30 minutes to caturday

[framefolly]

I taught two good classes today, the latter of which was particularly successful. Last week I asked students in the second class, which is an upper division course on media convergence, to edit a wikipedia entry and track what happened to their edits. They had a great time! Most of them submitted verifiable information, but a few of them "hacked"

Comments

[thisficklemob]

OMG, me too! And I can't remember which I like better, though neither are favorites. (I like... uh, canteloupe?... in fruit soup.)

[framefolly]

I like them both, the green one slightly better. It's a good reminder that I know less than I think I do, and that it's okay ;)

[zanthinegirl]

For the record: Honeydews are the green ones, and cantaloupes are the orange ones. Though I didn't realize either really had a taste until my parents moved to Hermiston, Oregon. They mostly grow melons in Hermiston. Lots of varieties I'd never sen before too. And they have so much more flavor when they ripen in the field!

[framefolly]

Thanks! Actually, I can look it up or have people tell me -- I just don't retain it. It's the same with pines, firs, and spruces -- I have a general idea of which is which, but really? They're all evergreens to me...

I do love all kinds of melons -- it's just that many of their names (both Chinese and English) escape me...

[zanthinegirl]

Wikipedia is a wild, wooly place. Not too long ago I looked up an obscure (at least to me!) islamic sect, and was surprised at all the weird edits-- things like "They like to f*ck pigs!!1!11! Eventually I figured out that (I'm guessing teenage) kids were entering weird and insulting information. It was just odd, and I wish I'd taken a screencap!

[zandperl]

Wikipedia saves a history of all previous versions. You can go back and look for it. One of my students wrote a paper on the Moon and said craters were caused by lightning. I went back and checked the history, and my student had barely missed the day when the page said craters were caused by alien weaponry.

[thisficklemob]

Excellent.

[framefolly]

*dies of laughter*

[zandperl]

Do you have a handout for that Wikipedia assignment? I'd love to start giving it to my students.

[framefolly]

Hmm...Sorry, I didn't make a formal handout. It's such a small seminar that I just described and demoed it in class.

[zandperl]

No worries, I'll come up with something. It'll have to be for a future semester anyway. :)

[enigmaticblues]

I'm glad things are going so well in your teaching!

[framefolly]

Thanks!