March 31, 2011
Response to artifact 8
http://prattet.blogspot.com/2011/03/artifact-8-response.html
April 8, 2011
Response to artifact 9
http://prattet.blogspot.com/2011/04/artifact-9-response.html
April 14, 2011
Response to artifact 10
http://prattet.blogspot.com/2011/04/artifact-10-response.html
Monday, April 18, 2011
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Artifact #10 Response
Link to article: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/10/movies/the-24-hour-movie-and-digital-technology.html?pagewanted=1&_r=2&emc=eta1
In the article, "Out There in the Dark, All Alone," Manohla Dargis describes how the movie-going experience has changed over the past century or so. Back in the 40's, people went to movie theaters and waited in line to get a ticket. You sat with a large group of people and shared the experience with everyone. Movies back in the 40's were more like an event. If you missed seeing it during the short span of time it was being shown in theatres, then you missed it for good. Once movies were out of theaters, they were often discarded, unless it was an exceptionally good film, in which case it may have been put in a museum or been moved to a midnight showing. Not until 1975, with the invention of home videocassette recorders, were movies able to be transferred onto a cassette and made available for the public to view on their home television sets. The average number of people that went to the movies in 1948 was about 90 million, compared with about 23 million people that go to the movies each week in today's era. The increasing technological advances have allowed movies to be viewed in a variety of ways. After movies come out in theaters, they can be bought or rented on DVD and some cable providers allow you to buy them through your television and they become instantly available. Movies can also be viewed through new mediums nowadays. Computers and cell phones have the capability of showing movies. People are more likely to view movies by themselves or with just a few people in the comfort of their own home. The experience may not be shared with people until later and that may be online.
Personally, I love going to the movies. The enormous screen, the dim lights, and the shared viewing experience makes for an exciting time. I feel a sense of belonging when after a funny scene in a movie, everyone laughs in unison, for the most part anyway. The thing that keeps me from going to the movies very often is the price. It normally costs around ten dollars to see a movie and going with my girlfriend means I have to double the cost, not to mention the treats. All the soda, candy, and popcorn costs about ten times the amount it would in a store. It seems like there are four or five interesting movies coming out every month. I simply can't afford going to see them all in theater. Renting movies is a whole lot cheaper. Also, you can buy treats at a store for a much better price and create a fun environment to watch the movie in the comfort of your living room. I have recently become a big fan of red box. Movies only cost a dollar to rent. I have signed up for their emails and I can often enter a promotional code to rent a movie for free. Sometimes I may even wait for a movie to come out on the television. There is not a feeling that if you don't see a movie in theaters then you will never see it. There is a mass circulation of movies that can be viewed through a variety of mediums, decreasing the importance and excitement of each individual movie.
In the article, "Out There in the Dark, All Alone," Manohla Dargis describes how the movie-going experience has changed over the past century or so. Back in the 40's, people went to movie theaters and waited in line to get a ticket. You sat with a large group of people and shared the experience with everyone. Movies back in the 40's were more like an event. If you missed seeing it during the short span of time it was being shown in theatres, then you missed it for good. Once movies were out of theaters, they were often discarded, unless it was an exceptionally good film, in which case it may have been put in a museum or been moved to a midnight showing. Not until 1975, with the invention of home videocassette recorders, were movies able to be transferred onto a cassette and made available for the public to view on their home television sets. The average number of people that went to the movies in 1948 was about 90 million, compared with about 23 million people that go to the movies each week in today's era. The increasing technological advances have allowed movies to be viewed in a variety of ways. After movies come out in theaters, they can be bought or rented on DVD and some cable providers allow you to buy them through your television and they become instantly available. Movies can also be viewed through new mediums nowadays. Computers and cell phones have the capability of showing movies. People are more likely to view movies by themselves or with just a few people in the comfort of their own home. The experience may not be shared with people until later and that may be online.
Personally, I love going to the movies. The enormous screen, the dim lights, and the shared viewing experience makes for an exciting time. I feel a sense of belonging when after a funny scene in a movie, everyone laughs in unison, for the most part anyway. The thing that keeps me from going to the movies very often is the price. It normally costs around ten dollars to see a movie and going with my girlfriend means I have to double the cost, not to mention the treats. All the soda, candy, and popcorn costs about ten times the amount it would in a store. It seems like there are four or five interesting movies coming out every month. I simply can't afford going to see them all in theater. Renting movies is a whole lot cheaper. Also, you can buy treats at a store for a much better price and create a fun environment to watch the movie in the comfort of your living room. I have recently become a big fan of red box. Movies only cost a dollar to rent. I have signed up for their emails and I can often enter a promotional code to rent a movie for free. Sometimes I may even wait for a movie to come out on the television. There is not a feeling that if you don't see a movie in theaters then you will never see it. There is a mass circulation of movies that can be viewed through a variety of mediums, decreasing the importance and excitement of each individual movie.
Friday, April 8, 2011
Artifact #9 Response
In the "Spirit of Sharing," Carol Vogel describes how museum officials are updating their websites to attract attention from viewers. In the past, most museum websites posted little more than the institution's hours, admission prices, and exhibitions. Now their pages include pictures of pictures, behind the scenes videos, and commentary from staff and professionals. One video allowed viewers to watch the construction of a twenty eight foot tepee inside the museum. Not only have museum personnel updated their websites, but they have actively participated in social networking sites such as Facebook, YouTube, Flickr, Four Square, and Twitter. The museum's presence on these sites has drawn much attention from the public and has sparked an interest in a great number of people that would have been virtually impossible without the assistance of technological improvements and the Internet. Vogel notes that it is important not to get too caught up in fads. Right now, almost everyone is on social networking sites. Fads come and go and you can't put too much stock into something that might not be around for the long run. These sites allow people to voice their opinions on various topics concerning the museum. People can have a say in what goes on at the museum and they can get involved with the activities being organized by the museum.
I think it is a great idea for museums to turn towards technology and really use the popularity of the Internet to draw attention towards the museums. I don't think of museums as a very popular place. Kids and teenagers don't talk about hanging out at the museum over the weekend. They could use all the help they can get in drawing people into the museums. Giving people a close and personal look at what goes on inside the museums makes them feel more involved and increases the likelihood that they will initiate discussions with other people on what's going on within the museums. It also may cause people to begin talking with museum staff and help coordinate new activities and spread the word concerning these activities. When museum officials organize an event, getting the word out is half the battle. Posting an event on the Internet can spark a reaction that will end up spreading the word to thousands of people. The Internet is a wonderful place for anybody to broadcast to an extremely large audience. I think a lot of people would admit to being bored when it comes to the art and history of museums, but there is such a wide array of exhibits that I think the museums would be able to appeal to almost anyone. Exposing the exhibits over the Internet might gain popularity among people that would have never gone to a museum. One thing I would worry about when exposing all this information over the web is that it may take away from people actually attending the museum and experiencing the exhibits in person. If people can take online tours and find background information on the Internet, will they still feel the need to go to the museum and see everything in person?
I think it is a great idea for museums to turn towards technology and really use the popularity of the Internet to draw attention towards the museums. I don't think of museums as a very popular place. Kids and teenagers don't talk about hanging out at the museum over the weekend. They could use all the help they can get in drawing people into the museums. Giving people a close and personal look at what goes on inside the museums makes them feel more involved and increases the likelihood that they will initiate discussions with other people on what's going on within the museums. It also may cause people to begin talking with museum staff and help coordinate new activities and spread the word concerning these activities. When museum officials organize an event, getting the word out is half the battle. Posting an event on the Internet can spark a reaction that will end up spreading the word to thousands of people. The Internet is a wonderful place for anybody to broadcast to an extremely large audience. I think a lot of people would admit to being bored when it comes to the art and history of museums, but there is such a wide array of exhibits that I think the museums would be able to appeal to almost anyone. Exposing the exhibits over the Internet might gain popularity among people that would have never gone to a museum. One thing I would worry about when exposing all this information over the web is that it may take away from people actually attending the museum and experiencing the exhibits in person. If people can take online tours and find background information on the Internet, will they still feel the need to go to the museum and see everything in person?
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Artifact #8 Response
There are more than six thousand apps available that deal with health and medicine and a large amount of people are going online to find health information and deal with medical problems. Eighty percent of internet users go online to find health information and fifty seven percent of internet users go online to learn ways to deal with a medical issue. There are many sites that give expert knowledge on various medical conditions and allow people to post their own experiences with certain medical issues. This allows you to find information on certain medical issues and to find out how other people are dealing with them and what they're experiences have been like. Experts also use this feedback to learn how to better treat patients and learn how various people react to different treatments. Most of the apps deal with exercise, fitness, and diet, but there are a few very popular apps that help people deal with psychological problems including stress and anxiety. There are many social networking sites that allow people going through similar health issues to talk to each other and offer support. Many of these sites are for major chronic illnesses such as cancer, diabetes, and asthma. These sites allow people to become part of a small, tight-knit community with people that are going through the same things as them. There are also games about serious medical issues. One study found that kids who played a particular game that involved shooting cancer cells with chemotherapy had better compliance with antibiotics and better outcomes.
I think the use of technology to spread and inform people of medical knowledge is a great idea. Often people will feel a pain and try to bear through it and just hope that it will go away. It can be a nuisance to make a trip up to the doctor's office and have him/her try to find out whats wrong with you. Also, many people don't want to have to pay the doctor fees, especially if they find out that nothing was wrong. I think the social networking sites are a terrific way for people to have some sort of outlet when dealing with a chronic illness. It gives these patients a sense of belonging and they can find support from people who are going through the same struggles. It would be a real confidence boost to hear of people that have dealt with the same problems and overcame them. When it comes to major health issues, I think it is important for people to consult a professional. You can never be sure of what you may be dealing with from reading about other people's experiences on the internet. Everyone is different and reacts to things in various ways. A doctor's findings after running tests would be much more accurate than an idea you found on the internet. You can never be too safe. If a doctor found something wrong with you it could be a sign of something much more substantial and the doctor could begin treatment on you early. If you try to deal with an illness from what you read on the internet, it is very possible to allow an illness to progress and get worse, making it much more difficult to treat and giving yourself a worse chance of overcoming the problem.
I think the use of technology to spread and inform people of medical knowledge is a great idea. Often people will feel a pain and try to bear through it and just hope that it will go away. It can be a nuisance to make a trip up to the doctor's office and have him/her try to find out whats wrong with you. Also, many people don't want to have to pay the doctor fees, especially if they find out that nothing was wrong. I think the social networking sites are a terrific way for people to have some sort of outlet when dealing with a chronic illness. It gives these patients a sense of belonging and they can find support from people who are going through the same struggles. It would be a real confidence boost to hear of people that have dealt with the same problems and overcame them. When it comes to major health issues, I think it is important for people to consult a professional. You can never be sure of what you may be dealing with from reading about other people's experiences on the internet. Everyone is different and reacts to things in various ways. A doctor's findings after running tests would be much more accurate than an idea you found on the internet. You can never be too safe. If a doctor found something wrong with you it could be a sign of something much more substantial and the doctor could begin treatment on you early. If you try to deal with an illness from what you read on the internet, it is very possible to allow an illness to progress and get worse, making it much more difficult to treat and giving yourself a worse chance of overcoming the problem.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
ePortfolio #2
February 24, 2011
Response to artifact 4
http://prattet.blogspot.com/2011/02/artifact-4-response.html
March 4, 2011
Response to artifact 5
http://prattet.blogspot.com/2011/03/artifact-5-response.html
March 11, 2011
Response to artifact 6
http://prattet.blogspot.com/2011/03/artifact-6-response.html
March 9, 2011
Response to artifact 7
http://prattet.blogspot.com/2011/03/technological-arms-race-to-cheating.html
Response to artifact 4
http://prattet.blogspot.com/2011/02/artifact-4-response.html
March 4, 2011
Response to artifact 5
http://prattet.blogspot.com/2011/03/artifact-5-response.html
March 11, 2011
Response to artifact 6
http://prattet.blogspot.com/2011/03/artifact-6-response.html
March 9, 2011
Response to artifact 7
http://prattet.blogspot.com/2011/03/technological-arms-race-to-cheating.html
Friday, March 11, 2011
Artifact #6 Response
4chan is a Web site that allows people to post pictures and comments with complete anonymity. It was created by a teenager named Chris after he saw a Japanese Web site that was set up in a forum that contained an image board. Chris initially set up the Web site to allow his friends to use and communicate with each other. There is no registration set up and there are no traces of what people post. Comments and threads often only last a few days before being taken off the Internet. The Web site took off and currently has over seven million monthly visitors, along with 700,000 posts per day. Because of its anonymity, the Web site has been very controversial. People often post comments with vulgar language and there have been issues regarding child pornography and animal abuse. In one instance, a man was posting videos of him abusing a cat. Followers of the site were able to create a huge support group that was able to gather enough information about this guy and have him tried in court. Other things have been able to generate great popularity and huge followings through this site. There are varying degrees of positive and negative effects that have come from this site. People are able to say whatever they want and express themselves, but at the same time, words can be hurtful and cause damage to others. Although this site is extremely popular, Chris is not making much money from it because of its adult content and harsh language.
I have never even heard of this site before. I can see why it has become such a big hit. The thing that scares most people about using the Internet is that their path can be traced and other people can look up where they've been and the things they've posted online. People don't want to be jeopardizing their own plans by saying something online that could be held against them in the future. This site provides people with an outlet to share their thoughts and feelings without worrying about the consequences. This can be a good or bad thing. It depends on how you look at it. Some people may see it as a freedom from responsibility while others may see it as a place to be themselves and share their true feelings. I guess it really just depends on the actions people take when using the site. I noticed that Chris said the main reason he set this site up was so that his friends could use it. It shows that technology does not always shape our society by its intended use, rather how the public perceives this new technology and goes about using it. Personally, I think it is a great place to share your thoughts and not worry about them being held against you. These days, most people are using social networking sites that require registration and are able to record your information and any comments or posts that you have published. This site creates a breather from other people watching your every step and recording your every thought.
I have never even heard of this site before. I can see why it has become such a big hit. The thing that scares most people about using the Internet is that their path can be traced and other people can look up where they've been and the things they've posted online. People don't want to be jeopardizing their own plans by saying something online that could be held against them in the future. This site provides people with an outlet to share their thoughts and feelings without worrying about the consequences. This can be a good or bad thing. It depends on how you look at it. Some people may see it as a freedom from responsibility while others may see it as a place to be themselves and share their true feelings. I guess it really just depends on the actions people take when using the site. I noticed that Chris said the main reason he set this site up was so that his friends could use it. It shows that technology does not always shape our society by its intended use, rather how the public perceives this new technology and goes about using it. Personally, I think it is a great place to share your thoughts and not worry about them being held against you. These days, most people are using social networking sites that require registration and are able to record your information and any comments or posts that you have published. This site creates a breather from other people watching your every step and recording your every thought.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Technological Arms Race to Cheating
Title of Article: Professors Use Technology to Fight Student Cheating
Link to Artice: http://www.usnews.com/education/articles/2008/10/03/professors-use-technology-to-fight-student-cheating?PageNr=1
Professors are using technology to deal with their students' cheating. One statistic notes that the number of students who admitted to cheating has risen from twenty percent in the mid 1900's to over fifty percent in 2002. That number has come down a little and there are good reasons why. Many professors are using technology to catch a cheater or prevent cheating at all. Some universities have constructed super secure testing centers with cheat-resistant computers. There are several new software companies that have compiled databases full of millions of papers, books, articles, and Web pages. When a student turns in their homework, it can be matched up with this collection of resources and screened for any similarities in writing. The professor can then judge whether or not the student plagiarized. These softwares are not perfect, but they have helped reduce the number of students attempting to cheat at certain universities. Some schools are encouraging students in online classes to install software that locks down computers from everything but the test and allows the teacher to monitor the student's surroundings through a webcam. One teacher creates web sites that contain the same questions as those on the homework, but the answers are wrong. These web sites can easily be found when the questions are put in search engines and the teacher will know if the student is cheating if they have the false answers provided on the web site. Another way professors are reducing the likelihood of cheating is by tightening up security in testing rooms. They do not allow any food, bottles, or electronic devices in the rooms and students are not allowed to wear hats with a brim, jackets, and sweatshirts.
I found this article extremely eye-opening. I had no idea the measures to prevent cheating had come so far, not to mention this article was posted over two years ago. I realized that a lot of students were likely to cheat sometime throughout their academic career. Technology is so advanced that it is almost tempting you to cheat when you are stumped on a question. Also, many classrooms have large numbers of students and little supervision during tests. Cheating is the simple way to earn a good grade without putting in the effort studying. In the article, one student said that it is easy to get around the companies that try to catch plagiarism by changing every third word. A representative of that company then said they are making improvements that will be able to catch things like this. I think this is one of the biggest problems in school today. When asked to write a paper, many students will just cut and paste information from the Internet. I think this new software will force a lot of students to do their own work and develop the skill of writing. Not only do these teachers want to catch the students that are cheating, but they want to help these students understand the right ways to finish their assignments. Some of the tactics that students used to cheat were quite remarkable. I had never heard of using a Bluetooth headset under your hair and chewing bubble gum in order to disguise talking to someone that could feed you the answers. Sometimes I think it would be less work just studying for the test. Overall, it sounds like great strides have been made to restrict cheating and create a level playing field for all.
Link to Artice: http://www.usnews.com/education/articles/2008/10/03/professors-use-technology-to-fight-student-cheating?PageNr=1
Professors are using technology to deal with their students' cheating. One statistic notes that the number of students who admitted to cheating has risen from twenty percent in the mid 1900's to over fifty percent in 2002. That number has come down a little and there are good reasons why. Many professors are using technology to catch a cheater or prevent cheating at all. Some universities have constructed super secure testing centers with cheat-resistant computers. There are several new software companies that have compiled databases full of millions of papers, books, articles, and Web pages. When a student turns in their homework, it can be matched up with this collection of resources and screened for any similarities in writing. The professor can then judge whether or not the student plagiarized. These softwares are not perfect, but they have helped reduce the number of students attempting to cheat at certain universities. Some schools are encouraging students in online classes to install software that locks down computers from everything but the test and allows the teacher to monitor the student's surroundings through a webcam. One teacher creates web sites that contain the same questions as those on the homework, but the answers are wrong. These web sites can easily be found when the questions are put in search engines and the teacher will know if the student is cheating if they have the false answers provided on the web site. Another way professors are reducing the likelihood of cheating is by tightening up security in testing rooms. They do not allow any food, bottles, or electronic devices in the rooms and students are not allowed to wear hats with a brim, jackets, and sweatshirts.
I found this article extremely eye-opening. I had no idea the measures to prevent cheating had come so far, not to mention this article was posted over two years ago. I realized that a lot of students were likely to cheat sometime throughout their academic career. Technology is so advanced that it is almost tempting you to cheat when you are stumped on a question. Also, many classrooms have large numbers of students and little supervision during tests. Cheating is the simple way to earn a good grade without putting in the effort studying. In the article, one student said that it is easy to get around the companies that try to catch plagiarism by changing every third word. A representative of that company then said they are making improvements that will be able to catch things like this. I think this is one of the biggest problems in school today. When asked to write a paper, many students will just cut and paste information from the Internet. I think this new software will force a lot of students to do their own work and develop the skill of writing. Not only do these teachers want to catch the students that are cheating, but they want to help these students understand the right ways to finish their assignments. Some of the tactics that students used to cheat were quite remarkable. I had never heard of using a Bluetooth headset under your hair and chewing bubble gum in order to disguise talking to someone that could feed you the answers. Sometimes I think it would be less work just studying for the test. Overall, it sounds like great strides have been made to restrict cheating and create a level playing field for all.
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