Monthly Archives: September 2016

I liked Wikiversity because it is so similar to Wikipedia and students everywhere already understand the set up and usage of “Wiki.”

https://en.wikiversity.org/wiki/Wikiversity:Main_Page

Wikiversity is a site much like Wikipedia where it is open source and anyone can edit it and look at it at anytime. Unlike Wikipedia which is just information, Wikiversity offers resources and research similar to a text book.

As you said in class, now that I understand what is going on more, Wikiversity could easily replace a text book for a certain topic in a classroom. The upside to this is that Wikiversity is free and as many students and teachers know, text books are not free… or cheap.

Fact checking, I think, would be the biggest challenge for this open source only because people are able to edit it or add to it at any point. It would probably be smart to take the extra step and fact check with a second source to make sure all information is correct.

The first time I took an online learning class was the Spring semester of my freshman year when I was in Orlando, Florida doing the Disney College Program. I am now a junior and since then I have taken a total of three online learning classes.

I definitely do not prefer them when compared to a traditional in class setting, but there are many perks that make these classes worth taking. Being able to take these classes from anywhere in the world and on your own time schedule is extremely helpful when you have other things going on such as internships, jobs, or a family to take care of.

One of the things mentioned in the article that I tend to agree with is the difficulty there is with getting all your work done and turned in on time. I do not agree, though, that it is a motivational issue, but more of a time management issue. When you are not reporting to a teacher and being reminded when assignments are due, it is easy to get caught up with other things and forget. I had this problem multiple times, and it is a skill you must adapt to.

There are many advantages that go along with online learning though. As I mentioned early, it can be done anywhere at anytime, as long as you remember to do it. I also think you learn time management and organizational skills through the process of taking the course. When you are grown up and have a job, your boss will not be there every day to remind you of the meetings you have scheduled or the tasks you must complete, so you are on your own to write down reminders and check emails to make sure you are on top of things at all times.

On another note, I thought the idea of these MOOC courses being fueled by “life long learners” was very interesting. For NewsWatch Ole Miss, I just recently covered a story talking about a course offered by the University called, “Iphone, Ipad, Iwhat?”

This course was for those “life long learners” who are interested in improving their skills at every point in their life as the world and technology continues to change. Although not an online course, I think courses like this that are sparking interest in older crowds are very important in maintaing a balance between all generations in and out of the work place.

I have never enrolled in a MOOC, I don’t think, but I see the positives in them and would not turn down the idea to take one if given the opportunity.

Due to the fact that my message is one portrayed over social media, you can find a lot of information supporting my claim by simply scrolling through sites like Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook. As social media has just recently began taking over the world and companies are slowly but surely joining the trend to “creep” on possible employees, the amount of academic information I am able to find does have a limit.

Luckily, I believe I am able to find enough information to support the idea that social media can make or break your way into a company depending on how you portray yourself outside of the office. One site that I found to be particularly helpful with statistics and graphics was Pinterest. There was an endless amount of pictures and graphics that helped e to better understand the importance of my topic.

Another article I read that really set the stage for this idea was an article called, “How Social Media Can Help (Or Hurt) You In Your Job Search,” on Forbes website. This article talked about surveys that had been conducted with hiring managers about potential candidates, how job seekers look for jobs through social media, and some of the most important things to do and not do on your social media accounts.

The third most helpful article I read was something I found on the Career Builder website about how much social media can help and how much it cant. This article also gave me great statics that show you the importance of this topic better than simple words could.

I plan to continue my research and try to find an academic article of some sort, but when I have information about job hunting coming from Career Builder and Forbes themselves, how much more evidence is there really?

Rarely do we hand write anything anymore. Maybe a card here and there, or a small note to leave for someone to find, but the mass of our writing is done through technology which has a tendency to change the way we have to present it.

I was not able to participate in the activity, but I can imagine how difficult it may be to put what you want to say on a slab of Play-Dough where you have limited space to work with. When writing on a computer through an email or an essay though, the amount of space you have is almost indefinite. These two extremes definitely have a way of changing your writing process and style.

When writing an essay, I always go to my computer where I have a full keyboard and can really focus on the screen and what I am writing. But on the other hand, I have no issues writing up an email on my phone because it is typically less formal than an essay would be.

Technology also greatly effects how we read or receive certain things because there is no emotion attached to the message. For example, we talked in class how a simple text message saying “K” can mean so many different things depending on the capitalization, punctuation, and context within the conversation. Technology has the ability to put a spin on almost everything you say if you don’t say it exactly right.

One App that can almost certainly be found on any smart phone, is a music App of some kind. iTunes, Pandora, and Spotify are just a few I can name off the top of my head. The songs and instrumentals you can find on these music Apps did not start here, and I am sure they certainly wont end here.

In the early 1800s, the Phonautogram was created, leading the path for music development. Over the next 156, we have seen over 50 changes made to create what we have today, digital music. From the music roll to the vinyl record and the 8-track to the cassette tape, we have made great strides within all of these inventions. But with these strides come a stronger and stronger sense of insensitivity to the artists creating this music, especially with the most recent updates.

When consumers first tarted purchasing music in stores, they had to buy the entire set of songs from a particular artist and therefore listen to everything on that record, weather is be vinyl or a cassette tape. Consumers made a stronger connection with musicians because they couldn’t choose which songs they wanted to hear, they heard every song and every emotion or story that went into it.

Today, consumers pick the songs they want and have nothing to do with the rest of the artist’s work. It leads me to think, why do artists take the time to put out entire albums when most consumers only buy a few songs? This change in technology, though, has I think taken away an aspect of connection the listener has with the artist.

Yeah, we probably save money by not buying the songs we see “unnecessary,” and it’s a more convenient way to make playlists and listen on the go, but song writers and singers don’t do what they love to do in order to make every one else’s life simpler. These artists put their heart and souls into these albums in hopes of connecting with a bigger audience about a commonality they both have. So other than convenience, is anyone really gaining anything?