Monthly archive

October 2007

So, I went to the doctor

Submitted by nando on Sun, 10/28/2007 - 06:15

Yeah, Monday I had good (and blue) company to go to the doctor (Castro is his name) and it was as uneventful as it has been since I finished treatment. Which is, of course, really good! This guy I've seen only twice, but he was well recommended and is a lot nicer than the previous one, Dr. Restrepo. He started by asking how I had been feeling, or rather, if I had been feeling great. And well, I have. He asked the usual "have you had fever?", "have you lost weight?", "have you had any pain?" questions, and then listened to my heart, noted my blood pressure, poked around my lymph nodes and we sat back down. I suggested he ordered some labs and a CT Scan. It's been about a year since I got the last scan. He agreed and ordered blood tests: blood chart, LDH, creatinina, and a CT Scan. I'll get the scan sometime next week and get back to him the following one. I was satisfied with the outcome. Now I would get some tests and come back later. Appointment over. But the blue person sitting next to me tends to ask good questions: "how certain can you be now before the tests?", she asked him. He said the interview gave him lots of information. If something were wrong I would feel it. He said he could be pretty sure (85%) I was fine just by the way I was feeling, but the tests will confirm and let us all rest lighthearted (for six more months, I guess). It was all good news! [U2's "A Beautiful Day" soundtrack]

web 2

Submitted by nando on Fri, 10/19/2007 - 19:48

Estamos en la conferencia sobre web 2 en Eafit.

Deje aquí sus comentarios, preguntas, dudas, quejas, reclamos, regaño.

Aquí, usando el Google Docs del que les hablé, publiqué la presentación, la que subimos a Internet durante la conferencia:

http://docs.google.com/Presentation?id=dhdq86x2_16d2rh6x

Conferencia filosofía

Submitted by nando on Fri, 10/19/2007 - 03:35

Estamos en la conferencia sobre herramientas tecnológicas para la enseñanza de la filosofía.

K12 Online Conference

Submitted by nando on Mon, 10/15/2007 - 22:03

A wonderful idea is back online for '07, the K12 Online Conference. It started today and the first videos are being downloaded as we speak (don't know if they were available before today, though). There will be 2 weeks worth of video conferences, discussion, blogging, and a final 24-hour Elluminate closing event. I'll keep blogging as I watch and read. It looks awesome though! Don't miss it. http://k12onlineconference.org/ . Use the tag "k12online07" if you blog about it.

Una idea genial está de vuelta en la red para la versión 2007. La conferencia en línea sobre educación básica (K-12). Comenzó hoy y los primeros videos ya están en línea. Los estoy bajando mientras escribo esto. Habrá dos semanas de videos, discusiones y blogs, y un evento final con 24 horas de salones de video conferencia, sesiones moderadas y ciber-café usando Elluminate. Seguiré escribiendo a medida que vea, lea, piense... ¡Se ve maravilloso! ¡No se lo pierdan! Usen la etiqueta (tag) "k12onlineconference" si bloguean sobre el evento (y notifiquen a Technorati).

Las últimas noticias, blogs, videos, etc. de la conferencia las encuentran en  http://k12onlineconference.org/ o simplemente suscribiéndose a este feed en su lector RSS: http://feeds.feedburner.com/k12onlineconference.

In need of freedom sticks... or just plain freedom

Submitted by nando on Sun, 10/14/2007 - 20:00

Doug Belshaw writes a story of how network security policies (IT Policies) thwarted a lesson he had planned using Flash games and a video, and how he couldn't get an image "just in time for his students", all due to blocking and security issues. I can't stop thinking about what I just outlined in my last blog post: how many teachers attempts to use technology to help their students learning find brick walls in IT Staff or IT policies in their schools? How can we collaborate with IT staff to create sensible policies that are conducive to better learning experiences? I have no anwers, but the Dilbert strip posted by Mr Belshaw made me laugh and definitely made me think of people I know (ha). Enjoy, and thanks again to Mr Belshaw for the great blog.

 Dilbert

Condenado

Submitted by nando on Fri, 10/12/2007 - 18:57

Hace unos años escribí indignado, sorprendido, entristecido al recordar el asesinato de Luis Carlos Galán y ver que un señor que fue Ministro de nada menos que Justicia, estaba siendo enjuiciado por ser uno de los responsables. Ayer lo condenaron. 24 años dijo el noticiero. Mi familia fue galanista, yo les seguía la corriente y en las elecciones iba con mi camiseta de Galán a repartir votos (en esa época en que no había tarjetones). Entendía menos de política que ahora. Era algo afectivo y social: mi familia era amiga de los Galán. Cuando murió estábamos en Ecuador, pasando vacaciones. No lo olvidaré. Mi papá oía noticias colombianas en su radio todas las noches y nos contó. Fue un golpe duro para mi mamá. Fue un golpe para todos. ¡Mataron un candidato presidencial! Y uno de los señores que lo mandó matar fue Ministro de Justicia. Como cuando escribí eso... hace unos años... sigo sin palabras. Tristeza, indignación, impotencia. Esto se parece a cómo mi trabajo me hace sentir a ratos, sin asesinos de por medio, por supuesto (ja ja). Hace pocos días tuve una conversación sobre el narcotráfico, Pablo Escobar, Virgina Vallejo, las polvaredas que ella está levantando... y me dijeron cosas muy miedosas sobre la contínua influencia de estos señores del cartel de Medellín (o similares) aún hoy en día... sobre el "nuevo patrón", sobre quién era el presidente que Escobar quería poner después de subir a Santofimio. No lo repito porque no estoy seguro de nada y prefiero no lanzar afirmaciones de ese calibre... pero qué miedo... qué miedo la política, qué miedo los politicos, qué miedo el narcotráfico, qué miedo los paramilitares, qué miedo nuestros líderes y gobernantes.

Ha, freedom sticks

Submitted by nando on Fri, 10/12/2007 - 06:39

Alec Couros writes about his efforts to help teachers in Saskatchewan use technology in the classroom. He found himself in a conundrum. The school computers (IT staff, I guess) had blocked the blogging sites he tried to use, and the browser they could use did not work well with the wysiwyg editor.

He gave them portable apps on a memory stick and set up a temporary wireless network to bypass the problem. He reminded me of my petty battles with IT in different places to get MSN to work (to get work done) and Skype to conference with team mates far away.

How many teachers efforts are still being thwarted by IT policies in their schools or offices? This whole filtering issue is bigger every day. How can we collaborate with IT staff in order to get the kinds of applications we need to teach, learn and work just in time, whenever we need them, working as they do... at home where we don't even have IT support staff?

Furry happy monsters

Submitted by nando on Thu, 10/11/2007 - 00:24

Vips sent me a link to this wonderful Muppet video. I guess it's from The Muppet Show. The muppets rule!

[youtube zkHM8xG6i8o]

Wow… and in the second viewing I realized they are actually *teaching* something to children! (Though the audience of The Muppet Show Tonight was probably not children): laughing shows you feel fine, happy; crying that you feel sad or glum.
The Muppets rule!

Chicken-shit?

Submitted by nando on Mon, 10/08/2007 - 11:03

Why haven't I got a check-up in so long? Last time I seriously saw the doctor was over a year ago, and I know it should be done every six months. My insurance not being willing to pay for a PET CT is one reason, sure, but blood work and a CT Scan are reasonable options. The insurance business is not the real reason, though. I've never liked seeing doctors, getting checked. I don't mind needles, exams or being poked.... well not really. It's not comfortable, but it's not a big issue. I think the problem is more related to coping with fear. Ignorance is bliss. What if there were something wrong? Yeah, I know, the earlier they see it, the better. The better my chances. How it feels to talk about yourself in terms of chances of survival! I hadn't thought that way in about two years!

I'm feeling great, I've felt great quite a while after treatment ended... but there's always the what if... what if... In a way, it's like if seeing the doctor, seeing test results, hearing the diagnosis, makes things real. That's how it was in the beginning, before I saw the oncologist, when they were all just running every test they could think of to figure it out. Before the biopsy. Then it was real, when they had the chunk of lymph node and confirmed, even though we had been pretty sure before they did the surgery.

Is that some form of hope? Hope to cope with fear? Hope helps us (me) cope with fear? The weight of evidence, I guess, is what I fear(ed). Certainty comes with evidence. It's something emotional, not rational. Not seeing the doctor I mean. This time I have no reason to be afraid. I 'm great. I feel great. I can't feel any swelling in my lymph nodes... but what if... so many what ifs. I'm not brave. I'm not chicken-shit, but I'm not brave. Hope is a response to fear. Ignorance is a response to fear. Procrastination is a response to fear.

I promise I'll call tomorrow and make an appointment.

En expociencia - expotecnología

Submitted by nando on Sun, 10/07/2007 - 00:51

El jueves estuve en expociencia-expotecnología en Corferias. La Asociación Colombiana para el Avance de la Ciencia nos invitó a hacer una presentación de 15 minutos y participar en un pánel de discusión con algunos otros expertos. Reciclé un poco la presentación que había hecho en Maloka hace más o menos un año, pero un poco reducida, pues tenía la mitad del tiempo. Lo importante, creo, era mostrar cosas interesantes al público que los motivara a pensar un poco sobre cómo hacer que sus estudiantes aprendan más. Decidí recortar los videos y solamente hablar y mostar algunas palabras importantes en el proyector. Hablé de las tres interfaces de Chris Dede (1) y un poco sobre qué tiene que ver esto con el aprendizaje, basándome para esto en Bransford (2), et al.

Usando por primera vez Garage Band en mi Macbook grabé el audio de la conferencia, y luego lo uní a las diapositivas para ponerlo en Google Video. Exporté el Powepoint como imágenes y las puse sobre el audio usando iMovie. Toda bastante fácil. Son 16 minutos de mí hablando sobre educación y tecnología. Aquí esta:

[google 3357634514876994712]

1) Dede, C. (2006). Building Learning Communities Conference, Keynote Day 3. On Building Learning Communities [Video]. Boston, MA: November Learning.

2) Bransford, J., Brown, A., Coching, R., & National Research Council (U.S.). Committee on Developments in the Science of Learning. (2000). How people learn. Washington, D. C.: National Academy Press.

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