Monthly Archives: May 2020

Linking Assignment #1: Sasha & Jamie’s Task #2 On Boroditsky’s How the Languages We Speak Shape the Way the Think

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As a “Double Feature,” I have chosen as my first  link assignment submission to link to Sasha Passaglia and Jamie Ashton’s blogs on Lera Boroditsky’s video on How the Languages We Speak Shape the Way We Think. 

Sasha’s task 2 link: https://blogs.ubc.ca/sashapassaglia/2020/05/22/task-2-does-language-shape-the-way-we-think/

My task 2 link: https://blogs.ubc.ca/rebeccahydamacka/2020/05/21/task-2-does-language-really-shape-the-way-we-think/

Jamie Ashton’s task 2 link: https://blogs.ubc.ca/jamiedimitra/2020/05/23/task-2-does-language-shape-the-way-we-think/

From my perspective, both task contrast each other. I was able to connect to Sasha’s task in understanding and content. Our experiences with the viewing of the video were very similar, while Jamie’s task felt like I was reading a foreign language at times although there was much common ground to be discovered.

First, I will describe my Link to Sasha’s task

Connections: Our perspectives are quite similar as is our viewing experience. This viewing experience is not one to ignore as it impacts our thinking and ability to connect in similar and yet slightly different ways. Our own children interrupted the viewing process as they attempted to interact with us, hers in person and mine via text messages. (If I do not respond, there are then subsequent phone calls.) 

As I read Sasha’s blog, I felt validated in my blog comments as I could see many similar interpretations and thoughts. The first viewing gave an overall view but on the second viewing, more details were gleaned. We had both recognized our surprise and what I will call our own egocentric thinking about thinking and language. Other similarities included the opinion that the other module videos complimented Boroditsky’s video by adding a passion for languages other than text as well as an historical perspective. We both recognized the value of the past and the need to preserve languages but Sasha included a purpose: for future generations, as her perspective as a mother of youth children reminds her of this important need. Shared experiences of being teachers, mothers, nature lovers, and classmates in an earlier ETEC course could be a reason for our shared or similar understandings. Perhaps it is also a shared culture of ETEC graduate students.  

Authoring: Sasha’s space is an easy to navigate and access WordPress blog. Items are clearly defined and accessible with a simple menu of 3 links at the top of her page. There are no additional permissions or passwords required with the comment section that easily accessible adding an element of co-authoring. The task is primarily text which is well organized and logical in its flow. A text based task such as this may privilege a more literate viewer; someone who is more of a visual learner may not find it as “approachable.” However, a quote from another source is included with its formatting (offset or indented and in a different italicized font) adds another texture to her post making it more appealing in addition to highlighting a key understanding for her. 

My own site’s authoring is similar to Sasha’s. It is a WordPress blog with a simple “menu” at the top which is really just my 3 categories, an About page and a Home page. My home page contains all of my posts and seems maybe redundant but for now it stays.  There will be opportunity to change it later (I am afraid to do so now for fear of losing items).  I am new to WordPress, and thus used a simple blog comment about the experience with no additional photos or attachments.  I have chosen to reflect on the experience as well as the content linking it to the other “readings” with a simple blog comment. This simplicity may be due the assignment itself as there was no requirement to post; this may also be considered a design restraint. While that may be all that is needed, I later returned to attempt to insert a link to Borditsky’s video which did not have the visual appeal, I had wanted.  I think I have since discovered how to include visuals such as videos now though. 

Pedagogical underpinnings of the course design are evident in specifically in Task 2’s the requirement of annotations, or learning a new system of communication in an asynchronous manner. It is almost like being in a class discussion but this immersive experience felt disjointed not being in real time with the luxury of asking for clarification. This disruption of thinking echoes one of the portions of  Boroditsky’s examples of how interrupting thought patterns can change the way an individual recalls events. Clever of the task for a truly immersive experience but was it intended? 

My own 8/9 classes are in the early states of working with annotations and this technology making this an interesting experience.  A DIY or do it yourself is highly recommended before attempting new experiences with students. The synthesizing of information from multiple sources is another pedagogical underpinning which both Sasha and myself did as we noticed how the tap dancer and Shetlandic poet complimented and even advanced the lecture by Boroditsky. 

Yet, another underpinning of the course design may be in the process in which new knowledge builds upon old.  Being new to WordPress, my blog design had been modelled as much as possible like a Weebly built in another ETEC with a top menu.  In uncertain times, there is comfort in familiarity and from this one might develop the confidence to branch out and attempt new formats. This is much the same for my own students. I can see and appreciate a process of attaching to previous knowledge before adding new. 

Unfortunately, due to the RSS feed requirements my pages needed to be changed to posts. This was done with categories and a menu created from those categories.  An excellent tutor on Google meet screen shared and walked me through the difference between pages and post and how to set up categories to appear in a menu; many thanks Ernesto! I am reminded of the need to start out at an appropriate level with some or enough support so that a task can be done independently. In addition to having instructor support, there was also the peer support. By having the ability to share comments in the CLAS annotations in addition to viewing tasks in other students blogs will help to define and refine skills. Further, the need to change and discover how to use the WordPress tool took some time and “tinkering.”  As more tools and skills  become familiar, these will be added to the repertoire. Time to explore in the early stages of ETEC 540 and develop this familiarity works.  It may organization of that time that will be a challenge.

And now for my Link to Jamie Ashton’s Task 2:

https://blogs.ubc.ca/jamiedimitra/2020/05/23/task-2-does-language-shape-the-way-we-think/

Connections and disconnections: I have chosen to also link to Jamie’s task because it is so  different from my own and also outside my own experience and paradigm of language. I cannot imagine speaking 6 different languages ever! For someone who struggled with French until grade 12, but still remained essentially unilingual, Jamie’s multilingual background amazes me. It also affords her a much deeper understanding of language reminding me that we all come from different experiences and places. The value or importance of a second or third language or the need to be bilingual varies sometimes due to cultural or geographical location. One thing that I could not connect to were, Jamie’s “very crazy looking syntax trees” which overwhelmed me initially, and still does. I am in awe of her understanding. 

I did, however, the use of augmentative technology for language as I worked as an intervenor for several students who used this technology. The world of those with deaf-blind live in a tactile language world. It is really difficult to understand until you have had a chance to be with another culture. My experience is not nearly as broad but I was able to make a few tentative connections to Jamie’s ESL experience and differences in culture and language. 

 I also connected with the annotation quoting Boroditsky: “combining a finite set of words into an infinite set of new meanings” which I, as had Jamie, found debatable as we do add new words as language evolves. But there is definitely an ability to build infinite meanings with different combinations; and even different ways to combine media to explain this concept. Jamie’s addition of the John Green’s book title video shows this well.

At one point in the annotations Jamie notes it is “probable to consider that language developed in relationship  to things that needed to be given attention in any given society” (7:54)  which while I agreed with this statement, it also lead me to think about where and why our task diverged in content and thought.  This  may primarily be due to our own experiences and the worlds we are immersed in:  Jamie in linguistics and I in a world of History.  A theme of past, present and future emerging for me.  What resonated with me was who language and culture was shaped  from our past histories and generations and the need to preserve dialects and appreciate their value. I even felt a passionate about this, similar to Sasha and found it initially odd to not “feel’ this in Jamie’s blog as for me this was the essence of the module. 

Authoring: Jamie’s  website is clean, easy to navigate with a wide variety of well placed visual elements. And then I recognized the theme, Anders Norén, which allows one to easily see tasks much like file folders or sticky notes. Incidentally, I selected this same theme for another course blog after an agonizing couple of hours. I believe the theme sspeaks yet another language as it communicates through its layout whether it is a serious “news” type blog or perhaps a modern avant garde blog.  Jamie’s blog header image fits well with the theme of How the Languages We Speak Shape the Way We Think.  I was also impressed with the addition of her annotation log along with Boroditsky’s video, as well as the links to additional videos and other information. I am in awe of the many literacies that Jamie possesses. which also privileges a a wider range of literacies by include not simply text, and images but also audio-visual content.

My own blog was short and simply text as I had yet to discover how to add other elements but the essence of meaning is still there . – language is constructed through culture and is linked to the past despite evolving into the future. Later in comments, Jamie helped to clarify these final thoughts as even I too, am evolving in my understanding, thinking and literacies.

And yes, I have discovered how to add video!

Task # 3 Voice to Text Task

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Julius – a short story

Rated PG for violence and horror

How 'Pet Sematary' transformed shelter cats into zombie beasts

Leo in “Pet Sematary.” Paramount Pictures

Julius a story for the not so faint of heart show me warned there may be some scenes that may be disturbing to sensitive listeners reviewers apologies but the rest of you I hope you can enjoy the horror of the story story begins on the road in a semi rural area at a little house with a white picket fence set back down a long dirt driveway away from the I guess secondary Highway Novus Highway has an S curve just passed the house really great place I rolled my brother’s keep there when I was 16 oz cars tend to come down the hill Fairlane at least 30 to 40 km over the speed limit and the s-curve they cut the corners and yeah it was in my name so I get the chips that’s another tale though Archdale takes place a few years later my sister lived in the little house I’m a little house was beside my house it was great being Neighbors and my sister loved her cat Julius he was an orange striped nail Tom but he wasn’t a nasty Tom he was one of those nice friendly in your face kind of cats so you can imagine her concern when Julius went missing gone she looked everywhere for that cat she called Julius Julius where are you no cat after several days maybe a week or so or to my memory is not as clear as it used to be walking down the road past my sister’s driveway and I come to the S curve and as I’m coming closer to the hill I see a ball of fur off to the side of the road a crumpled mango body oh no! not Julius! There was Julius decapitated headless Josh his bloody stump of the neck it was horrific! my sister was away work and what was I to do I took a shower and carefully scooped up the body you do realize it was like summer and quite hot so I did what I had to do I took the body and no I didn’t put it in the refrigerator or the freezer that’s gross I actually dug a small grave close to my raspberry patch not in the raspberry patch that’s where the former neighbours buried the doll nasty children my sister came home I told her I found Julius and I told her that I had buried him and show her the grave she was so sad she was nearly inconsolable. Psy so about a week later you can imagine how to spell. Oh wait let me back up here a bit I forgot to tell you my sister was a fan of Stephen King and had recently read the novel Pet Sematary. space yes The Cat Came Back! there was Julius sitting on our doorstep licking himself very much alive. my sister scream in Terror! Okay she wouldn’t go near the cat she wouldn’t touch the cat she swore that that cat smelt like the dirt of the grave and walked with a bit of a flirt lurch the cat I’ve been raised from the dad dead! know if you’re unfamiliar with Stephen King impact stem Cemetery you won’t be too terrified or horrified.. but she had got cat was never allowed back in her house I might have told you another Tale Pier One perhaps but that’s tail has been taken old mr. Johnson and his cat the end. And now for the backstory in our neighbourhood there are at any given time at least three to five feral cats call Sharon similar genetics each card has its own doppelganger. got. Or do they? 

 

Story Analysis:

How does this story deviate from the conventions of written English? (Or what is wrong with the text?) To me the most obvious deviation is the lack of punctuation to tell the reader where I paused, dramatically, I might add. All of the expression has been lost as even if you yell into the microphone, THE CAT CAME BACK! or THAT”S GROSS! sadly, no emphasis is given. I see myself as a very expressive storyteller but none of that was conveyed in my story, although I did add a “exclamation mark” and it added an “!” (Is that allowed?) Okay, confession, I also may have said “period” or “sigh” which was translated to Psy.  A pause did not produce a period or comma or new sentence.  Structurally, the story is almost one long run on sentence which destroys the sense of excitement and horror as it visually appears to be “monotone” lacking in variety of sentence length or structure.  Conventions such as punctuation are needed in written stories to help to convey the features that oral language has such as tone, volume, inflection, pace and gestures.  This is where the voice to text really felt “wrong.”

Another deviation for the conventions of written English is use of proper spelling: however,  this might actually be word replacement rather than the misspelling of words as most words are spelled correctly. One such replacement was  “reviewer” for “viewer” in the second line and later “dad” for “dead.”  It was hard not to repeat the word in frustration as I watched it incorrectly appear. Sometimes the meaning is lost through this misspelling and replacement of words although the results were hilarious in places. Most disappointing was the intended  suspense and horror being lost.

What went right with the text?  The basic story remained intact despite the lack of guiding punctuation. Surprisingly, most of the spelling is correct and names of cats and people are recognized as such and are capitalized (although I have no idea who Sharon is in the final 2 lines). Homophones such as “tale” and “tail” are recognized by the voice to text tool, being used correctly.  Oddly, “crumpled mango body” created an interesting visual images that works despite the fact that it should have read “crumpled, mangled body.” Incidently, the  incorrect spelling of the word “cemetery ” is ironically correct in the context of the story as it matches the title of Stephen King’s “Pet Sematary.” In case you are wondering, according to Merriam Webster “King’s spelling of cemetery as sematary is intentional—it is a use of realism, which is the practice in writing to accurately represent real life.” To me this is an important point in my story (as well as King’s).

Ultimately, the mistakes of the text are considered mistakes because they alter the meaning of the story. “card” and “cat” are very dissimilar in meaning, for example. These mistakes include not only word misspellings and replacements but also the lack of punctuation which totally changed the pacing and the expression of the story.

Had I scripted the story, it may have been marginally more organized, and I would have included more descriptive details. I am sad that I neglected to include a few more details to set the story up and to describe my removal and burial of the body, and of my sister’s horrified expression. (I was worried it might be a bit too graphic). This is a true story and so the way it unfold is much as I have described it. Sometimes my stories ramble and go off on tangents much to the annoyance of my family. As a written story, understanding of the horror (and the humour) of the situation may have been aided through the use of conventions.  I prefer oral storytelling to written because of the ease at which one can create tension and excitement through pacing, tone of voice, inflections and use of sound effects (these did not transfer to written text well). Gestures also aid in creating meaning. Oral storytelling does not immediately translate to written.  In written stories, so many artificial or invented means are required to produce the same effects.

A few final task reflections:

This story was recorded with google docs voice recording, a new experience for me. First, I discovered that voice recording does not appear in the tool menu of google docs when using Safari browser; it must be in google drive. I can appreciate student frustration in using voice to text technology although it is, in my opinion, much more reliable than early versions of Dragon Naturally speaking. The story was an easy one to retell but I did neglect to tell it all as it occurred over a decade ago. I was only reminded of it by my sister, last week. In the retelling, I also felt that I might be judged by the content – for me this was worst than “baring all” in the “What’s in my bag?” task. Through this task, I can appreciate both story telling and writing as valuable but distinct skills.  I also see a need to create more video recordings of story telling, to be able to see and hear the rich weaving of words. With that, I leave your with Mr. Johnson’s cat.

 

NFB. The cat came back.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJl_4IsQJ2g

Merriam Webster. https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/the-spelling-of-sematary-vs-cemetery-in-pet-sematary

Task 2: Does language really shape the way we think?

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The video of Lera Boroditsky’s How the languages we speak shape the way we think has offered me a perspective that I had not previously thought of.  I feel like I tend to live in a little egocentric bubble until I heard her  lecture, thinking we generally, as humans, all think alike.  The first viewing was interesting but it becomes a richer experience after listening to the tap dancer, Anderson and the Shetlandic poet Christine de Luca.  A second viewing allows for more connections and deeper thinking although it was a bit difficult to listen and stop and read posts and reconnect to what the speaker, Boroditsky, was saying. 

The connections between thinking, language and culture did become clearer. The shaping of language and culture from our past histories or generations really resonated with me as well as the need to preserve dialects and appreciate their value. There was a passion evident in the tap dancer’s language and the Shetlandic that involve so much more than just words. They were building on existing language but changing it to make it their own. There is a theme of past, present and future emerging here for me. The idea that language is a living thing evolving over time speaks to me.  Language is more than just the building blocks of words; it is the way or patterns of words, symbols, text, gestures, sounds and tones woven together. 

 

Borditsky, L. (May 2017) Does language really shape the way we think, SAR lecture. https://applications.arts.ubc.ca/secure/educ/index.php?autoplay=true&cid=165&gid=3294&vid=%5Bsn%5DMpAlijDU17A%5Bsn%5Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DiGuuHwbuQOg

MacDonald, A.  Oral Traditions in the Age of Smart Phones. TEDxFullbrightDublin.

Task 1: What’s in my Bag?

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Here’s  my “riff off” of photographer Ellie Brown’s visual art project:  Brown’s BAG project

I have chosen to share a photo of my hydration pack and its contents because it is my sanity saver. I try to get out onto the trails every day that I can to destress and to think. Moving meditation. I also use my bag to train for trail marathons and on occasion, if I am ambitious, ultra marathons. So, there you have a general overarching theme for my bag and its contents: survival.

 

The bag itself is an Aspire hydration pack without the hydration sac (for now) chosen because it chafes less than my Salomon pack (which I am wearing pictured above).  Comfort is more important than looks. This bag travels with me in the trunk of my car for the moment when I can escape from work which, ironically,  I have been doing only to find myself filming  trails to share with my PE 8 class. The pack’s back is expandable or can be cinched down to reduce its bulk and has generous stretchable pockets to accommodate all the essentials that I might need for a long hike or run in the forests.

Bag  essentials (listed moving clockwise):   

  • Bear spray and bell for protection  (also for social distancing) -some debate over the usefulness of these
  • A packable jacket for protection from the elements
  • Cellphone – SE small enough to fit in a pocket- outdoor apps but photo app is most used – compass and communication capabilities are also important
  •   First aid kit & a tiny container of meds including Tylenol, Claritin (and Noon) because so far my friends have twice broken legs, once broken arm and a dislocated patella
  • Sunscreen
  • Blister stick- Foot glide
  • Inhaler for asthma 
  • Small rock (because the big one wouldn’t fit and is too heavy)
  •  Kona cola NUUN (sadly discontinued) for electrolyte balance 
  • nourishment cucumber mint GU, Justin’s Almond butter
  •  lifestraw for when I run out of water and need to drink out of a stream or puddle
  • Finally a water bottle for hydration which never is enough

* missing item – car keys zipped into small pocket 

 

These items are texts which communicate that I enjoy outdoor activities and I like to be prepared. I will be gone for a long time. My husband now knows it means: “See ya later, Sweetie.”  Because of the sheer amount of stuff, one might read this as, “a hiker” when most of the time I run with it. The iPhone, my text technology, quite literally, might appear to say that I cannot do without being tethered to technology; however, it is really there because I am a storyteller who loves to share my adventures and photos with family and friends. The outdoor apps are fun (iNaturalist, Plantsnap, Trailforks . . .) but the photo app is most used to snap pics and short videos.  I am now creating iMovie trailers to entice grade 8s to hike. I hate listening to music as I run as it blocks out the sound of impending doom in the form of surprised wildlife. It is encased in a torn, worn out Life-proof case because either I take it everywhere. Sometimes I will check messages if they ping incessantly, more so now that my daughters are both expecting. 

 

The literacies displayed include outdoor skills and safety awareness in the form of bear aware tools and first aid supplies. Some of these have been learned through experience some have been taught from more skilled outdoor enthusiasts and conservation officers. There has also been life experience (see note above regarding broken appendages).  Another literacy is in physical movement and nutrition necessary for endurance activities. A literacy in technology is also displayed in the iPhone with many apps apparent. My contents truly are who I think I am or aspire to be. I really try to get out into the wild as much as I can even though  sometimes the bag lies in wait in the trunk of my car. Sometimes but not often. The real lie in this photo is the arrangement that I have chosen for my items. In reality, I am a disorganized mess and this arrangement is my attempt to rectify it and create some measure of control in my life. I even re-copied and pasted, rearranging my list in clockwise order because my initial attempt of counter-clockwise was just “not right.” This is the hidden, backstory of  who I hope to be seen as or hope to become.

 

If an archeologist found my bag decades from now, I would hope, first, they would organize the contents in a similar fashion. (Perhaps I should include a photo and instructions as to proper layout?) The iPhone would long be obsolete as well as the bear bell. Would we have imagined handheld computers twenty years ago when flip phones were the rage? A search of the device, if a power cord and source were available would reveal a multitude of apps (+112) and texts in the form of messages, reminders, notes, docs and sheets. The icons are a language of their own.  Replacing the bear bell, a different signalling device would be used in the future or even be unnecessary as the bear species might even be extinct, also rendering the spray a curiosity. The idea of social distancing would also be obscure as COVID-19 would finally have subsided but still it forms a text which tells a story. Because many of the items are clearly labelled with written (print) information, their use would be easier to ascertain except for maybe the purpose of the small rock as well as the NUUN tablet if the container wasn’t present. I wonder if they would puzzle over that rock . . . kept for sentimental reasons of a far off trip to a trail. I only wish I had kept the larger, tiger striped one now. This is the story my bag tells. 

Reference:

Brown, E. (2018). Ellie Brown Photography and Artworks Ellie Brown Photography and Artworks. Retrieved May 15, 2020, from Ellie Brown Photography and Artworks website:http://www.elliebrown.com/

 

 

Hello world!

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Welcome to my new website created for my ETEC 540 course: Text Technologies: The changing spaces of reading and writing. This space is where I will be embarking on a new adventure exploring the concept of “text.” Blogs are a new text experience for me; it seems that not only are text spaces changing but so too am I as it shapes me. There is a reciprocal nature in texts as we interact in old and in new exciting ways.

Here’s to new adventures!

UBC Blogs.

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