Friday, November 25, 2005
Comics and Education Converge!
Lynn Johnston may have just become my hero. She writes and draws the popular daily comic strip For Better or Worse about the various highlights and misadventures of the Patterson family. Like G.B. Trudeau Johnston has used her daily platform in hundreds of newspapers to raise awareness of various issues. She will writes comics about solemn and important topics like the death of a parent with grace and candor. Her willingness to raise these issues has long drawn attention, and her deft skill at dealing with them with sensitivity and insight have long earned her admiration well beyond the comic community. Recently she turned the gaze of her strip on the difficulties disabled children face in education. She even mentioned some of the technology they use to help them handel daily tasks. Hopefully this widespread exposure will help raise awareness of just how many challenges with which the disabled must contend. I always have believed that comics have a special power to get into our minds through their combined visual and lingual presence. When both the words and pictures team up to bounce around your head, it boosts the chances of your subconcious mind remembering and your concious mind being forced to digest it. In my current projects I am trying to do as much as I can to accomodate students with disabilities, but true change won't occur until more people realize just how much we take for granted. If you want to check out the strip go here.
Sunday, November 20, 2005
NBA Team “Solar” Ratings 11/20/2005
Since we are officially one eighth of the way through the pro-basketball season, now seems like a sensible time to review my power rankings of the NBA. Given how my preseason ratings seem to have been good for predicting just about nothing to come out of the season so far, you’ll notice a lot of change between this and previous set of ratings Hey, what did you expect. I’m a rank amateur putting together criticism of highly complicated sports franchises, based on little more than box scores and my own limited television viewing. Still I shall endeavor to provide at least little glimpses of information and insight you can’t normally get from most other power rankings.
I. Sun-
Detroit Pistons- Many commentators have determined that it must be some positive influence of Flip Saunders that has the Pistons sizzling on offense. Don’t buy the hype the starting five have always played their hardest when they had something to prove.
II. Jupiter-
San Antonio Spurs- Right now they look like a team that’s trying to cruise to the playoffs on their talent and depth. Not to say it won’t work, but their lack of motivation has earned them a demotion on my list.
III. Earth-
Miami Heat – I thought Shaq’s injury would push them down to the Uranus tier. Give the credit for their survival to Wade and ‘Zo.
Indiana Pacers- They have a mix of great wins and horrible losses, but they’re looking very good for the long haul. I’ll take their wins over the Heat and the Nets over that puzzling loss to the Bucks.
Cleveland Cavaliers- When LBJ has his opponents asking to see his birth certificate like in little league, that to me is a good sign his arrival is on.
IV. Saturn-
Los Angeles Clippers- Their ownership was happy to have a losing team for so many years, that I wonder if the new winning Clips have the ownership saddened. Shades of The Producers.
Dallas Mavericks- Dirk and the boys may be threatening to take one of the top two tiers. Not just for being the only team with wins over both the Spurs and the Pistons, but also the only team who is in the top-five in both offensive and defensive efficiency.
Minnesota Timberwolves- Things on Kevin McHale’s to do list: 1) Buy Michael Olowakandi a nice present, something from Bath and Body 2) Reassure the fourth best player in the league that I am not stupid enough to trade him, so he’ll go back to giving 100% on the court.
V. Venus-
Denver Nuggets- I have been shifting through some plus/minus data and it does seem that one of the best things the Nuggets could do to improve their record is to bench K-Mart. Explaining why the evidence indicates this is a hard task, but my guess is that Martin hasn’t been playing defense. See Denver leads the association in defensive efficiency, but is in the bottom 10 in offensive efficiency, suggesting that a score-first power forward that has long been criticized for his lack of toughness may not be their biggest asset right now.
Washington Wizards- I don’t know how much dire the difference between your road and home games can be than when you go from scoring 130+ in regulation at the MCI center than bombing three on the road. Who can say “consistency”?
Milwaukee Bucks- My love for their hot start has been tempered by some shaky performances since. How do you never get the lead against the Kings? This is the NBA we’re talking about right?
VI. Mars-
Philadelphia 76ers- Want to know the secret of Philly’s resurgence after a horrible start? Ball control. Just look at how few turnovers they’ve given up over the last few games, pretty impressive.
Los Angeles Lakers- It’s been a shaking start so far, but I still believe. That and I’ll take any excuse to praise a man called Smush.
Golden State Warriors- This team is making up for its sub-par offense with some suffocating D. I’ve got my eye on whether a major hot streak or major injury comes first.
New Jersey Nets- Carter and Kidd haven’t been nearly as destructive a twosome as they were last April, but I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt for a few more weeks.
VII. Mercury-
Boston Celtics- I’ve watched them twice already and both games they looked great. Except in both games they got outgunned by a superior Eastern team, I don’t expect them to last long at this rate.
Chicago Bulls- They did catch fire late in the season last year, but this opening screams mediocre more than underachieving.
Memphis Grizzlies- You could argue they belong in a higher tier, but I can’t think of the team without the image of Shane Battier’s bleeding head rushing into my mind. I’m sorry but that just shakes my confidence in a team that plays in the same division as three of the most physical teams in the league.
VIII. Neptune-
Portland Trailblazers- I hear the people in Portland want some good news. It seems the new sheriff has brought in a new sense of discipline; the Blazers aren’t giving away as many cheap fouls.
Phoenix Suns- I don’t know what to say here except that everyone in Arizona should just hold out hope until Amare comes back. As much as I have criticized him in the past, it’s clear the offense just isn’t as stellar without him.
Orlando Magic- Their faith in their developing young talent is the only thing that has them up here instead of out on Pluto.
Seattle Sonics- For a team that caused a real stir last season largely off of their determination to go after the boards, it seems all those offensive rebounds they're giving up are really hurting them this season.
IX. Uranus-
New York Knicks- I’m calling shenanigans on their wins so far, they still are dead last in offensive efficiency. Steph says he wants to stop playing point. It seems to me he hasn’t been a table setter yet in his career, so why start now?
Utah Jazz- They never can get all their cylinders firing at once, between injuries and apathy. It makes me wonder if we’re witnessing the beginnings of “The Curse of the Mailman”.
Houston Rockets- You can blame their bad performance on Yao’s fouls or T-Mac’s back. I think it may have something to do with their terrible rebounding of late.
Sacramento Kings- How shocking is it that Brad Miller may be the best player at the center position in the Western conference so far? How troubling is it that even with that on their side the Kings still look dreadful?
X. Pluto-
Charlotte Bobcats- These ‘Cats are doing okay for the players they have. Being last in the league in effective field goal percentage is not a good sign though.
New Orleans Hornets- Two points: 1) I’m still calling them the “New Orleans Hornets” as a gesture of solidarity with the recovering city. 2) Despite the Oklahoma City home crowd and their enthusiastic support, this team is still a long way from the postseason.
Atlanta Hawks- So . . . Joe Johnson. He hardly seems worth a major infight between the team ownership at this point does he.
Toronto Raptors- With the chip Vinsanity left on their shoulder last season officially spent, this team is officially done.
I. Sun-
Detroit Pistons- Many commentators have determined that it must be some positive influence of Flip Saunders that has the Pistons sizzling on offense. Don’t buy the hype the starting five have always played their hardest when they had something to prove.
II. Jupiter-
San Antonio Spurs- Right now they look like a team that’s trying to cruise to the playoffs on their talent and depth. Not to say it won’t work, but their lack of motivation has earned them a demotion on my list.
III. Earth-
Miami Heat – I thought Shaq’s injury would push them down to the Uranus tier. Give the credit for their survival to Wade and ‘Zo.
Indiana Pacers- They have a mix of great wins and horrible losses, but they’re looking very good for the long haul. I’ll take their wins over the Heat and the Nets over that puzzling loss to the Bucks.
Cleveland Cavaliers- When LBJ has his opponents asking to see his birth certificate like in little league, that to me is a good sign his arrival is on.
IV. Saturn-
Los Angeles Clippers- Their ownership was happy to have a losing team for so many years, that I wonder if the new winning Clips have the ownership saddened. Shades of The Producers.
Dallas Mavericks- Dirk and the boys may be threatening to take one of the top two tiers. Not just for being the only team with wins over both the Spurs and the Pistons, but also the only team who is in the top-five in both offensive and defensive efficiency.
Minnesota Timberwolves- Things on Kevin McHale’s to do list: 1) Buy Michael Olowakandi a nice present, something from Bath and Body 2) Reassure the fourth best player in the league that I am not stupid enough to trade him, so he’ll go back to giving 100% on the court.
V. Venus-
Denver Nuggets- I have been shifting through some plus/minus data and it does seem that one of the best things the Nuggets could do to improve their record is to bench K-Mart. Explaining why the evidence indicates this is a hard task, but my guess is that Martin hasn’t been playing defense. See Denver leads the association in defensive efficiency, but is in the bottom 10 in offensive efficiency, suggesting that a score-first power forward that has long been criticized for his lack of toughness may not be their biggest asset right now.
Washington Wizards- I don’t know how much dire the difference between your road and home games can be than when you go from scoring 130+ in regulation at the MCI center than bombing three on the road. Who can say “consistency”?
Milwaukee Bucks- My love for their hot start has been tempered by some shaky performances since. How do you never get the lead against the Kings? This is the NBA we’re talking about right?
VI. Mars-
Philadelphia 76ers- Want to know the secret of Philly’s resurgence after a horrible start? Ball control. Just look at how few turnovers they’ve given up over the last few games, pretty impressive.
Los Angeles Lakers- It’s been a shaking start so far, but I still believe. That and I’ll take any excuse to praise a man called Smush.
Golden State Warriors- This team is making up for its sub-par offense with some suffocating D. I’ve got my eye on whether a major hot streak or major injury comes first.
New Jersey Nets- Carter and Kidd haven’t been nearly as destructive a twosome as they were last April, but I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt for a few more weeks.
VII. Mercury-
Boston Celtics- I’ve watched them twice already and both games they looked great. Except in both games they got outgunned by a superior Eastern team, I don’t expect them to last long at this rate.
Chicago Bulls- They did catch fire late in the season last year, but this opening screams mediocre more than underachieving.
Memphis Grizzlies- You could argue they belong in a higher tier, but I can’t think of the team without the image of Shane Battier’s bleeding head rushing into my mind. I’m sorry but that just shakes my confidence in a team that plays in the same division as three of the most physical teams in the league.
VIII. Neptune-
Portland Trailblazers- I hear the people in Portland want some good news. It seems the new sheriff has brought in a new sense of discipline; the Blazers aren’t giving away as many cheap fouls.
Phoenix Suns- I don’t know what to say here except that everyone in Arizona should just hold out hope until Amare comes back. As much as I have criticized him in the past, it’s clear the offense just isn’t as stellar without him.
Orlando Magic- Their faith in their developing young talent is the only thing that has them up here instead of out on Pluto.
Seattle Sonics- For a team that caused a real stir last season largely off of their determination to go after the boards, it seems all those offensive rebounds they're giving up are really hurting them this season.
IX. Uranus-
New York Knicks- I’m calling shenanigans on their wins so far, they still are dead last in offensive efficiency. Steph says he wants to stop playing point. It seems to me he hasn’t been a table setter yet in his career, so why start now?
Utah Jazz- They never can get all their cylinders firing at once, between injuries and apathy. It makes me wonder if we’re witnessing the beginnings of “The Curse of the Mailman”.
Houston Rockets- You can blame their bad performance on Yao’s fouls or T-Mac’s back. I think it may have something to do with their terrible rebounding of late.
Sacramento Kings- How shocking is it that Brad Miller may be the best player at the center position in the Western conference so far? How troubling is it that even with that on their side the Kings still look dreadful?
X. Pluto-
Charlotte Bobcats- These ‘Cats are doing okay for the players they have. Being last in the league in effective field goal percentage is not a good sign though.
New Orleans Hornets- Two points: 1) I’m still calling them the “New Orleans Hornets” as a gesture of solidarity with the recovering city. 2) Despite the Oklahoma City home crowd and their enthusiastic support, this team is still a long way from the postseason.
Atlanta Hawks- So . . . Joe Johnson. He hardly seems worth a major infight between the team ownership at this point does he.
Toronto Raptors- With the chip Vinsanity left on their shoulder last season officially spent, this team is officially done.
A (Partial) Summation
As I reach a crossroads in my work developing a web site for a high school in my area, I find myself reflecting on my work up to this point as a means of guidance for the future. I would really like to see something strong and positive come out of this. Yet, more than a few complications have prevented the project from developing optimally. As such it seems that I will only have the means and time to create something of partial utility for the school and students. Still I feel even a limited success can have a strong impact. As I have tried to make clear I am a strong believer that a well designed web resource can be an incredible guide and portal to other information and resources. I know one tool that I wish to make available to students is a means of express their own thoughts and reflections on the program of which they can be proud. I think if I set up some type of blog that's held by the community it might give the students a chance to communicate with each other and the outside world in a way that can be comfortable and encouraging. Also, I hope that for all the joy I have taken in creating this blog, the students themselves may take some pride in seeing their work published on the web.
Monday, November 14, 2005
True Accessibility in Technology
We have all heard the warnings on the various TV news magazine programs about why you have to be careful on the Internet. Nothing is as it seems on thw World Wide Web, you can't trust anyone. If someone claims to be a Nigerian prince, or a potential hot date, or a government agency, odds are they are in in reality a con artist out to steal your vital information. We all know why this is an issue in the Internet. The Web is abstract it's "out there" in the ether where no one has to follow the physical rules of our universe. Which means any sleezy character can take on some new fictionalized identity and suddenly become someone new.
I raise this because it demonstrates the commonly held belief that, while the Internet exists parallel to our world, it doesn't actually conform to it. All the rules a different in cyberspace and we are all in some way liberate by this. It doesn't matter if we can't go to a store because the Internet can bring the store to us. If we aren't comfortable meeting people in person, the web allows us to meet them virtually. Once you give someone technology they are reborn out in the ether as a new entity with freedoms and powers they never had before. This all works well in theory, but I recently had my eyes opened to a very important flaw in the Internet's underlying thinking. It claims to create equal oppurtunity through equal access, but the truth is modern computer technology isn't equally accessible.
I recently met with someone working on bringing computer technology to disabled students. He demonstrated some of the difficulties those with handicaps face in using computers. For instance the keyboard I am typing this with relies on an assumption that I am not dyslexic. The screen I am using may be much harder to read if I were color blind. This is to say nothing of the assumption that I have control over my hands or any vision at all. These problems are so rarely recognized by all of us who are currently abled that many of the resosurces we have created to be accessible by computers don't even take it into account. These challenges can be true barriers for a disabled person to the treasure trove computers have opened, requiring additional work and cost to overcome. I raise this issue because I feel compelled to make some statement that it should not be their burden. If those of us who design and distribute computer tech did so with more consideration of making it truly accessible we could save many people a tremendous amount of hardship. Those of us who wish to use technology as a teaching tool could benefit from this as well, as it would allow us to guide our students to various resources with much more ease and confidence that the Internet would provide truly equal oppurtunities.
I raise this because it demonstrates the commonly held belief that, while the Internet exists parallel to our world, it doesn't actually conform to it. All the rules a different in cyberspace and we are all in some way liberate by this. It doesn't matter if we can't go to a store because the Internet can bring the store to us. If we aren't comfortable meeting people in person, the web allows us to meet them virtually. Once you give someone technology they are reborn out in the ether as a new entity with freedoms and powers they never had before. This all works well in theory, but I recently had my eyes opened to a very important flaw in the Internet's underlying thinking. It claims to create equal oppurtunity through equal access, but the truth is modern computer technology isn't equally accessible.
I recently met with someone working on bringing computer technology to disabled students. He demonstrated some of the difficulties those with handicaps face in using computers. For instance the keyboard I am typing this with relies on an assumption that I am not dyslexic. The screen I am using may be much harder to read if I were color blind. This is to say nothing of the assumption that I have control over my hands or any vision at all. These problems are so rarely recognized by all of us who are currently abled that many of the resosurces we have created to be accessible by computers don't even take it into account. These challenges can be true barriers for a disabled person to the treasure trove computers have opened, requiring additional work and cost to overcome. I raise this issue because I feel compelled to make some statement that it should not be their burden. If those of us who design and distribute computer tech did so with more consideration of making it truly accessible we could save many people a tremendous amount of hardship. Those of us who wish to use technology as a teaching tool could benefit from this as well, as it would allow us to guide our students to various resources with much more ease and confidence that the Internet would provide truly equal oppurtunities.
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