Addressing the Digital Divide

As an educational technologist, it is almost an oath to stay aware of technology changes and assist other people received and use the new technology entering the market. In a progressively more and internationally spirited world, education is the key to advancement and people without high school diplomas are not likely to do well.

I see these as two distinct but tightly related professional dynamics. Instructional technology means the hardware, the software, and the systems that either have been created specifically for an educational purpose or have been adapted to an educational purpose. There are clear implication for training. Age group X and Y instructors have to be open to indulgent of their environment and knowledge of the boomers and late boomers, will pick up the wisdom of the boomer experience. Likewise the boomers might have to make further use of the experience and skills of new teachers in the adoption of learning technologies and accept that the application of these learning technologies is not part of another cycle of education and become more involved. Moving beyond the generation gap in the application of learning technologies is not easy. Some educators even admit to professional jealously because their student’s are having a different, perhaps even easier, educational experience (Plüss 2003).

How many times have you purchased a new computer or manuals only to find out it is out of date quite quickly. I learnt early on, with the purchasing and using of hardware and software and the 5 relevant manuals, to treat them all like the new car that immediately loses value as you drive out the yard, is superseded usually within a month or so and just accept the fact that you have to spend the money on service and repairs until you replace it. If you treat technology this way you will become more tolerant and adaptable.

The technology needs to be used in an appropriate manner to maximize the communication of the message. We need “articulate, self assured speakers” (Hewett: 2003) who can strike a balance between being themselves and not going as far as forgetting “high tech gadgets when you are making a presentation” (Robinson: 2003). Reaching everyone that is interested is the instructor goal. Technology does not know or display discrimination against sociable background, gender, cultural, or socioeconomic sensitivity. I think that’s one reason why technology has taken off and so many people are willing to accept the changes.



Reference

Hewett, J. (2003) “ Creativity’s precious, but good English is beyond value”Sydney Morning Herald 31 January

Plüss M (2003) Beyond the Generation Gap” Education Review/Campus retrieved November 17, 2010 from http://plu.wikispaces.com/file/view/leadership_06.pdf

Robinson, O. (2003) “Speak Easy” Sydney Morning Herald July 19 2003.

Red Queens and Increasing Returns

When you decided to obtain a DVD for your science fiction assignment in Module 4, where did you go to find a movie based on a Philip K. Dick book? Did you rent or purchase a DVD, or did you view it digitally on your computer using Netflix or a similar vendor of video on demand?
• In this week’s blog posting we are discussing the DVDs and an example of Red Queens or Increasing Returns. Red Queens, according to Thornburg (2008), are two technologies that are dominating the marketplace in a confronting each other fashion. The struggle to continue ahead of the other benefits the consumer as the competitors constantly improves the product to stay in the game. (The term Red Queen was derived from the notion of Alice in Wonderland with the Red Queen in hand, running simply to stay in place.) I had the movie in my personal library of videos. I seen the movie in the theater and when it was released on DVD I had to purchase it because it really intrigued me because of the scientific innovation of technology that could help us in the further. I am a science fiction buff and really like those types of movies.
Is the current competition between DVDs and video on demand an example of increasing returns or Red Queens? Justify your response with sound reasoning and specific examples.
• Yes I think DVD have a better return than on demand. The on demand I research for this project was satellite broadcast DIRECTV. The satellite provider has targeted the DVD market and the home delivery services that are provided by Blockbuster and Netflick.
Where do you think DVDs and video on demand are on the four criteria of McLuhan’s tetrad?
• McLuhan’s Tetrad
I do believe that currently, DVDs will replace and suppress the satellite movie, yet both have similarities in McLuhan’s Tetrad. Below I have put the DVD into a Social Tetrad and the satellite into a technology tetrad.
SOCIAL TETRAD



References

Arthur, W. B. (1996). Increasing returns and the new world of business. Harvard Business Review, 74(4), 100−109.

Thornburg, D. (2008). Red Queens, butterflies, and strange attractors: Imperfect lenses into emergent technologies. Lake Barrington, IL: Thornburg Center for Space Exploration.

The Disruptive Power of Second Life

This week blog assignment is interesting because, second life can mean several things. As a gamer, I understand this theory. I play the game of World of Warcraft. It uses the technology of 3D graphic interface, charter creation, social network by forming guilds, groups to complete quests.

How is Second Life a disruptive technology?

• Second Life (SL) is a virtual world developed by Linden Lab launched on June 23, 2003, and is accessible on the Internet. A free client program called the Viewer enables its users, called Residents, to interact with each other through avatars. Residents can explore, meet other residents, socialize, participate in individual and group activities, and create and trade virtual property and services with one another, or travel throughout the world (which residents refer to as "the grid"). Second Life, is for people aged 18 and over, while Teen Second Life is for people aged 13 to 17. Built into the software is a three-dimensional modeling tool based around simple geometric shapes that allows a resident to build virtual objects. This can be used in combination with the Linden Scripting Language which can be used to add functionality to objects. More complex three-dimensional sculpted colloquially known as "sculpties", textures for clothing or other objects, and animations and gestures can be created using external software. The Second Life Terms of Service provide that users retain copyright for any content they create, and the server and client provide simple digital rights management functions (Linden Lab 2009).

What technology or innovation did it displace?

• Second life has changed the way computer games are developed; movies have become more interacting and draw the viewer into the story world. This technology has come and will get better as we see technology advance. This technology replace animation, modeling, move set building, and camera operators. This technology has affected both movies and game development. Computer games use this technology to create virtual worlds that the player has control over. The player is presented with a full 360 degree view, other player interaction, and with each other. See MMORPG to better understand the role second life is used in gamming.

How many years do you think Second Life has left before another emerging technology or disruptive technology replaces it?

• IT is the best time for second life, I don’t see it going anywhere for least 10-15 years. Because the results from the technology, everyone like what they see and is demanding more. Developers want to make money and they will get the consumer what they want.

What are the social benefits of Second Life, and what might be the social implications of virtual worlds in your industry?

• The movie Avatar is a perfect example of second life. If you didn’t see the movies it was a group of scientist that were studying another culture. The scientist developed the technology that allowed them to transfer their mind into a avatar that looked and acted like the creatures that they wanted to study, The life form was untouched by all other humans except the scientist. In the movie, the film makes used a combination cinema graphics and modeling, and digital technology. The technology that was used was cutting edge; the visual effects were so real that some viewers complained that they were feeling motion sickness. It was the most grossing movie in the year. As of yesterday the announced that they are going to make two sequels. The filming will start during the summer of next year and planned to be released in 2014. For a few hour people can escape all their troubles and image that they are someplace some were else. As for games, people build friendships, groups and guilds that they meet and communicate to do projects.

Reference

Linden Lab Inc(2009) retrieved October 28, 2010 from http://work.secondlife.com/en-US/

Emerging Technologies Tetrad

For this blog I can think of several pieces of technology that will fit. But, the one that has made the largest impact was the invention of the cell phone. This device has become the most populated and accessible device the the society has become dependent on.
Enhances: What does this technology do that is new?
• The technology behind the cellphone was based on radio technology from the 1940’s. The first official mobile phone was used in Sweden by the Swedish police in 1946. The technology was connected to the telephone network and was distinctive of two way radio technology. The phone was not very practical; it was only able to make 6 phone calls before the car's battery was drained. The technology of modern cell phones started with the creation of hexagonal cells for mobile phones by D.H. Ring from Bell Labs in 1947, later on another engineer from Bell Labs conceived of cell towers that would transmit and receive signals in three directions instead of normal bi directional antennas. However, although some technologies have been developed, electronics and other technologies would take decades to mature and to be developed. For instance, the electronics that were used in the first cell phones were first developed in the 1960's
Obsoletes: What does this technology replace?
• By 1967, mobile phone technology was available; however, the user had to stay within one cell area. Cell areas which were serviced by a base station were unable to hand off cellular phone calls from one base station to another. While you could make a phone, call, you weren't able to continue the call after you reached a set range. In 1970, Amos Edward Joel, who also was an engineer at Bell Labs, developed the call handoff system. This technology facilitated continuity of a phone call from one area to another without dropping the phone call.
Reverses: What might replace this technology in the future, or what might it cause to occur?
• Cellular phones from the early 1990's are considered being second generation (2G) and now we are up to 4G technology. Digital mobile phone networks were in use in the United States in 1990 and in Europe by 1991. 2G mobile phones use digital circuit switched transmissions. With everyone using and wanting a cell phone, the technology will only improve. At this time the cell phone doesn’t have a replacement.



Reference
History of Cellphones (2010) Retrieved October 15,2010 from http://www.tech-faq.com/history-of-cell-phones.html

Ryhmes of History Technology

For this week blog I research several examples of technology that represents a rhyme of history. One is social networking websites and internet communication sites.

Social networking site and application. How you would like to congregate and speak with other internet individuals, particularly those that carve up similar view and values as you do? When it come to finding and communicating with people from your past, social networking sites is the answer. Social networking websites rekindle reunions and neighborhood gatherings from the past. For the best search results, you may want to search with the words social networking or social networking sites. In your search, it is likely that that you come up with a fairly large number of different networking sites. Popular sites that may be included in your search results may include, but will not be limited to, MySpace, Yahoo!, FriendFinder, Classmates and many others. If you are familiar with the internet you will or have come across these programs.

Once you have made the choice to link a particular social networking website, whether or not it is one of the ones mention above, you will be required to register with the site or sites of your choice. Even free networking communities require that you go through the registration process. Once you are registered, you should be able to start communicating with other community members. Before you start communicating, you may need to develop your online profile or profile page, depending on the networking site in question. Although it may seem easy enough to create a profile, there are many internet users who are unsure exactly what they should and should not include. Myspace.com heightened the social networking epidemic in 2003. Myspace differentiated itself by regularly adding features based on used demand and by allowing users to personalize their pages (Boyd & Ellison, 2007).

Second, another appealing part of technology that represents a rhyme of history is internet communication. Internet communication can be obtained with Skype, Vonage, Aptela and Clear which is a local VOIP service. Skype is a software application that allow individual to choose to make video calls or voice call. This application has enjoyed rapid growth and popularity since the launch of its services, is a software that makes it possible for people around the world to communicate via voice, video and IM over the Internet, and at a lower cost than traditional methods. An international company with headquarters in Luxembourg, Skype's communications systems improve efficiency, increase collaboration, enhance customer service, and drive competitiveness for businesses and contact centers of all sizes.

Vonage is another company that uses VOIP technology. On advantage with Vonage is that it target telephone communication using the internet. Vonage's phone features are more numerous, and the company offers useful services, such as transferring your existing phone number to your Vonage account. With its easy setup, non-techies ditching their traditional phone can quickly get up and running, and Vonage's easily activated and inexpensive fax capabilities will appeal to businesses. Vonage offers clear call after clear call, making it a suitable replacement for your primary phone line. Sign up for Vonage, and you'll receive a setup package that includes a Linksys RT31P2 router/telephone adapter, an installation-and-troubleshooting guide, a user guide, and a card showing how to configure your voicemail (Randall 2006).

References:

Answers.com. (2010). Skype. Retrieved on September 28, 2010 from http://www.answers.com/topic/skype

Boyd, D. M. & Ellison, N. B. (2007). Social network sites: Definition, history, and scholarship. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 13(1), article 11. Retrieved September 28,, 2010 from: http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol13/issue1/boyd.ellison.html

TopTenReviews. (2010). Social networking website reviews. Retrieved on September 29, 2010 from: http://social-networking-websites-review.toptenreviews.com/).

Randall N. (2006) Vonage retrieved September 29, 2010 from http://reviews.cnet.com/voip/vonage/4505-9238_7-30974765.html?tag=rvwBody#reviewPage1

Module 1 first blog

For this weeks blog assignment, the technology that I found to be the most transformational is the cell phone. Below is a link showing the different types of cell phones available that can open our communication abilities. http://www.cellulardeals.com/free_cellular_phones/?gclid=CIeizpKSjaQCFQsEbAodw3SnIA

With the rise of mobile devices like cell phones and Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) over the last several years, as the demand for specialized mobile solutions grows. Newly defined protocols like WAP or i-Mode can be used to adapt Internet appearances to mobile devices. However, it is often an elaborate work to achieve these adoptions as almost data stream pages have to be rewritten. It is assumed that a general HTML page already exists. Based on this page, an approach of generating personalized mobile device compatible pages is shown. This approach is illustrated using the software eSarine. eSarine is an e-shop software that can be used to set up an electronic shop (Stormer 2005).

The impact of technology on the health and well-being of individuals has been a topic of interest since computers and computerized technology were widely introduced in the 1980s. Of recent concern is the impact of rapid technological advances on individuals’ psychological well-being, especially due to advancements in mobile technology that have increased many workers’ accessibility and expected productivity, especially behavioral and psychological reactions. We discuss some key facilitators and barriers associated with users’ acceptance of and engagement with information and communication technology. We conclude with recommendations for ongoing research on managing occupational health and well-being in conjunction with technological advancements.

In the near future, you might not even have to visit a bank or an ATM to deposit a check. You'll simply snap a couple of photos of it with your cell phone. Applications to do just that are already available for Apple's iPhone and other gadgets from USAA, a company that provides insurance and banking mainly for military veterans" (Winslow 2010).

Most people do not realize how fast mobile cell phone technology is moving today, it seems to be exponentially increasing. As we study all the new applications and features along with all the new devices, we see that there is no stopping these advances. The question is; are you in or out? Will you embrace these new technologies and applications or fear them. Are you sure you trust these innovations? What about privacy, hacking, what about the future? Cell phones and the desire to communicate is like a drug that can’t be cured.

References

Henrik Stormer, (2005) "Personalized websites for mobile devices using dynamic cascading style sheets", International Journal of Web Information Systems, Vol. 1 Iss: 2, pp.83 – 88

Winslow, Lance (2010) Cell Phone Technology - Unleashing the Future of the Smart Phone retrieved September 16, 2010 from http://ezinearticles.com/?Cell-Phone-Technology---Unleashing-the-Future-of-the-Smart-Phone&id=3842525