Authentic, technical professional development 03.0
In search of web security know-how, I assume an identity of a PHP web programmer and found out that there’s not much information out there in a traditional setting (textbook or training session), especially that for open source advocates. Only book I found was ‘
Essential PHP security’, this book covers all ranges of attacks and preventing techniques within less-than-hundred-page
O’Reilly book. While reading the book, I found myself spend more time searching obscure terms, or more examples on the WWW. Chris Shiflett, the author, discusses each security issue within a few pages, gives sample script, sometimes without detailed explanation. Should I blame him? Well, as I jumped on the WWW and search more information, I realized that textbook, handbook, or any other printed materials are not the first choice for security issues. Actually, one should never count them in for studying current security issues.
All of us realized how fast Internet technologies grow (we just saw its diffusion graph in class), security issues grow at the same rate, in a more concealed fashion, at least to me. A month or two is not enough to gather all breaches and defensive tactics. I then decided to showcase some popular breaches pertaining to all of us, Web 2.0.
I hope this
article give you insight what I am up to.
Reference:Evers, J (2006, July 28). The security risk in Web 2.0. Retrieved October 26, 2006, from CNET News.com Web site: http://news.com.com/The+security+risk+in+Web+2.0/2100-1002_3-6099228.html
CSS controller for Firefox
I should have shared this resource to our class long ago as many of our folks are learning Macromedia and CSS. This firefox add-on, a css control, help you disable the CSS on the page and see how actual content work! You can even pick up different types of style to disable (inline or linked).
For others who don’t know what CSS is, I still recommend you to try installing this add-on, visiting some sites, and then turning CSS off. This way you’ll experience CSS-free website, and you might get some idea how powerful CSS is, and also how weird a page would look like without this styling standard. This might be some kind of backward learning :)
Here's the link https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/60/
Positioning myself – two become one
In G518, I’m working on an assignment, positioning in the field. I focus on enhancing active learning and critical thinking in discussion-based online education. My findings in this niche include discussion activities (foster effective instructor-learner, or learner-learner communication, questioning techniques that promote critical thinking) and content analyzing (analyzing frameworks, research methodology, and coding techniques). I found from existing literature that most content analysis models stem from social science, and psychology models to quantify story and writing.
Across the foyer to room G513, I continue my game research with The Sims2 focusing on how players shape their identities in game, and on justifying their stories. My plan is to look into the
Story Exchange at the Sims 2 website and find out how players develop their life story in game play.
Although games are my sinful pleasures and I never want to be parted from them, I doubt that game research would help my profession when I finish the degree since scholars give game a bad name. While I was worried what to do with this wrongdoing (playing game), psychology comes along. Then narrative and content analysis models help me get back on track. Yes, I finally find the way to merge my fondness with my profession. In the next AECT survey, I’d definitely check ‘nature of work’ as my factors to stay in jobs.
Thought from discussion – second self online
Discussion early this class was captivating, particularly Jade’s and Kathryn’s research interest in informal learning and social networking. Yes! myspace, facebook, youtube, and all that. I came across many interesting stories about selves on the Internet and would like to share with you guys here:
Lonelygirl15: Imagine a good looking fifteen-year-old girl with very strict parents shares her personal story online. She was a phenomenon on youtube until she came out and revealed that it was just a video project of three young filmmakers and that she is actually nineteen.
http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?type=28&id=1540927 Wine Kone: seems like people now make a head shot video of themselves. Wine Kone is one of them. He made a good comment about myspace and this young generation. Check out his yourspace(s) video:
http://www.youtube.com/profile_video_blog?id=395531A1FC178154Post Secret: If I am not mistaken, I saw this story from current.tv. The guy started collecting postcard from around the world, from people who want to share their secret.
http://postsecret.blogspot.comWeird Al: last but not least, weird Al. Listen to his songs just for fun.
http://www.myspace.com/weirdal
Thought from discussion after group work
I was thinking about Dr.Kara’s notion of instructor’s risk regarding teaching styles.
Being a sage on the stage is like an untouchable figure, students cannot ask and definitely cannot argue (don’t you think?). The sages take no risk and therefore do not need to learn (only read what they have to teach). Back in my teaching time, our folks has a joke that we all are just ‘tape recorder’ or ‘copying machine.’ We barely learn new things during our career. Does passive class make passive teacher?
Constructivists seem to be more risky as they take off their scholarly roles and jump right in the same level as learners and say ‘hey, I’m just one of you guys. How about that?’ But then, is it okay to say that ‘the more you risk, the more you learn?’
No matter which approach we like, I think it boils down to class size, learner’s level, and learning objectives.
Contribution to the Ed. Tech. Program
I decided to develop simple web form and database to collect our edtech student profiles. The main reason is to share our research interest so that we could work together in the future. I also hope to use this project to showcase my technical development assignment, as I will improve security control on the application level so that it can withstand security threats.
Erik Black has pioneered this project last semester so we already have some student records. Please visit
http://www.vapsite.com/edtech/index.php and add or update your profile.
