The email account for the course is
itam.spring09@yahoo.com
You can use any PROFESSIONAL email address/account you want to communicate via email.
In order to log on to the course's blog you will need to get a google account (sign up at googlemail.com). Click "Sign up for gmail.'
This account will also give you access to the chat room
My google account is fgcarasi. Add my name to your chat list.
My name is Kandace, and I'm a Fine Art major. My concentration is in print making.
ReplyDeleteHi my name is Rob. I'm an upper senior at Brooklyn College majoring in Film Production with a minor in TV/Radio. I'm a New York native, being born and raised in Queens until moving to Brooklyn for school. Since film is very important to me I figured this class would help in my never ending quest to learn all things cinema related. That and I'm currently taking Italian so I figured this would be the perfect match.
ReplyDeleteI am Louis Di Meglio, Business Management and Finance major.
ReplyDeleteMy name is Charles Tokieda and this is my first semester at Brooklyn College, having transferred here upon graduating from Borough of Manhattan Community College. I am an English Major though my interests range from architecture to zoology. I have not before formally studied Italian-American literature or film, but I am greatly looking forward to this semester.
ReplyDeleteHello, my name is Nader, Film Production major.
ReplyDeleteI am Francesca Eramo and I am currently a junior majoring in mathematics and secondary education with a minor in Italian studies.
ReplyDeleteMy name is Tara Stack. I am a journalism major. This is my final year at Brooklyn College.
ReplyDeleteMy name is Bob, and im a history and The Classics major who has no idea what hes doing with himself.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHi, my name is Alessandro Curatolo, I am a Business Management and Finance major and I will be graduating in June.
ReplyDeleteHi my name is Celia Shiram and I am a psychology major.
ReplyDeleteHi, my name is Mallory and I'm a Journalism major.
ReplyDeleteHi, my name is Jessica Cherichetti. I am an early education major. I will be graduating next semester.
ReplyDeleteHi my name is Donna Carbonaro, I am an Early Education major.
ReplyDeleteHi my name is Victoria . I am an early childhood education major
ReplyDeleteHi, my name is Merilla I'm an upper senior and my major is BMF.
ReplyDeleteHi my names is Christopher Kelleher. i am an business major.
ReplyDeleteMy name is Alyssa I just transferred here from CSI. I am a Phys Ed major, and I am taking this class to fulfill my core requirements. I also come from an Italian backround so I thought this class would be interesting.
ReplyDeleteHi my name is Vanessa Ullo. I am an Early Childhood Education Major. This is my second semester at Brooklyn.
ReplyDeleteHello, My name is Mohamad Awad. I am a History major and I will be graduating in May.
ReplyDeletehi my name is Elisa Panek. I am a transfer student from CCNY and have not yet declared a major.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHi, my name is Stephanie Bass. I am an Early Childhood Education major. I also have a concentration in Psychology and a minor in Childrens Studies. This is my 4th year, and I can't wait to get out of B.C.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone know what we are suppose to be doing now? I'm a bit confused.
ReplyDeleteHi, my name is Erica Hernandez. I am an childhood education major.
ReplyDeleteHi My name is Katherine. I am currently a senior (Business management and finance major) graduating this may
ReplyDeleteHello.
ReplyDeleteMy name is Marianthi Stefanou. I am a Psychology major. This is my senior year at Brooklyn College.
ReplyDeleteHas anyone found the essay we are supposed to be reading?
ReplyDeleteHi, my name is Youssef Lehnin and I am a film production major. This is my first semester at Brooklyn College as I transferred here from Laguardia Community College.
ReplyDeletewhat should we be doing right now? anyone have a clue......
ReplyDeletemy name Yuriy. I am a biology major
ReplyDeleteHi everyone, my name is Winner Stewart. I am a senior majoring in Early Childhood/Special Education with my concentration in Children Studies.
ReplyDeleteHi my name is Eunjung Lee and I am a theater major. I am a new entering transfer student.
ReplyDeletewho knows what we are suppose to do now?
ReplyDeleteIs this what we are supposed to read?
ReplyDeletehttp://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/modlang/carasi/courses/ITALIAN2.SPRING09/ed%20tech%20abstract.htm
My name is Geraldin Pena and I am a film production major.
ReplyDeleteyes
ReplyDeleteI'm Louis, or Luigi.
ReplyDeleteI am doing an internship this semester at the Callandra Italian American Institute.
I am a founding father of Kappa Sigma Fraternity on campus. We are looking to become a chapter by May.
I like to perform community service.
My father is from Forio, Ischia, Naples, Italy.
My mother is from Montenegro.
I like all the sports.
I enjoyed watching Azzurri win the World Cup in 2006; I was in Italy for the game.
That's me. I hope to learn more about my Italian background.
Hi my names is Christopher Kelleher. i am an business major. i just transferred from kings kingsborough. i spent two years there taking liberal arts. the school was ok. i think that i will enjoy this school much more. the down fall would have to be the parking. oo well. i think thats it.
ReplyDeleteMy name is Elisa and I was born and raised in Brooklyn. I transfered from CCNY last semester and am now finishing up my B.S. at Brooklyn College.
ReplyDeleteSo then what do we do after we read that? Anything else?
ReplyDeleteI don't have any comments about the article in particular. I feel like most of us at this point are aware of the benefits of the internet. I dont know if its because I'm sick and I'd very much like to go back to sleep, but I found the paper very vague and full of rhetoric.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI am Andressa Stewart i was born in New Jersey in the 80's. I lived in south America for the first 12 years of my life. i am a transfer student from Borough of Manhattan Community College,Majoring in International Business and Marketing looking forward to graduating in the fall of 2009
ReplyDeleteOne issue at the end of the article that I'd be interested in seeing played out is the matter of creating communities in an online classroom atmosphere. If anything it seems moving learning to an online format would slow down the forming of communities. Not only to find a proper way to combat that, but to do so in the short time span of one semester seems like a massive challenge that will take some radical thinking.
ReplyDeleteTo be honest I have always been a little bit skeptical about the benefits of using the internet for educational purposes, particularly when it supplants traditional, direct, classroom interaction. That being said, like Robert I have never been in a class that utilized technology in any significant way. I thought the article articulated new ways of using the internet that I had not previously considered.
ReplyDeleteI read it and it was very long. I do agree that it's great that a new community is forming now that we have the computer technology. I think it is possible that we can enhance the class by using technology and creating an online community. Besides that, I feel it was making the same points over and over again. That's it.
ReplyDeleteCombining technology with classroom experience should benefit most students and also make us more involved in the class activities.
ReplyDeleteIn order for the community to take advantage of technology, it must be well-versed in it.
ReplyDeleteIf we were studying a foreign language, we should communicate with those who speak it natively. Technology allows us to communicate in real time with people all over the world. There is no longer a reason why a college does not have a professor of a particular language on its staff, because the professor can teach the language from anywhere.
You create community around the object of study.
With AP Italian taken away from the curriculum for next year, it is a wakeup call to all those who consider Italian a 1st class language.
They need to pool their resources and communicate more with one another... and the best way is to indeed, take advantage of technology, learn how to use it, and unite to save Italian! That, and the Italian government needs to learn what "matching funds" is a good thing. That's another story.
I agree with Kandaces sentiment that the essay wasnt telling us anything new really. At the same time though it is true that tech has not been utilized to its fullest extent. The way the essay proposes that we should use technology is simple, which is important.
ReplyDeleteI believe the plan outlined by the essay can be implemented in a class with minimal hassle (certainly less then this class had today).
Hi my name is Vanessa Ullo. I am an Early Childhood Education Major. This is my second semester at Brooklyn. My parents were born in Italy, my dad is Messina and my mom in Mola di Bari. They both speak italian at home. I understand it perfect but unfortunantly do not speak it fluently like my family. I hope too learn one day. I've been to italy twice on student exchange programs in my high school.
ReplyDeleteAt the same time, im certain that like other students here, group work has been a mixed bag. While it is beneficial to work together to accomplish something, it always arises that someone is not pulling their weight, and the trouble that comes from that. Its because of this that i prefer working alone, that way u cant get screwed by someone else not doing their job, forcing u to do extra.
ReplyDeletei honestly think that there is a very big misconception of how to communicate whether if it is a direct or indirect approach. some teachers are better understood by using computer technology to communicate with their students and others do better with direct interaction in a classroom setting. however i do feel it is important to incorporate both in the classroom. it gives the student an over all view of both types of communication if any problems do arise on either end then it is easier to communicate with the teacher directly in the classroom or over the internet.
ReplyDeleteI was wondering if anyone has ever read "Amusing Ourselves to Death" by Neil Postman. While not a book about New Media like the internet, Postman does contend that not all forms of discourse are equal and that as a result of the shift from typographical discourse to television or society has suffered. I bring this up because I happen to think that a traditional classroom environment is better suited to forming communities than any environment mediated by technology could be.
ReplyDeleteI think that using the internet as a way of enhancing education is a great idea. Nowadays everything is done through the internet and it proves to be easier and more effective, especially with our generation. We know the internet best and therefore are more able to take advantage of its benefits.
ReplyDeleteWhat seems new and unexpected to me is the group work and creating of a community through technology. I never really thought of an online class as creating a new community. I usually take online classes merely for convenience.
However, aside from all the benefits of the internet, I still think that learning and teaching in a classroom is important because that way, you get to know one another and communicate on a more personal level which makes it easier to succeed in the class.
integrating technology would be nice to the students. with technology being at everyones finger tips it is easy for student learn how ti better study the material.bring computer in grade school woild greatly help many students understand whats going on. with students all ways being on the computer the english languages get choped. in the reading an example was given how lol, lmao it taking over the type language on the internet. with the increasing number on the web the english language will suffer.
ReplyDeleteI'd have to agree that the traditional classroom is more suited to forming communities. As for group work, considering that most Brooklyn College students are commuters, parents, and people working fulltime, I think its a terrible idea.
ReplyDeleteI agree that technology can aid in education but I find it to be very impersonal in the recent years. I find it easier for myself to learn when I have the assistance of someone to guide me along the way. If you aren't particularly computer savvy group situations can be extremely helpful. However, I do feel that the internet in particular, if used properly, can be a major asset in learning, the classroom, and studying. I've never taken a class that used blogs, chat or anything of the sort so this is a whole new experience for me and should be interesting.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading I think that online learning is helpful but sometimes it must be in groups. I agree with Shaquana that there should be in class communication as well. Sometimes explaining over the internet isn't as helpful. I do however feel that sometimes the internet is helpful, faster and easier.
ReplyDeleteBesides being enrolled in the core computer class at Brooklyn College, I have never used technology for a course before. While technology certainly helps to aid in communication, I feel that our society has approached interactions in a new way. Technology does not encourage social skills, which is a vital part of education.
ReplyDeleteI agree with some points given in the essay. For example, I have recognized the lack of communication in the classroom, as often class dialogue takes place only between an instructor and a single student. The internet does offer another medium of communication for learning, however, please allow me to be honest and say that the increasing use of the internet by college professors can go two ways- the professor can use this medium to offer additional information that would not otherwise be offered in class, thus adding to a student's learning experience, or the professor can use the internet in such a way that hinders student's learning by giving sub-par lectures and instead "posting" information on software like Blackboard. It is in the latter cases that I am frustrated by the internet in teaching because I feel like I am missing out on lectures and teaching, essentially what I am paying for in college. The essay touches upon this point in the part about replacing the physical community of the classroom setting with a community that could perhaps be "more exciting and effective." I am not certain if this point is true for everyone. Undoubtedly, the more internet savy you are, the more information you potentially have at your fingertips and when used properly, the internet is an invaluable tool, as the essay mentions. However, some people feel that they need the personal attention of having an instructor that teaches and guides a student through their academics. Otherwise- why bother going to school- why not just use the internet to self-teach? I am not totally opposed to creating a new community on the internet for teaching, I am simply offering a comment that perhaps the disappearance of the classroom community would not work best for everyone.
ReplyDelete1) Have students work in groups and have each student of the group take responsibility for part of the outcome.
ReplyDeleteHypothetically this would work, but again what happens when someone doesnt do their job.
The common response by teachers is to get the students to tell them if anyone didnt work. That doesnt really work though. Personally once the project is finished, what good is done by snitching on someone who didnt do their work. Yah i may feel some animosity towards them but what good comes from jamming them up. Now some would do it anyways out of spite, but there needs to be a better way of making sure that everyone actually does their part. i wish the essay adressed this.
It was interesting to see how each community formed as the mediums of communication evolved. First it was the oral teachings of Socrates, with his walking community. Then it was Plato with the written word. Then the printing press, radio, television, and now the internet. All of these mediums when first introduced were unacceptable to the communities of their time, but quickly formed their own communities.
ReplyDeleteI am sure the internet is well on its way to becoming that type of community, because it truly has a lot to offer. There are unlimited possibilities.
I think it is interesting how the author explains the different communities that are formed with each new techology that is introduced. I think the internet creates a huge community and is able to link people all over the world. I agree when the article states that "These properties of infotech must be understood and assimilated so that they can be applied to education. The result will be a transformation of our classes into the communities they have never been." I think the computers should be used in the classrooms as more than just another resource. I do not think that we should move all classes to fully online courses because I think we are missing out on human interaction and that is a huge part of what I would call community.
ReplyDeleteIn my experience, using internet technology in the classroom has only improved the education experience. Especially for group work, it makes it so much easier to coordinate your efforts with other people. In terms of the community that is formed, the online classes that I have taken have actually had more of a sense of community than in a standard classroom. People tend to be a little more bold when they are e-mailing or messaging, making it easier to get to know your fellow classmates and share class information. From my experience it's a little easier to throw your answers out there when there aren't 30 people staring at you. It is also easier to contact professors in this way. It seems like in this time period when so much of our lives are invested in technology already it just makes sense to integrate our studies as well.
ReplyDeleteI agree that technology can create a more effective community for everyone. Technology is getting more advanced everyday, making life easier for many of us. Technology allows for group work, and makes it easy for groups of students to come together and collectively share ideas and innovations. It is important for people to utilize the technology available, and learn how to use it properly. I think it is only right that technology be connected to education, although it should not replace teachers. Personally, I have seen technology connect with education even in a kindergarten classroom, in which the students respond to questions on a touch-screen board which took the place of a boring chalk board.
ReplyDeleteWith online courses, we remove the physical community of the classroom from the teaching/learning equation. Technology, which is responsible for this loss, is also the method by which a different community can be created in its place, a community that could be even more active and effective than the one that we abandoned.
ReplyDeleteNot only can this occur but what would happen if the system is down. At the moment there are a numerous amount of issues with the blackboard database which is causing problems for some of my other classes in regards to readings. If this was strictly a internet-based class and the server was down, it could cause a major problem academically.
I believe that technology is a great tool for learning, but not the only tool that should be used. I also think that we will have to wait a few years for older teachers to retire to fully use it. There are quite a few older teachers that don't know how to use the computer in this way, or even care to for that matter.
ReplyDeleteI also think that the learning environment in an actual classroom is better because you actaully see poeple and socialize. Whereas over the internet, you are just a person behind a screen. I dont think that the use of technology in the classroom fully prepares you for the real world.
I feel that education through the internet is a promising alternative to the conventional mode to which instruction is usually executed. Students of this highly communication age are ever too dependent on the internet for entertainment, information and communication. In the advent when an educator utilizes the internet as a medium for instruction, students' interest toward the content being taught will inevitably increase. I feel that it is the responsibility of educators to adjust to this new era in order to adhere to the interests of their students.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Elisa regarding professors using online components in a responsible way. There is definitely a difference between teaching and posting information. In order for online learning to work the teacher has to be part of the community as well, not outside of it posting information and assignments.
ReplyDeleteAs far as the internet goes, I definitely think that it is a very effective form of communication. From a business perspective, webcasts are great for corporations becuase of the money they save on travel costs (flight, hotel, etc.). From an educational standpoint, I don't think it would be in the best interest of an educational institution to use the internet as a teaching mechanism. I took an online course and I felt that I did not benefit at all from it. When you are in a classroom, I feel that you are more interested in the work and always have the chance to communicate with your professor, whereas with the online course, it's hard to meet with your professor. Not only that, it's very easy to slack off and not keep up with the work.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the article that courses should use blogs and other internet technologies in order to assist with assignments. In a world where internet technology is advancing, classrooms should take advantage what is available to them. At the same time, I feel that keeping the classroom traditional is also very important. Students need to have the professor present in class to provide them with personal assistance. If we had class meetings via blogs or chat rooms, I don’t think it would have the same effect. Group work assignments is not always a good thing, I personally have found that group projects can be quite stressful.
ReplyDeleteCommunication is critical to produce learning (a learning community). The traditional classroom format has minimal communication and is structured more by a teacher lecturing and students listening. This isolates the community to only the knowledge that is held within it, which can be limiting depending upon how well versed the members of the community are in the subject. In these classrooms, technology is used as supplemental material.
ReplyDeleteI agree that with each new form of technology more communities have been created and classrooms can benefit greatly from this. Members of the various communities can find resources and chat with people that have more experience and are more knowledgeable. Particularly when learning a language, students can skype with a native speaker of the language without having to travel.
The suggestions given in the article on how to fully implement technology in a classroom may be challenging at first if the students are not familiar with the programs needed. However, with some patience it can be greatly beneficial because the tasks can undoubtedly be used in the future. Using technology does make students more responsible for their work because they can be given specific tasks to be completed that will be complied into one group project. Additionally, like today, where the professor cannot physically be in the class, students can still have class together through chat, email, and a blog.
While technology in the classroom is very beneficial and has made certain classes more interesting, I still see the value in traditional classroom methods. For example, while debates can be held through chat rooms, I find they are more affective in person because you can see the passion different sides have for their opposing arguments. Being a math major, I find it extremely difficult to learn or explain complex mathematical principals using technology.
After I read the essay, I found it is very interesting to use technology in the class. I think taking advantage of using technology for our education is a great idea. It is true that computer technology such as an internet provides us tons of knowledge. So, it is the most accurate reference source when we do our assignments and research. However, if the class is going to be only using technological sources, I am sure that there will some students experiencing difficulties. As a non native speaker, I found it was very hard to follow all the instruction using blogs, finding a way to chat. I found it is would be a better understanding if there was an instructor who verbally delivers the instruction. So, I quite do not agree with the idea from the essay.
ReplyDeleteI feel that both technology and traditional form of classroom teaching should be used when teaching at the collage level. However, I enjoy the traditional type of teaching/lecturing most. They go hand in hand in our ever evolving techonological society.
ReplyDeleteI think using internet technology in a classroom can be good and bad. It would be great because it would be better way for teachers to teach as well as for students to learn. The communication and understanding would be good. It would be bad because you won't have the same communication as in internet socializing and in person socializing, but i must agree technology is advancing more each year, and its possible for those who are not sure how to use the internet. it will be harder for them to learn as technology advances.
ReplyDeletethis article has fully set the case of having online courses. the participation of every student is essential for the development ofr that student. trough online courses student are better able to communicate with all other students with out feeling the pressure being interrogated. the community that an online environment creates is much more broader that any community created by a class room. students will be forced to think outside the box and will be exposed to a greater level of information.
ReplyDeleteI agree with all of the feedbacks from the essay, I think that they are all excellent comments. I didn't go in depth with mine however I fully agree that Celia's is better than mine simply because she gave more indepth detatils and explanations of what I was trying to say.
ReplyDeleteTechnology is our era. Most if not all of us spend a lot of our free time using technology in some way. Honestly if professors/ students didn't adapt to the technological world, we would be left behind. It is the most popular way of communicating with anyone we come across. If you sit back and really think about it, how much time do we spend on the phone actually talking to someone...? in my case not that much. I am always texting, or emailing. I have even gone as far as teaching my mother how to text because its just an easier way of saying one thing with out being kept on the phone for 20 minutes . On the other hand we still do need that physical/ social communication for development. This article has a valid point though. We are more conscious about our performance in a class when technology is involved. We have the ability to look up anything in about 5 seconds thanks to Google. That gives us more of an advantage. The article talks about students whose standards are missing when it comes to taking quizzes and studying because we are not fully aware of what our performance is up against. Technology gives us the opportunity to post our work and read fellow classmates work. If we have something to compare our work to, it should make us want to work a little harder. I think its an effective way for our era to learn only because we are so familiar with technology.
ReplyDeleteI believe that there are certainly pro's and con's to implementing technology into the classroom. I feel that technology has benefited so many people over the years and has helped advance medicine, businesses, as well as education. I find it very convenient for certain courses to be taught online, or even hybrid because it saves travel time from home to school. Many students work and have families, therefore making it a great deal easier to use the computer instead of commuting. I do think, however, some courses are better taught in a classroom as opposed to online because Professors have a way of explaining things and interacting with students that technology cannot always convey. Personally I would prefer to take my classes online as a means to save time and allow a full work schedule simultaneously. Technology is a quick and simple way to communicate with fellow students as well as with Professors when it comes to submitting work or completing a project with fellow classmates. However the only downside is that some technological forms of communication can be slightly confusing to utilize. Therefore I both agree and disagree with the points presented in the article.
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ReplyDelete(Youssef Lehnin)
ReplyDeleteWhen technology is included in the educational system, then we have to understand that it produces other aspects to the process of comprehending things. When using the internet as a tool to educate people, engages a people to a dependency factor, were we fully have to rely on technology to be the basis for the whole procedure to function. Everything that involves technology, the internet has its benefits and disadvantageous factors. The internet is a good way to get things done rapidly. Therefore, just by using the keyboard and a couple of clicks on the mouse, as then you have executed the process of developing something, that will be communicated, received and responded-only within a matter of minutes. This now, does certainly eliminate the “hassle” of performing the physical part of communication, and assist us with an ease for us to sit behind a computer screen and perform these tasks single handedly with no physical difficulty. However, the matter of communication can easily be misinterpreted and this is where the physical attendance is highly valued. This is when in a classroom, for example- when a message is misunderstood by a student, then a question for a repetition is easily done by just asking the professor to repeat themselves. In addition, when using the internet as a tool to communicate and educate, then we do not have full control of the situation- because what happens when a system malfunctions and is down? There are numerous reasons why technology is a beneficial factor for the educational system; however the negative aspects of its use are always present.
I like to consider myself as a traditionalist, and prefer to go to a classroom and be physically present during a lecture- since I comprehend things much better, while sitting in a classroom then behind a computer screen. Nevertheless, we are all different, and have different preferences to how we want to understand and learn things, which makes the decision making even harder then what it already is.