Okay, I am just having some fun with the title of this blog. I swear to you I get no sexual satisfaction nor am I looking for the frustrating episodes in other peoples' lives.
On Friday, I created a Facebook account and was amazed at how quickly I connected with people. The most bizarre was chatting, via messages, with a friend from my middle school years and is now located in Portland Oregon.
On Saturday and Sunday, I found myself looking at the photos my new "friends" posted on Facebook. I am definitely jealous of others who have taken a vacation recently, sorry I need a vacation to some warm weather beach with umbrella drinks! It was also interesting to see how many people went to Washington DC in the last couple of years!
I have looked at the profiles of other people and they have some really interesting things on their profiles. I am looking for ways to further develop my Facebook profile page so if anyone has some ideas please let me know.
Dave
Monday, July 28, 2008
Friday, July 25, 2008
Facebook!
Well holy ****! I am completely knocked off my rocker by Facebook. I set up a profile and decided to let it search my e-mail address book for friends and before I knew it I found a lot of people I knew at one time or another on Facebook. One was a friend from middle school and I completely lost touch with him and he is now located in Portland Oregon. It was unbelievable to make so much contact with people so quickly.
I expressed my feelings on the IAS Facebook page! I am definitely ready to head back into my "cave" for the weekend. Although I understand the security precautions, it is strange to ask someone if you could be their friend. It almost feels like I am back in second grade and just starting at a new school and asking someone to be my friend.
I am going to add more to my blog about this as I am really overwhelemed right now.
Dave
I expressed my feelings on the IAS Facebook page! I am definitely ready to head back into my "cave" for the weekend. Although I understand the security precautions, it is strange to ask someone if you could be their friend. It almost feels like I am back in second grade and just starting at a new school and asking someone to be my friend.
I am going to add more to my blog about this as I am really overwhelemed right now.
Dave
Google Docs
Wow, creating and sharing a document via Google docs is quite easy. I can definitely see how this will be an advantageous way to collaborate with others. It makes working on a research proposal or journal publication (those who have been around me for the last two weeks know how I am struggling with making revisions to a journal submission).
The educational dynamic is also quite open as well! I like the idea of small group projects and students can each work on their own component part to the document without having to wait for an e-mail. Furthermore, they can use Google docs to share work instantly and others in the group can offer input almost immediately.
Is it easy to copy/paste this a Google document into a Word document so it can be printed with proper margins, fonts, spacing etc.? As an instructor, I really don't want to be given a paper that is only on Google docs. I may still be a bit "old fashioned" about that.
David
The educational dynamic is also quite open as well! I like the idea of small group projects and students can each work on their own component part to the document without having to wait for an e-mail. Furthermore, they can use Google docs to share work instantly and others in the group can offer input almost immediately.
Is it easy to copy/paste this a Google document into a Word document so it can be printed with proper margins, fonts, spacing etc.? As an instructor, I really don't want to be given a paper that is only on Google docs. I may still be a bit "old fashioned" about that.
David
Monday, July 21, 2008
Podcasting assignment part 2
Thank you Patsy for replying to my previous post and providing me with an alternative to creating a pod-cast of my own voice. I was able to get to your suggested site and download a piece of music. It is rather New Age sounding so just deal with it!
The location of my podcast is http://dfsacks.podbean.com/
Please feel free to listen to this music and let me know your thoughts.
Regarding the educational implications of this idea, I do support the idea of podcasting. I think it is a great way for students to download and listen to a talk about a particular topic. It certainly fits in with one of my dynamics for education, "Repeat, repeat, repeat!" to help student learn something.
I wish there were a way to limit students who downloaded the material. I fear that students would just download the podcast and not attend class. What could realistically be done to help ensure students who attended class could retrieve this information and not share it with others? I know I can always structure the class so that students who attend can benefit more than students who did not, but there is still something missing.
Also, is it possible for someone to take my podcast and manipulate it so it completely changes my intent and then repost it as my work and I end up in a heap of issues?
Something's to consider.
Dave
The location of my podcast is http://dfsacks.podbean.com/
Please feel free to listen to this music and let me know your thoughts.
Regarding the educational implications of this idea, I do support the idea of podcasting. I think it is a great way for students to download and listen to a talk about a particular topic. It certainly fits in with one of my dynamics for education, "Repeat, repeat, repeat!" to help student learn something.
I wish there were a way to limit students who downloaded the material. I fear that students would just download the podcast and not attend class. What could realistically be done to help ensure students who attended class could retrieve this information and not share it with others? I know I can always structure the class so that students who attend can benefit more than students who did not, but there is still something missing.
Also, is it possible for someone to take my podcast and manipulate it so it completely changes my intent and then repost it as my work and I end up in a heap of issues?
Something's to consider.
Dave
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Halfway through the Podcasting assignment
There is a joke somewhere about Podcasting and fishing, it just isn't coming to me yet.
I have completed the first half of the Podcasting assignment. Meaning I think I subscribed to the Harvard at Home on my Bloglines, but I just don't trust my technical abilities with this stuff to be supremely confident.
I admit to some hesitancy to record my voice on a podcast, I just don't like to hear the sound of my recorded voice. If I really liked that I would have gone into the performing arts profession and not teaching (yes, I am now aware of the similarities between the two!). Also the idea of broadcasting my voice to the world (although 99.99999% of the world's population won't hear it), just intimidates the hell out of me.
I will get back to the second half of this assignment later.
David
I have completed the first half of the Podcasting assignment. Meaning I think I subscribed to the Harvard at Home on my Bloglines, but I just don't trust my technical abilities with this stuff to be supremely confident.
I admit to some hesitancy to record my voice on a podcast, I just don't like to hear the sound of my recorded voice. If I really liked that I would have gone into the performing arts profession and not teaching (yes, I am now aware of the similarities between the two!). Also the idea of broadcasting my voice to the world (although 99.99999% of the world's population won't hear it), just intimidates the hell out of me.
I will get back to the second half of this assignment later.
David
Thursday, July 10, 2008
My Heart is a Twitter
Okay the title for this post is not very original, but hey it is Thursday morning!
Well, I started my Twitter page and I am not sure about the use of this technology. Yes, it can be fun to stay connected using this, but I the educational prospects are not clear. I did watch the Chronicle of Higher Ed video, but I didn't see the connection the professor was making about it adding value to student learning. I still view this as an extension of IM (that has can stay around longer) or text messaging. Of course this may be related to my desire to express my thoughts out in a longer format that is provided using a Blog and does not work well with a 140 character limit per post.
How many posts would I have to make to get my feelings about Twitter posted on Twitter? I think it would be about 7-10 posts without taking the time to count characters.
I suppose that I am just tenative about this and it will take some time. I am not sure if it will work for me, but I am willing to give it a try for awhile. Putting Darwin's theory of only the strong survive, I suppose time will tell, if people really find it useful, it will survive, if not it will attrophy and die out.
Well, I started my Twitter page and I am not sure about the use of this technology. Yes, it can be fun to stay connected using this, but I the educational prospects are not clear. I did watch the Chronicle of Higher Ed video, but I didn't see the connection the professor was making about it adding value to student learning. I still view this as an extension of IM (that has can stay around longer) or text messaging. Of course this may be related to my desire to express my thoughts out in a longer format that is provided using a Blog and does not work well with a 140 character limit per post.
How many posts would I have to make to get my feelings about Twitter posted on Twitter? I think it would be about 7-10 posts without taking the time to count characters.
I suppose that I am just tenative about this and it will take some time. I am not sure if it will work for me, but I am willing to give it a try for awhile. Putting Darwin's theory of only the strong survive, I suppose time will tell, if people really find it useful, it will survive, if not it will attrophy and die out.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Google Street View
Late last week I was introduced to something that was both really cool and really disturbing, the street view function on Google maps. I was amazed that Google was able to upload a street view of the streets in many cities around the United States and Europe. If you have not seen this function, it provides you with a view of the street like you were driving in a car. This can be quite helpful if looking for directions to a friends house and you want to know what to look for, so it is a nice extension of what Google maps was able to provide. I suppose this function was completed by having a car with a camera mounted on the roof drive around the city taking a 360 degree photograph of the street every 15 feet or so. This function is quite impressive when you consider all of the storage space required to maintain this data.
However, I find this function a little disturbing and after some soul searching I think it is connected with the fact that it is one thing to locate your house or apartment from zooming in on a satellite photo. The satellite photo feels "safer" because we recognize it as a satellite photo and there is some distance involved. The street view function is rather disturbing because it means someone drove past my residence and took pictures without my knowledge and personal approval. This leads me to feel a sense of violation because it shows my residence, yet I had no sense of providing permission to show my house in this format for the world to see!
I am not suggesting that Google did anything illegal, because they were on public land and it really is not all that different from providing a satellite photo in which you can zoom into your own residence. It just feels like a violation of my space and it is just a little "oogie" (sorry no technical defintion exists for this 'word').
What do you think of this function?
David
However, I find this function a little disturbing and after some soul searching I think it is connected with the fact that it is one thing to locate your house or apartment from zooming in on a satellite photo. The satellite photo feels "safer" because we recognize it as a satellite photo and there is some distance involved. The street view function is rather disturbing because it means someone drove past my residence and took pictures without my knowledge and personal approval. This leads me to feel a sense of violation because it shows my residence, yet I had no sense of providing permission to show my house in this format for the world to see!
I am not suggesting that Google did anything illegal, because they were on public land and it really is not all that different from providing a satellite photo in which you can zoom into your own residence. It just feels like a violation of my space and it is just a little "oogie" (sorry no technical defintion exists for this 'word').
What do you think of this function?
David
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Play Week Yip Yahooee!
So if this is play time....what is work like?
Sorry for some reason I decided to start with a rhetorical question.
Alright for play week (two weeks/session) I opened up a Meebo account for instant messaging. I can definitely see the benefits of using IM to communicate quickly with others. Unfortunately, I don't know who has a Meebo account. I know Patsy and Laura have one because I have them listed on my Meebo friends, but that is it. If you have set up a Meebo account and you are a member of the Blue 2.0 project please let me know.
Also, I have set up a Google task bar on my desk top so I can monitor the weather, keep some quick notes and have instant access to news headlines. These are all useful and handy devices that I find quite beneficial. Admittedly, the weather thing is rather geeky, but so what. I have used Google Scholar and Google Earth on several occasions and found them to be intuitive in design and able to provide me with good information.
That is all for now. I will provide you with additional updates as I continue with some of the additional choices for this play week (weeks/session).
Dave
Sorry for some reason I decided to start with a rhetorical question.
Alright for play week (two weeks/session) I opened up a Meebo account for instant messaging. I can definitely see the benefits of using IM to communicate quickly with others. Unfortunately, I don't know who has a Meebo account. I know Patsy and Laura have one because I have them listed on my Meebo friends, but that is it. If you have set up a Meebo account and you are a member of the Blue 2.0 project please let me know.
Also, I have set up a Google task bar on my desk top so I can monitor the weather, keep some quick notes and have instant access to news headlines. These are all useful and handy devices that I find quite beneficial. Admittedly, the weather thing is rather geeky, but so what. I have used Google Scholar and Google Earth on several occasions and found them to be intuitive in design and able to provide me with good information.
That is all for now. I will provide you with additional updates as I continue with some of the additional choices for this play week (weeks/session).
Dave
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