I recently read an article on cnn.com about the trend of virtual gift. Things like Second Life avatar clothes or champagne in Facebook. From the cnn article "In the first two weeks of November alone, the company that created Second Life says there were almost 3 million digital objects sold on its site, though it's not possible to tell which of those were given as gifts."
Some people think it is a waste of money to pour resources into a virtual world. "Others call virtual gifts a waste of money -- a way of "pouring millions down the virtual drain," says Michael Bugeja, the director of Iowa State University's journalism school. He's been a vocal critic of the resources universities and students are dedicating to virtual worlds." I do not agree with Bugeje in his opinion that it is a waste of resources. If you get enjoyment from the gift then it has fulfilled its purpose. Whether or not a gift is a waste of money is very subjective.
I would just leave with the old saying "It's the thought that counts." ----and no ---I do not want a virtual gift this year.
Happy Holidays!
cnn article
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Elluminate Live! Sessions
My inner voice doesn't have a whole lot to say today. Other than I thought Andrea's Elluminate session was fun last week. I have used Centra (product Elluminate is replacing)and Elluminate seems like a much better product.
In Centra it was always a pain to find the right session and the text chat was a little harder to use. With the sessions in chronological order---inside of Blackboard---it is much easier to find them.
My inner voice now is telling me to go home and to say good job Andrea.
thanks for listening.
In Centra it was always a pain to find the right session and the text chat was a little harder to use. With the sessions in chronological order---inside of Blackboard---it is much easier to find them.
My inner voice now is telling me to go home and to say good job Andrea.
thanks for listening.
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Native American School Melds Tradition and Technology
I ran across this article that I found very interesting. Using technology to promote cultural awareness within this tribal school. I also find it interesting that they are also still going to public school part of the time. I am not sure how they are locking down the ipods. To be honest I didn't know you could lock them down by content.
"Native American School Melds Tradition and Technology
The state-of-the-art Pemayetv Emahakv Charter School on the Seminole Tribe's Brighton Reservation in Florida, puts some of the tribe's casino earning to work providing students with a 21st century education.
The school, which opened in August and cost $10 million to build, sports laptop computers, iPods, highly-qualified teachers and a marked respect for the students' culture. While students in one classroom use podcasts to learn language arts, others are busy learning Creek, the Seminole language.
Tribal elders know they are educating children who will take over the tribe's extensive business holdings, but they want these future leaders to be rooted in Seminole tradition. Central to maintaining tradition is the effort to keep the Creek language alive. Not only are the children learning , but so are parents, many of whom do not speak Creek and have to turn grandparents and other tribal elders for help. Pemayetv Emahakv is operating as a charter school, building on an earlier "pull-out" program the tribe operated that allowed Seminole students attending nearby public schools to remain on the reservation once a week for cultural classes.
Like all Florida schools, Pemayetv Emahakv students will take the FCAT, but operating as a charter allows teachers more freedom to tailor instruction to students' needs. And technology is a big part of individualizing instruction at Pemayetv Emahakv.
Teachers say that students are much more focused when using technology tools and seem to take in more information. To prevent problems, the school's iPods are programmed to work with only school approved material, like a hip- hop multiplication tables program and maps that display on the iPod screen."
"Native American School Melds Tradition and Technology
The state-of-the-art Pemayetv Emahakv Charter School on the Seminole Tribe's Brighton Reservation in Florida, puts some of the tribe's casino earning to work providing students with a 21st century education.
The school, which opened in August and cost $10 million to build, sports laptop computers, iPods, highly-qualified teachers and a marked respect for the students' culture. While students in one classroom use podcasts to learn language arts, others are busy learning Creek, the Seminole language.
Tribal elders know they are educating children who will take over the tribe's extensive business holdings, but they want these future leaders to be rooted in Seminole tradition. Central to maintaining tradition is the effort to keep the Creek language alive. Not only are the children learning , but so are parents, many of whom do not speak Creek and have to turn grandparents and other tribal elders for help. Pemayetv Emahakv is operating as a charter school, building on an earlier "pull-out" program the tribe operated that allowed Seminole students attending nearby public schools to remain on the reservation once a week for cultural classes.
Like all Florida schools, Pemayetv Emahakv students will take the FCAT, but operating as a charter allows teachers more freedom to tailor instruction to students' needs. And technology is a big part of individualizing instruction at Pemayetv Emahakv.
Teachers say that students are much more focused when using technology tools and seem to take in more information. To prevent problems, the school's iPods are programmed to work with only school approved material, like a hip- hop multiplication tables program and maps that display on the iPod screen."
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Second Life Lawsuit
I Ran across an intersting article (in PCWorld) about a Second Life lawsuit. A federal district court in Brooklyn, New York is hearinga case involving the theft and resale of Second Life products (cloths, shoes etc...).
"Six Second Life merchants that sell their wears in the virtual world of Second Life are suing a Queens' man for the theft of their – go figure -- "adult-themed virtual objects." Most objects are not adult-themed and include shoes and clothes. But others are more exotic."
"The plaintiffs are suing for an undisclosed amount, but in claiming jurisdiction, the New York court says "the amount in controversy exceeds the sum or value of $75,000."
It doesn't surprise me so much that there is a lawsuit involving the copyright of these items. When ever there is money involved lawsuts are soon to follow. What surprised me was that the Linden Labs official claims that there is $1 million in transaction in Second Life everyday. I knew it is popular but that level of commercialism surprised me.
"As trivial as a lawsuit over virtual matters may seem, we are talking real money here. Second Life's owner Linden Labs says the virtual world has over 9 million users and that nearly $1 million of transactions take place on Second Life each day. Put that in your virtual pipe."
http://blogs.pcworld.com/staffblog/archives/005816.html
"Six Second Life merchants that sell their wears in the virtual world of Second Life are suing a Queens' man for the theft of their – go figure -- "adult-themed virtual objects." Most objects are not adult-themed and include shoes and clothes. But others are more exotic."
"The plaintiffs are suing for an undisclosed amount, but in claiming jurisdiction, the New York court says "the amount in controversy exceeds the sum or value of $75,000."
It doesn't surprise me so much that there is a lawsuit involving the copyright of these items. When ever there is money involved lawsuts are soon to follow. What surprised me was that the Linden Labs official claims that there is $1 million in transaction in Second Life everyday. I knew it is popular but that level of commercialism surprised me.
"As trivial as a lawsuit over virtual matters may seem, we are talking real money here. Second Life's owner Linden Labs says the virtual world has over 9 million users and that nearly $1 million of transactions take place on Second Life each day. Put that in your virtual pipe."
http://blogs.pcworld.com/staffblog/archives/005816.html
Friday, October 26, 2007
From Toy to Tool---Cell Phones as Learning Tools (K12 online 2007 conference)
Led by Liz Kolb http://toytotool.blogspot.com, from the University of Michigan.
The session itself was a mix of PowerPoint and live camera. Her session was very informative and the speaker kept a good pace. She presented a mix of class related cell phone uses and resource demonstrations.
Before watching this presentation I would have immediately said no cell phones in any classroom. After watching the presentation I would still say no phones in class, but I can see the uses outside of the class. I would say they are still a supplement to learning not a requirement. Purely because not all kids can afford a cell phone or have access to them. I suppose the same could be said about computers.
“A 2006 study by market research firm the Yankee Group found that if trends continue, more than 50 percent of the “tween” population (8- to 12-year-olds) will be using cell phones by 2010.” –Hunter, 2007
Classroom related uses:
Cell phones can be data collection tools not just social toys.
--Record audio, take pictures, take video…
Cell phones can be used in collaboration with curriculum-based projects.
--Ring tones, wallpaper, text messaging
Cell phones as a research and organizational tool
--Mobile web, calendars, calculator
One of the resources that I found interesting is the free sites she demonstrated in which you can create podcasts with your cell phone. The students access the podcast with their phone or go to your blog and listen. Many of these sites can post to your blog, automatically---create audio greetings, and host conference calls. Student project ideas are things like collect sound clips from field trips, conduct interviews, practice speech skills etc…
Interesting resources:
Gabcast http://gabcast.com (free)
Gcast http://gcast.com (free)
FreeConferencePro http://freeconferencepro.com/(Free)
Phonezoo http://phonezoo.com (free ringtones)
Textforfree http://www.textforfree.com (free texting)
Mobiode http://mobiode.com (create surveys—send to phone list—free)
Homework Now http://homeworknow.com
A couple of examples of schools using cell phones are:
Southeastern Louisiana University-
http://www.selu.edu/library/askref/index.html (you can text questions to librarian)
New Hampshire schools-twenty-five schools are encouraging their students who own web-enabled cell phones to use them to access homework, class assignments, and other content.
The session itself was a mix of PowerPoint and live camera. Her session was very informative and the speaker kept a good pace. She presented a mix of class related cell phone uses and resource demonstrations.
Before watching this presentation I would have immediately said no cell phones in any classroom. After watching the presentation I would still say no phones in class, but I can see the uses outside of the class. I would say they are still a supplement to learning not a requirement. Purely because not all kids can afford a cell phone or have access to them. I suppose the same could be said about computers.
“A 2006 study by market research firm the Yankee Group found that if trends continue, more than 50 percent of the “tween” population (8- to 12-year-olds) will be using cell phones by 2010.” –Hunter, 2007
Classroom related uses:
Cell phones can be data collection tools not just social toys.
--Record audio, take pictures, take video…
Cell phones can be used in collaboration with curriculum-based projects.
--Ring tones, wallpaper, text messaging
Cell phones as a research and organizational tool
--Mobile web, calendars, calculator
One of the resources that I found interesting is the free sites she demonstrated in which you can create podcasts with your cell phone. The students access the podcast with their phone or go to your blog and listen. Many of these sites can post to your blog, automatically---create audio greetings, and host conference calls. Student project ideas are things like collect sound clips from field trips, conduct interviews, practice speech skills etc…
Interesting resources:
Gabcast http://gabcast.com (free)
Gcast http://gcast.com (free)
FreeConferencePro http://freeconferencepro.com/(Free)
Phonezoo http://phonezoo.com (free ringtones)
Textforfree http://www.textforfree.com (free texting)
Mobiode http://mobiode.com (create surveys—send to phone list—free)
Homework Now http://homeworknow.com
A couple of examples of schools using cell phones are:
Southeastern Louisiana University-
http://www.selu.edu/library/askref/index.html (you can text questions to librarian)
New Hampshire schools-twenty-five schools are encouraging their students who own web-enabled cell phones to use them to access homework, class assignments, and other content.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Facebook=College and Myspace=No college
I recently read an article in eWeek on how companies are targeting there customers this way. This article sites a an article by Dana Boyd in which she talks about class divisions on Facebook and Myspace. According to Boyd Facebook is more likely used by kids that are on there way to college while Myspace users are either getting a job or going into the military after high school.
"These broad generalizations about services with millions of users a piece seem to be shared by some buttoned-down financial service companies seeking to tap the youth market via social networks. As social nets gain popularity as business tools within the enterprise, companies continue to reach beyond the firewall and use the technology for marketing purposes as well. For a growing number of big banks, Facebook is the place to be.
TD Canada recently launched a Facebook application called Split IT, which lets roommates easily divvy up shared bills. The bank built the app as part of its Facebook offering, The Money Lounge, which features financial information, coupons and other content. When a Money Lounge message board asked users what they like and don't like about the bank, replies compared TD Canada's online services with those offered by other large Canadian banks—valuable marketing intelligence.
JPMorgan Chase, meanwhile, targets the college demographic with a Facebook group built around a credit card loyalty program. The Chase +1 group has about 34,000 members, and offers rewards and financial advice. The idea is to win over valuable customers early and keep them for years."
Do you think this is a valid idea. Is there a social class for these two services. I know there is a big gap between those that have access to computers and those that do not. While computers are getting cheaper---perhaps this is the beginning of a new technology divide. What do you think? Do you agree?
Full article http://www.digitalinfrastructure.ziffdavisenterprise.com/article/Why+Some+Companies+Employ+Facebook/217063_1.aspx
"These broad generalizations about services with millions of users a piece seem to be shared by some buttoned-down financial service companies seeking to tap the youth market via social networks. As social nets gain popularity as business tools within the enterprise, companies continue to reach beyond the firewall and use the technology for marketing purposes as well. For a growing number of big banks, Facebook is the place to be.
TD Canada recently launched a Facebook application called Split IT, which lets roommates easily divvy up shared bills. The bank built the app as part of its Facebook offering, The Money Lounge, which features financial information, coupons and other content. When a Money Lounge message board asked users what they like and don't like about the bank, replies compared TD Canada's online services with those offered by other large Canadian banks—valuable marketing intelligence.
JPMorgan Chase, meanwhile, targets the college demographic with a Facebook group built around a credit card loyalty program. The Chase +1 group has about 34,000 members, and offers rewards and financial advice. The idea is to win over valuable customers early and keep them for years."
Do you think this is a valid idea. Is there a social class for these two services. I know there is a big gap between those that have access to computers and those that do not. While computers are getting cheaper---perhaps this is the beginning of a new technology divide. What do you think? Do you agree?
Full article http://www.digitalinfrastructure.ziffdavisenterprise.com/article/Why+Some+Companies+Employ+Facebook/217063_1.aspx
Monday, October 8, 2007
Second Life Job Fair
Hello all,
I went to the second day of workshops hosted by CIT (Ed tech Fair). One of the workshops was on Second Life.
"Second Life: It's an Educational Tool, Not a Game" This workshop was very interesting like all the the other I attended...Good Job Andrea and CIT by the way. All the workshops I attended were interesting. There is nothing worse than a boring workshop.
After the CIT workshop I read an article about how a Las Vegas Chef attended a job fair in Second Life...he was interviewed and ultimately got a job using Second Life.
The article goes on to explain how the chef---who was not a confident interviewee(not sure about that spelling)---was able to be relaxed and confident in the interview. He did not have to worry about his lack of face-to-face poise getting in the way. Instead he could project the confident person on the inside with his avatar.
From the article: "A few major companies have begun experimenting with this virtual world as an additional tool to find employees. In May TMP Worldwide, a recruiting firm, hosted its first virtual job fair called Network in World on Second Life.
“To date, more than 1,800 candidates have either registered for a NiW job fair and then applied for open positions, or have expressed interest in a position and then left their contact details for employers,” says Russell Miyaki, a vice president of the recruiting firm, adding that about 214 interviews have taken place and about four people have gotten jobs as a result.
Companies that have interviewed candidates at the virtual job fairs included Sodexho, the food management company that hired Giordano, as well as Microsoft and Verizon, among others."
Is this the wave of the future or a flash in the pan??? What do you think?
The article I am referring: How fantasy life can get you a real job
Online community Second Life becomes venue for recruiting, interviewing to.
I went to the second day of workshops hosted by CIT (Ed tech Fair). One of the workshops was on Second Life.
"Second Life: It's an Educational Tool, Not a Game" This workshop was very interesting like all the the other I attended...Good Job Andrea and CIT by the way. All the workshops I attended were interesting. There is nothing worse than a boring workshop.
After the CIT workshop I read an article about how a Las Vegas Chef attended a job fair in Second Life...he was interviewed and ultimately got a job using Second Life.
The article goes on to explain how the chef---who was not a confident interviewee(not sure about that spelling)---was able to be relaxed and confident in the interview. He did not have to worry about his lack of face-to-face poise getting in the way. Instead he could project the confident person on the inside with his avatar.
From the article: "A few major companies have begun experimenting with this virtual world as an additional tool to find employees. In May TMP Worldwide, a recruiting firm, hosted its first virtual job fair called Network in World on Second Life.
“To date, more than 1,800 candidates have either registered for a NiW job fair and then applied for open positions, or have expressed interest in a position and then left their contact details for employers,” says Russell Miyaki, a vice president of the recruiting firm, adding that about 214 interviews have taken place and about four people have gotten jobs as a result.
Companies that have interviewed candidates at the virtual job fairs included Sodexho, the food management company that hired Giordano, as well as Microsoft and Verizon, among others."
Is this the wave of the future or a flash in the pan??? What do you think?
The article I am referring: How fantasy life can get you a real job
Online community Second Life becomes venue for recruiting, interviewing to.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Email Etiquette
We have all sent emails that we wish we could retrieve before the recipient reads it. Whether you sent it in the midst of a heated disagreement or maybe you just didn't have all the facts. In my experience (especially in the "techy personality" world) people can be short or sarcastic in email messages. If you are not willing to say it to their face then don't say it at all.
Oops! Sent that Message? This article reminded me of one of our discussions in class. Some of these points are obvious but still make good sense. What annoys me the most is when people type in all CAPS or do not include a subject in an email. What I try to remember when sending an email is that it will likely get sent to the world. Don't write anything you are not will to share with everyone.
THANK YOU. HAVE A NICE DAY.
Oops! Sent that Message? This article reminded me of one of our discussions in class. Some of these points are obvious but still make good sense. What annoys me the most is when people type in all CAPS or do not include a subject in an email. What I try to remember when sending an email is that it will likely get sent to the world. Don't write anything you are not will to share with everyone.
THANK YOU. HAVE A NICE DAY.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
virtual worlds, IM etc...
I can see the potential benefits of instant messaging and virtual worlds in an educational setting. Kids today are very much a multimedia--immediate information group. While the basics will always play an important role in education (chalk board, books etc…) ----we must always consider the audience to which we are delivering a message to. As teachers constantly compete for the attention of students they must use these technologies to succeed. As the expression goes--fight fire with fire.
We also need to keep in mind the pitfalls that come with new technologies. There is always a risk of technology for technology sake. When that happens the message that you are trying to deliver can get lost. You also have the added risk of students misusing the technology. Things like posting hurtful messages about class members or teachers, spreading rumors etc…With new technologies comes new problems (along with new opportunities).
We also need to keep in mind the pitfalls that come with new technologies. There is always a risk of technology for technology sake. When that happens the message that you are trying to deliver can get lost. You also have the added risk of students misusing the technology. Things like posting hurtful messages about class members or teachers, spreading rumors etc…With new technologies comes new problems (along with new opportunities).
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
The geeks shall inherit the earth
This is a link to a very interesting 60 Min piece on how technology has changed and how it has given greater importance of the "Geeks" that support the technology society relies on. It also touches on effective design.
Video Segment
http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/i_video/main500251.shtml?id=3245054n
Article
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/01/26/60minutes/main2401726.shtml
Video Segment
http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/i_video/main500251.shtml?id=3245054n
Article
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/01/26/60minutes/main2401726.shtml
"Good" web design
Like others in this class I fired up Google and searched for “good webpage design” and found some of the same information. I believe it was in Kevin’s’ blog he quoted one source as “experts feel that original/unique content, interactivity, and good organization are important elements of effective website design.”
I do agree with what Kevin found. When I think of good webpage design I tend to approach it from a utilitarian frame of mind. Yes the page has to look good and it needs to keep your attention. If it doesn’t have any usefulness to it then it will quickly fade away once the flash and beauty wear off. There are other aspects to consider.
Your audience: If you are a multimedia company then yes you will have to be a little flashier in your website. After all if is an example of what you can do. If you are creating a site for kids then you also have to design accordingly.
Is your site handicap friendly? One of the customers I support at JMU is a blind gentleman. He uses a website reader. After working with him I really could see the importance of making pages handicap friendly. Something as simple as putting in alt text for pictures is very important. Also keep in mind that your audience may have vision or hearing problems.
Ease of use: Nothing bothers me more than going to a site that the information is buried 10 layers deep in the site. About a year ago I purchased a third party data cable for my cell phone. The driver shipped with the cable was not the correct one. After fighting their site for days I finally gave up and sent the cable back. The poor design of the site cost them a sale.
KISS approach: I am a big fan of keeping a site simple. The average user should be able to go to your site and get the information they want without needing an engineering degree from MIT. Ease of use is very important.
Look: Keep the look of your pages consistent. I like pages that have some sense of consistency. This can be easily achieved by using templates for your pages. Whether they are prepackaged with an authoring tool or something you developed from scratch. What kind of image or attitude do you want to project about your organization?
The above characteristics are what I like to see or consider when evaluating websites. In the end I think it comes down to usefulness and does the site meet your needs.
I do agree with what Kevin found. When I think of good webpage design I tend to approach it from a utilitarian frame of mind. Yes the page has to look good and it needs to keep your attention. If it doesn’t have any usefulness to it then it will quickly fade away once the flash and beauty wear off. There are other aspects to consider.
Your audience: If you are a multimedia company then yes you will have to be a little flashier in your website. After all if is an example of what you can do. If you are creating a site for kids then you also have to design accordingly.
Is your site handicap friendly? One of the customers I support at JMU is a blind gentleman. He uses a website reader. After working with him I really could see the importance of making pages handicap friendly. Something as simple as putting in alt text for pictures is very important. Also keep in mind that your audience may have vision or hearing problems.
Ease of use: Nothing bothers me more than going to a site that the information is buried 10 layers deep in the site. About a year ago I purchased a third party data cable for my cell phone. The driver shipped with the cable was not the correct one. After fighting their site for days I finally gave up and sent the cable back. The poor design of the site cost them a sale.
KISS approach: I am a big fan of keeping a site simple. The average user should be able to go to your site and get the information they want without needing an engineering degree from MIT. Ease of use is very important.
Look: Keep the look of your pages consistent. I like pages that have some sense of consistency. This can be easily achieved by using templates for your pages. Whether they are prepackaged with an authoring tool or something you developed from scratch. What kind of image or attitude do you want to project about your organization?
The above characteristics are what I like to see or consider when evaluating websites. In the end I think it comes down to usefulness and does the site meet your needs.
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Second First Post
Here are a few sites I have found helpful in the past:
Has some useful tutorials:
http://www.trainingtools.com/
This site has a free remote support tool that is very easy for the end user to install. I use this one for my nephews machine who is away at college. Be sure to click the small link beside the large green one---if not it will sign you up for a 90 day trial---instead of the completely free account. When using this product I have never had any trouble with firewalls.
https://secure.logmein.com/home.asp?lang=en
When you have looked everywhere possible for a device driver and still can't find it...I usually can find it here (you have to create an account).
http://members.driverguide.com/
Hope you find these links useful.
R
Has some useful tutorials:
http://www.trainingtools.com/
This site has a free remote support tool that is very easy for the end user to install. I use this one for my nephews machine who is away at college. Be sure to click the small link beside the large green one---if not it will sign you up for a 90 day trial---instead of the completely free account. When using this product I have never had any trouble with firewalls.
https://secure.logmein.com/home.asp?lang=en
When you have looked everywhere possible for a device driver and still can't find it...I usually can find it here (you have to create an account).
http://members.driverguide.com/
Hope you find these links useful.
R
Friday, August 31, 2007
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