Blogging?

 

1. Compared to writing traditional essays as you have in other classes, were the expectations of the blog assignment easier, harder or just different? In other words, was it clear to you what the format of a blog was and how to produce one?

 

I think that blogging can actually be fun, in that it is something totally different, and being different it became interesting. As far as the formatting is concerned, I had trouble visualizing what it looked like; at least until an example was shown then I was able to see it. Blogging also seems easier to me than the traditional essays for some reason. Maybe because it is just different, and when we find a different way of doing something we like to explore that option and in the exploration we find curiosity and that keeps us going, and for me reading other peoples blogs I also learned other ways of using words and styles.

 

2. Did the blog assignments, and the requirement to create a blog, relate to the class topics and course objectives? Why or why not?

 

The blog assignments did relate to the class topics as well as the course objectives. The blogs were about what we had done in the pre-class assignments and the in-class discussions. When we talk and read about something the information imprints itself on us, and we include writing about it as well then our understanding of the topic increases. Writing about a topic requires a very thorough understanding. If that understanding is not there then the writing will not be as informative or as enjoyable as it potentially can be. I certainly learned from this class, the topics were things that I haven't really thought of looking for in what I read or hear or see.

 

 

3. Did the non-text elements of the blog program contribute to your learning in this class? Did they get in the way? Or did they have no affect at all?

 

Non-text elements were new for me but I thought they enhanced the blog if used right, meaning they supported the premises and conclusion. My experience is mainly with PowerPoint slides, and that gets old after a while. Animoto and Voice are new presentation devices that could bring new ideas and formats to blogs as well as presentations. These devices also open up the mind to creativity and allow the user to expand their ideas and opinions in different ways. Blogging as well as presentations can be more informative and interesting with Animoto and Voice used in creative ways with the more traditional essays.

 

 

 

 

 

Is a picture REALLY worth a thousand words? Why or why not?

A picture is not worth a thousand words, a picture only shows one moment of many. A picture cannot tell the whole storey of what is happening, or what is happening to whom, or why it is happening. A picture can only show something that has happened but it does not tell the complete storey.

In this day and age pictures are everywhere, cell phones, email, TV, books, and magazines, just to name a few, so we tend to see the subject of the photo and not the whole story. The photo can show anything and we will make assumptions based on that photo, say we see a photo of someone who's just sitting there looking blue, some would say that that person has a hard life, or maybe they will say that the person is depressed, or has a sad life, a dull life, or they are not living life to the fullest. But maybe that person is just sick, or having a bad moment, or just plain tired, http://www.examiner.com/x-40996-Sacramento-Relationship-Psychology-Examiner~y2010m3d30-Although-pictures-are-worth-a-thousand-words-they-never-tell-the-full-story . What we see is not always what we think it is.

Of course there are photos where we see happiness and we know what the story is and there is no assumption, such as a picture that shows happiness or joy, there is no mistaking that, and some photos can be used for educational purpose, http://www.imaginenews.com/Archive/1999/FEB_1999/IMMA_MTH_FEAT01_0299.htm. Some photos actually do justice to the subject in the photo, such as war photos where non-combatants are digging through the rubble looking for food.

There are two sides to every story, and the same can be said about photos, which only shows an instant of a story and from that instant we draw conclusions based on a very small tidbit of data.

 

 

 

 

Animoto “Well Being…”

http://animoto.com/play/t7RBScRmB6mZqCAClIYthA?utm_source=project_complete_email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=project_complete_email&utm_content=main

 

“Lovemarks”

What is wrong with loyalty? When we buy a particular brand or product and have had nothing but good to say about it we tend to stay with it, and if we've gone with that brand for some time we continue to buy it even if it's no longer any good or doesn't last as long as it used too. What it boils down to is habits.

I've been a Chevy truck fan ever since I could drive. My dad got me started on that and I have not stopped yet! I always bought Chevy because I know how to work on them, and buying another make of truck would mean having to learn how to work on it, and that takes a large amount of time, time that could be spent doing other things. Another reason I buy Chevy would be pure habit, http://ergonomics.about.com/od/ergonomicbasics/f/what_is_a_habit.htm . A habit that, for me, is very hard to break. Just like some people vote for democrats simply because they have always voted democrat, and their parents before them voted democrat. It's become a habit that's so ingrained that you don't even notice your doing it. Habits can be good for you, they will keep you going down the right road, keep you healthy, help you attain your goals.

Of course those habits can be bad for you as well; and bad for your wallet too. I once bought a lemon and kept it even though the thing was costing me a fortune just to keep it running, I knew I should have got rid of it but I was stubborn and went through the headache of keeping it going. This kind of behavior goes way beyond loyalty and into the realm of The Really Bad Habit. And we keep returning there as well, http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=why-we-return-to-bad-habits.

As far as my habit of buying only one type of vehicle I can honestly say that I see no wrong in this. To me it can be a sign of loyalty to Chevy and a loyalty to me in that I am content with following my "lovemark" through to the end!

Does technology make us smarter or dumber?

Imagine the world today without technology. We would not have defeated many diseases without the help of technology, which allowed us to learn, to understand, and defeat some diseases while slowing the progress of others. We would not have a better understanding of the planet, or how we, as human beings, evolved.

Even if our technology advanced at a very slow pace and not at the explosive rate of today's world, people would still look for tools to help them answer questions, like how do we defeat cancer? Of course that question hasn't been answered yet, but without the help of technology we would not even know what cancer does to the body. Technology helps with how we search for answers. Donald A. Norman said, "Technology makes us smart in the sense of being able to think". Technology has the ability to let us dig deeper and farther than ever before in finding the answers that we can use to improve our health and knowledge.

On the flip side, technology can impede us in growing, emotionally speaking, with all the texting and emails and instant messaging people are starting to lack in developing communication skills and learning how to deal with their emotions when someone says something that can be hurtful or offensive. We seem to be getting lazy as well, why dig through old libraries when we can Google it? Tom Hodgkinson said "Far from liberating us, technology isolates us and makes us stupid. I want no part of your sterile, bloodless brave new world". Technology can isolate us; consider the gamers, the ones that do not leave their house, or the people who cannot speak what's on their mind for fear of being seen as weak or dumb. I've found that for many people who text rather than speak over the phone have issues concerning speaking their minds.

Technology does have its drawbacks, but the pros outweigh the con's. Building sturdier homes in earthquake areas has been possible because of technology. If we had no technology you would not be reading this on a blog site. Mankind has always strived to build a better way of life through technology, if we question something we will find a way to answer that question and technology is a way of searching for answers.

 

 

It Works?

Maybe…

Ok, we'll try this again...!

My name is Joe and my major is Civil Engineering, as far as my Assoc. goes, this is my last semester because I graduate in may and off to NAU, or U of A, or...I'll figure it out before may anyway so I'm not worried about it!

One more thing, I can't tell if this blog is posting or not. So if someone would be kind enough to comment? Thanks.