As a part of the digital universe we should be proud to share the freedoms and rights of this digital culture. What I meant by this is that whether we use the internet for school, leisure, work, or other activities, it is a part of us that we should feel proud to exhibit. If we are writing a blog post, we should feel like we can share our personal feelings without the worry of being ridiculed. It is simply our right as a human to have the freedom of speech, and though we may face difficult people we can know that we are taking the higher ground by being responsible advocates of the digital world.
One of the most prominent reflections I had this week while looking over my RSS feeds was the right to freedom of speech, as stated in the bill of rights in the U.S. and Canada. From Serious Eat's post of making a Simple Salad Worth Eating, or the taking a second for a #BrockThrowback, it is so easy to see the variety and diversity of writing and thoughts on a multitude of subjects. I am fascinated by the wealth of information available on the web, and it makes sense because of everyones' personal interests that. I could not imagine being constrained to having only one interest that I can pursue and learn about, that would nearly kill me. I personally rely on the internet to learn new subjects, stay informed on current issues, and educating myself on fun stuff. For example, earlier today I was able to locate a sports science article on the various types of throws ultimate frisbee athletes use, and which one is the most suitable for precision, speed, and spin. Being able to locate this article translated into information I could reflect and conceptualize on, then I was able to experiment and turn what I learned into an actual experience that would help me perform in a real world setting. I have never thought of this process before, but taking a step back to understand how we utilize this information just boggles my mind and just contributes to my appreciation of the digital environment.
While we are on the subject go blogging, I also found that there is so much to be learnt by just reading blog posts by various writers. With so many quirks and nuances that make writing personal and unique, it is beautiful to find your own voice by picking up formatting, vocabulary, and style from established writers.
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| Yee, N. (CC) 2014. A silky spider's web collecting the moist air. |
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I am gaining such an appreciation for the use of blogs, because not only are they a great way to create, but they have really shown themselves as an opportunity to organize my thoughts from the past and use them in future plans. Having my thoughts so easily accessible has made making connections between this post and previous ones simple. I am looking forward to see my personal learning environment grow and expand to encompass more of my personality and personal growth. Though these assignments and discovery activities are not directly correlated to learning digital citizenship concepts, I am able to make connections between what I am experiencing and what I am learning. Amongst many things - I am grateful. Learning is a special thing, and sharing this journey is even more special.
Thanks for listening,
Nathan
It’s interesting you mention the potential learning by reviewing other blogs. You should check out some of your peers’ blogs and start some discussions seems like you have a lot of good things to say.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.netvibes.com/davidanthonypotts#News_Feed
We should never take our rights to freedom of speech to seriously. Just consider what’s going on in China right now:
http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/03/world/asia/china-hong-kong-protests/
On the other hand, here’s a somewhat radical and innovative way technology has empowered the human rights movement, check out this article one of the teacher candidates I work with shared:
https://twitter.com/CSTeaches/status/516975676172546048
Essentially, where there was mass oppression by government, to the point that the Internet was SHUT DOWN to prevent information from being released to the rest of the world, people used the blue-tooth capabilities of their cell phones to create a daisy-chain network. Amazing.
The connections you are making using your blog, essentially journaling, can have profound effects on one's learning, in a course, and in life more generally. It's good to see you're really meshing with the course work in a meaningful way.
ReplyDeleteAnd great pics. Thanks for sharing. :)
Dave
Hello Nathan,
ReplyDeleteI appreciate the power we have now as digital citizens and our ability to write either unanomously or personally to any audience. We are also fortunate to live in Canada where we are not ridiculed or shut down as "it is simply our right as a human to have the freedom of speech, and though we may face difficult people we can know that we are taking the higher ground by being responsible advocates of the digital world". Dave's comments were bang on and I would just like to add, in agreement. I do not know what we can do as a peace making country, as suppressed countries enforce idealogies that do not allow complete freedom of speech. Maybe through our digital citizenship and twittering, we can help their cause.
Fil