One Laptop Per Child update

I came across an interesting article with regards to the status of the One Laptop Per Child initiative. The computers are now being manufactured in mass. It is interesting to note all of the big name tech companies backing the project. T-Mobile is outfitting nearly 8500 wireless hotspots in the US that will provide free service to customers who take part in the "give one get one" campaign. EA Games is offering to outfit the laptops with a copy of their popular game Sim City. Other corporations involved either technically or financially include Google, Intel, eBay, Advance Micro Devices, and News Corporation - a pretty extensive list.
The computers are scheduled to be distributed to eight third world countries by the end of the year. It will be interesting to see how this project pans out after it is put into place.

Googles Advertising blogs

I'm not sure if anybody has been interested (or bored) enough to go so far as to click the "Next Blog" button at the top left corner of the blog screen, but i just finished writing a blog so I figured what the hell, why not.
I don't know if I should say i was surprised or not, but all I found were adverrtisements almost every time i hit the button. In fact, 4 out of the 6 times i hit the link I was forwarded to a different version of the same "Blog"


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sounds like a real interesting blog to me... if you skip down past the advertisements to the actual "blog" section you find this:

Thursday, November 8, 2007
Your 4 p.m. News Headlines

==============================
Top Story
==============================
LIVE VIDEO: O.J. Simpson Back In Court \(NOW\)
MORE DETAILS:

Fairfax Co. Sheriff's Deputy Faces Child Porn Charges
A Fairfax County sheriff's deputy is facing child pornography charges.

MORE DETAILS:

O.J. In Court In Las Vegas
O.J. Simpson is back in court, accused of armed robbery and
kidnapping for a September incident in a Las Vegas hotel room.

Now I'm not sure if this is google milking their own technology for advertising revenue, or a third party using google advertisements on fake blogs, but either way it's a pain in the ass!

Website Launched!

I have tentatively launched my website - www.gregorygerber.com. I intend to adjust and improve some aspects of it, and I will be constantly adding to it, but it is now online!

Learning Spaces

I found our 'field trip' the other day to be rather interesting. Even though we were only able to visit a small selection of learning spaces on campus, we were able to actively view how multimedia is used to teach students in numerous different faculties (humanities, commerce, health sciences, science, and even faculty education). One concept that particularly interested me arose in our discussion outside Kenneth Taylor Hall. Dr. Rockwell told us about how discussions are taking place with regard to changing the physical layout of the multimedia lab to make it a more group oriented workplace.
The idea is to have computers integrated into the desks (below eye level) and have the workstations arranged in groups, so students are directly interacting with each other. This made me think about m experience at work this summer. I worked as an intern at an IT company which utilized a similar concept in the layout of workspaces. The organization was nothing like a typical Office Space office. There was a completely open concept. Only the executives had offices, which even had glass walls. The managers had cubicles, but the fourth wall only ever closed during meetings, and even when it was closed it was made out of fogged glass, so you could still see what was going on inside. The rest of the employees were situated at desks with a completely open concept. The wall dividing them from their neighbour only rose about 2 feet from the desks, and very few employees had more than two walls.
The idea behind this concept is clear. A large portion of the office was a sales floor, and another large chunk was the marketing department. It was designed like this not only to save space, but more importantly to increase employee interaction. It is much easier to ask questions or to ask for help if all you have to do is stand up.
To build on this idea, it was my estimation that the use of instant messaging would be looked down upon (or even banned) in a professional workplace. This was not the case, in fact it was entirely the contrary. Just about every employee had and was using MSN throughout the day (including the executives). Once again, the idea behind this was it is much easier to ask a question while remaining at your desk or on the phone with a customer than getting up and trying to hunt someone down. Now obviously for this to be successful, a lot of trust is put in the employees, but from my experience it was a very successful use of new media in the workplace.

Digital age pen pals

I came across an article online outlining an initiative where high school language students in Washington have undergone a program having them participate in video conferences with students in Senegal. Students were responsible for carrying out the initiative, and for doing background research into each other's cultural and social history.
Reading about thus initiative reminded me of the pen pal project that I am sure many students encountered at some point throughout their academic career. The difference here is that new age technology has allowed these students to interact directly with each other, and have face to face conversations. Personally, I remember very little about y pen pal project other than the fact that I had one. I am sure the students that participated in this event will not soon forget their experience.
This is yet another example of how bringing new media into the classroom enhances education. First off, I am sure that the students were for the most part thrilled to be given this opportunity. The article states how students prepared questions to ask their foreign counterparts, and were able to engage in 'thoughtful inquiry' in real time, providing each other with questions, and answering them instantly.
Exercises such as this demonstrate the capabilities and effects of bringing new media into the classroom.

Googling a campaign

I came across an interesting article on Newsweek.com that outlines how candidates in the upcoming US presidential election are exploiting mainstream technology to gain support.
Particularly, John McCain has been shelling a lot of money into internet marketing, using techniques that are relatively new to political campaigning. For example, if google John McCain you will get a 'sponsored link' sending you to a site that solicits campaign contributions for the senator. The tricky thing about this, though, is that if you type in Giuliani (one of McCain's opponents) into Google you are presented with a link to the same site..... McCain's campaign site.
Each candidate has already discovered the powers of youtube and viral video, but this is a relatively new concept with regards to campaigning. McCain is quoted in the article as stating that for every dollar he drops into internet campaigning her gets four back.
Another valid point that this article brings up is the fact that television and print advertising is often ignored. Advertising on Google allows candidates to target people searching for political information, and can allow them to subliminally insert there articles and advertising in a strategic format.
This reminded me of our discussion on businesses controlling Wiki's and blogs in attempt to shape the image of their organization. It is a new for of advertising and it is just another example on how the powers of the web and new media have a direct effect on day to day life.

Ipod's as pedagogical tools

We have been discussing the concept of using technology to enhance learning. I came across a news clip online that outlines how an English as a Second Language teacher at an American middle school utilizes iPod's as a teaching tool.



We discussed the other day in class what it is that makes technology-based learning more enticing for students. This question was answered straight up by an elementary level student in the video when she was asked if she would like learning strictly from books. She promptly replied, "No... Because it's boring." The youth of today are constantly surrounded by technology and I feel that in order to promote learning, teachers must use material that is new, hip, and cool in the student's perspective. Just how I loved playing Oregon Trail, Kid Pix, and later Civilization, these kids enjoy the idea of being able to use technology that in a sense disguises the fact that they are actually learning. A district representative further confirms this notion when she states that "it makes sense to utilize today's technologies and apply them in an instructional way."

The video clip concentrates on the utilization of iPod's to help bilingual students to learn English, but it also touches on the fact that it can serve many other purposes. iPod's put a whole new spin on the 'book on cassette.' Today in one of my lectures I notices a student in front of me using his iPod to record the lecture, and I had never even considered this possibility.

Although purchasing iPod's at each elementary level seems a little over the top, this is just another example of how how a cool, modern form of technology can help within the classroom.

Video Games as a Form of Recruitment

I came across an article on Yahoo news today outlining a new pilot project where a British spy agencies is attempting to recruit spies from video games. This is being done in a subliminal fashion, using billboards and signs within gameplay instead of explicit advertisements. Games like "Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Double Agent" are being used to conduct the advertising in an attempt to attract "computer-savvy, technologically-able, quick-thinking" recruits. The advertisements will not be written into the games, instead they will be fed into the gameplay externally targeting users playing online through their PC or X-Box 360.

I found this article rather interesting as it shows how top government agencies are targeting gamers in their recruiting process. I also find it interesting that they are advertising within the gameplay. This is something that would not have been possible just a few years ago, but the lifelike graphics of modern video games make it possible for even advertising and signage in the background of the game to be detailed enough to advertise.

The article states how the campaign will be monitored over the next month and adjusted accordingly. In my opinion, if the campaign is a success it will open the door to a whole new world of marketing. I have noticed through the years that video games have a certain degree of product placement within them. For example, the RBK logo being clearly visible throughout gameplay and especially in replays in EA Sports'NHL 08. This can be taken to a whole new level though, and targetted marketing such as the article describes may be finding a new niche within video games.

Wiki Pranking/Colbert for President?

I know we have wrapped up our discussions on Wiki's but I came across an article today that really caught my attention. A little over a year ago, political satirist Stephen Colbert ran a segment on his show called 'Wikiality,' which was intended to point out the unreliability of information gathered from Wiki's. During this segment, Colbert jokingly suggested to his viewers that they edit the Wikipedia entry for 'Elephant' to state that the Elephant population has swollen in the past few years, and stating that this will be an "inconvenient tusk" for environmentalists such as Al Gore.

Although this was intended as a joke, Colbert has a very large and loyal following, and within minutes, the Wikipedia entry for elephants was locked, and the discussion page became flooded with entries discussing Colbert's 'prank.'

Although Colbert's prank was intended to point out the unreliability of Wikipedia, I think it did much more than this. First off, it served as direct advertising and publicity for the wiki. Secondly, I believe that it pointed out the reliability of Wikipedia. The fact that such a large-scale stunt had little or no impact on the content of the wiki page shows the reliability of a lot of Wikipedia content.

Now it is clear that the fact that Wikipedia was able to control this was the unusual high traffic editing the page, or the fact that somebody aware of the stunt must have locked the page, but it shows how high traffic pages are able to resist this vandalism. I pointed out in class a few weeks ago that this is not the case with many lower-traffic pages, as they are moderated much less, and errors are not noticed as frequently. This is a downfall of Wikipedia, but the relative reliability of the high-traffic pages show the benefits of such a useful online tool.

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This is a little less applicable to our course, but i also read that Colbert announced last night that he intends on running for office in the upcoming united States Presidential Election. This is the latest in a string of pranks by Colbert, including the Wiki prank, betting the city of Oshawa, Ontario over a Junior league hockey game, and instructing his 'Colbert Nation' to vote for him on a Hungarian website running a contest that would name a bridge after the winner.

Although this seems like a harmless publicity stunt, I believe that this proves Colbert's political point. Based on his previous stunts, and his rather large following, I am willing to bet that Colbert will receive at least some support from the public. By no means do I feel that he expects to be successful, but I believe that Colbert simply wants to show the public how little voters know (or care) about the electoral process. In order to accomplish this, he does not need a huge number of votes, just the fact that he probably will get votes will prove his point.

Anyways, I know this doesn't exactly apply to our course material, but I felt that it was a great example that illustrates the power of the media over the general public

Problem Based Learning

I wanted to discuss problem based learning, a concept that we have been covering in class over the past couple weeks. I feel that problem based learning is a very useful tool, which can enhance learning and be a very effective teaching method. With that being said, I feel that problem based learning must be used in conjuncture with other, more traditional forms of pedagogy, in order to be completely successful.
Take for example, the situation that Dr. Rockwell continued to use in class - medical students. Yes, problem based learning is an effective way of teaching students problem solving skills, and allow them to learn using potential real life situations, but without a general knowledge of the parts of the body, medical conditions, and remedies, the students will not have the sufficient background knowledge to solve these problems.
With that said, if students have the background knowledge, problem based learning is a very effective way to solve problems. The example used in tutorial - trying to increase the use of technology by McMaster professors, allowed me to see the effectiveness of problem based learning. This is an example of a situation where problem based learning is the most effective way to solve the problem, but I still maintain that in many courses, there is a certain degree of background knowledge that students must acquire in order for problem based learning to be an effective pedagogical tool.

Drill Software

The concept of Drill software is rather interesting in my opinion. It is clear that in the past decade drill software has become more widespread, and has found more uses in different niche's. That being said, in my opinion, drill software is one technology that does not seem to be changing. There have been little changes, but the interface and capabilities of the software has remained pretty much the same. With all the evolution surrounding different technology, it seems that drill software has not followed the trend.

I'm not saying that this is a bad thing, the software is an effective pedagogical tool, and it is easy to apply in many different forms. I recently took a "Smart Serve" course online that was based around drill software. The course was set up in sections that contained readings and then online quizzes which included multiple choice, true/false, fill in the blanks, and other formats, and it provided feedback which helped me gauge my readiness for the final test. This is just one example of a new use for drill software.

I can't think of any significant ways to advance drill software effectively, but it is clear that it's application can have many different forms. The widening of networks everywhere will, in my opinion, only find new uses for drill software.

Learning/Course Management Systems

Since I began studies at McMaster in 2004, I have experienced multiple forms of Course management systems, all with positive and negative attributes. I have used WebCT - which seems to be the standard for non-multimedia courses, LearnLink, and last year we began using Moodle in multimedia courses.

Of the three systems mentioned above, I found LearnLink to be the least effective and most problematic. My first year labour studies professor decided to use it as our CMS, and I think that a combination of students who were unfamiliar with the technology, and a generally confusing and difficult layout led to numerous problems throughout the course. Students had trouble accessing LearnLink as it was a client that they had to download and access individually on their own computers. There were also numerous difficulties with submitting assignments, and accessing files provided by the professor.

WebCT has been a relatively successful has been a relatively successful system, and I think that it is more than enough for many classes. In my experience with WebCT, it is used primarily as a means for the distribution of course materials and grades, but often this is the extent of its use in the course.

After our lab on Tuesday, when we were given the ability to explore Moodle's capabilities from an administrator's perspective, I feel that Moodle is a far superior CMS, with many more capabilities that allow a more technology-based learning environment, and much easier course organization. I can see technologies such as Moodle becoming the industry standard. They allow course administrators to easily organize their notes and course documents, track student participation and grades, and there are many different ways that students can use the technology to increase engagement with th course materials. Whether it be through discussion, quizzes, forums, chats, or any of the other nuerous functions, it seems that Moodle has taken steps to become more than just a system to manage course documents. Moodle allows administrators to manage many more aspects of a course than any service that i have come across before.

The Elearningpost article opened my eyes to more capabilities of these technologies that i had not considered. These Learning Management Systems can be used in the workplace as well. Whether it be used for training new employees, submitting work, participating in a forum to answer questions or problems, there is a lot of room in the workplace for technologies such as Moodle.

This summer I was an intern at an IT reseller. I noticed the use of technology to increase efficiency throughout our workplace. For example, almost everybody had MSN messenger open throughout the day. At most companies this would be seen as a distraction and something that would reduce efficiency, but it was promoted by the managers as an efficient method of communication. For example, if a salesperson had a question about a product that they could not answer, they could message the vendor manager or somebody else that might know the answer, and they would be able to get a response while they were still on the phone with the customer.

This is one example of how modern generation technology has the ability to increase efficiency in the workplace, and I believe that these Learning Management Systems can help maintain and increase efficiency in the workplace.