Instant Messaging

Instant messaging (IM) has completely transformed how individuals and colleagues communicate. I personally have only used Google in the civilian world to conduct IM. While in the Military I used a form of IM to communicate with colleagues who were in different countries on operational matters. Without IM the ability to communicate long distances requires picking up a phone and would require a constant need for conference calls. For me, personally, I communicate better when using IM simply because I have that extra second to fully formulate my thoughts. IM is truly a beneficial tool that will surely be used later in the future.  

Skype

To tell the truth, I absolutely hate Skype. I have never used the program without having the call drop. I attempted to use it while overseas in Korea, Iraq and in Afghanistan and it never worked well for me. My preferred method of VOIP is Google. Google has worked consistently for me, is free, and also allows for voice chat. I was even able to use my smart phone connected to Wi-Fi with Google to receive phone calls while in Afghanistan. Skype has become very well known, but is not the best product out there for VOIP, actually…it may be the worst!

LinkedIn Review

LinkedIn is a very useful site. I have had a profile there for just over two years now and have made several connections to businesses and colleagues. A LinkedIn profile is essentially a living resume that can be constantly updated to reflect where an individual is at in their careers.

The best way to use LinkedIn to its fullest is to ensure that you connect with colleagues that will highlight your strengths for you. Endorsements for your skills from colleagues can emphasize what you can bring to an organization. 

Social Networking Comparison

	Facebook	MySpace	Google+
Reach
Ease of Use
Instant Messaging
Video Chat
Privacy
Ability to Customize

I chose these three sites because I am already familiar with them and their functionality. 

For reach I have identified Facebook as the strongest due to its overwhelming number of users. While MySpace previously had a large number of members, its decline in popularity has limited its reach. Google+ does not have the reach of Facebook, but it does have the advantage of being new.

For Ease of Use, Facebook won out simply because of its popularity and familiar operating system. Google+ is able to keep up only because of the fact that it is a completely simple interface. Myspace was given a red color because of the need to do several things to your space to make it function aesthetically.

On the Instant Messaging side of things, Google+ wins out due to the instant messaging revolving around email rather than relationships through the social networking side of Google+. Facebook wins over Myspace due to its ability to more fluidly adapt to mobile devices.

On the Video Chat side, Facebook is the clear loser. Both Myspace and Google+ have face to face technology.

The main issue for privacy is not due to the settings of the sites, but rather their popularity. Facebook has become so popular that they have become a large target. That coupled with the fact that they are constantly updating their service and security settings, they become a prime target for a privacy violation.

On the ability to customize front, Myspace wins because of their full profile modifications. Facebook allows for limited changes to be made to a profile, while on Google+ the settings are almost all universal. 

Podcast: Tech Weekly

Tech Weekly is a podcast that does exactly what the name implies, it discusses technology weekly! The podcast also addresses new issues that arise as technology advances, such as the right to privacy and a Facebook page. I found it interesting because I believe that staying informed of new technological advances is important. The last post for this feed was 28 Sep 2010.

Here is the URL for the podcast:

http://www.podcastalley.com/podcast_details.php?pod_id=90018

Podcast: CounterSpin

CounterSpin is a news podcast that reviews weekly stories in an attempt to find out the truth behind stories that are popular in the mainstream media. From listening to the podcast briefly, I gather that the podcast is mostly left leaning. However, it does attempt to be more unbiased than other sources of information. I found it interesting because I attempt to stay informed and draw my conclusions by looking at multiple news sources. The last post for this feed was 01 Oct 2010

Here is the URL for the podcast:

http://www.podcastalley.com/podcast_details.php?pod_id=7413

Podcast: Dan Carlin's Hardcore History

Dan Carlin's Hardcore History is a podcast going over several events in history and discussing facts that are little known or usually misrepresented.  I found the podcast interesting because Dan Carlin reminds me of my history teacher in High School. He always stressed that history was written by the winners and that many quotes were attributed to romanticize events in history. I think him and Dan Carlin would have some pretty interesting conversations. The most recent podcast for this one was 30 Aug 2010.

Here is the URL for the podcast:

http://www.podcastalley.com/podcast_details.php?pod_id=37704

The Wiki on Wikis...

Creating the Wiki was easy. I honestly never thought I would be building a wiki.

I made the wiki protected, so everyone should be able to view it. I also allowed for discussions from non-members so anyone can comment on it as well.  Although, I have to say, it is not by any means a perfect wiki.

Link to the Wiki: WebWiki2-0.wikispaces.com

Shift Happens Wiki Discussion Three: A New Economy?

This discussion is the second most commented one in the wiki and revolves around the economical ideas set forth in the “Did You Know 2.0?" video. The discussion revolves around the idea of technology changing the global monetary system and possibly even the governance of the world. Most of this discussion is not relevant for teaching students to function at a higher level in technology, but rather gives the idea that the world as a whole is changing.

While I found some of the thoughts in this discussion interesting, most of it did seem to be paranoid rants of a few individuals who think everything should be socialized. I do believe that the economy and how governments operate is changing, but I don’t believe ideas like “failure of the Capitalist system and environmental destruction caused by it, that threatens the future of life on this planet.” Hopefully, this wiki has a moderator that will spend some serious time ensuring that it doesn't become filled with extremist political ideas.

Link to this discussion: http://shifthappens.wikispaces.com/share/view/6415081

Shift Happens Wiki Discussion Two: k12 Online Schools

This discussion is the most recent one on the wiki and revolves around online classes for K-12 students. The idea is that students can do most or all of their work online and learn at their own pace. The issue of social skills being affected negatively is also mentioned. Also, the idea that bullying and inappropriate teacher/student relations could be fixed is also mentioned.

I found this discussion interesting. My niece is actually graduating from high school at the age of 16 because she opted to take online classes for most of her life. Socially, she is not awkward at all. She is going to be taking college courses online next year and will have her degree before she is old enough to drink! To me, online classes could solve a lot of problems and really advance education in America.

Link to this discussion: http://shifthappens.wikispaces.com/share/view/63302352

Shift Happens Wiki Discussion One: Preparation of students for the future?

This discussion is the most commented one in the Wiki and has to do with finding ways to increase technology in the classroom. The original poster mentions her classroom using Moodle, which is a free, open source platform for generating online classes. The responses contain various ways to improve teaching from or about the internet and suggestions about how to change how students are taught. One of the points that really drove it home for me concerned teaching foreign languages to students at the Jr. High (middle school) level or lower.

The discussion is very good and provides some insight that relates directly to what the "Did You Know 2.0?" video is attempting to accomplish.


Link to this discussion: http://shifthappens.wikispaces.com/share/view/1658333