Second Life

I listened to the theory on Second Life and I realized that I don’t really think it is a disruptive technology.  I feel that it is another way for people to express themselves and gives a sense of security to those who may not be socially able to meet people otherwise. When I first heard the term second life I thought in terms of second term battery lives and second lives of items.  The video by Philip Rosedale really opened up my thinking of Second Life.

Second Life replaced the way people socially interact and the use of online games. (Rosedale, 2008) It is a way of being around people without being around people.  As far as it being in its final stage I do not believe that to be true. To me it is still an emerging technology that has a long way to go before it is fully integrated into society. Movies like the Avatar have me realizing that second life is in its beginning stages rather than the end. 

The social benefits are that people that usually are introverts will become more involved in a virtual world.  There are people that are considered recluse and this is a way for them to come out of their shells.  The Sims started this trend to me and has taken on a life of its own. 

References:

Rosedale, P.(2008)Philip Rosedale on Second Life[video].Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/the_inspiration_of_second_life.html

Scoble.R.(2010)Is Second Life about to enter its second life?Retrieved from http://scobleizin.com/2010/02/22/is-second-life-about-to-enter-its-second-life/

Second life references

http://www.thesims3.com/

http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1809804784/info

http://secondlife.com/

Rhymes of History

An example of technology that represents a rhyme of history to me is the video game system. I can remember back in the early 1980’s my brother had an Atari game system. Our favorite was the tennis games that had a black screen and a green ball that made a beep when it was hit by a blinking insertion bar. (That’s what it looks like to me now.) The system was brown large, heavy but loads of fun to us.  The graphics were horrible and the colors probably contributed to some of us wearing glasses at a young age. (Not a proven fact.) The joystick was huge and you used your whole hand to control it and not two fingers like they do now.

The video game market has increased its value a thousand times over with 3D graphics, virtual systems and interactive games that have taken video games to a whole new level.  The Nintendo WII system, Xbox and PS3 all remind me of the days when one simple technological device changed the way we played.  It was the beginning of inside play and kids not wanting to go outside anymore. 

Check out the sites below to show the evolution of the gaming systems from then to now.

http://www.time.com/time/interactive/0,31813,2029221,00.html

http://www.atariage.com/2600/index.html?SystemID=2600

Video on Kelly’s concepts of rhymes of history

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/kevin_kelly_on_the_next_5_000_days_of_the_web.html

Emerging Technology: The Cell Phone

The emergence of the cell phone into society brought about a huge impact on the way we communicate with the outside world. Cell phones have inundated our society to the point that everyone has one.  On April 3, 1973, at a public demonstration and using a heavy 30-ounce phone, Martin Cooper placed the first cell phone call to his rival at AT&T Bell Labs from the streets of New York City.(Marples, 2008)  Since this date the way we use the telephone has changed significantly. I can remember the early 1990’s and everyone wanting to have the “bag phone”. This phone was located inside of a tote bag the size of a purse that you could carry around with you. People paid huge deposits in order to have one and the price to maintain service was phenomenal. Now, we either pay by two year contract or month to month depending on the type of service you want. 

The cell phone has basically put into extinction the landline phone as well as the use of phone booths.  Most people have gotten rid of the landline phones in favor of portable service.  In the words of my husband, “I don’t want anyone having that much access to me!”. I don’t blame him. Getting rid of your phone enables everyone to have access to you 24/7 unless you are like me and cut your phone off after 8pm.  If you want me you better have my home number.  Phone booths have also mysteriously disappeared.  There used to be one on every corner and at least a station of them in the malls. Now you will be lucky to find one within 20 miles of your home. 

Cell service has, with all of its new gadgets made life a little easier for some.  We can now email, receive instant messages and chat online and also create and send documents to business meetings.  The cell phone has many of the capabilities of the computer.  For in its own right it is a mini version of a desktop computer.

I can’t help but get nostalgic about phones though. I grew up with rotary dial phones and was super excited when we got push button phones in our home. I remember the days of waiting in line for the phone at home and being made when I got a busy signal when I called home.  None of these things occur now because call waiting is standard on every phone package now. 

Cell phones have ushered in the phone companies marketing skills and they are now starting to look into the cellular business as a way to keep revenue coming in. Cox cable will start a new program offering cellular service according to an employee of the company. They are losing money to companies like Skype and others who offer phone service through the computer.  Newer versions of the phones themselves will likely replace the current versions.  There are 3-D phones out now and just about every phone system has the ability to surf the net and create and change documents.  

Reference:

Marples, G.(2008) The History of Cell Phones – A Vision Realized.Retrieved from http://www.thehistoryof.net/history-of-cell-phones.html

Emerging Technology

A current technology that has emerged and submerged itself into our society is the iPad and iPad2.  This technology has taken over the way we communicate, learn, and view news today. 






This technology has also shaped learning and how some students learn in the classroom.  According to some experts, iPads have revolutionized the way kids learn today. Here at Davidson Middles School in Crestview, FL, our science department won a grant and has outfitted each student in advanced science with an iPad to use at school. The instructor has stated that students who used to hate science are now anxious to come to class because they get to use the device.

See below how the iPad has influenced math classes.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/05/education/05tablets.html?pagewanted=all

The iPad hwoever, does not come without some problems.  Most school districts are in a budget crunch so it is hard to get the money needed to have this type of technology in schools.  In addition to that the right classes need to be selected for use and wifi has to be installed in the school if its not there already.  Another problem is filtering what the kids can access and what they can see.  Most schools have filtering systems but the extra precautions are needed with new technology.  The benefits to this is that students will get to use in the classroom tools that most of them use everyday at home. Students whose parents have iPads would have an advantage over those who don't have them in their household.  Therefore, we even the playing field when everyone is exposed to the same type of learning.  Another benefit is that the traditional classroom is given up for more advanced and higher level thinking which is where we want our kids to be in school.  As educators we owe it to the kids to provide them with the tools needed to succeed. If they have never worked on a computer what type of jobs are we setting them up to have?

According to Winnie Hu, "A growing number of schools across the nation are embracing the iPad as the latest tool to teach Kafka in multimedia, history through “Jeopardy”-like games and math with step-by-step animation of complex problems."(New York Times,, 2011) To stay a step ahead we must allow more technology in our classes and not be afraid to use it.  We must also find grants and benefactors to help offset the cost of providing this technology. Last,  we must insist that companies like Apple provide better pricing on these devices like the XO laptop, so that they can be brought into the classroom without breaking the bank.

Hu, Winnie(2011)Math That Moves: Schools Embrace the iPad.New York Times. Published January 4, 2011. Retrieved from 

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/05/education/05tablets.html?pagewanted=all

Impact of Technology

As I look back on the way I studied in college in the 80's I know that technology has influenced the way I learn dramatically.  I was always one to take plenty of notes.  I didn't read a whole lot of textbook due to the type of notes I took from the professors.  Reflecting now I see that the way I learn has changed for the better.  Learning online has made me more aware of the subject matter that I study and I do a lot more research for facts. With the influx of the internet I can see how too much information can be detrimental to learning.  Not only does it affect my learning but it has affected the way I teach my classes.  I want them to know as much as possible but I want it to be accurate.  Checking and re-checking resources has been a time consuming matter but it makes the learning experience for me all the more interesting.  I never knew there were so many theories on learning out there. If there's one thing I 've learned it's not only to cite the source but verify the source.

Looking back on face to face to environments which for me was not to long ago, I see the need for it in undergraduate courses.  Students need to see the professor and believe what they are saying and trust them to give them correct information.  With an online  class its hard to trust someone you can't see.  Also, learning for me has become more in depth.  By that I mean that I take the time to understand everything and not just the parts that are pertinent to me.  I did that a lot in college.  Face to face environments, while purposeful, has its limitations. My attention span is not long so I can't sit and listen to anyone talk anymore.  I love learning at my own pace and getting information that I want out of the lesson.  The biggest difference in the two is collaboration.  I have communicated more with online students than I ever have in a F2F classroom and I have this new technology to thank for it. My communication skills have been increased and I express myself more online.  Is online better that face to face, I don't know but online sure is convenient.

Responded to http://minerclass.blogspot.com and http://edtheory7105.blogspot.com