Author Archives: Anne Leonard

Plagiarism wrap-up from today, and reading/blogging for Wednesday, March 4

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Today we discussed plagiarism in various contexts, especially in what constitutes plagiarism and academic integrity infractions in higher education. We also discussed the research topic proposal, due 3/23. A pdf of today’s slides is available here. Please get in touch if you want to discuss your ideas for the research paper topic.

On Wednesday, March 4 we will discuss information access: personal access, institutional access, and implications of the so-called digital divide.  Since the FCC recently ruled on Net Neutrality, we’ll review the effects of this ruling on our current and future internet access.
Please read the following: Martin, B. The Politics of Research
Samuelson, Aaron Swartz: Opening Access to Knowledge
Ruiz and Lohr, FCC Approves Net Neutrality Rules

Your blogging assignment is one reading response blog post.

~Prof. Leonard

Privacy recap, and readings/blogging for Monday, March 2

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Today we discussed how definitions of privacy are evolving in a digital environment. If you didn’t get a chance to read through to the end of the longer privacy readings, please review the following sections: The Future of Privacy: Other Resounding Themes and Big Data and Privacy: Current Situation and Outlook.

On Monday we’ll discuss a topic at the heart of information ethics: plagiarism. Please read the following 3 articles:

Widdicombe, The Plagiarist’s Tale

Martin, Senator’s Thesis Turns out to be Remix of others’ Works, Uncited

Lethem, The Ecstasy of Influence, just the following sections: Contamination Anxiety, Undiscovered Public Knowledge, and the Key through to the end.

Your blogging assignment is one reading response blog post.

Bring your phones on Monday so we can do an in-class activity on plagiarism; I’ll set up tablets if you’d prefer to use that. It is not too early to begin thinking about your research paper topic; the topic draft & podcast assignment will be due on March 23. I’ll distribute guidelines next week. Questions? Get in touch!

~Prof. Leonard

Recap of Monday 2/23, and reading/blogging assignments for Wednesday 2/25

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Today we discussed copyright and fair use and used the copyright slider to determine if particular works were protected by copyright or in the public domain. Next time we’ll start with a quick overview of open access. We’ll spend most of our time Wednesday talking about privacy, how the definition is evolving, and challenges presented by networked digital media. Please read the following:
Price, Big Data and Privacy
Rainey & Anderson, The Future of Privacy
Wu, Why Monopolies Make Spying Easier
Your blogging assignment is to comment on at least one and no more than three blog posts. Be sure your comments total at least 100 words. To comment on a classmate’s post, click on the Leave a Reply link at the top of the post, type your comment, and click Post Comment when you’re finished. More help with comments on the OpenLab is available here.

~Prof. Leonard

Wednesday’s a Monday, and reading/blogging assignments for 2/23

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Today we discussed participatory media and open data. We ran out of time before we could discuss the differences between open data and big data; this article does a nice job with the concepts. I was hoping to discuss some of the participatory open data projects [Buiilding Inspector, What’s on the Menu?] of NYPL labs in class, so explore those projects on your own time if you like. Remember our collaborative writing on participatory media?

What does participatory media mean to you?

What does participatory media mean to you?

 

 

 

 

 

On Monday, February 23 we will talk about copyright and fair use and the open access movement. Please read and view the following:

Center for Social Media, The Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Media Literacy Education, sections Code and FAQ only

Jeanty, “US Copyright Office Rules that Monkeys Can’t Copyright their Selfies”

Videos: Grey, “Copyright: Forever Less one Day”

Lessig, “Laws that Choke Creativity”

Faden, “A Fair(y) Use Tale”

Your blogging assignment is one reading/viewing response blog post.

~Prof. Leonard

Wrap up of alternative media/zine discussion, and readings & assignment for Wednesday, 2/18

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Apologies for this delayed post! Last Wednesday, we discussed alternative media, especially in relation to mainstream, corporate media. We browsed Ethnic NewsWatch and discussed access to alternative media in both print and electronic formats. We got most of the way through the zine activity, but 2 groups will report when we meet next.

On Wednesday, we will discuss participatory media and open data. Please read the following:
Tufte (pp. 5-15 only)
Wikipedia, Open Data
Cohen, “Define Gender Gap?”

You have your choice of blogging assignments; you can write a reading response post as usual, or you can make your own zine – the content and format are totally up to you. See How to make a Zine from the Barnard College Library website if you’re looking for instructions. City Tech is closed on Thursday, February 12 and Monday, February 16. See you Wednesday! Don’t forget that classes run on a Monday schedule that day.

~Prof. Leonard

 

Notes from today (2/9), and reading & blogging assignments for Wednesday 2/11

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Today we discussed the pros and cons of a wide range of analog and digital non-text media. we ran out of time before I could show the trailer to the film Side by Side, so watch it on your own if you wish:

A 2012 New York Times article “Film is Dead?” nicely describes how analog film works, and offers a variety of perspectives on the economic impact of the industry’s move in the digital direction.

On Wednesday, we will discuss alternative media in both print form (zines and the underground press) and electronic form (blogs, wikis, etc.)
For Wednesday, please read the following:
Eland, Thomas. “Critical Thinking, Deviant Knowledge, and the Alternative Press”
Wright, “The History and Characteristics of Zines” (Part I only)
Barnard College, About zines: Definition, Genres, How to Make a Zine
Your blogging assignment is one reading response blog post.

~Prof. Leonard

Next week: non-text and alternative media; readings for Monday 2/9

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Today we discussed some aspects of digital text-based media, including the Wayback Machine‘s efforts to archive the internet and how reading from a screen differs from reading from paper. We also investigated corporate media ownership and discussed whether digital forms provide meaningful alternatives to traditional print and broadcast media. Do we need alternatives?

On Monday, February 9, we will discuss non-text media, including audio, images, and multimedia. Please read the following:

Meikle & Young pp. 13-27 (distributed in class; contact me if you didn’t receive a copy)
Brna, “Vinyl vs. CD/MP3”

Your blogging assignment is to write one reading response blog post. You all surely know a lot about music, video, and multimedia, so be sure to share your existing knowledge and comment on what new information you gleaned from the readings. To receive full credit for your blog post, be sure it is posted by the beginning of class.

~Prof. Leonard

Reading & blogging assignments for Wednesday, February 4

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Hi everyone,

Today we discussed the information cycle [video], reviewed a timeline of information innovations, and discussed concepts from chapter one of Research Strategies by William Badke, especially peer review, open access, and gatekeeping. On Wednesday, we’ll discuss digital text, especially the differences between information that is “born digital” and online versions of print media (are these differences important?)

For Wednesday, please read the following:

Jabr, “The Reading Brain in the Digital Age” and Lepore, “The Cobweb.” Both are somewhat longer than the typical readings I’ll assign, so be sure to give yourself enough time to get through both articles in their entirety.

Your blogging assignment is one reading response blog post. Don’t forget to tag your posts with 2-3 relevant and descriptive keywords.

See you Wednesday!

~Prof. Leonard

It’s February already?! Assigned reading & blogging for Monday, February 2

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Hi everyone,

For Monday, February 2, there are 2 assigned readings, one from the required textbook and one online:

Chapter 1 of Research Strategies by Badke (required textbook; download or order here)
Reinhold, “Study says Technology could Transform Society” (The New York Times, 14 June 1982.)

Your blogging assignment is to write one 100-word minimum blog post in response to these readings. If you can’t buy or download a copy of the required textbook in time, remember you can get it on reserve in the City Tech library with this call number: Z710 .B23 2014.

On Monday we’ll talk about traditional print media, including a brief history and an overview of the lifecycle of print media.

Please get in touch via email or OpenLab message if you have any questions about signing up for the OpenLab or joining the course. I’ll send reminders to anyone who isn’t signed up within a day or 2.

Glad to have met you all and looking forward to an interesting semester!

~Prof. Leonard

Welcome to LIB 1201!

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Greetings! If you’ve found this site, you’re probably registered for LIB 1201/D930 during the Spring 2015 semester at New York City College of Technology. Join the course site, read the syllabus, review blogging guidelines, and get the textbook, Research Strategies, 5th edition, by William Badke.

We meet Mondays and Wednesdays from 10-11:15 a.m. in A543, which is a classroom in the library. Enter the library on the 4th floor of the Atrium, head to the upper floor, and turn left. Look for signs directing you to the classroom.

~Prof. Leonard