I love having access to online videos that I can use in my lectures. I often will go looking for videos online to show or explain a processes better that can be shown by arm waving at still photos (though I do an awful lot of arm waving, most geologists do). Arm waving is often key in lectures because most of geology is spatial discipline, especially when it come to teaching structural geology. I even found a blog from a structural geologist (All of My Faults Are Stress-Related) where there is a post entitled "Arm waving in class is good". I tried to find a video of this but all I really could find are some still photos.
Most of the videos I use have been short clips of under sea volcanic eruptions, black smokers, earthquake dynamics, or mountain formation. Recently, I found a whole documentary on You Tube entitled Global Warming - Doomsday Called Off by the CBC. The class had to answer a series a questions related to the information in the documentary; it keeps their attention focused. I chose to show this particular videos to teach them about the contrasting views on global warming an climate change. Its always good to play devil's advocate every once and a while.
Since I can figure out how to embed a You Tube file in my blog I'll leave you with one of the videos of my experiments. In this clip you can see the vigorous reaction and violent potential that exists by mixing magma and wet sediments.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Monday, March 1, 2010
Geolgical Podcasts
I wouldn't have even thunk it! The United States Geologic Survey has podcasts. This excites me greatly. I can upgrade my "In Geology News This Week" to the next level by getting students to subscribe to their podcast allowing us to have an open discussion on the topic following the new podcast syndication.The latest podcast is entitled "Disappearing Ice Shelves on Antarctic Peninsula". It would have fit right in with last weeks lectures on Climate Change and Geology. I think I should be able to fit it in with the lectures after reading week on Glaciers.
Using Wikis
Creating our own Wiki was actually kind of fun. I think that it would be a excellent way to set up a group research project and monitor the groups progress along the way at their various mile stones. This would be much more fun to work with the the old fashion group term paper!
What the difference between a blog and a Wiki? Blogs are simply online journals. They convey the writers thoughts and emotions. They are a great place to express one's creativity and post photos. Blogs are the property of the individual who writes them. A Wiki on the other hand is an editable online platform that can be updated by multiple users in real time. Wikis allow the reader (or Wiki members) to collaborate by creating, modifying and organizing a web page.
When is one more appropriate to use than the other? Wikis are appropriate for applications that involve multiple authors, and require that this work be edited by a group or team. Since things are continuously changing and growing rapidly, Wiki are ideal to keep up with what's current.
Should you allow your students to use wikis as valid sources for academic research? and Would you allow your students to submit a paper to you that cites a wiki as a source? On our Wiki (http://learningtogetherwithtechnology.wikispaces.com) there is an entire section dedicate to "Trusting Wiki's". The author is of the opinion that Wiki's have a great potential to be trusted resources and I agree that with proper monitoring they could be. On the other hand open source Wiki's, like Wikipedia can be modified by any of its users. The problem with that being that false information might make it on to any page. Wikipedia is monitored for quality on a regular basis but that's not to say that things don't slip through the cracks on occasion. In addition, wiki pages are not specifically reviewed by experts int he field and because of this fact Wikipedia is not a valid source for academic research. For this reason I would not allow for the use Wikipedia in research papers, though I do often say the it is a great place to start to gather basic information on a subject.
What policies could wikis enforce that could garner more confidence from the public? As I eluded to above wiki pages are not specifically reviewed by experts in the field. If Wiki pages are to be used as academic reference then they should under go stringent peer review. If this happened people would have more faith in the materials contained on each page.
What the difference between a blog and a Wiki? Blogs are simply online journals. They convey the writers thoughts and emotions. They are a great place to express one's creativity and post photos. Blogs are the property of the individual who writes them. A Wiki on the other hand is an editable online platform that can be updated by multiple users in real time. Wikis allow the reader (or Wiki members) to collaborate by creating, modifying and organizing a web page.
When is one more appropriate to use than the other? Wikis are appropriate for applications that involve multiple authors, and require that this work be edited by a group or team. Since things are continuously changing and growing rapidly, Wiki are ideal to keep up with what's current.
Should you allow your students to use wikis as valid sources for academic research? and Would you allow your students to submit a paper to you that cites a wiki as a source? On our Wiki (http://learningtogetherwithtechnology.wikispaces.com) there is an entire section dedicate to "Trusting Wiki's". The author is of the opinion that Wiki's have a great potential to be trusted resources and I agree that with proper monitoring they could be. On the other hand open source Wiki's, like Wikipedia can be modified by any of its users. The problem with that being that false information might make it on to any page. Wikipedia is monitored for quality on a regular basis but that's not to say that things don't slip through the cracks on occasion. In addition, wiki pages are not specifically reviewed by experts int he field and because of this fact Wikipedia is not a valid source for academic research. For this reason I would not allow for the use Wikipedia in research papers, though I do often say the it is a great place to start to gather basic information on a subject.
What policies could wikis enforce that could garner more confidence from the public? As I eluded to above wiki pages are not specifically reviewed by experts in the field. If Wiki pages are to be used as academic reference then they should under go stringent peer review. If this happened people would have more faith in the materials contained on each page.
Friday, February 12, 2010
A Volcano a Day keeps the Doctor at bay.
The old adage goes " an apple a day keeps the doctor away". For a PhD student struggling to write her thesis in experimental volcanology "A Volcano a Day keeps the Doctor at bay." Doctor being my supervisor who I have to send a new chapter to this month. At the rate of a page a day this thing is going to take forever to finish :SI thought then that it would be appropriate to post a picture of my very first volcano - Stromboli. In 2000, when I was an undergrad at Dalhousie, I had the opportunity to travel to Italy with my graduating class. Each of us promising geologists wrote a chapter of the travel guide that we would use to navigate the many interesting volcanoes from Rome to Sicily. Stromboli was my pet project for the travel guide. It was the most exciting stop on the trip because Stromboli is the only place in the world where you can witness a volcanic eruption every 20 minutes!!
This photo of eruptions from Stromboli's multiple vents was taken at "Pizzo Sopra la Fossa", a spot about 200 meters higher than the craters. Stromboli is one of the nine Aeolian Islands, a volcanic arc north of Sicily. The eruptions are mildly explosive and produce tephra that typically glows red when leaving the vent, but its surface cools and assumes a dark to black color and may significantly solidify before impact. The tephra then accumulates in the vicinity of the vent, forming a cinder cone. The main vent on the left hand side of the photograph shows this feature. Eruptions of the same nature that occur at other volcanoes are then called Strombolian eruptions.
I will often incorporate photos from FLICKR and other online sources in my lectures. Sometimes that template lecture that the textbook supplies is lacking photos that clearly explain a process or land forms. Other times I go looking for photos to use in my Geology in the New updates. I find using photos most useful. After all, a picture says a thousand words.
FLICKR is easy to navigate and very user friendly. On of the major draw backs for me is that photography of volcanoes is a lucrative business, so most of the good shots of eruptions are copy right. Taking a good photograph of a volcanic eruption, like the one seen above, takes time and a high quality camera. It also involves a bit of luck. When you are taking a photo like this you have to set the aperture for a long exposure. Typically, a photo like this would have an exposure time of between 30 and 60 seconds. Fortunately, the person who took this spectacular photo included access to copy, distribute and transmit the work given that he/she gets the credit they deserve.
The photo above was taken by IBCbulk and can be found on FLICKR
Friday, January 29, 2010
RSS Feeds
WOW! I never knew there was a way that I could read the news more efficiently while drinking coffee. This excites me greatly. I'll definitely be spreading the word to my aunt who is a total news junkie.
I used the RRS feed to add some Geology in the News websites. Every week I go looking for an exciting news article to tell my class about. They really enjoy hearing about any recent geologic events. The earthquake in Hati was a big topic in class. Though we learned a little about earthquakes in class last term the students had many questions to ask. Other topics we have touched upon include volcanic eruptions, the fluctuating costs of oil, the high price of gold and even a little outer space geology. I find telling them news stories about geology keeps a keen interest in the class.
Using the RSS feeds is going to help me greatly. Now I won't have to search through so many websites. I can just do a quick scan to find what's new and pick my next hot topic for class discussion.
I used the RRS feed to add some Geology in the News websites. Every week I go looking for an exciting news article to tell my class about. They really enjoy hearing about any recent geologic events. The earthquake in Hati was a big topic in class. Though we learned a little about earthquakes in class last term the students had many questions to ask. Other topics we have touched upon include volcanic eruptions, the fluctuating costs of oil, the high price of gold and even a little outer space geology. I find telling them news stories about geology keeps a keen interest in the class.
Using the RSS feeds is going to help me greatly. Now I won't have to search through so many websites. I can just do a quick scan to find what's new and pick my next hot topic for class discussion.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Warna's top 10 hits
Blogs...I used to have one back when they first rose to popularity. It lasted for about two weeks before I forgot about it completely. I guess I never really put in the level of commitment require to keep it up. I never felt the need to express all my thought via the internet. Now we have the new social networking mediums to do this in, like Face Book. Social networking media has definitely had it time in the spot light. For me it lasted way longer than two two weeks of blogging did. However, the shininess has worn off for me cause let's face it who really needs to read updates about how mundane people's life are. I should be doing more productive things than posting an update about how good the bagel I just ate was.
So the big question would be "Why the blog? Why now?" One of the goals of the class I am taking - the Diploma in University Teaching - is to integrate technology into eduction. And to point out the obvious blogging is an interesting way of using technology to connect with students in a time when they are all addicted to the internet and social media avenues.
But I digress, the point of this exercise is to use the blog as an avenue to introduce myself to the class, not to give my opinion on blogging and social networking. And what better way to introduce myself to the world of blogging than to Google myself and tell you what I come up with.
So here are my top 10 hits
So the big question would be "Why the blog? Why now?" One of the goals of the class I am taking - the Diploma in University Teaching - is to integrate technology into eduction. And to point out the obvious blogging is an interesting way of using technology to connect with students in a time when they are all addicted to the internet and social media avenues.
But I digress, the point of this exercise is to use the blog as an avenue to introduce myself to the class, not to give my opinion on blogging and social networking. And what better way to introduce myself to the world of blogging than to Google myself and tell you what I come up with.
So here are my top 10 hits
- Warna Downey - LinkedInView Warna Downey's full profile: See who you and Warna Downey know in common; Get introduced to Warna Downey; Contact Warna Downey directly ...ca.linkedin.com/pub/warna-downey/2/458/50 - Cached
- Dalhousie University - Earth Sciences - Alumni - Class of 2001 ... Warna Downey. {short description of image} Grad photo unavailable. B. Sc. Honours Thesis. LATE CENOZOIC PALEOCEANOGRAPHIC CHANGES IN THE NORTHWEST PACIFIC ...
earthsciences.dal.ca/aboutus/alumni/2001/a2001-wd.html - Cached - [PDF] Created using PDFonline.com , a Free PDF Creation serviceFile Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - Quick View
12 May 2005 ... Call to order by Chair Warna Downey at 6:30. 1) Approval of agenda tabled. 2) Approval of April 11 and April 21 minutes tabled ...
www.unbf.ca/gsa/newminutes/12_may_05.pdf - Created using PDFonline.com , a Free PDF Creation service File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - Quick View Call to order by Chair Warna Downey at 6:30. 1) Approval of agenda tabled. 2) Approval of March 14, April 11, April 21 and May 12 minutes tabled ... www.unbf.ca/gsa/newminutes/03_august_05.pdf
- warna l a b pdf Ebook Download Warna Downey will be working on samples collected on Leg 191 .... the lab spaces after dry dock and had no need of a crew of anxious sci- entists underfoot. ...
www.osun.org/warna+l++a+b-pdf-2.html - Department of Geology - University of New Brunswick Warna Downey, Warna.Downey@unb.ca. Ph.D. "The experimental constraints on peperite formation and relationship to explosive ...www.unb.ca/fredericton/science/geology/graduates.php - Cached - Similar
- No. 61 June 9, 2006 Hello VIPers! By now, most everyone should ...File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - Quick View
Warna Downey (left) with Brian Cousens, citationist. Bronze Gelinas Medal for Best B.Sc. thesis, 2006: Émilie Bédard. Citation by Jarda Dostal ...
www.vip-gac.ca/Ashfall/Ashfall61.pdf - Search Atlantic Geology abstract: Warna S. Downey, Dave L. Lentz, and Michael D. Robertson SEM cathodoluminescence imaging of quartz phenoclasts in the Nepisiguit Falls Formation, ...
www.atlanticgeology.ca/search.php?authorwords=lentz&submit... - Cached - News UpdateFile Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - View as HTML
Warna Susanne Downey (wdowney@is2.dal.ca). Warna is in her 3rd year at Dalhousie University. She sailed as an undergraduate student trainee on Leg 191. ...
canadaodp.earthsciences.dal.ca/new/publicns/info013.pdf - Warna Downey | Halifax, NS | Classmates.comWarna Downey 1997 graduate of Halifax West High School in Halifax, NS is on Classmates.com. See pictures, plan your class reunion and get caught up with ...
www.classmates.com/directory/public/.../list.htm?regId... - United States
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