Raptivity - Information Search Process game

http://www.westga.edu/~library/depts/li/tutorials/ISPModel/Information_Search_Process.swf

Social Network for the Deaf - TagDeaf.com

The social networking software that I selected was that of TagDeaf.com. When I think of social networking the first thing that comes to my mind is that of streaming video. That is probably because that was my first exposure to social networking. I went into YouTube to view a video about progress in libraries.
It is usually the social aspect of social networking that is picked up. Social networking suggest sites such as Myspace.com and Facebook. Social networking also has a more serious side. Tagdeaf.com is a great example of how social networking can be used to provide a much needed service in the global community.

Tagdeaf.com was launched by Alex Chu In June of 06. It is the first Social Network designed for the deaf community. TagDeaf.com, like all social networks, is designed with the needs of a targeted audience in mind. This particular social network is so special because it is the first, and I believe only, social network designed for a deaf audience. The hearing world often does not understand that the deaf community is a culture all its own. Culture is grounded in language, and people in the deaf community have their own language. It may be assumed that because communication via the Internet does not require the use of speech that it would not be as much of a problem for the deaf community, but truth is that the grammatical rules and syntax for American Sign Language are quite different from that English.

It’s difficult to say whether or not this particular social network would be conducive to a distance education learning environment. It would provide a great reference for studying the needs of the deaf community.

Google Talk in distance education

I have used instant messaging in teaching online. The learning platform for the class is elearning. I thought that this was a disadvantage at first, not having the chat board that is available on WebCT. I later found that the instant messaging has some real advantages. The students do not have to be at a computer with the Java necesssary for Vista. There is also the advantage of messages being taken when you are away from the computer. In looking at the Google Talk I found that they also have a feature for conferencing.

Death of Philosophers

Research Questions

You need to know how to define your research questions? Try this:

http://www.westga.edu/~library/depts/li/images/questions-answers-imp.jar

Doing Research

What are the requirements of a good research topic?


http://www.westga.edu/~library/depts/li/images/Topic_Selection/Topic_Selection.html

Using Databases

You need help finding articles using the databases? Try this -

http://www.westga.edu/~library/depts/li/tutorials/Databases/Databases.html

My first VBlog

Click Here to view the video

A Rant about Kant

Neven Sesardic
(Lingnan University, Hong Kong: sesardic@ln.edu.hk)

Among philosophers it’s a unique case

that someone lived in just one place.

Königsberg is his town of birth,

and where he was buried into earth.



Despite this poor knowledge base

he had strong views on time and space,

on substance, world, and nature’s laws,

for which he received much applause.



Three books (all called the same)

contributed to his fame.

Which ones? Well, all agree:

the Critique one, and two, and three.



Let’s start with the Critique one.

Alas, reading it, is not much fun.

The style of writing is very dry.

As for its content, it makes me cry.



It claims that knowledge most refined

is only about the human mind.

It’s necessary and a priori

if seen (as it should be) with inner eye.



It’s all established with intuitions,

and some pretty atrocious definitions.

He loved long words with Latin flavor,

which later, thank God, fell out of favor.



Our sage insisted that space is flat,

Yet science today is rejecting that.

What he declared necessarily true

is in fact contingent—and false, too!



Kant spent most time in dogmatic slumber,

wake-up calls reaching a wrong number.

At last awoken by David Hume,

soon he was again snoring in his room.



Now to the Critique number two.

Once more, it’s not a pretty view.

With a new trick up his sleeve,

pops up categorical imperative.



Beside urging us to stand in awe

before the heavens and moral law,

he asserts that ethics norms

directly follow from empty forms.



And that the whole system of morality

springs from a rule that’s content-free.

Wow, I just can’t see how that could be,

perhaps Kant is not my cup of tea.



The third Critique, a tough cookie,

for an expert and for rookie.

In fact, to be quite sincere,

why the old man wrote it, is unclear.



No one can agree on what it says,

For most it’s all just fog and haze.

I read it few times, with no success,

each time I understood it less and less.



Now it’s best to end this rant

and sum up the judgment about Kant.

So what’s achieved in his three critiques?

With all due respect: fiddlesticks

Philosophy vs. Religion

A philosopher is a blind man in a dark room looking for a black cat that isn't there.....