thomas references Dr. Shannon Vallor’s (2018) “Lessons from the AI Mirror”, and when she describes how people are often afraid of AI, he compares it to what people around him think. I often view in media and videos, or in conversations with friends what Thomas encounters. We both hear the fear in people’s voices, or uncertainty of the world is going to be taken over by robots.
I was quite reflective when listening to Vallor’s (2018) lecture after I heard that AI only accelerates problems we already have created as humans. Often we think that AI is this powerful force. People think that our devices are listening to us in our homes, placing power in inanimate objects. When the truth is- there are people behind gathering data and surveillance on us. The ego of the human and the desire for wealth is the driving force for wanting to know more about each person. Humans are able to protect other humans from harm or invasiveness from AI.
References
Santaclaraweb. (2018, November 6). Lessons from the ai mirror Shannon Vallor. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40UbpSoYN4k&feature=emb_imp_woyt
A handful of other interactions & comments:
June 12th, 2022
https://blogs.ubc.ca/jpresta/2022/05/25/whats-in-your-bag/
Jessica, it was so interesting to learn more about you! Something that resonated with me was when you mentioned that 10 years ago you would have had papers in your purse, and now there are no papers to be found. At the beginning of my teaching career, I had to manage and organize an exceptional amount of documents, while teaching 8th grade. Now, using Google Classroom, most student work is stored on that platform and is organized and accessible. It makes me curious about the changes ten years from now!
June 18th, 2022
https://blogs.ubc.ca/communicationjunction/2022/05/21/whats-in-your-bag/
Thanks for sharing some insight into who you are, through the contents of your bag! One thing I noted was how you mentioned that the headphones may receive some harsh criticism from archaeologists. That was so insightful, in that you are right, the technology for listening to music is going to be beyond what we can imagine moving into the future. For instance, I have included a link to a video that shows new technology for music, where the user does not need headphones, in fact, a sound bubble is created around the user. Check out the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zHxwUJR8dQ&feature=emb_logo. If we have this type of technology sometime in the future, headphones will one day become obsolete, and useless. This supports how you described the archaeologists as less than impressed with your headphones, or any headphones for that matter
June 18th, 2022
https://blogs.ubc.ca/katherineetec540/2022/06/11/task-4-manual-scripts/#comment-6
Katherine, your written manuscript is so wonderful. As a teacher myself, I have also come to realize how you mentioned, is important to keep our awareness of the influence and impact we have at the forefront of our minds, when coming in to work. How special it is when our students and their families recognize the care, dedication and compassion that we have by acknowledging us in some way. That is such a good feeling, and so motivating. I considered your testament while writing, that you wanted to erase some of your work, but because you were handwriting, you had to really think about the words, before you even wrote them down. This made me connect when selecting between texting or a phone call, I may choose texting/email if the conversation is difficult, or I really need to be mindful of the words I am using. I think the most vulnerable communication method is oral communication because you cannot take back what you say, as the person you are talking with processes what you say as soon as you release your words. The next would be hand-writing a card or a formal letter because again you have to commit to the words you choose or need to use white-out or throw out the paper entirely. Lastly would be text or email, because you can pace when you respond, and revise your work without the recipient being aware of your edits or mistakes in writing. Interesting how the pressure to be correct in our communication impacts our choice of media used when communicating with another person or group.
June 19th, 2022
https://blogs.ubc.ca/jpresta/2022/06/13/task-5-twine-task/
Your Twine was so well done and incredibly educational. The sound effects, visuals and text were exceptional!
Task 7: Mode Bending
StandardRedesign of Activity 1 – Tell us more about yourself by sharing the sound notifications you use on your mobile device!
View the transcript below:
When considering how to introduce oneself and one’s interactions with sounds, I considered a few options; sharing the last 5 songs you listened to, 5 of your favourite songs that correspond with a memory or thought about deciphering our shared understanding of sound effects.
Instead of sharing with our peers what is inside our bags, instead, I have redesigned the activity to tell us more about you through your sound notifications! The majority of us use our phones to alert us of important events, times of the day, or reminders. The sounds that you choose may lead to more insight than we may be aware of. The redesign of the task gets inspiration from the meaning-making of audio meaning from The New London Group (1996, p.65)
An alarm in the morning needs to be annoying, and enough of a nuisance to want me to shut it off so it no longer irritates me. Here is the sound of choice for me [play sound]. This sound is called Presto. Even in the lowest setting, it is so loud and deliberate. Did you feel an urge to want to shut it off? I did. Although I prefer this sound, someone may wish to have a peaceful sound in the morning, so perhaps their day begins calm and peaceful.
My ring tone. I mostly have my phone on silent. Perhaps this is because I regularly am doing something that should not be interrupted by a phone alert. In tandem, I have my phone nearby and check notifications to see if they are emergent. I suppose this means I prefer communication to be through writing, and no voice. When my ring tone is not on silent, it is something that is subtle and not too intense or disruptive:
Other alarms are set to a default sound, which is the Super Mario sound [play sound]. Typically other alarms will be for when I am cooking, or timers for my children to go to bed. I choose a consistent alarm, so I know that when I hear it, even when I have a group over, or in a gathering, I know it is an alarm I have set, that needs attention. Particularly, for my children to recognize the noise as a timer alarm.
I considered my ring tones in the past. As a teenager, it was my favourite song that was my ring tone. Having a song as a ring tone to me feels juvenile but also humorous, possibly because it reminds me of my youth. Reading Dobson and Willinsky (2009), was intriguing in that I considered the transformations of the internet over time. My own reflection included a memory of when there was a time you would purchase a particular song for a ring tone. Now it is so seamless to select a song from your music library. Dobson and Willinsky (2009) also brought attention to the digital divide, which may impact my proposed alternate activity. Meaning, that the use of mobile devices to provide audio notifications, may not affect everyone, and is dependent on their access to both mobile devices and wifi/cellular data.
I also considered that there are some people who use default timers, and to them, it may be unimportant or meaningless to select a sound other than the default sound. This in itself, may be telling about a person in that they are easy-going and they may have no emotional attachment to sounds and being reminded.
Classmates, I would love to hear about your preferred sound notifications!
References
Dobson, T., & Willinsky, J. (2009). Digital Literacy. In D. Olson & N. Torrance (Eds.), The Cambridge Handbook of Literacy (Cambridge Handbooks in Psychology, pp. 286-312). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
The New London Group. (1996). A pedagogy of multiliteracies: Designing social futures. Harvard Educational Review 66(1), 60-92.
Audio Sounds used included: Super Mario, Presto, and Illuminate from Apple IOS 15.5.
Task 6: An Emoji Story
TITLE: 
PLOT: 
—
. 
Did you rely more on syllables, words, ideas or a combination?
To start, I wrote out the title and plot using typed text. I noticed that my plot explanation relied on quite a few verbs, which was hard to find a specific emoji for. For instance, with the word create, I tried to find another word that would connect to an emoji, but was unable to do so. I decided to rewrite the sentence so that it was simpler, and did not rely on that word. Verbs in general were hard to find emojis for, and that is what made it tricky to write a descriptive explanation.
Did you start with the title? Why? Why not?
I did start with the title. I saw the example in the assignment instructions, and it was a great example of the emojis matching the title. So I thought I may gain some confidence in using emojis for a story, starting with the title first.
Did you choose the work based on how easy would it be to visualize?
I considered my audience quite a bit when I was writing my emoji story. I wondered if they would understand the collection of emojis I chose. I sometimes tried to see what other emoji’s fit the description, to ensure that I gave my best effort in my description for the audience. I realized how I have been so busy, that I hardly have watched any shows, movies or have read any fiction books lately. I decided to watch one of the shows my daughter was watching. When trying to explain the storyline of the episode, I quickly realized that in a fictional story may have been easier to find emojis to describe the events. Since the episode that I chose was more of a reality tv show/educational show, it was hard to find emojis to match names or specific proper nouns.
While reading Bolter (2001), I reflected on the image that was described as an “image of the cultural” (p. 60). The image contents included in Bolter (2001, p. 60) described a lot about the Ojibwe culture. It made me consider how our emoji story would say a lot about our current cultural context. The emoji images are digitized, and not hand-drawn, which would depict that we communicate digitally and that the emoji’s symbolic meanings are commonly understood. Also, when I used the Chrome Extensions, Joypixel and Emoji keyboard on my Chromebook to complete the task, any emojis from these programs did not save as a draft, instead, they turned to question mark symbols when I saved a draft, and previewed it in WordPress. So instead, I used my cell phone, and composed an email, while using emojis built into the Apple keyboard. These were transferrable and you can see the emojis above. This made me connect to how Bolster (2001) discusses digital images and file storage. The readability of the images did not transfer on WordPress, so instead, I used an alternate source of emojis, which worked out well. I also noted that typing and searching for emojis on my mobile device was way more efficient and easier than on my laptop.
References
Bolter, J.D. (2001). Writing Space: Computers, Hypertext, and the Remediation of Print (2nd ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781410600110
Task 5: Twine Task
Twine Project
https://agpd.itch.io/summer-vs-winter-person
Password: ETEC540
Note: I made sure it would function and fit perfectly on a mobile device. If you are on a computer, simply use the full-screen button, or scroll bars to enhance the size of the screen.
* I purposefully selected and added the scrolling feature, to consolidate the use of scrolling, as mentioned in our ETEC540 Module 5.1 [Introduction] notes.
Process & Reflection
After reading the directions for this assignment, I went to twinery.org and decided to use the online version. I searched for a few tutorials on how to use Twine and sought out tutorials that targeted beginners. Next, I realized I needed to come up with a story, so I originally wanted to use a storyline that I created once when I was putting my kids to sleep. It was about a skunk whose spray did not smell bad, in fact, the spray smelled like fresh bread, is teased, and comes to learn he should be grateful for having a spray that smells good after meeting and befriending a chipmunk who gets teased because they can’t fit acorns in their cheeks. After a quick search to see if a story like that was made already and checking its originality, I realized someone has already authored a book about a similar concept, but the skunk’s spray smelt like perfume. So I decided instead to make a quiz like I used to play in magazines as a teenager. I created a quiz that determines what season you like best; summer or winter. In case you can’t decide, take my quiz and I will help you find out!
When I started entering text in the passage boxes, I found myself taking a long time thinking about the content to include. It made the process lengthy and difficult because I was trying to organize my thoughts and also make sure I was using the right linking functions, titles of passages etc. I decided to write out the quiz and all the options in a document, then copy and paste the selections, and then focus on making the passages link after. Bolter (2001, p. 33) described a similar brainstorming method that happens when we are collecting our thoughts as part of our writing process. Once I had all my ideas down, I was able to transfer them to the passages and focus on the technical part of Twine, instead of feeling overwhelmed by trying to do both.
After that, I wanted to learn how to use images, change font colour etc. So I used this website: https://www.adamhammond.com/twineguide/ to help me add some features. However, I decided that I would just stick to text for this project.
I underwent some difficulty in trying to take the HTML file, create a zip file and then embed it in WordPress. My research for this was lengthy, and I decided to upload it using itch.io, which made it easier to use a link for the user. I am impressed with those who could embed the game right into their site. I tried uploading the ZIP as a media file but it never was able to work in my efforts. One hiccup in the Twine project I posted, is that once you are on my site, and you click the link for the game, it does not open the link in a new tab or window, but instead just replaces my website on the tab. I would prefer if there was a way to open a new tab or make it “circular” as Bolter (2001, p. 28) describes by returning to the original text.
Using hyperlinks, and creating hyper documents/slides in my teaching has allowed me to create interactive learning experiences for students. Bolter (2001, p.27) compares hypertext to what was once used as footnotes and describes the difference between how we read and reference now, to past behaviour. It is incredibly helpful and time efficient to find more information or refer to the reference that was made with hypertext. The passages within Twine reminded me of when Bolter (2001, p. 31) described the tree diagram. Using google slides, documents or forms to create hyperlinks is incredibly simple, but I loved using a different interface for hypertext, with added design opportunities using CSS, Javascript or HTML.
References
Bolter, J.D. (2001). Writing Space: Computers, Hypertext, and the Remediation of Print (2nd ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781410600110
Task 3: Voice To Text
For this exercise, I used the voice typing tool embedded in Google Docs. I chose to describe a narrative of my move from Ontario to Saskatchewan. Immediately following the completion of my narrative, I doubted I would have spent this long consecutively speaking to another person. When I am speaking during my conversations, I often rely on the listener to give me cues about what they are interested in. For example, in certain parts, I may elaborate more on, if the listener wanted to hear more details, or had clarifying questions. In oral storytelling, the information communicated is often collaborative with what the engaged parties want to hear. As a result of my unorganized collection of thoughts on the move from Ontario to Saskatchewan, the facts are included throughout the story, but there lacks organization and critical writing elements.
The voice-to-text tool actually stopped twice, and so I had to backtrack my story and then restart where it left off recording text. I also did not speak at the speed I typically do, my speech was slow, choppy and monotone. I naturally did this, and tried to speak in a more natural tone but kept veering back to a slower speech. Maybe this was because I thought I wanted to be understood by something less intelligent than me (my computer) and for the tool not to miss my message, and ensure it was working. When reviewing the printed text, it is quite evident the punctuation is incorrect, and my text is not academic, as it is a more relaxed and conversational style. It is harder to read because punctuation helps to determine expression, so someone reading it will find trouble reading it aloud. Tenses were not always correct; past, present and future. Another aspect that happened a few times was a word by the voice-to-text program was written out of context, for example, ‘coal’ became ‘Kohl’. However, the text was all spelled as recognizable words.
If I had scripted the story, then I would feel less self-conscious about posting my story below. I feel if I published the story without context attached, then I may be judged for not having effective writing skills. The writing of my story (which still remains unedited) in terms of grammar and punctuation would be compared to a grade 4-5 writing level. As graduate students, we are expected to have exceptional communication skills, so having that expectation placed on ourselves and publishing text that does not deliver a clear and concise message, is difficult.
It is rare I just speak for long periods of time uninterrupted, recalling an event. This made me think of my childhood, growing up with many siblings, feeling that I had to make my stories short and to the point, or impactful if I wanted to keep the attention of my family members. Along the same lines of keeping stories short and to the point, I find that the majority of us want information received to be timely, as well as pertinent. When it comes to our own stories, shortening our words into slang while texting is common to quicken it for the recipients of our messages. Voice to text is often used when texting others. In these instances, the sayings may come across as abrupt and not as friendly.
My final thoughts on this are that voice-to-text is accessible to most students, but highly encouraged for students who need support to transfer their ideas into writing. This exercise showcases that this tool cannot fully align with transferring oral language into written text that fully transits my intended meaning. Therefore, we as educators should remember that this tool cannot fully transport the meaning of our students’ ideas as well. This is certainly something I will consider in supporting students who use voice to text.
Voice to Text narrative:
“In 2012 I had just finished teacher’s college at Nipissing University I really wanted to have a full-time permanent contract and was hoping to move to Southern Ontario where I grew up in the berry or Bradford area one of my past teachers was a principal at the time and suggested to get experience and then return back and that would help me get a job in the future as often it was quite difficult to make a temporary contract list in different subdivisions without being familiar with the area so other friends at my University also were looking to find jobs elsewhere and actually received multiple opportunities to work at different locations somewhere remote flying vacation locations I even had considered working in England out of school but then after Consulting with family and some friends I realized working somewhere that was easy to get home if he did was the best opportunity so I received a few callbacks for resumes that I gave in Saskatchewan and was offered a couple different teaching contracts and I selected the grade 8 temporary teaching position at st. Mary’s school that is where I currently teach one of the main reasons I selected this location was that it was relatively close to an airport the town seemed like there was a lot of people in it and it was at a Catholic school and a middle grade I prefer high school but I decided that grade 8 would probably be the lowest I’d like to teach so I thought that was a great idea I also really liked the principal and the teachers that interviewed me I found they’re very friendly and we’re willing to help me relocate with any questions that I had and so I accept that position and they helped find me an apartment because at the time it was very hard to find places to rent in Estevan because of the double boom of the oilfield that was curling going on and rent prices were also skyrocketed as usual so it’s interesting because the person’s house that I stayed at and rented a room from is now one of my best friends her mom actually worked at the school and that’s how the school was able to connect me with that contact I love teaching there and stayed there until my almost my end of my contract thinking that I would return home in the summer but instead they extended my contract and later offered me a permanent contract I remember first coming to Saskatchewan on a plane and landing at the airport with my pink suitcase with all my contents in it and I took a taxi to the bus station and waited for a bus to come get me and they brought me to this has brought me to Estevan where my now best friend picked me up and she brought me to her house
I was so grateful that I was able to find a location to live because after moving there I realized that the housing situation was difficult for people to find places to rent to buy and landlords were often dramatically increasing their prices because of the need 4 housing because of the current double boom in for the oilfield that Estevan was experiencing I never guessed that 10 years later I would still be at that same school living in the prairies I was only supposed to work until January for a temporary contract but it was extended till the end of the year and then I was offered a permanent contract I am so lucky to in my first couple years teaching receive a permanent contract because that’s something that’s very difficult to happen knowing coming from Ontario I began teaching create and I’ve had a few other teaching positions but I remained teaching grey date now at the same school Estevan Saskatchewan is in southeast Saskatchewan and is quite different than Northern Ontario and Southern and tear than I’m used to I’m used to Fresh lakes and surrounded by kilometres of forest and here there are many man-made Lakes as well as it is quite industrial where I live I often I saw you always look forward to going home to Ontario on this summer and being reunited with nature I also am so grateful to have two beautiful children that I am now raising in the prairies Saskatchewan was always the hardest Province to spell but the easiest to draw and besides knowing that it was flat I didn’t know too much about Saskatchewan before I moved here and now I am so impressed with what’s the statue on is and really enjoy living here it’s interesting because in pictures you kind of see Fields when they represent Saskatchewan and I live near Farmland so I understood what farmland or flat land look like butt I remember being on that bus travelling to ask a man for the first time and once I left Regina I couldn’t believe how far had I could see and how far down the highway I was able to see versus just being able to see up ahead a kilometre or two because there was a turn in the road or there was buildings but it really is beautiful and one of the best things about Saskatchewan Estevan Saskatchewan is that it said that it’s has the sunniest place in Canada and we have the most beautiful sunsets and sunrises I am always so captivated by them something else that is so awesome is how you can really see the skyline 4 kilometres and kilometres where often I find buildings or pills etcetera are blocking your view from far away but You can truly see clouds and whatever this guy has to offer license plate say living lands of the land of the living skies and I can see why because I know in Northern Saskatchewan the northern lights are so comment but the guy always has something to offer whether it’s Moondogs starry nights but also their Sundogs and the colours that the skies given the end how beautiful the clouds are as well Saskatchewan is a really cool place and I’ve loved exploring the area and just learning about the geography and the important resources for Saskatchewan growing up I didn’t know anyting as much as I know now anyway about the oil field and coal mining our community is based off of coal mining and we currently have clean carbon or carbon capture technology to capture the carbon that is released when Kohl’s process to be used and it’s such a awesome technology that really puts our city on the map I’ve become very involved in their Community as a as even my school Community as well and it’s been really nice to build a community of friends and extended family here.”