Posted by Nora Young under
Help Us Out!
Wandering down the toothbrush aisle the other day, I couldn’t help noticing how many different types of toothbrushes are out there. And more than that, how many variations there are on ‘latest-scientific-discovery’ and ‘new technology’ hype…I mean, it’s just a toothbrush for corn sake!
We make fun of old ads that hype ‘atomic age technology’ but are we just as easily sold on techno-hype today? Share your stories of techno-hype here, or tell us what you think.
Posted by Nora Young under
Audio
Like many people, my keyboard is disgusting. Too much eating and computing at the same time! Not to mention that at my work computer, there are spots and stains from OTHER people’s food. Know the feeling? OK, but would you do what Scott Moschella did?
Check out the audio here.
Posted by Nora Young under
education
Would-be cheaters looking to get their hands on the latest in sneaky tech for students are going to have to keep looking. The Canadian company behind “ExamEar” has temporarily shut down its website in the wake of a storm of controversy over the device in Britain.
ExamEar is a tiny earphone that acts as a receiver; it can pick up ‘transmissions’ from someone speaking from a remote location into a microphone or cellphone. ExamEar was being marketed as a means for students to cheat on exams, CanWest News reports.
Beyond the obvious moral problem, here, I don’t really get how this would work. Unless the student was prepared to text message the questions to an accomplice, say, (which seems like a risky strategy) the person feeding the answers from a remote location would have to know the questions on the exam in advance, no? Can someone explain this to me?
Posted by Nora Young under
Audio,
Interviews
Donna Bell is Academic Integrity Officer at Ryerson University in Toronto. She has some great stories about the ways students today are using technology to bend the rules, cheat or plagiarize at school. It’s not all about intentional cheating, though. In our cut-and-paste culture, what students even consider plagiarism is changing. You’ll hear an edited version of this interview on our first show, but here’s the raw interview.
Let us know your reactions to Donna’s comments, and we’ll get as many of them on the air as we can.
Donna Bell’s Academic Integrity Office
Posted by Elizabeth Bowie under
Uncategorized
Next up, we’re doing a story about how you use technology to keep your long distance love strong. Do you set up your webcams and sit down to a virtual meal together? Do you skype every night?
Tell us a story about your long distance lover, your grandchild, or your internet crush.
Post your comments here and we’ll put them on the radio. Be sure to give a shout out to your love! What better way to let the world know you’re smitten…
Posted by Dan Misener under
Uncategorized
For many of us, back-to-school season means remembering the good, the bad, and the ugly. For the very first episode of Spark (airing September 5), we’re working on a story called “Plagiarism 2.0.”
Have you ever snuck a peek at your neighbour’s test paper? “Borrowed” a classmate’s bibliography? Swiped an essay off the net and tried to pass it off as your own?
Spark wants to hear your stories about cheating in school.
Leave them in the comments, or better yet, leave us a voice message. The best confession gets a handsome Spark grocery bag.
Photo: Tiered Classroom by cogdogblog
Posted by Nora Young under
Uncategorized
The Guardian is reporting that there’s been a spike in online sales in the UK in July. There’s been so much rain, consumers opted to shop online rather than wade through the sloppy streets. It’s kind of an astonishing uptick, actually. Sales overall were up 80% from the previous year at this time.
I almost never shop online, I have to say. How about you? Are you more likely to buy online than you were, say 3 years ago?
