I know I need to be finishing up an ed foundations paper, and I will get to that right away (we're at more than half done, word count wise), but I felt the need to post this quickly. I wrote recently about how I base my technological allegiances on the quality of the product and it's features rather than by pure allegiance to any one company. I just watched a couple of short interviews on techcrunch, and was not overly surprised to find someone else who ascribed to the exact same position. I decided to throw it up here quickly. This guy talks about the subject towards the end of this interview. Enjoy!

What is Foursquare?

I have talked a lot about Foursquare on here, and I stumbled on (through Twitter) a neat video that explains what it is in a nutshell. I've posted it here for all to enjoy!

Good luck on all your final assignments and exams!

How To Unlock Your World With Foursquare on Howcast

Creaky Chair and Technological Allegiances

So, I am starting to feel pretty joyful about the conclusion of this degree. I am trying to work hard to get all my class requirements done, while at the same time finish up my SMOE application. Today is my day to get the essay and lesson plan done for the application, and I am therefore back in my new favorite spot in the Murray Library. I have noticed something annoying both times that I've sat here on the first floor. I don't understand why, but the chairs seem to constantly creak. I thought it was just my chair last time, but I am in a different spot this time and it's happening again. Usually chairs creak when you move, but are silent when you are still. These ones go the opposite way, defying all physics, so far as I can see. Being still doesn't bring silence, and they throw in creaks during movement too, for good measure. It's not loud creaks, just quiet, constant sounds of settling. It's bugging the hell out of me. I'll just put on music loud enough to drown it out; here's hoping that works.

As for the second part of the title, I was thinking this morning about how I'm not really loyal to technological brands or companies for any reason other than utility. I had heard about the fact that Bing maps are adding an ability to visualize foursquare venues on the maps. I was excited about this because it is neat to be able to see what venues are around a spot, and to check out places that I will be exploring with foursquare in the future, to see what's available there.

Although thinking back to many of my experiences with Microsoft products leaves a bad taste in my mouth, I was fully willing to give Bing Maps a try. I didn't discriminate simply based on the company. If Bing had served me well I would have no problem adding it to my list of useful and often used products. I believe I would act the same way for computer brands. I don't love my MacBook because it has an apple on the lid, I love it because of how it operates. If Microsoft were able to create an OS that worked as well as OSX and put it on a machine as reliable and functional as Apple can, then I would have no problem buying one of their machines.

Another quick example to support my conception that I operate this way is my choice to purchase a Kindle, though I knew the iPad was coming soon. I'm not going to read books on a device that doesn't include the kinds of features I like (aka e-ink) just because Apple tells me to. I flip Apple off in this case, not out of spite, but simply because I'm served better elsewhere.

E-portfolio

Well, I think I've finished putting together my e-portfolio for this class. If you've got time, I'd appreciate it if you could take a look through and let me know what you think. Any suggestions for improvement would be great. You can post comments here, e-mail me or message me on Facebook. I may ask a couple of people specifically if they'd like to look through it. I hope everyone is making a lot of headway on their own projects!

My portfolio can be found here:
https://homepage.usask.ca/~dms727/portfolio/profile/profile.html

Foursquare Heat Map

Since this blog has been pretty location-based-app focused lately, it makes sense to toss up this heat map of my Foursquare use. It's kinda cool. It takes my check-in data and creates a map with colour to represent the places that I visit more often. Areas that I frequent are more red, and less are more blue, just like your usual infrared imaging. There's a lot of space that I haven't visited at all, and it definitely shows my main areas as the U of S campus and downtown, which is very accurate. It'll be more fun to play with these maps after a few months of check-ins in Seoul. :)

Foursquare and Gowalla

So, I have not only unlocked a couple of new badges in Foursquare, but I also installed another similar app called Gowalla. I don't know as much about Gowalla, but it seems like it will be as useful for discovering great places to eat, drink, and otherwise explore. It also includes digital objects that you can find and leave in places, and try to collect. I'm not sure I quite get that part, but it might be cool. You can also go on trips, and create trips for others to go on. I'm going to try it out, and see how I like it.

I had been hearing about it for a little while, but I didn't decide to get it until I saw the video below. This video presents a visualization of the different location services that people used during the recent SXSW Interactive conference.

SXSW Interactive Checkin Visualization from SimpleGeo Inc. on Vimeo.

The Foursquare badges that I mentioned above were not difficult to earn. They are both based around evening check-ins, which I have been doing more often because of my need to work on school stuff. Working on school stuff at home doesn't seem to work well, so I tend to spend time on campus. That along with subbing at GGP helped me to get the Crunked and Bender badges.


 Crunked:

That's 4+ stops in one night for you!
Unlocked by Dan S. on Sun Mar 21, 2010 at 6:52 PM @ Starbucks - College Drive in Saskatoon


Bender:

That's 4+ nights in a row for you!
Unlocked by Dan S. on Tue Mar 23, 2010 at 6:03 PM @ Subway - Cumberland

Oh, I also switched my twitter widget on this blog from the crappy one I had before, to one I like much better, straight from the twitter site itself.
Alright, well I think that's enough dorkyness for one post. I'll save some for the next.

JibJab

A friend of mine just showed me another neat website that I can see myself spending a lot of time on. I may also put up the 12 dollars for an annual membership. It's called JibJab and it basically lets you put your face into photos and videos. There's a lot of different things that you can do there. One of the only videos that I found that I could do without a membership is a skiing video. Here it is for all interested:

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

Foursquare Update

As I know you all care a whole lot about which badges I've earned in Foursquare, I've decided to put up a short post about my newest one. I somehow managed to earn my Super Mayor Badge last week. To get this badge, one must hold 10 Foursquare Mayorships. It turns out you don't get the badge right when you get your 10th mayorship. It arrives once you then check in to a place that you are the mayor of. I was kind of surprised that I earned this badge already, not because I don't think I'm a nerd, but because I don't have the ability to check in wherever. Being limited to checking in where I have wifi, I expected to have to wait until I get an iPhone to get this badge.


Super Mayor

A special shoutout for holding down 10 mayorships at once!
Unlocked by Dan S. on Tue Mar 16, 2010 at 10:23 AM @ Education Building in .

Korean Pop

There are a lot of things that I miss about Korea. One of them is Korean Pop. There's a lot of sweet music out there in the world beyond North America, but we don't really get access to any of it here. Someday hopefully this continent will be more open to world culture. In an effort to promote this, I am posting a music video of some Korean Pop. A friend of mine shared this video on facebook, which is how I found it, so thanks Huiwon!  Enjoy!

More Neat Things

Foursquare:

I think Foursquare is great. It's a location based web service, that combines service reviews and game elements. You can use it to find out about bars, restaurants, shops and the like around you, and see what people have said about it. People can leave tips to suggest what you should do, and you can also make your own to-do lists that you can work on achieving over time. You use a mobile to checkin to a place that you're visiting. This is essentially like saying "I'm here" (and you can hook up your twitter and facebook so that you can publish this to those feeds if you want; thankfully with that option offered every time to reduce the stalkerish possibilities. The game part of the service involves unlocking badges for various "accomplishments" not unlike achievements in some console games. On Friday night I unlocked a new badge, as you can see here:

You've checked into 25 different venues!
Unlocked by Dan S. on Sat Mar 13, 2010 at 2:28 AM @ Lydia's Pub in Saskatoon.

 Unfortunately I'm limited to checking in where I have wireless internet signal, so I didn't manage to check in until we were leaving Lydia's. I'm planning to invest in an iPhone not too long after I get back over to Korea (aka when I'm making money), which will let me check in EVERYWHERE! It will also be a lot more useful when I'm back over there, for discovering new and awesome places!


Personalized PDF Brochure:

The second neat thing is something I just found yesterday. I was looking at the website for the University of Southern Queensland and they informed me that I could give them a bit of information on what I was interested in, and they would quickly produce and email me a personally tailored pdf brochure. I answered five or six quick questions and they instantly provided a link to the pdf, and mailed it to me. I glanced through the six page brochure, and it does seem to be very centered on the things I asked for. This seems a great way to give people just the information that they want, and reduces the need to dig around a large site that will include a lot of things that you're not really interested in.

Kindle Update

I thought I would update my review of the Kindle. I am still loving it, and I use it quite a lot. I also found a really good program that helps me to organize and work with my ebook files. It's called Calibre, and it seems really useful so far.

It uses an iTunes like file management system that copies the files that you add into a set of folders that are organized by author. It's easy to find any file that I need, and it will also move files over to a connected ebook reader if you ask it to. It also allows you to edit meta-data.

Calibre will convert between file types. I find this really useful for making pdf files more accessible on the Kindle. The reader can handle pdf files, but it doesn't have as much power to change how the text is displayed compared to other ebook file types like the .mobi type. Calibre makes it easy to convert a pdf file into a mobi file. If the pdf is based on an image, and does not have search-able text there's really no point, but pdfs with text info turn out great.

Calibre has one other feature that I might start using, particularly once I get back overseas. It has a whole bunch of newspapers from around the world, and if you ask it to it will go to the website and rip the news from the site and stick it on the Kindle in mobi format. You can then jump from article to article, and move down through articles that you are interested in reading. I might end up using this to get news in the future, since it does work really slick. The other options are to either subscribe to something using the Kindle store (automatic delivery over cell coverage is sexy), or just buy English language newspapers. The last option won't provide the same amount of news from Canada, though I find my interest in news focus does change depending where I am.

Final verdict, Kindle still sweet, and can do more stuff than I was aware of previously.

Web comics

Webcomics are awesome. Questionable Content is my favorite by far, but there are a number of other really good ones out there. If you've never been to XKCD, go right now! I just stumbled on one that I've never seen before. Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal seems to have potential.

Document Collection - Photos and Letters; Plus Subbing at Global

Anyeong all. I am continuing to get things ready for my SMOE application. I am not in too much of a rush, because of limits put on my by my passport. I need to get my new passport before things will get going too quickly. I am trying to get as much ready as I can in the meantime though.

Today I finished up my passport application by having my guarantor fill out her section, and by having passport photos taken. I ended up having 4 pairs of photos done, because I'll also need photos for my visa application, job applications, and my Alien Registration Card. I am planning to take everything down to the Federal Building tomorrow after class.

I also sent the first of two reference letters to Footprints, because they asked to look them over to make sure they fit the requirements. The reply I received basically suggested that the letter was unclear about whether my referee was just a coworker, or a supervisor. I thought it was clear from what was said in the letter, but I asked Vera to change the letter and give me it again, just in case. She put it in explicitly that she was my supervisor, so it should be good. I'll scan this new version soon and send it to Footprints.

Finally, I am very excited that I get to sub at Global Gathering for the next two weeks. It's an evening EAL class, and I get to teach twice a week for two hours each night. It should be a really good time. I have subbed for this teacher a few times in the past, and I volunteer with her class twice a week, so the students are very familiar with me. It's nice to sub in an environment where you are familiar with the students and organization.

Also, I've learned recently that Global is going to be changing a bit in the next month or so. They are moving from a more or less drop-in model to a mandatory one. They are having all the students tested by the Newcomer Information Center and the classes will be changing a little bit. They will be based around the Canadian Language Benchmarks, which should be interesting. I know very little about these, and hopefully I'll learn a lot. The changes seem to move Global closer to the set up found at Open Door.

E-Portfolio Proposal

- Why have you chosen to complete an e-portfolio?

I think it will be a valuable collection of evidence that will be easy to show prospective employers and others. I want ot have this option, and once it's set up it will be easy to add to and modify.

- What professional uses does an e-portfolio have for you?

The portfolio will be useful not only for selling myself to potential employers, but also for sharing ideas and materials with other teachers. The website format will also demonstrate my skills in using technology.

- What content do you plan to include?

I plan to include a lot of different things, including: descriptions; internship report; sample lesson and unit plans; photos; possibly video; links to resources that I've built (website, blog); my resume; possibly scans of certificates; reference letters; and that sort of thing; and links to organizations and information about my training and experience (for example, CERTESL, Global Gathering, ECC). I may also include a link to a set of Delicious bookmarks that I'm putting together that revolve around teaching EAL.

- What graphic design considerations have you taken into account for the look of your e-portfolio?

I am planning to set it up in a very clean way, with simple organization and little clutter. It will have a straightforward and consistent navigation set and use simple black and off-white colour scheme. Here is an image of the conception so far:

There will be tabs across the top to provide access to categories of things, and along the left to switch between items within that category.

- What concerns do you have about the process? How do you plan to address these concerns? 

I am pretty much just concerned with privacy issues. I worry about the safety of having things like that up on the net. They might be used by unscrupulous individuals to help with forging degrees or that sort of thing. Another thing is reference letters. I am concerned about putting those up because they include people's personal contact information and that sort of thing. I am probably going to use description and links to websites to describe my certificates and the accomplishments they represent, and the same for reference letters, or possibly put the letters up, but with redaction.  

I will talk with my professor to address these concerns, and likely put into effect the alternatives that I listed above.

- If anyone would like to make any suggestions I'd appreciate them!

Winter's Ending Celebration

Winter is coming to a close, which is a marvelous thing. Winter sucks the big one, and I'm glad it's finally starting to pack up. In celebration of the end of winter, my siblings and I hung out outside today. We ended up building a snowman. Well, actually she's a snow woman, thanks to the addition my sister Tasha made. We also gave it some props, including a sign that welcomes people as they arrive home (Mandy's idea). We were thinking mainly of my parents as they get home from work today. She's a great snow-woman. Here are a couple of pictures.

 

  

Snow Woman Parts:

• snow
• twigs for arms and eyebrows
• handcuff glasses
• stone for pouty mouth
• carrot nose
• green hat
• welcome home sign

Document Collection Continued

I continue to work at putting together a complete SMOE application. Today I managed to to get an updated criminal record check (5 copies, 35 dollars), pick up my official sealed transcripts (4 copies, 40 dollars), and went to speak to my CERTESL practicum supervisor about a second reference letter. I had e-mailed my supervisor about a week ago, but hadn't heard anything from her. It was good to stop by her office and talk to her about it in person. Soon I will have to work at filling out applications. I have to do one for SMOE, and one to have my passport renewed. I also need to put together an impressive EAL lesson plan, and have passport photos made.

I am getting more and more excited to get back over there.

Notes on Productivity and Job Application

Productivity:
Alright. So this evening I got a lot done. A lot more than I've gotten done in quite a while. I am starting to think that my brain is actually running at a lower excitement level than it should be, unconnected to other issues. A moderate dose of caffeine has made immeasurable difference. I'm working on laundry, organized my disaster zone of a desk (a huge enterprise), found a whole bunch more books on Gutenberg, neatened my room, and organized my bookshelf. I also scanned some photos and a reference letter. I may need to rescan the photos. I've  If all it takes is a bit of mild self-medication to get that kind of work done, I'm all for it.

Here's one of the photos I scanned; proof I might be finishing my last undergrad degree soon.

Job Application:
So, my job application package for SMOE has started to come together. I still have a lot to do, but at least I'm getting started. I've ordered four sets of official transcripts, and should be able to pick them up Monday. This is the first time that I have decided to pick them up rather than have them mailed to me; this was a mistake, but not one that makes that much of a difference. I assumed they would e-mail me when they are ready to be picked up. I'm going Monday to check on them whether I've heard anything or not. I have one of the two reference letters that I need, and I've e-mailed my CERTESL Practicum Supervisor for a second. I've also started to look into renewing my passport. My current one is going to expire in June 2011, not quite long enough to get me through another contract.

Like I said, a lot more to be done yet. I am starting to get excited though. It's going to be great to get back.

Video Contest Win

This will just be a short update to a story I posted a little while back. I am glad to be able to tell you that I won that video contest with my "Why it Rocks to Live Overseas" video. It seems that careful script-writing and photo/video selection has compensated for my crappy voice-over.  I am glad that the contest judges felt I did a decent job of it.

I also want to thank Jay for the video-editing skills that I learned in ECMM 402. I wouldn't have been confident enough to enter the contest if I hadn't gotten the knowledge and practice in that class.

Here's the video, for the curious.

Kindle DX Review

All right, my Kindle arrived on Tuesday, and I've had a few days to play with it. I have decided that it is massively cool. I was pretty convinced of this before I put up the rather outrageous fee to own it, and it hasn't disappointed. I've put together a little list of pros and cons as I see them. There are a lot more pros than cons.

Pros:

- It can read PDFs as they are. I love the fact that I can just throw any PDF file on and it gets the formatting right. It's great for the large number of Uni-related PDFs that I have to read, along with other professional reading, free e-books that are available online, and the learning Korean resources that I have. PDFs don't act exactly like amazon or mobi formatted books, which puts some limits on what you can do with them. You can't move the cursor around among the words, which is integral to a lot of the neat things that the Kindle can do.

- Notes and Clippings. I can easily mark up books or clip out quotes to use in papers or for other things. They're easy to access from my mac when the Kindle is connected. This is one of the things that you can't do with a PDF. Notes are tied to where the cursor is placed, and you can't highlight portions of text to clip without being able to move the cursor around.

- Built in dictionary. Move the cursor to a word in the book and you're provided with a definition at the bottom of the screen. It's neat to be able to check definitions of words without leaving the text you're reading. Again not available for PDFs.

- E-ink and size. The best part of this device is the great screen size and the easy-on-the-eyes e-ink. I have always found extended reading on a computer screen to be hard on my eyes, but the ink of the kindle feels just like reading any regular book. It's also nice that you can modify things like text and margin size. Another thing is that the pages change really quickly, in contrast to what I've heard. It's nothing like the speed that a computer monitor can produce, but I don't find it to be any problem at at.

- Easy access to content. As I mentioned, any PDF, lots of free e-books out there, and even things like Zinepal which will produce mobi formatted versions of web-content for you. Of course it's also nice to have access to the books, magazines, and newspapers that Amazon offers, from here, and from over 100 other countries.


Cons:


- Price. Yah, it's a big chunk of change. I feel it's worth it, especially with my travel plans. If book readers are to spread in popularity the price is going to have to come down though.

- Organization. I would like to be able to set up some more complicated ways to organize the material I have on the device. The built in sorting options are nice, but with the variety of material I have on there, it would be great to be able to set up folders or something.

Video Editing Complete! (More or Less)

I have just finished spending parts of an afternoon and evening putting together a short video to enter in to an online contest. I'm hoping to come away with a prize, but I don't know if the video is of that quality. It's basically an explanation of why it's good to go teach overseas. I used a lot of photos and a few little video clips, with myself doing the voice-over. I really enjoy putting videos together, so it's no loss if I don't come away with a win.

I tried to upload the video to YouTube, but the up-speed out here at the farm is not up for the job. I'll do so when I get back to the city tomorrow. I'll put a link or embed the video here as well, once it's up.

This video creation exercise was another very strong reminder of the reasons that I need to get back overseas. I am waiting on replies to some e-mails before I can really do much towards putting my application package together.

Well, have a good break all. See you on the other side.

Addendum:
I've returned to the relatively fast connection of the city (btw, another reason to get back overseas: truly fast internet) and uploaded my video. Here it is for anyone who's interested. I don't really like the quality of my voice-acting, but I like the video overall.



I will keep you all informed about its performance in the contest. Would be nice to score a win. The 2nd place Amazon credit would be nice to put a few books onto my new toy.

470 Paper Proposal

I am looking at writing about learning using technology in Asia for my 470 paper, specifically learning English as a foreign language using internet and other technology tools. There has been some talk about using remote teaching instead of having EFL teachers travel over and live in the country that requires English language teaching. I'm hoping to evaluate this as an option, see what kinds of downsides this option might have, and possibly look at things like cultural and political influences involved in this kind of move. I don't know what kind of conclusions I might reach, or exactly what direction the paper will take, but it is very interesting to me since it relates exactly to my career path at the moment.

Wikipedia Changes

The additions that I made to a Wikipedia page related to my favorite subway station. It's called Songnae Station, and it was generally my departure point for a lot of my adventures. To the right is the page before I made any changes. I added the following sentences: "It is an above-ground station located in the city of Bucheon. It provides access to many restaurants and other services, including the Toona Shopping Center." I also added the coordinate data that allows people to easily locate the station using other software.

The following two images are the top and bottom of the page after alterations.

 

 

I also learned that there's a difference between Latitude and Longitude in decimal form and with degrees and minutes and stuff. I found a converter that helped me get it into a form that Wikipedia liked.

The location worked great once I got the numbers into decimal form. Here is the pointer that I added on a satellite map (the red A).

 Apparently Google Earth will index Wikipedia periodically, and should find the location that I added to the Wikipedia page. It will then add a link to the location of Songnae Station in Google Earth and Google Maps so that when people look at the station, there will be a link to the Wikipedia page.

Finally, here is a link to the new page. Hopefully the additions that I've made will stick around for a bit. They've been up for a few hours now, so hopefully they won't get axed. 

Wikipedia Page that Dan Edited!

How Hungry Am I?

Ever wondered whether I would resort to eating human flesh? Wonder if our friendship would be enough to stop me if I was running low on food rations? Well finally here's your answer:

57%

Yes, so essentially odds are better than winning a coin toss that I would. 

Bloom + Blogs Group Task

Knowledge: List 3 ways in which blogs can be used in education

- Blogs would be a useful to way to get students to perform journal activities in your class. Blogging would reduce the amount of paper assignments required for handing in as well as make it simple for students to complete the task online.

- Blogs could be kept by the teacher related to what was done in class on each day. Students could then check the blog to find out what they had missed in class, making it less difficult for them to catch up with course material.

- Finally, blogs could be a useful communication tool with parents. Keeping an up-to-date blog would provide transparency in your classroom and allow parents to find out what has been going on in the class so that they can stay in tuned with their childrens' education.


Comprehension: List 3 reasons why teachers should integrate blogs into their classrooms

1. Improving student familiarity with the ever increasing popularity of communication methods such as blogs. Improving student computer literacy.

2. Using blogs as a venue for assignment delivery, reducing the amount of paper to be handed in and making it easier for teachers to check student work.

3. Blogging is more fun than doing things the traditional way, and it may improve student engagement with the class.


Application: Describe three ways in which you can use blogs for your own teaching or professional development.

- Blogs can be used to post information, photos, videos, links, etc. for students to access. It is easy to update often to reproduce or expand on class material, create assignments, communicate with students and parents, have students comment or catch students up if they miss a class.

- Blogs can also enable great sharing and discussion with other teachers to enhance your teaching and help others do the same.

- Blogs can help you to explore and spread knowledge about various subject matter as well, allowing teachers to develop their knowledge and resources to apply to their teaching.


Analysis: Is the use of blogs in education better than the use of static websites?

- Both blogs and websites have advantages. Blogs are better suited to constant updating and are easier to tailor to specific situations and classes. Static websites tend to be easier to organize, and work really well for resources that you want up in just one form. You might want resources and activities that you think you would use repeatedly or share with other teachers on a static web-page, but leave specific or frequently updated info. on a blog.

Synthesis: How might blogging change your role as an educator?

Blogging would change you role as a teacher by having the students have more responsibility and choice is what they do in class. The students would be able to comment on each other’s blogs and offer advice or guidance. Blogs could be used for group projects or used as a way for students to present their work to their classmates instead of doing an oral presentation.

Blogging changes the teacher’s role from being in control all the time to being more of a facilitator.

Evaluation: List at least potential disadvantages of using blogs in education?

Some potential disadvantages of using blogs would be you cannot control the comments that students make in class. Some students may write/post inappropriate comments, or it could be used as a bullying device.

Another disadvantage is that students do not interact face to face anymore, they interact solely through blogging. Some people may argue that blogging will limit children’s social interactions, and lead to a lack of social skills.

A third disadvantage of using blogs in education is that you need to have access to computers on a regular basis. Many times in school you can only book computer rooms once a week and you need to book weeks in advance. You can tell the students to blog at home, but you still have to worry about the students who do not have internet access at home. Either way, you cannot expect students to blog on their own time, you need to give them some time in class once in awhile.

Completed by Mike C., Dan S., and Loran V.

Sunfire Photos

Here are the photos of the Sunfire I mentioned. Click on any to see a large version.

Saskatoon Transit Go-Card System

I just wanted to make a couple of quick points about the new Card system that Saskatoon Transit started using on their buses. First off, I'll say that overall I'm glad they're going in this direction. Three years ago when I was in Korea this was already the norm, and pulled off a lot more successfully. Part of the advantage held by Korea is that when I was there, they already had very widespread use of the cards. Hopefully the system here will eventually catch up as they become more popular here.

So how did the system there 3 years ago work so much better than what I've been seeing in Saskatoon over the past 5 days?

Seoul Metro Transit Cards:
-Easily filled at many locations using quick machines. Insert card, insert cash (including bills) and go.
-Read quickly by machine on bus or in rail station. Errors are few and far between.
- No free transfer onto another bus, but you can transfer to and from rail using the same card, and you will be charged for a single trip. This may sound like a rip off, but keep in mind that the fee is lower than it is here, plus the system works by how far you go, not a single trip around the city. This is a lot more fair considering that you could be going only two stops, or going across 2 or more cities.



Saskatoon Transit Cards:
-Not as easy to reload.
-Read slowly by machine on the bus, and often messes up.
-Transfers by card go through fine, but if you choose to pay by cash, you are given a print out with a bar code, that the machines on the buses seem near-incapable of reading. This has caused great delays loading buses.

The ill-conceived transfer-printouts are what bother me the most I think. As I mentioned, these problems will probably decrease as people adopt the cards. I don't know that they will ever be able to refuse cash though, and if this is how they continue to deal with transfers the system is in for a bumpy ride. It's also possible that they are just working through some bugs in the first week of implementation. The use of card readers for this type of thing can be very successful, though, and I hope the city is able to pull it off.

Procrastination Thy Name is Blogging

Yah, so posting photos here is a lot more fun and motivating than doing the productive things that I actually need to be doing. As I mentioned in the post previous, I plan to head back to Korea soon. In anticipation, here are some photos from last round. You'll understand why I am excited to get back. Click on any photo for a larger version.

Namdaemun Gate, pre-fire.

Countryside Inn

Hagwon where I taught; ECC, fourth floor

Park near Bucheon City Hall (and near my apartment)

Stores right near home


From Yongsan Station


National Museum


Namdaemun Market


Scene from palace


Waiting for a train


Suwon Fortress with city


Sitting on wall of Suwon fortress


Beach on Jeju-do


Climbing Mani-san

Yah. Lots of reasons to get back.

Job Searching

I am going to be finishing my B.Ed. in the next few months. Everyone is excited to find jobs, attending career fairs, and signing up for interviews. I will be taking a different route, returning to Korea to teach EFL there. I have been in contact with the recruiting company that I used last time (Footprints Recruiting), and they've sent me some starting information.

Things are a lot different than the last time I went. I was there from Aug. 2006 to Aug. 2007. Rules have been tightened up a bit since then, partially because of the Christopher Neil events. It's also a bit different because I will be teaching in a different context. I taught at a hagwon last round, but am aiming at an SMOE position this time around.

I am mainly thinking about obtaining reference letters. I was hoping to use the letter I received from ECC, the company I taught with last time. Unfortunately, the letter is now about 2.5 years old, just over the 2 year limit set by the visa requirements. It shouldn't be hard to get a few letters, but I am disapointed that the letter that is most relevant to teaching in Korea is not useful in this case.