Module 5 Blog post responses

Linda Plamar

http://youmakelifeworthlearning.com/2014/02/09/module-5-blog-post/comment-page-1/#comment-15

Marie Anglin

Module 5: Red Queens & Increasing Returns

EDUC 7108 Module 5 Blog Post “RED Queens of Video”

EDUC 7108 Module 5 Blog Post

Red Queens and Increasing Returns

 

 

When you decided to obtain a DVD for your science fiction assignment in Module 4, where did you go to find a movie based on a Philip K. Dick book? Did you rent or purchase a DVD, or did you view it digitally on your computer using Netflix or a similar vendor of video-on-demand?

 

In my reflection I harken back to the process by which I chose the medium to view my video of choice. Many of the titles on the list were movies I had already seen many years ago. My first course of action was to check my video library to see if  any of the titles could be found there. I had no such luck. The next course of action was to search the titles of on-demand through cable television. I had no success there either. My next search began with Netflix and ended with Amazon video but I had limited success there as well. I was able to find “A Scanner Darkly”. However I chose to purchase “Minority Report” on DVD from the Wal-Mart clearance bin for the reduced price of $5.00. I chose “Minority Report” because I was more familiar with the movie and believed from my recollection that it contained more technology mediums than “A Scanner Darkly”.  The movie was viewed on a PlayStation 3 console.

 

Is the current competition between DVDs and video-on-demand an example of increasing returns or Red Queens? Justify your response with sound reasoning and specific examples.

 

 

Dr. Thornburg identifies the “Red Queen” phenomena as a huge competition between two technologies where all other competitors are left behind. (2009) I do not believe that this phenomenon is in play with DVD’s versus video on demand. I believe “Red Queen” phenomenon applies to the competition between the various factions of video on demand companies like Netflix, Amazon, cable companies like Xfinity/Comcast, and the various satellite options like the Dish Network and Direct TV.

 

Where do you think DVDs and video-on-demand are on the four criteria of McLuhan’s tetrad?

 

I believe that both of these technological mediums are represented on McLuhan’s Tetrad. I believe that video on demand represents the emerging enhancement category while DVD’s represents the obsolete. The convenience and expediency of video on demand offers the user the ability to view movies at home and on the go without having to leave the confines of there home, work, or school. In the age of technology, the most pervasive quality of the new advances is the ability to be mobile and expedient in the users ability to connect to other people and the retrieval of information.

 

References

 

Thornburg, D. D. (2009). Emerging technologies and McLuhan’s laws of media. Lake Barrington, IL: Thornburg Center for Space Exploration.

Module 4 Blog Responses

I posted on Marie Anglin and Linda Plamar’s blogs.

Here are their blog sites.

Module 4 Second Life: A Disruptive Technology

http://youmakelifeworthlearning.com/author/lindaplamar/

EDUC 7108 Module 4 Blog Post “The Disruptive Power of Second Life”

EDUC 7108 Module 4 Blog Post

The Disruptive Power of Second Life

 

How is Second Life a disruptive technology?

 

Dr. Thornburg defines disruptive technology as a new technology with the same functionality of an existing one, but it functions more efficiently and then obsoletes the former. (2009) In the general sense of the definition of a disruptive technology, Second Life is not a disruptive technology. However, I do believe in the spirit of the definition it is because it replaces humanity in the sense of face-to-face human interaction. This medium replaces real life interaction by providing the landscape for people to be what they want to be without the genetics, finances, or relationships to do so. In this virtual world, as stated by Phillip Rosedale, anything is possible. (2008) This is where people can be whatever and whoever they want to be. It provides the option to be rich if your are poor, to be physically enticing if you are overweight, brilliant if you are not so smart, and last but not least it provides an arena to fix or repair your life where in the past you may have made mistakes that you have not been able to return from in the real world.

 

What technology or innovation did it displace?

 

Again this technology has not replaced anything in my opinion. This medium has provided a forum for escape from reality. People still should or have to, in most instances, live life through some form of human interaction. In years past this technology is and was a natural progression from the fantasy type worlds created by gaming. This medium provided the users the opportunity to participate either passively or in a participatory manner in these worlds they saw on their monitors. This allowed them to design, create, and build the worlds they were apart of.

 

How many years do you think Second Life has left before another emerging technology or disruptive technology replaces it?

 

I believe Second Life has many years to flourish because it is at the infancy stages of diffusion with this medium in society. Prior to this assignment I had never heard of Second Life. I had seen the medium utilized in sci-fi movies like Total Recall and Minority Report or in gaming simulations like The Sims and World of Warcraft. I believe the business platform that Second Life uses provides the momentum needed to make it a sound medium for years to come.

 

What are the social benefits of Second Life, and what might be the social implications of virtual worlds in your industry?

 

I cannot say for certain that there will be social benefits but I can say this medium and its growth and diffusion into society will be impactful. I say this because as I stated earlier, virtual worlds provides the user with an escape from society. If you are escaping from society then you will not be able to participate and offer your insight or help in making change. I do believe it can be euphoric for people who may have experienced horrifying or tragic experiences within their life. Whether it will be positive or negative will be decided individually.

References

 

Thornburg, D. (2009). Disruptive Technologies. Laureate Education, Inc. Baltimore, MD: Author

 

Rosedale, P. (2008). Phillip Rosedale: Life in Second Life. http://www.ted.com/talks/the_inspiration_of_second_life.html. Retrieved January 23, 2014

EDUC 7108 Blog Responses

I posted to:

Marie Anglin http://wordpress.com/read/blog/id/61254795/

Linda Pendergrass http://youmakelifeworthlearning.com/2014/01/12/module-3-rhymes-in-history-the-camera/comment-page-1/#comment-6

EDUC 7108 Module 3 Blog Post Rhymes of History

EDUC 7108

Module 3 Blog Post

 

Rhymes of History in Technology

 

There are so many things that are reminiscent of the past that I did not know which one to choose. I ended up choosing the tablet. I chose this rhyme of history because of the pervasive impact tablets are having on society. During ancient times the tablet was used as a medium to record information. I believe it was a natural progression from the ancient Egyptians writing hieroglyphics on the walls of tombs. Tablets allowed for these ancient scribes to be transported and shared with the masses. According to Oxford’s dictionary, the definition of a tablet is a flat slab of stone, clay, or wood, used especially for an inscription. The Romans recorded information on hollowed out wood and the pockets were filled with wax. They would take a sharp instrument called a stylus, usually a piece of bone or metal, would be used to make inscriptions. To erase the wax was exposed to heat to melt or the top layer was scraped off. Now, I am old school, but I was not around during these times, but we did call our notebooks tablets, which is quite funny with what the term means now.

The iPad, iPad mini and many of the other tablets on the market like the Kindle, Curio, and Samsung models all offer users to the ability to do computations while on the move. This new tool provides, portability and connectivity and the ability to access information from anywhere just like the old tablets use to do.

 

 

http://www.housebarra.com/EP/ep05/17writing.html

 

http://www.objectlessons.org/childhood-and-games-romans/wax-tablet–stylus-ancient-rome-replica/s65/a1053/

EDUC 7108 Module 2 Blog Post

EDUC 7108 Module 2 Blog PostEDUC 7108 Module 2 Blog Post

EDUC 7108 Module 2 Blog Post

Mobile Learning Tetrad

 

Mobile Learning Tetrad

Enhances- Portability and connectivity

Obsoletes- traditional face-to-face learning, brick and mortar, sage on the stage

Retrieval- correspondence courses

Reversal- virtual learning, simulations, self-directed instruction

 

I will be posting to Linda Pendergrass and Marie Anglin’s blog.

Blog responses

I commented on Marie Anglin and Margaret Smith’s blog.

Marie Anglin’s blog can be found at:

1msanglin.wordpress.com

Margaret Smith’s blog can be found at:

http://emergenttechnologyineducation.blogspot.com/2013/12/module-1-tablet-use-in-education.html?showComment=1387085126390#c5334026506140580167

 

EDUC 7108 Module 1 Blog Post— Emerging Technologies— “The Cloud”

EDUC 7108 Module 1 Blog Post

 

Emerging Technologies

 

 

The Cloud

 

 Cloud computing is the use of internet-based services to support business processes (Holland, n.d.). The Cloud has emerged as a major player in the world of technology. It has come into direct competition with the likes of many of the varied types of storage devices. Internal hard drives, external hard drives, and jump drives all provide storage for computers users. Unfortunately these mediums do not offer the user and infinite amount of space. This is where “The Cloud” comes in as the new emerging technology. It provides the user with an unlimited amount of space to store their data, music, projects, presentations and a plethora of other things they may need for their professional, personal or educational needs.

 

The Cloud is an excellent technology for storage but it does have a few problems that have not been solved as of yet. Availability, data mobility and ownership, and privacy are all concerns when assessing the challenges of “The Cloud”. Questions like how will I access my information if my cloud service goes down, what happens to my info if I cancel my service, and is the cloud service compiling data from me and what are they doing with it. These issues are cause for concern and need to be solved for this medium to reach its full potential.

 

The Cloud meets societal needs through its ability to maintain accessibility through connectivity. We live in a world that is on the go all the time. Portability is king right now but unfortunately computer users do not want to carry around several disk drives to store their data. The Cloud fulfills a great need that allows them to pull their data up from anywhere at any time without the burden of having to lug everything around. It also reduces the cost of business and great for the environment because it curtails the use of hardware to a certain degree, and also provides smaller businesses the opportunity to grow their business by sharing IT resources via the medium.

 

 Companies that manufacture, market and sell technology components (computers) should provide The Cloud as a free amenity, included with your purchase. This would provide the consumer with peace of mind to know that 1) their product purchase is free 2) their product purchase and storage system will be compatible, and 3) the company will offer support to cover all of the products.

 

Reference

 

 

Holland, K. (n.d.) Pros and Cons of Cloud Computing. Retrieved December, 2013 from http://www.thebeckon.com/pros-and-cons-of-cloud-computing/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Module 6 Blog Post—Learning in a Digital World

Learning in a Digital World

 

What impact do you believe technology has on the way you learn?

Technology has impacted learning in a major way. I feel the biggest impact has been made in leveling the playing field through the accessibility to information. History has shown us that education has traditionally been reserved for the rich and affluent. This group took advantage of large home libraries filled with an assortment of books and the privilege of going to college because of their vast resources. Well, technology in the digital age has increased the options of the commoner and accessibility to information to infinite proportions. Seekers of information can search and retrieve information from almost anywhere. The access to information has made it a lot easier to obtain in today’s society.

 

In what ways do you learn differently in an online environment from the way you learned in a face-to-face learning environment? 

The main difference in the way you learn in a face-2-face environment as opposed to an online environment is that the way the student learns is self-directed. The teachers role is that of a facilitator as opposed to the ‘sage on the stage”. The course work follows the methodology of problem and project-based learning which are components of Constructivism.

 

What do you believe is critical and non-negotiable in teaching and learning?

The most critical and non-negotiable aspect of teaching and learning is settings clear and concise goals and having an equally clear and concise plan for implementing your plan for the purpose of reaching your goals. The online environment does not present the student with the ability to interact with classmates or instructors in a face-2-face setting, which can be frustrating at times, if he/she is unable to contact the instructor through traditional online means. Detailing a uniformed plan of communication or contact can eradicate the confusion induced when there is no detailed plan of action. I have often suggested in many open forums of class discussion that schools or instructors should stipulate in the course syllabus how the students should communicate by choosing specific forms of connectivity. Specifying a particular IM service, email, blog, wiki program to use or creating an infrastructure with all of these components specifically for that particular university/college would eliminate many of the issues I have experienced in my online matriculation.

My Learning philosophy
I am a proponent of the Constructivist learning theory I talked about earlier in my post. I like the amount of autonomy the teacher and the student gets in this particular methodology. I believe it allows both parties to grow and evolve into what they are supposed to be. My concern is how do you effectively utilize this method for optimal gain under the current system that is not yielding great results. This methodology requires students to build on previous knowledge and experience but many students, especially in lower socioeconomic environments, test scores do not suggest they have the proper foundation for this methodology to work. STEM and STEAM are major initiatives that are gaining the attention of educators and they are built on this methodology. I have witnessed STEM in action and it was very effective albeit in an affluent school. I truly hope that my initial statement about technology leveling the playing field can come to fruition but we must first re-invent how schools are funded so they all start an end with the same goal in mind of providing a great education for all.
I have commented on the blogs of:

 Rob Rector

Learning in a digital world

John Smith
http://understandinglearningtheory.blogspot.com/2013/11/module-6-learning-in-digital-age-my.html?showComment=1384913866627#c7464091683788369289