Week 7

Richard Miller: This Is How We Dream Parts 1 and 2

These videos were created to show how technology can be used today. He had some very interesting ideas and examples. It was also pretty cool that the information Dr. Miller was presenting was being exemplified through the presentation itself. He was speaking about movies and motion images while these things were on the screen. It gave the viewer a first-hand look at the information. Mr. Miller made an obvious point that most people don't want to hear, myself included. Print is soon to be out of the picture. Books and libraries are no longer a necessity. This upsets me because I love reading books. To me, reading a book is not just about reading the content. The physical book makes it so much better. Maybe I'm one of few who feels this way anymore, but I hope books don't go out of style until way after my lifetime. This also brings another thought to my mind. If books go out of style, and everything is published on the computer, won't that be extra strain on our eyes when we read? I know that if I read a book in poor lighting my eyes start to hurt after a period of time. If I have to read a lengthy article on the computer, my eyes will begin burning. How should I be expected to read an entire book on the computer? These books online are not a thing of the future. They are everywhere in today's world. My concern is that eventually, instead of just printing a copy and putting one on the computer, the printed copy will become extinct.
One thing I found pretty cool on Dr. Miller's video was the motion picture within the body of the text. Call me a dork, but the first thought that came to my mind was the newspaper in Harry Potter. Any picture within the newspaper was moving. There was no such thing as a still image shot. This could make the reading more interesting, and it would break it up a little by placing a video to watch between two paragraphs. Also, more information could be presented, and it provides two different learning styles with an activity. Some people gain more information by reading the material, but some gain more by hearing someone else say it. Both of these learning styles would be exemplified within this document.
I particularly liked the statement Dr. Miller made about ideas belonging to us as a culture, not to us as individuals. We need to unite and share our ideas if we want to progress. I also really liked the emotional profiling that was introduced in this video. It would be cool to find out what the predominant emotions were in each city. This technology could also be used for so much more. I'm not sure that I'm prepared to teach about technology this extensively; however, through this class, I am learning more about what I need to know. One issue with learning this technology is that the classroom I will most likely be teaching in will be lucky to even have a SmartBoard. The finances are just not that readily available at this point in time. Does that mean it's a waste of time trying to become tech-savvy? No, it may not be long before this technology is more available and widespread.

The Networked Student by Wendy Drexler
This video talks about itunes U which lets you subscribe to podcast and other useful stuff. A students can subscribe to the best lectures in the world on itunes U.By building a PLN, a student gets many views of the subject that they are learning. This just goes back to the old saying, "two heads are better than one." You can learn more information from many different resources. You can blog your ideas on the subject and help other students as well.Although learning is becoming more independent, teachers are still needed. Teachers should should stay updated on new types of technology and help the students in acquiring a bigger PLN. Students should have the option of having a teacher there to help them along their learning experience.

Michael Wesch
I liked how Professor Welsh showed how people open up more through technology. I agree. In anything that I have done publicly through technology, whether Facebook or blogging, I am much more open about how I feel or think. I feel less self-conscious. When I write some of the things, though, I also want more attention, which is where the narcissism comes in. We want and expect people to look and pay attention to what we say when we write on Twitter, YouTube, or our blogs. I can see how people believe that the best way to be heard is to be in the media. Technology truly is getting to be a bigger part of our lives.