LIS 2600 Portfolio

Here it is. This is the portfolio page. I've linked to it from my home page also (www.pitt.edu/~jkw21). It's nice to be done, although I may still tinker with bits and pieces of the portfolio for fun. It has links to the blog, Omeka, Koha, both fragments, a css page I used the external style sheet for the portfolio page, and then internal css for each of the pages showing the assignments we completed. It was interesting work, and at times frustrating, even the smallest mistake makes the style sheet not work properly. I am by no means an expert in html or css now, but I've learned that I can find the information I need to answer my questions, it's not as scary as it seems, and I am capable of learning it. I think I'm going to try the digital libraries course in the spring semester, and maybe information architecture or another info tech class after that. I enjoyed the work we did, even though it gave me a headache at times.

The Value of a Syllabus

My wife is a professor, and I am not new to the art and science of higher education. I've witnessed and participated in the formation and interpretation of syllabi for over a decade. Every semester, we change hers for all her classes to be sure it accurately reflects the structure of the course, her expectations, the learning outcomes, and fully detailed descriptions of the assignments to be completed in that term. As a student, I expect the syllabus I receive from my professor to do the same things. There is a fundamental problem with the leadership of a class when expectations are vague, requirements are nebulous, and changes are made in the final hours which are to the detriment of the student. A syllabus should be the guide both student and professor can refer to when there is confusion or disagreement about assignments, readings, or requirements. It is the "way to the A" as my wife always tells her students. In LIS 2000, the syllabus was already corrected once to make the assignment/reading due dates clearer, due to general confusion on the part of the students. It appears that did little good. Mere days before one of our essays is due, heavily weighted in point value, the professor(s) inform us that the general statement in the syllabus of "outside sources" actually has a required number attached. This should have been included in the syllabus from the beginning and not on a blackboard post. Many people begin researching and preparing essays from the beginning of a course. They don't all wait until the week before it's due. To change the requirements, and I do consider this a change, is poor management. It is a change because the student can not plan their research process by divining the professor's true intentions. We can only proceed from the information provided. In particular, it is imperative that a professor be sure they are communicating fully and transparently their desires and intentions when they are teaching distance classes. These classes are already work intensive and this change adds more work to those of us who already began writing, or who finished their first draft. Finding and incorporating several more outside sources into a formed paper of no small length, and being sure to fit into the word limit for fear of losing points, is added stress and work in a program already rife with both. The only way I am going to keep up with the pace is to work on assignments long before they are due. This change is going to alter the schedule I was able to maintain thus far and instead of keeping pace, will I'm afraid put me where I least wanted to be, always rushing. If my wife pulled a stunt like this, I would be shocked at her disorganization, her lack of perspective, and the utter irresponsibility evident in her actions. Student and professor are linked in the educational process by a social contract. It is the student's responsibility to be prepared to learn, to turn in assignments on time and fully completed, to think deeply and share their thoughts. The professor must uphold their end of the bargain by being clear, communicating effectively, making themselves available to the students, and providing clear directives about the requirements and expectations of the course. I'm afraid this class and these professors have lost the trust of the students and in effect their ability to be influential.

Zotero Video

Zotero_Installation_Video
Watch this video to learn how to install Zotero, a free easy to use Firefox extension to help you collect, manage, cite and share your research sources.

Completion not perfection. . .hmmm

Yeah! I got in to Ref-works and was able to create an account. It's the little things in life.

So, I'm wondering what does the mantra, "completion not perfection" really mean? I'm pretty sure our grades are based on our proximity to perfection and not the mere completion of the material. This is a grade-based program, in as much as they use grades to determine our success. I'm familiar with a non-grade based program, and their evaluations were heavily weighted on personal growth and increased "understanding". University of Pittsburgh seems a little less touchy-feeley, kum-ba-ya than that. If someone turns in an assignment that is obviously completed, and in a timely manner, but struggling mightily in it's approach to perfection, how will they be evaluated? My instinct tells me the grade will reflect its accuracy and to take the platitude offered at the beginning of this course for what it is. . . an attempt to keep us from having a nervous breakdown.