LOR 101

Throughout my past five semesters of college, I have learned there is nothing more important than staying on top of things! Throughout this course, I have found it relatively easy to keep up with the class work and assignments. The readings are what I have the most difficulty in finding time for, because some have been rather lenghty. However, the blog assignment has been very fun for me! I enjoy blogging and am thrilled it is 180 points of our grade in the class! I have kept up very well, always making sure to do AT LEAST 3 posts per week! Whenever I don't feel like studying for Anatomy and Physiology or Clinical Phonetics, I always resort to blogging because it is a stressfree assignment and I am still getting something done! The response papers have been fairly simple for me because I treat it like an extended blog post. The midterm was very fair because everything that was on it had been covered pretty extensively in class discussion. I tend to learn the most in classes where attendance and participation are key, and usually find them the most enjoyable! LOR 101 has been a very helpful course in teaching me how to do research, and I am very glad I chose to take it!
The library link has been the most helpful piece of information I have gained throughout this course!
http://lib.murraystate.edu/

RED OCTOBER!

THE SAINT LOUIS CARDINALS ARE THE 2011 WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS!

In watching every game I was able to during the past week or so of the 2011 MLB World Series, I honestly thought there was no possible way the Cards would win! Although I rooted for them the entire way, they made many mistakes, and had to dig themselves out of a few holes in order to end up on top! Game six was the most exciting, when the red birds came back after being one out away from losing twice! They finally got it together and played an amazing game last night in order to take their title as the World Series Champs!
This is the 11th time the Cardinals have won the World Series after appearing 17 times in the history of the event! David Freese was rightfully named the MVP of the Series! I found the postgame celebrating by the players to be very exciting, also. The players, their families, and their friends all rushed the field in excitement! The link shows one of the most popular pictures taken right after Alan Craig caught the last ball for the last out on Friday night's game!
http://www.inquisitr.com/151562/2011-world-series-schedule-rangers-start-as-narrow-favorites/

Seeking Info!

In taking library orientation 101, I must admit that my expectations anmotives were to fill a 3 hour elective spot and earn an easy A! While this has held true, I have, however, learned an immense amount of information throughout the course! Before taking this course, I had no clue of how much the library here at MSU had to offer. The thing I have found most helpful is the online virtual library which has completely changed my "information seeking behavior".
Before this course, I found it no big deal to use any ole website I found when I searched my topic on Google. I did not take authority, relevance, and reliability into account.
Now that I have been informed on the correct way to conduct research, I think the next few semesters here at MSU will prove to be much easier! I have three semesters left to obtain my Bachelor's Degree, and then I plan to enter graduate school, where I am sure all of the knowledge I have gained from this course will be very helpful to me.
I think it is very important to be informed on how to search for credible information online because that is where most research is done here in 2011! The following link gives a few more helpful hints on researching using the World Wide Web:
http://www.elearners.com/guide/success-in-an-online-program/tips-for-tests-papers-and-homework-assignments/how-to-conduct-research-online/

Copyright Laws -Class Discussion-

During the class meeting on 10-26 we discussed copyright laws in the United States. When it comes to copyright laws, I believe there is alot of gray area on what should and should not be protected under these laws, and what is considered fair use! I understand books, scholarly articles, etc clearly have a reason to be protected. However, today, even dance is being held to copyright laws. I believe the progressing strict copyright laws hinder one's creativity because if someone even thinks of something remotely like someone else's idea, they can be accused of copying it. I believe that eventually, Americans are going to run out of unique  ideas on which to base books, movies, etc.
The idea of fair use is also debatable among many. It is considered fair use if you aren't making a profit, which is understandable. However, the percentage that is used from the piece is also considered. So, who decided where to draw the line?
The following link provides a bit more information pertaining to guidlines for educationalfair use:
http://www.adec.edu/admin/papers/fair10-17.html

Copyright Laws

The article distributed in class written by Lawrence Lessing was very interesting in the way it addressed copyright laws. If you think back, you have probably violated a copyright sometime in your life. Have you ever downloaded a song you really like, or burned a CD for one of your friends? If so you have violated a federal law! Lessing points out in his article that copyright laws extend for a very long period of time, this being the lifetime of the owner plus 70 years after their passing. He points out that they basically go on forever. 

Although Lessing takes the side of the public domain over copyrighting, he still understands the need to copyright some materials to an extent. The article gives me the notion that copyright laws hinder ones creative thinking because anymore you can not even share the same idea as someone without violating copyright laws. With all the movies, book, etc that we have in today's world, it is hard to come up with new ideas. Copyright laws may have some effect on the stifling of this creativity!  

To read more on this idea, follow this link:

http://sloanreview.mit.edu/the-magazine/2009-winter/50203/does-current-copyright-law-hinder-innovation/

Living is Expensive!

College life is great in some ways, but in other ways it really sucks!! It is so expensive! Groceries, gas, rent, bills! Life  is expensive... And I don't want to grow up! I work at a grocery store in Benton, Ky, and in the past two years I have worked there I have watched the price of milk, bread, and other household staples double! It scares me to think about what is to come. I am very greatful to have wonderful parents who help me out, because I could never do it without them! They help me with my rent and groceries. I dread thinking about when I am out on my own and have to pay for all of this stuff by myself!! All I can say is that it's a good thing I am going to college! The following link is one I use to find the cheapest gas prices around my hometown!

http://autos.aol.com/draffenville-ky-gas-prices/

Evaluating Sources

When researching, it is very important that you evaluate your source when using it in scholarly writings. When doing this, you must evaluate the sources authority, reliability, and relevance. When was the source updated? Is their bias? what credibility does the author have? These are all questions you must ask yourself when evaluating information to use as a source in research!

An example of an uncredible source is Wikipedia! You should not EVER use this when writing work for school! However, if you are researching a topic you have no prior knowledge to, it can be useful to pull keywords from. Examples of reliable and credible sources are scholarly, peer-reviewed articles. You can use the databases offered through the MSU website to access these on and off campus. Follow the link and login with your MSU password and username to see an example of a way to find credible information!

http://lib.murraystate.edu/dbatoz.htm

"Information Cocoons and Wikis"

The article distributed in class titled "Information Cocoons and Wikis" was an interesting read because it brought to my attention that we should be informed about opposing viewpoints and not surround ourselves with our own "info cocoons". I believe we tend to surround  ourselves with information that is similar to our own opinions because it is comforting to us. Humans tend to oppose change! We do not like to think outside of our box, but sometimes, especially when gathering information about certain topics, we need to! The article points out that we cocoon ourselves because we do not like to hear what we do not believe. We tend to stay away from information that is generally in contrast to what we believe. One example would be which news sources we follow. Everyone knows that Fox and CNN provide biased reports on the happenings around us. This, however, may not be such a terrible thing because it is helpful to know both sides to a story (This still does not make me want to watch Fox news)!

For my local information I usually rely on the Benton, Ky newspaper! You can visit their website by following this link!

http://www.tribunecourier.com/

A World Wide Web of Change

The article distributed in class, "A World Wide Web of Change" was a very interesting to read in that it discusses the issue of censorship and the Internet. It is hard to decide what is too far when arguing this point. 

The article points out that the web has changed nearly every aspect of our lives. It also points out that "the web is not powered by fairy dust and wishes." This explains that the web is ran by real people creating different website every single day! Anyone can create a website, just as I created my blog! It is very important for us to consider our sources and have information literacy. 

In the article, Wikileaks is discussed in depth. It points out that thanks to this website we now have information about private things we would have never known about otherwise! Visit the following link to view things still being posted on Wikileaks even today!

http://wikileaks.org/

You can find ANYTHING online!

The vast amount of information you can access online is endless! A popular acronym supports this idea- if you ask someone a question, they may respond with JFGI (just freaking google it!) 

This is the case in today's online world! Any question you could ever have can be answered by simply typing it into a search engine. Some websites, however, may be more credible than others! They include websites with the ending .gov and .edu. These are government and educational sites. Less reliable sources may end in .com, referring to commercial sites. 

When searching the World Wide Web, we must serve as our own filters. You can find basically anything online, and you must decide what you will and will not view. I am very pleased that we have the right to serve as our own filters, because in countries such as China, access is denied on some sites. 

The following link is one that gives some examples of comical things people have googled! This will give you an idea of the wide variety of information people use the Internet for!

http://www.tiptoptens.com/2011/01/28/top-10-most-funny-google-search-suggestions/

Navigating Databases

Within Murray State's online virtual library, there are numerous different databases you can use for research! You can search by subject or search by individual database. If you aren't sure exactly what you are looking for, though, it may be easier to search by subject. For instance, if I were writing a paper about something dealing with my major, communication disorders, I could simply search that subject and it would bring up which databases would be most helpful in conducting my research! Knowing how to use this system is going to be very helpful in my educational career here at MSU!

Within each database, there is a different interface. For example, Ebsco Host has a single background page used for each search you enter, and that will be the same for all Ebsco host databases. Jstor will use a different layout, but still hosts many different databases in which you can find similar information. 

When using databases, you must keep in mind that you are not using an "online" source! It is simply a print source that is housed electronically. Within some databases you can create accounts which will store the inormation you want to save so you can access it and print it later!

Databases are one of the most useful resources in research, as they contain thousands and thousands of peer reviewed journals for whatever the topic may be! An example is WorldCat, a world wide database, and can be accessed through the following link:

http://www.worldcat.org/

Copyright Suit

The article distributed in class published in "The Chronicle" addresses the copyright law dealing with placing digital copies of text online. The lawsuit against HathiTrust, among many other universities, sought to take the digital repositories from them in that they could not be distributed online. It asks them to impound and lock up all unauthorized copies of copyright protected works. 

In a sense, I see where the lawsuit is coming from, and I agree that authors should be protected and people should have to pay for their work. However, at the same time, the works which have no known author it should not matter whether or not they are distributed online. In the article it states that only certain people can use the readings, because they have strict limited user access. This should be okay because they are being used mainly for scholarly purposes.

This is where the world is going. All online! It is comparable to people downloading music from sources like LimeWire and ShareBear. Although it may not be completely ethical, everyone is going to find a way to share things online. Who knows- someday we may be doing all of our reading online!

For more on fair use in copyright, see the following link:

http://www.bitlaw.com/copyright/fair_use.html 

Jobs dies at Age 56

Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple and mastermind behind the iPhone, iPod, iMac, and iTunes, has died at age 56. This man will never be forgotten, as he played an enormous role in technology in the United States and around the world. 

Neither his family or Apple would reveal what he died from, but it has been known in former years has fought pancreatic cancer. He co-founded Apple computer in 1976, and has since then been a main source in innovations the company has produced. 

This man has single-handedly impacted my life, as well as the lives of many around me. I have been the owner of an iPhone for the past five years, and could not imagine a day living without it. I rely on it to check the weather, browse the internet, check my bank account, among numerous other things. Steve Jobs was the genius behind this piece of equipment. 

To read more on his passing, see the following link:

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/steve-jobs-apple-ceo-dies/story?id=14383813

Christmas in September?

It is only October third, and three weeks ago I began to see Christmas items in stores!! Cracker Barrel was the first place I walked in to in the middle of September and laid my eyes upon large, decorated trees and Christmas sweaters! I thought I was dreaming! It seems absurd to me that stores begin stocking their Christmas items earlier and earlier each year! Before long I believe they will just start keeping Christmas stock out year-round! 

Don't get me wrong- I love the holidays. I love all the tasty food and of course, the presents! But jeez people- at least wait until Halloween is over! 

While searching for a link to post with this blog, I ran through some pretty amusing articles! The one posted below supports the opinion that yes, stocking early does help people "plan in advance", but there are also many disadvantages! He says placing the word "Christmas" in front of items is almost like placing the word "wedding" in front of something. This alone, gives retailers and excuse to triple the price. I mean, think about it- you have shoes, but then you have wedding shoes. You have cake, but a wedding cake is much more expensive! The article below compares Christmas to this same phenomenon! 

http://www.moneygap.com/too-early-for-christmas/

My Intercultural Experience!

I am currently in an intercultural communication, which got me interested in the ESL (English as a Second Language) program at Murray State. I am paired with a very nice young woman named Jiyhe. Julia is what she goes by in America. She is from South Korea, and speaks very good English. I wanted to learn a little more about her culture so it would help me understand her background.

While doing a little research, I found out that the United States has a major thing in common with South Korea-and that is most people in South Korea follow Christianity. Even though most follow this religion, Confucianism and Buddhism are also common among some.

I also learned that it is polite to greet someone with a bow in South Korea. Gift giving is popular, and they consider it a personal violation to be touched (hand shake, pat on the back, etc.) unless by a close family member or friend. They enjoy dining together, and tipping is sometimes considered offensive.

Through doing a little background research, I am now aware of the immense changes Julia has went through in her move to Murray State University from half way across the world.

If you want to learn more on Korean culture you can follow these links:

http://www.ediplomat.com/np/cultural_etiquette/ce_kr.htm

http://www.learnkoreanlanguage.com/Korean-Culture.html