Wednesday, April 17, 2013

I have a Website!

I got started blogging when I had to take classes in order to teach online. I received a Master Certificate in Online Teaching from University of Illinois last year. The program consisted of 6 courses, all online, covering various aspects of online teaching. I had to take a technology course and for that I had to create a blog; that was the beginning of this endeavor. Additionally, I had to create a podcast. That was a challenge! I did it and it had to be hosted on a site and have an RSS feed on iTunes and the whole bit. I now look back with wonder that I was able to do that because I couldn't do it again today, I'm afraid.      

While I only made one podcast, it was an English lesson, of course, as that is my profession. However, I continued using the podcast site with my face-to-face classes. I added grammar lessons as we did them and then found YouTube videos that went along with the grammar practice. So now, we spend our time in class practicing reading, writing and speaking and just go to computers to do the grammar.      

Unbelievably enough, the site has gotten over 20,000 visitors! I am shocked and amazed. Some of my students have told me they posted it on their Facebook pages, and the Dean of my program at City Colleges added it to our Adult Ed website. When school started on January 14th, it was just turning over to 10,000. Today, a mere 3 months later, it's almost doubled that number. I have to say, the wonders of the internet never cease to astound me.      

My one and only podcast is at the very bottom of the page under Non-Action Verbs, if you're interested take a look/or listen, at:

http://shaylo99.podbean.com/

Friday, April 5, 2013

Waldo

So, this is my live-in companion Waldo. What a character! I've lived with all kinds of animals; dogs, cats, rabbits, fish, snakes, and turtles, but my pet of choice today is this intelligent, funny Amazonian parrot. 

When I got married in 1985 and moved into my husband's home; I joined two dogs, two cats, an eel in a big fish tank, and Waldo. I'd lived with cats and dogs before but never a bird. It was a difficult time in my life for me; new husband, pregnant, new animals around and I didn't know anything about birds. Don't think my husband did either; he just got it from some looney tune who lived behind us, who, now that I think about it, probably was dealing in illegal small animals and birds, but that's a whole other story.

So, Waldo had a big wrought iron cage and I wound up feeding him daily as he grew to dislike any males. I lived with him for 10 years like that; he in the cage, maybe a couple of toys around and locked in at all times. When we got divorced, he wound up going to my in-laws house and lived there for almost 17 years. I think on occasion, they let him out just to see him terrorize the dogs in the house.

When my father-in-law passed away in July of 2011, Waldo wound up coming back to live with me. I had given my beloved dog Sam to my ex-husband who has 6 other dogs and lives on 5 acres of land in Indiana, so it seemed only fair I took Waldo.

This time around though I was in a much different place in my life; it was just him and me. I started doing some research on the Internet (I'd like to think that when I moved in with him the first time that if the Internet was around, I would have checked out life with parrots; but it's history now.) One day, I went into Windy City Parrots in Chicago. I'm grateful that the proprietor give me so much information about life with parrots that day. The thing that impressed me, and that has changed Waldo's life the most, was letting me know that putting toys all around his cage was akin to leaves on trees. That birds are fearful of their predators and need camouflage and protection. Wow! that made such a difference in the little guy's life. I wove some newspaper strips around his food bowls and at various places around the cage. It was affirming to see just how much he enjoyed some privacy. He can hide if he wants, and he isn't just out in the open for anyone to see at any time.

Anyway, he has free reign now and even though he knows he can fly, he likes to walk around on the floors a lot. He squawks and whistles to the TV and LOVES white noise; any time the vacuum or  juicer is on, he's whistling. I just realized he's into blondes. About 2 years ago, I had a blond friend over and as she sat on the couch, he walked across the floor from where his cage is and was down on the floor by her feet looking to get her attention. We just laughed and said "Waldo has a girlfriend."  Again, a couple of weeks ago, a different blond friend was here and he was by her feet twice. That was really crazy, she had on these high boots, why he'd want to put himself in such a vulnerable position as to be on the floor is beyond me, but I think he was makin' time with these ladies. He's that kind of bird, he's got chutzpah!

Monday, April 1, 2013

Plagarism

Weird story and confession:
When I was a sophomore at Western Illinois University, I got busted by an English professor for plagarism. Yeah, that was a freaky experience. The assignment was to write a 3-page paper on I-forget-what, without using any outside sources. Well, I found a Time, or some other news magazine, that I used a paragraph from to get the paper going. Clearly, an example of plagarism, I admit. I turned the paper in and then it was finals week. It was December, and it was really, reallllly cold outside when I had to walk across some wide open fields to get to the building far on the other side of campus. When I got there, late (ahem), I came in the door situated in the back of the class and the teacher's desk was in the front, I saw that the rest of the students were already well into taking their tests. So, I walked up to the professor who handed me back my paper along with the final exam. As I was heading to my seat, I looked down at the paper and saw it had big red printing on it that said: "Plagarism results in Failure in the class." Stunned, I turned around and went back and asked if I should take the final, and he said "No," his face was all red and uptight and angry. I remember saying something like, or exactly, "I'm sorry I thought you were so stupid."

So, due to that experience, I am sensitive to the issue of taking credit for that which is not mine. I want to make clear that anything on this site is notated where possible where things came from. I would never knowingly "steal" another's work and call it my own... ever. However, I have to add; I do take content off the web in bits and pieces and add it to papers, articles, projects, etc. and who doesn't?


In today's internet world, it's hard to know what the boundaries are or when one is crossing that boundary. I took classes at U of I with a slew of professors where the issue was discussed and ultimately, left unresolved. When does forwarding emails, posting to walls, Twitter, Facebook etc. cross a line and become plagiarism? What is legit and what is not cool? 


Why does it seem like only written words are the sacred stuff? I read a book about Leonardo da Vinci (see sidebar on right for title) and the Vitruvian Man he drew. That was not at all something unique that da Vinci did, matter of fact, it was Vitruvius 1500 years before da Vinci that described his idea of the human anatomy as a microcosm of the whole world; thus the square and circle, both representing the earth and sky. Other Renaissance artists drew that idea in various versions before da Vinci. Why is it not plagiarism in the visual arts or music? When you "borrow," as is often the case, a few notes, a bit of melody, a style, why is this not considered plagiarism? Can't one be inspired by, do works based on, use a tidbit to "get going" into something original. I thought there was nothing new under the sun, that all we see is just what we've already seen only recreated in new ways? If you have thoughts on this, please comment.