Activity 10: YouTube

I have never posted a video on YouTube and I have never personally added a video to Facebook but I have done a lot of re-posting of video's to my blog and Facebook and that is why the statistics in the College students love their videos article didn't surprise me. I don't usually use sites other than YouTube to search for videos but if I have too I use Google videos. I see uses for YouTube in teaching and learning. Because we are such a visually oriented generation I think integrating that technology into the classroom would be very beneficial.

I chose this video because it makes me smile every time I watch it.

Activity 9: Online Collaboration Tools

One main advantage of using online collaboration tools is not having to rely on something that is unreliable. No matter what computer your on you can always access the document and even if your computer were to crash everything would be saved. I personally have never used Google Docs before but I can definitely see myself using it in the future. In fact I can see myself using it for our group presentation projects and I can see myself using it in my future career as a way of collaborating schedules.

Activity 8: Podcasting.

Oertelt podcast evaluation:

• Is the podcast associated with a publisher, a school, or an individual that you already know is reputable?

Oertelt spoke at the very reputable school St. Cloud State University.

• What does the accompanying Web site or blog say about the host(s)? Who are they? (Remember that just because a podcast is produced by amateurs doesn't mean it has had information.)

The website gives an overview of Henry's story and his reasons behind sharing his story. He is Henry Oertelt and he is a holocaust survivor and these podcasts are the story of his survival of 5 different concentration camps.

• Did the host(s) take the time to set up discussion boards for listeners? While this isn't necessarily a reflection on the show's accuracy, it demonstrates that the host cared enough about the listeners to create a community to encourage interaction. The discussion boards are also a medium through which feedback and corrections can be made.

There are no discussion boards but this doesn't reflect negatively on the podcast for me because of the personal nature of his story.

• Does the podcast have show notes? Show notes are like citations and help strengthen the host's arguments by making sources apparent.

The author does not show notes but that is because it is a personal story and does not contain information that needs to be cited.

• Is there a way to contact the host(s)? When contacted, is there a response?

There doesn't seem to be a way to contact the host.

• How old is the show? Many podcatchers display a date stamp for the show.

The show was recorded in August of 2006 over a four hour period.

• When was the last show released? If it was some time ago, does the host explain why?

This podcast was intended to be only 12 parts explaining the long length of time between the last post and now.

• Is a special player or proprietary software needed to play the show? If a listener needs to download something special, it might not be worth the effort.

The podcast appears to be able to be played on any computer.

• How is the audio quality? Does it sound like the host is in the next chair or on a 10-year-old cell phone halfway down a well in Kazakhstan?

The audio quality is very good.

• How easy is it to acquire? Can the podcast be caught using an aggregator, or do you have to remember to download it from the podcast's Web site each time a new show is released?

It seems that you have to listen to the podcast online only.

Evaluation questions from: Stick It in Your Ear: Keeping Current with Podcasts.

Currently none of my professors use podcasts but it is something I really wish they would take advantage of. I think it would be very useful as a studying tool.

~Sarah

Activity 7: Twitter

I have had a twitter page for a while but I have never really used it. I really like the concept but I find that most of my friends are on Facebook and only a couple of them use twitter.
I thought the Iran post was very interesting. It seems that in that situation Twitter was very useful for the people of Iran. I think it would be very useful for organizing events.
In my future career I'm not sure how I could use twitter because of the HIPAA privacy act, but it seems very fun to use in every day life.

Sarah