Jasmine wakes up in the morning to a song that has been in the the charts now for the past few weeks. It is been played through her mobile which has an alarm clock on it. She has now become to hate this song as it riminds her of having to get up in the morning for a day of hard work!
She slides out of bed and pulls on her clothes whilst turning on her laptop so she can sign into the seminar at 10 o'clock along with everbody else. As her alarm clock wokre her up early she has time to check her email and reply to them and also check out each one of the social networking sites that she has an acount with. She looks through facebook and accepts many freind requests and replies to many invitations to birthday events that she has been invited to. She types a quick message out on her friends wall tehn logs off.
Its now 10'oclock and she signs into her online virtual seminar as lectures and seminars are carried out online. She switches on her webcam so along with everybody else she can listen to the tutor speak. Jasmine also has the chance at any point to raise any questions and spark any debates she wishes to just by the click of a button. Who ever is speaking at any particular time their face will appear on the webcam for everybody to see and hear.
Later on that day Jasmine needs to hand some work in so she she just posts it onto the blog so her tutor can look at it and mark it. She also looks at others peoples and comments on theirs aswell. Causing converstions betwen one another sometimes a group of people just like what would happen if you were talking to one another face to face.
After her work is done she stays online and signs into MSN messenger where she talks to her friends who are on the other side of the world whilst listening to her itunes. She also browses the net and does a bit of online shopping as she has no food left. She also goes on her favourite clothes shop websites like top shop and orders a new out fit to go out in next week which will be sent next day delivery.
Before finishing for the day Jasmine then downloads this weeks lectures off the uni podcast and listens to it through her ipod. When this has ended her work has been done for the day and she plays a bit of online poker with many other people and logs on to itv.com to catch up with the latest soaps that she has missed.
Tuesday, 15 April 2008
Blog d) Describe the daily frustrations of a fictional neo-luddite at university now in the UK
Jake wakes up in the morning to the voice of his father shaking him. Not the usual thing that that many of us today would wake up to which is more like the latest ring tone blaring from our mobile phone. Time to get up you will be late. Nervously jake scrambled out of bed as he new he was about to face a new day at a new college. Whilst he washed and dressed himself he could hear vaguely the sound of the radio from next door through the thin walls.
Jake was late into college as he couldn't check the bus times through the internet and the timetable at the bus stop had been destroyed. He hadn't realised that they only run every hour from wear he was living. He hadn't been in in england very long and his english wasn't very good he struggled to read. Looking at the timetable for where he should be when eventually arriving into college was harder than expected. Untill he eventually met up with his translater who helped him get by.
After what seemed like forever jake finally arrived at the classroom where his first lesson would take place. He walked into the room where each student was sat down at their own computer typing away and scrawling through lots of different web pages on the internet. Jake has never really used a compuet before so felt a little worried and embarrassed at the thought of not having the first idea of what to do after turning on the computer.
After sitting their for about 20 minutes unsure of what to do after he had attempted several times at pressing different keys and dragging around the mouse to try and catch up with everybody else in the room. His translater finally met up with him agen and talked him through what he should be doing.
At dinner time Jake found himself passing many people who what seemed like they were in there own world with their mp3 players and ipods stuck in their ear holes listening to the latest music that they had downloaded from the internet. He longed to be back where he belonged where he could have a normal converstaion with somebody that could understand him. He felt so lonely.
Finally the end of the day arrived and everybody was getting their mobile phones out to swap numbers so they could meet up outside college and hit a few bars in town. However jake didnt have a mobile to put anybody's number in so had to scribble them down on paper getting frowned upon by many. He then walked out the college to the nearest phonebox to ring his mothern to come and pick him up which was quite a walk away. After all why would any of the students or teachers in this school need to use a phonebox when they had mobile phones attached to them all the time.
Jake was late into college as he couldn't check the bus times through the internet and the timetable at the bus stop had been destroyed. He hadn't realised that they only run every hour from wear he was living. He hadn't been in in england very long and his english wasn't very good he struggled to read. Looking at the timetable for where he should be when eventually arriving into college was harder than expected. Untill he eventually met up with his translater who helped him get by.
After what seemed like forever jake finally arrived at the classroom where his first lesson would take place. He walked into the room where each student was sat down at their own computer typing away and scrawling through lots of different web pages on the internet. Jake has never really used a compuet before so felt a little worried and embarrassed at the thought of not having the first idea of what to do after turning on the computer.
After sitting their for about 20 minutes unsure of what to do after he had attempted several times at pressing different keys and dragging around the mouse to try and catch up with everybody else in the room. His translater finally met up with him agen and talked him through what he should be doing.
At dinner time Jake found himself passing many people who what seemed like they were in there own world with their mp3 players and ipods stuck in their ear holes listening to the latest music that they had downloaded from the internet. He longed to be back where he belonged where he could have a normal converstaion with somebody that could understand him. He felt so lonely.
Finally the end of the day arrived and everybody was getting their mobile phones out to swap numbers so they could meet up outside college and hit a few bars in town. However jake didnt have a mobile to put anybody's number in so had to scribble them down on paper getting frowned upon by many. He then walked out the college to the nearest phonebox to ring his mothern to come and pick him up which was quite a walk away. After all why would any of the students or teachers in this school need to use a phonebox when they had mobile phones attached to them all the time.
Blog c) A person known to you who most threatens the notion of native/immigrant in digital culture.
I Think when i spoke about the oldest digital native been my dad and uncles it is a threat to the notion of these terms as it goes against what Prensky says about most people who are over the age of 25 are classed as digital imigrants. Obviously this is not the case as many people that are even older than my dad and uncles like some peoples grandparents who are over 60 are sometimes more clued up about technology than some younger people are. I know many of my freinds have grandparents who have a lot of the latest technology and have a more up to date phone than they do. I also think that just because you are young it doesn't mean to say that you have to be technology mad and included it in every aspect of your life because their is other ways and means of doing things like old traditional ways that can help you through life.
I think it is probably more older people that threaten this notion of digiatl native/imigrant mor e than young people as i think more older people are likely to become digial natives and learn how to use the technology because it is all around them in this modern society today, rather than young people not having the first idea about technology and not been interested in it either. As many ways that children and young people entertain themselves today is through technology. However i am not implying that this is always the case.
I believe that age shouldn't pay a part in with the digital divide between natives and imigarnts hence the fact that i think it is been threatened so much. I think you can be any age as long as you want to learn and have an interest in technology you will soon become experienced in using it. Anybody can learn new skills at anytime. As well as this many people can struggle to learn and adapt to things no matter what your age. So just because a particular person has been brought into this new technological society doesn't mena that they should be an expert in using it as it may not be for them.
I think it is probably more older people that threaten this notion of digiatl native/imigrant mor e than young people as i think more older people are likely to become digial natives and learn how to use the technology because it is all around them in this modern society today, rather than young people not having the first idea about technology and not been interested in it either. As many ways that children and young people entertain themselves today is through technology. However i am not implying that this is always the case.
I believe that age shouldn't pay a part in with the digital divide between natives and imigarnts hence the fact that i think it is been threatened so much. I think you can be any age as long as you want to learn and have an interest in technology you will soon become experienced in using it. Anybody can learn new skills at anytime. As well as this many people can struggle to learn and adapt to things no matter what your age. So just because a particular person has been brought into this new technological society doesn't mena that they should be an expert in using it as it may not be for them.
Blog b) The youngest digital imigrant you know
I think the youngest digital imigrant i know is probably my mum. She doesn't have the first idea about technology at all. She has the oldest mobile phone, and has only just learned how to send a text message and even when she does send a text message to somebody it takes her for ever to type it out. When i try and persuade her to get a new mobile her reaction is 'Whats wrong with this one, it does the job it lets me send and recieve messages and phonecalls like i need it for.'
She never ever uses the internet and the only time she comes into contact with a computer is at work when she is typing prescriptions or looking up peoples medical information as she works in a pharmacy. She doesn't really have time to watch much tele and on average probably sits down a few hours a night to watch the odd program. She doesn't have an mp3 player /ipod or anything like that if she wants to listen to music she will put on the radio. Overall i think she can most definetly be classed a s a digital imigrant.
I don't think there is a problem with my mum not having very much knowlege or interaction with modern technology as she gets by fine and doesn't really know what she is missing as she has never relied on it before so it doesn't really bother her and make her want to learn how to use it. However if she did start to learn to use it i think she would find she would benefit from it a lot. Like instead of ordering things over the phone order them on line, and instead of going out to the shops to do her shopping she should perhaps learn to do it on the internet as it may benefit her is she can't get out the house at any point in her life.
I think my mum goes with Prensky's ideas that digital imigrants are often over the age of 25. They are people like my mum who havn't grown up into the developing world of technology there for arn't bothered about learning how to use it as they know they can survive without it. Even if they do start to use it then they still like Prenky says mite have a 'digital imigrant accent' like my mum typing slow.
She never ever uses the internet and the only time she comes into contact with a computer is at work when she is typing prescriptions or looking up peoples medical information as she works in a pharmacy. She doesn't really have time to watch much tele and on average probably sits down a few hours a night to watch the odd program. She doesn't have an mp3 player /ipod or anything like that if she wants to listen to music she will put on the radio. Overall i think she can most definetly be classed a s a digital imigrant.
I don't think there is a problem with my mum not having very much knowlege or interaction with modern technology as she gets by fine and doesn't really know what she is missing as she has never relied on it before so it doesn't really bother her and make her want to learn how to use it. However if she did start to learn to use it i think she would find she would benefit from it a lot. Like instead of ordering things over the phone order them on line, and instead of going out to the shops to do her shopping she should perhaps learn to do it on the internet as it may benefit her is she can't get out the house at any point in her life.
I think my mum goes with Prensky's ideas that digital imigrants are often over the age of 25. They are people like my mum who havn't grown up into the developing world of technology there for arn't bothered about learning how to use it as they know they can survive without it. Even if they do start to use it then they still like Prenky says mite have a 'digital imigrant accent' like my mum typing slow.
Blog A) The oldest digital native i know
The oldest digital native i probably know is my uncles and dad who are all in the 50's and are expected to be digital imigrants. I do disagree with Marc Prensky as i don't believe that age matters. If so then my dad and uncle's would be considered pretty young as they are more clued up about using the latest technology more than i am. I consider them digiatl natives as they are always up to date and own all the latest technology like laptops with wireless internet, the latest mobile phones, sky digital, mp3 music players. My uncle even talks to his friends and family over MSN rather than phoning them up like i do. My dad sometime will send me emails now i am at uni and i don't see him everyday. You name it they have it and use it. I am the one that is always asking them how to use technology and i learn a lot from their help and advice. This happens often as i am not the best at using technology but i do get by some how. Some people would think that i should be the one that is telling them how to use the technology as i have grown up with it and am considered to be a digiatl native. In some cases i believe this does happen as my mum who is the same age as my dada and uncles is a digital imigrant an di am the one that is always teaching her things.
Maybe my uncles and dad have become digital natives because they have had to because of the jobs they are in or maybe just because they liketo use it it their spare time?. I think it depends on the individual as i know my dads job relies a lot upon technology and he couldn't really get by without having all the latest gadgets that he has. On the other hand my uncle doesn't have a job that relies heavily on technology but does like to spend a lot of his free time at weekend and at night using technology. Like spending long perieds of time sat at his computer.
Maybe my uncles and dad have become digital natives because they have had to because of the jobs they are in or maybe just because they liketo use it it their spare time?. I think it depends on the individual as i know my dads job relies a lot upon technology and he couldn't really get by without having all the latest gadgets that he has. On the other hand my uncle doesn't have a job that relies heavily on technology but does like to spend a lot of his free time at weekend and at night using technology. Like spending long perieds of time sat at his computer.
Week 9- Question 6 how does the semantic web differ from Web 3.0
Even though the semantic web and web 3.0 are quite similar as they are both improving the internet by using database like systems.
However i believe that the semantic web is just an extension and an added extra of the current web to help create a better result wheras as web 3.0 is supposed to be a completely new type of web all together. I think both would be able to work well without one another. As the semantic web is believed to be an extention of web 2.0 which already exists and is a form of web that we are experiencing now so i think we are more likely to see it develop first. I think the semantic web will quickly transform the web by increasing the internet connection speed and help further developments in computer graphics.
However i believe that the semantic web is just an extension and an added extra of the current web to help create a better result wheras as web 3.0 is supposed to be a completely new type of web all together. I think both would be able to work well without one another. As the semantic web is believed to be an extention of web 2.0 which already exists and is a form of web that we are experiencing now so i think we are more likely to see it develop first. I think the semantic web will quickly transform the web by increasing the internet connection speed and help further developments in computer graphics.
Monday, 14 April 2008
Week 9- Question 5) What is Semantic Web
The Semantic Web is an extension of the current Web that will allow you to find, share, and combine information more easily. It relies on machine-readable information and is looked at as being an efficient way of representing data on the world wide web, or as a globally linked database.
The semantic Web was thought up by Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the WWW,URLs, HTTP, and HTML.
It can be seen as a huge engineering solution and helps publishing data become easier in a repurposable form, so more people will want to publish data, and there will be a knock-on or domino effect. Semantic web applications can be used for a variety of different tasks, increasing the modularity of applications on the web.
http://infomesh.net/2001/swintro/
The semantic Web was thought up by Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the WWW,URLs, HTTP, and HTML.
It can be seen as a huge engineering solution and helps publishing data become easier in a repurposable form, so more people will want to publish data, and there will be a knock-on or domino effect. Semantic web applications can be used for a variety of different tasks, increasing the modularity of applications on the web.
http://infomesh.net/2001/swintro/
Week 9- Question 4) Education being tailored to fit personal preferences
I think that it would cause a big problem if eduation was tailored to fit personal preferences. The reason i think this is because if teachers/tutors adapt the the way they teach for one person then inevitably other people are going to expect the same for them aswell. A teacher couldn't change the way they are teaching and give a person special treatment if their is a class full of other people that just have as much right as them to be treated that way. Unless of course that person is slightly different from the rest like they have learning difficulties which them of course i think they should have special help from somebody like one to one tutition so they arn't left behind.
There is far to many people in education today for teachers to able to satisfy everybody's personal needs. I think that the nearest thing that the educational system do to try and fit personal preferences is in school when you get to your GCSE's or A Levels where you can choose certain subjects that you personally prefer and want to take on so you can learn more. Which i think is good as you have started off learning a wide range of subjects that you are needed to learn about at a basic level after which time you know what subjects you are better at. So can carry on to choose subjects that suit your personal preference and be allocated teachers that are able to teach you that subject best.
I think if you are struggling in school and maybe the teachers arn't using methods that you find easy to learn by then rather than something been done about this inside schoool you could pehaps find help outside school by finding a tutor or a friend to help you. I had a tutor at school for english as i struggled a lot and an hour a week of one to one which is how i prefered to learn helped.
There is far to many people in education today for teachers to able to satisfy everybody's personal needs. I think that the nearest thing that the educational system do to try and fit personal preferences is in school when you get to your GCSE's or A Levels where you can choose certain subjects that you personally prefer and want to take on so you can learn more. Which i think is good as you have started off learning a wide range of subjects that you are needed to learn about at a basic level after which time you know what subjects you are better at. So can carry on to choose subjects that suit your personal preference and be allocated teachers that are able to teach you that subject best.
I think if you are struggling in school and maybe the teachers arn't using methods that you find easy to learn by then rather than something been done about this inside schoool you could pehaps find help outside school by finding a tutor or a friend to help you. I had a tutor at school for english as i struggled a lot and an hour a week of one to one which is how i prefered to learn helped.
Week 9- Question 3) Should education 'stretch a person do you think?
I think it is important to 'stretch' a person to some degree. I think children from a young age should be encouraged to learn more so they are always reaching a certain standard of understanding that they should be at that particular age. The more they are pushed at a young age to learn the more likely they are going to want to learn more at an older age.
I think that children should encouraged how to learn through computers and the internet but not so they are sat infront of tehm all the time. I think 2-3 hors a week is plenty to able to inform them and give them the practice that they will need later on in their life wether it be in a job or at university. I think this is important as in society today we need too be able to have the ability to be able to use this new technology and keep up with the developmets so we don't get left behind.
In relation to what prensky says about teaching via methods familiar to natives like digital gameing. As the idea that education should be challenging has been forgotton or simply pushed a side. I think that young peolple today should be stretched to learn with old traditional methods as well as incorperating new ways and bringing digital technology into the curriculum. This way they are not just relying on technology to learn but are still having an understanding of how to use it for educational purposes. Also then neither digital imigrants or natives will feel out of their depths.
I think it is also important to stretch a person and keep encouraging them to do better so they don't feel like they have already reached a certain goal and don't have to stretch themselves any further as they feel like they already know enough. This can make people become lazy as they feel like no more effort or learning is needed as they think they know enough already to get by causing them to maybe not do as well as they should in exams or coursework for example. So i think it is important for teacher/turors to always push people to learn more and try harder this way they are gaining more knowledge all the time and expanding their brain, making them use their full potential.
I think praise and encouragement should be given so it motivates people to do more and keep up to a certain standard. I think that if a student is good at a particular subject more than another then they should pay more attention to that subject as they know they can do well and get far. However i do not believe that the other subjects should be pushed aside because of this and they still should be pushing themselves in these subjects to so they don't completely loose interest.
I think that children should encouraged how to learn through computers and the internet but not so they are sat infront of tehm all the time. I think 2-3 hors a week is plenty to able to inform them and give them the practice that they will need later on in their life wether it be in a job or at university. I think this is important as in society today we need too be able to have the ability to be able to use this new technology and keep up with the developmets so we don't get left behind.
In relation to what prensky says about teaching via methods familiar to natives like digital gameing. As the idea that education should be challenging has been forgotton or simply pushed a side. I think that young peolple today should be stretched to learn with old traditional methods as well as incorperating new ways and bringing digital technology into the curriculum. This way they are not just relying on technology to learn but are still having an understanding of how to use it for educational purposes. Also then neither digital imigrants or natives will feel out of their depths.
I think it is also important to stretch a person and keep encouraging them to do better so they don't feel like they have already reached a certain goal and don't have to stretch themselves any further as they feel like they already know enough. This can make people become lazy as they feel like no more effort or learning is needed as they think they know enough already to get by causing them to maybe not do as well as they should in exams or coursework for example. So i think it is important for teacher/turors to always push people to learn more and try harder this way they are gaining more knowledge all the time and expanding their brain, making them use their full potential.
I think praise and encouragement should be given so it motivates people to do more and keep up to a certain standard. I think that if a student is good at a particular subject more than another then they should pay more attention to that subject as they know they can do well and get far. However i do not believe that the other subjects should be pushed aside because of this and they still should be pushing themselves in these subjects to so they don't completely loose interest.
Week 9 Questions 2 a) and b) Digital Differences and its effects
In today's world people all have different understandings and knowledge when it comes to using and keeping up to date with technology. Causing problems as there is always goin going to be competition out with other people who will be better than you and have had more experience.
Looking at it from a socio-economical point of view. It is obvious that people without the knowlege and experience of a digital native will struggle as today many jobs and compan's rely on this modern technology to get by. For example take to people who are going for a job interview one who is younger than 25 who is a digital native and has had of experience working with new technology, the other been over 25 is classed as a digital imigrant and doesn't really have much of an idea about technology. Business company's today when interviewing look for people who have the capabilities of been able to use new technology so they don't have to be trained and they can be relied upon to know what they are doing. Hence the reason why Prensky believes that the person under 25 (digiatla native) would get the job.
I think it is unfair to give digital imigrants an unfair advantage just because they arn't as experienced at the beginning doesn't mean they can't learn quickly and be trained at using new technology. Just because they weren't brought up around it doesn't mean they can't be trained to be as experienced as those who were.
Global access issues across countries and regions
I think there is many technological difference around the world. Many third world countries for instance arn't advanced in technology like we are . There for communication is made harder as we can't communicate with people via the internet with people who are in a third world countrys as they just don't have this kind of technology. They can't afford it and funds arn't available. Even if they all of a sudden did have it they wouldn't know how to use it as they havn't had any training in using it.It makes these countries seem isoloated as they have no methods of been in contact with people in other countries.
I think the fact that these countries don't have access to this technology like we have makes a diffference in the health system. Over in this country we trust that they have the right equipment to treat people if they are ill. However if i went on holiday somewhere that was not as advanced as we are in this country then its harder to trust them.
Looking at it from a socio-economical point of view. It is obvious that people without the knowlege and experience of a digital native will struggle as today many jobs and compan's rely on this modern technology to get by. For example take to people who are going for a job interview one who is younger than 25 who is a digital native and has had of experience working with new technology, the other been over 25 is classed as a digital imigrant and doesn't really have much of an idea about technology. Business company's today when interviewing look for people who have the capabilities of been able to use new technology so they don't have to be trained and they can be relied upon to know what they are doing. Hence the reason why Prensky believes that the person under 25 (digiatla native) would get the job.
I think it is unfair to give digital imigrants an unfair advantage just because they arn't as experienced at the beginning doesn't mean they can't learn quickly and be trained at using new technology. Just because they weren't brought up around it doesn't mean they can't be trained to be as experienced as those who were.
Global access issues across countries and regions
I think there is many technological difference around the world. Many third world countries for instance arn't advanced in technology like we are . There for communication is made harder as we can't communicate with people via the internet with people who are in a third world countrys as they just don't have this kind of technology. They can't afford it and funds arn't available. Even if they all of a sudden did have it they wouldn't know how to use it as they havn't had any training in using it.It makes these countries seem isoloated as they have no methods of been in contact with people in other countries.
I think the fact that these countries don't have access to this technology like we have makes a diffference in the health system. Over in this country we trust that they have the right equipment to treat people if they are ill. However if i went on holiday somewhere that was not as advanced as we are in this country then its harder to trust them.
Week 9 Question 1 How might Wenger's notions on practice communities relate to Prensky's on education?
Wenger talks about the community of practice and how in a COP there is people that are better than you at something and have more experience because they enjoy that particular thing and develop an interest in it that makes them want to practice at it in order to get better and be able to help teach other people. This doessn't necessarily mean that within the community of practice they hold any any sort of authority over anybody else. People are all learning together just at different levels. This relates to Prensky's idea of the digital immigrants/natives as they are part of a community in the digital world and are both learning about new media. However just like the community of practice that Wenger talks about there is some people that are better and have more knowlege (digital natives) and people who arn't at as eductaed and don't have as much experience like (digital imigrants). Like the community of practice just because digital natives have more knowledge it doesn't mean they have any authority or hold more power over digital imigrants. Digital natives are there to help and guide digital imigrants with things they don't know. Both are still learnig all the time as the digital world is becoming more advanced all the time and technology is changing so people are always having to keep up with the changes even if some people are learning at a higher level than others like in a COP.
Both Wegners model of COP and Prensky's on eductation reflect that in a way both COP and in eduction there will be different things that will suit certain individual rather than others. Some people that enjoy been part of one COP might not enjoy been part of a COP that their best friend for example likes to be part of. Like with Prensky and eduction certain people would prefer to learn through new technology for example using computers to type up their work and also research information through different internet sites wheras on the other hand some individuals would prefer say handwriting their work or getting their research from books in the libraray rather than sitting for hours on end at a computer.
We can clearly see from both these theorists that you will always come across people in life that will be better at something than you and enjoy a particular topic more than you. However this should be seen as a good thing as we can learn from one another.
Both Wegners model of COP and Prensky's on eductation reflect that in a way both COP and in eduction there will be different things that will suit certain individual rather than others. Some people that enjoy been part of one COP might not enjoy been part of a COP that their best friend for example likes to be part of. Like with Prensky and eduction certain people would prefer to learn through new technology for example using computers to type up their work and also research information through different internet sites wheras on the other hand some individuals would prefer say handwriting their work or getting their research from books in the libraray rather than sitting for hours on end at a computer.
We can clearly see from both these theorists that you will always come across people in life that will be better at something than you and enjoy a particular topic more than you. However this should be seen as a good thing as we can learn from one another.
Disagreement (article 5)
I disagree slightly with some of the issues that are raised in this article as i don't agree with the fact that all traditional methods of communication and inetraction with technology have completely died out. I think traditional methods are still around there are just new ones developing on top of them. For example the article talks about how now people have mobile phones with cameras on they can take pictures on their phones and then store pictures in an album on their moile or transfer them onto a folder on their computer, Photo albums are no longer really used. I disagree with this as i still think that peolple have photo albums i know i like to print photos off from my camera or computer and put them in a photo album or in a frame.I think it is a more reliable way of knowing that your photographs are safe. If your photographs are just kept on your mobile you could loose them if you loose or brake your mobile phone. The same as if a computer crashes and you can loose them off their aswell. So although new technology is very sufficient in that it is easier to share and pass around photographs or music etc i dont necessarily think it can be as reliable as old methods can be.
The same for blogging which is also mentioned i disagree with this too as i think not everybody would rather blog on the internet about their latest activity and feelings for everybody to see rather than writing in a diary. A diary to me seems more personal and is also easier to carry around with you rather than carrying a computer around with you. Say for example if you went on holiday and wanted to talk about what you did each dy.
The same for blogging which is also mentioned i disagree with this too as i think not everybody would rather blog on the internet about their latest activity and feelings for everybody to see rather than writing in a diary. A diary to me seems more personal and is also easier to carry around with you rather than carrying a computer around with you. Say for example if you went on holiday and wanted to talk about what you did each dy.
Disagreement (article 4)
After reading the article to some extent i disagree with the fact that parents are worrying about their children using social networking sites like facebook,myspace and bebo. I don't consider these to be particular dangerous like i would chatrooms where you speak to people you don't know. Social networking sites have privacy settings to prevent people looking at your information and pretending to be somebody they arn't talking to you. These privacy setting will allow you to choose which people you want to be able to access your profile and if they can what you want them to see like pictures for example. You also have the choice of accepting people as your friend so if you don't no them you dont add them. I think that maybe 8 is a little too young but i think as from ten i dont see why children should not be part of these social networking sites unless pricavy and security settings are not available.By no means do i think that children should be encouraged to use them but if it was me i would rather my child be a part of a social networking site where they are interacting with people they no rather than logging onto some chatrooms where they are talking to anybody that thay they really don't have a clue about.
Disagreement (article 1)
I disagree with what the author says about the negatives to children using the internet is that it is costly. I think that many young people today us the internet to keep in contact an talk to their friends as they would rather have conversations with their friends over msn, or the wall of a social networking site like facebook rather than talk to them over the phone on their mobile. It doesn't cost anything like what a mobile phone bill would if you were talking to your friends who are on the other side of the world for hours on end.
The study that was taken out in this article about the use of tv, videos, books, computer games, music and personal computers which finds that young people use media technology for up to 5 hours a day. I dont think this is fair to say as yes i do agree that many young people will spend this long a day using technology sometimes even more. However i do not think every child/teenager is the same and think that it depends how a child likes to spend their time as to how long they spend watching the tele or been on their computer for instance. Children who love been outdoors and play lots of physical activity may not even interact with any technology some day whereas others may just like sitting in doors and playing on their playstation or computer for hours.
I think that maybe the statistics for how many children do use technology for hours a day is rising but only because it is accessible to them. Many many years ago this media technology wasn't availavle to children so they had to find other ways of entertaining themselves which often included games outside in the streets and parks etc. However times have changed and media has developed and most children today do have their own computers and televisions in their rooms so have the choise of spending their free time attached to them.
The article raises issues about how parents are concerned for thier children's safety outdoors so would rather them be sat inside on the internet. Surely there are issues concerning safety where children are concerned when they are on these social networking sites and chatrooms?. These aren't exactly safe for children to be on and can be as dangerous as children playing out on the streets i would say.
The study that was taken out in this article about the use of tv, videos, books, computer games, music and personal computers which finds that young people use media technology for up to 5 hours a day. I dont think this is fair to say as yes i do agree that many young people will spend this long a day using technology sometimes even more. However i do not think every child/teenager is the same and think that it depends how a child likes to spend their time as to how long they spend watching the tele or been on their computer for instance. Children who love been outdoors and play lots of physical activity may not even interact with any technology some day whereas others may just like sitting in doors and playing on their playstation or computer for hours.
I think that maybe the statistics for how many children do use technology for hours a day is rising but only because it is accessible to them. Many many years ago this media technology wasn't availavle to children so they had to find other ways of entertaining themselves which often included games outside in the streets and parks etc. However times have changed and media has developed and most children today do have their own computers and televisions in their rooms so have the choise of spending their free time attached to them.
The article raises issues about how parents are concerned for thier children's safety outdoors so would rather them be sat inside on the internet. Surely there are issues concerning safety where children are concerned when they are on these social networking sites and chatrooms?. These aren't exactly safe for children to be on and can be as dangerous as children playing out on the streets i would say.
Sunday, 13 April 2008
Abstract 5
This article looks into the new world of converged media and how people today use it. Along with how people have transformed from doing things in the traditional way into new forms to make things quicker easier and cheaper. For example rather than meeting up with somebody face to face or sending them a letter we can send them a text message, an email. or have a conversation with them using the internet.
The article talks about how students are not just using technology differently today but are approaching their life and their daily activities differently because of the technology. A girl that is used as an example says that she uses the internet for 'checking her emails, talking to her friends, do online shopping, play games and look at things your really like, catch up with tv programmes and films' Showing how the internet has become an entire strategy for how to live, survive and thrieve in the 21st century.
The article goes onto mention about children with mobile phones that have cameras and how this is now a new form of sharing images rather than keeping photo albums photographs are kept in a folder on your phone.
Many young people exchange music as an expression of who they are, although some are paying for songs under the new schemes from apple and others, most of what is collected is exchanged for free. People are no loger going out to the shops to buy music.
Another example that is given is blogging being very popular amongst young people. Rather than teenagers writing their thoughts and feelings each day or week in a diary they post them online so everybody can see and can post comments.
The article talks about how students are not just using technology differently today but are approaching their life and their daily activities differently because of the technology. A girl that is used as an example says that she uses the internet for 'checking her emails, talking to her friends, do online shopping, play games and look at things your really like, catch up with tv programmes and films' Showing how the internet has become an entire strategy for how to live, survive and thrieve in the 21st century.
The article goes onto mention about children with mobile phones that have cameras and how this is now a new form of sharing images rather than keeping photo albums photographs are kept in a folder on your phone.
Many young people exchange music as an expression of who they are, although some are paying for songs under the new schemes from apple and others, most of what is collected is exchanged for free. People are no loger going out to the shops to buy music.
Another example that is given is blogging being very popular amongst young people. Rather than teenagers writing their thoughts and feelings each day or week in a diary they post them online so everybody can see and can post comments.
Abstract 4
This article deals with research into children and social networking sites that are intended for older users. Research had been found that amongst children who have internet access more than a quarter of eight to 11 year olds claimed to have a profile page on a social networking sites. Despite normal age restrictions aimed at preventing pre-teens from using such sites.
These findings caused concern as parents who are letting their children have access to these sites should recognise that their children are at risk.
Rupert Murdoch who is the owner of myspace says its users should be at least 14 to register, while facebook and bebo claim an age limit of 13.
One study that was also carried out showed that 65% of parents said that they set rules for the way their children used social networing sites. Whilst a further 43% said that their parents placed no limit on what they could use sites for.
From these findngs what is clearly seen is the use of the internet by children is something of a hot political topic. Causing action to be taken into increasing safety for children online.
These findings caused concern as parents who are letting their children have access to these sites should recognise that their children are at risk.
Rupert Murdoch who is the owner of myspace says its users should be at least 14 to register, while facebook and bebo claim an age limit of 13.
One study that was also carried out showed that 65% of parents said that they set rules for the way their children used social networing sites. Whilst a further 43% said that their parents placed no limit on what they could use sites for.
From these findngs what is clearly seen is the use of the internet by children is something of a hot political topic. Causing action to be taken into increasing safety for children online.
Abstract 3
This article raises issues regarding adolescents use of socially interactive technologies and there relationship to offline social networks.
The article talks about wether SIT relationships are important for adolescents who have not got as many offline priorities, if adoloecents are creating more, but weaker ties using SITs and what adoloescent SIT faciliated networks overlap with friendship networks.
Findings have shown from research through the intergration of questions, network data collection and analysis with more rescent questionaire methodology and analysis that youth are using SITs to enhance communication among friends and family, to make plans with one another, and to maintain social contact outside of their day-to -day face to face conversations. Little overlap was shown between SIT facilitaed and offline social networks, isolated adoloescents are less likely than other adoloescents to use SITs. Also they are not creating more ties using SITs or creating weaker SIT based ties.
The article talks about wether SIT relationships are important for adolescents who have not got as many offline priorities, if adoloecents are creating more, but weaker ties using SITs and what adoloescent SIT faciliated networks overlap with friendship networks.
Findings have shown from research through the intergration of questions, network data collection and analysis with more rescent questionaire methodology and analysis that youth are using SITs to enhance communication among friends and family, to make plans with one another, and to maintain social contact outside of their day-to -day face to face conversations. Little overlap was shown between SIT facilitaed and offline social networks, isolated adoloescents are less likely than other adoloescents to use SITs. Also they are not creating more ties using SITs or creating weaker SIT based ties.
Abstract 2
This article addresses the the study of the relationship between childhood and technology including the most recent ideas regarding the internet and how it has been dominated by deterministic and simplistic theories.
The theories have spread rapidly and adapted to each new technological development, to become today sociological metaphors for our relationship with a wide range of technologies.
Momino and Menesis go on to talk about the current and future consequences resulting from the unequal appropriation of technology by children and young people and how this process occurs in the case of the internet-the information network characteristic of the network society.
They aim to maintain a perspective that will enable them to overcome the limitations of the reductionist, technological and dichotomic approach on which the notion of the 'digiatl divide' has been built on.
There analyses examines how the internet is approriated in different ways by different kinds of young people and that some youngsters may see the internet as a public space. They also look at the effects that parents, as main educational agents, may have in the use that young people make of the internet when they are outside schoool. Also to what extent the behaviour of parents with regard to the internet is linked to differences in their children's specific use of the internet.
The theories have spread rapidly and adapted to each new technological development, to become today sociological metaphors for our relationship with a wide range of technologies.
Momino and Menesis go on to talk about the current and future consequences resulting from the unequal appropriation of technology by children and young people and how this process occurs in the case of the internet-the information network characteristic of the network society.
They aim to maintain a perspective that will enable them to overcome the limitations of the reductionist, technological and dichotomic approach on which the notion of the 'digiatl divide' has been built on.
There analyses examines how the internet is approriated in different ways by different kinds of young people and that some youngsters may see the internet as a public space. They also look at the effects that parents, as main educational agents, may have in the use that young people make of the internet when they are outside schoool. Also to what extent the behaviour of parents with regard to the internet is linked to differences in their children's specific use of the internet.
Abstract 1
This report talks about the impact the media has on young people, together with the how it effects them and their families and friends around them. It talks about the internet and how it inspires both posative and negative aspects associated with the young. The posative been that it can link Britain to many other countries around the world, enabling a new kind of pen-pal relationship, combining the pleasures of long didstance communication with the immediacy of the telephone. It is an easy way of keeping in contact with many family and friends that you dont often see as they live on the other side of the world but you can still speak to them on a daily basis. Many of the downsides that are talked about are that it is costly and sometimes there can be difficulties in effectively accessing certain information and there can be frustration with the quality of information obtained.
A study has been taken out associated with the use of TV, video, books, computer games, music and personal computers. It finds that young people use the media for around five hours each day and points to the dominance within the UK of 'screen-entertainment culture'.The report also considers some of the differences between social classes and television usage, in homes where there are children. Nearly everyone has a TV and a VCR at home and 4 in 10 have cable and satellite.
The article goes on to talk about how the decline in books in young people's lives is now changing as it is threatened both by IT a sourse of information and TV a form of narrative. Those who have access to a computer are twice as likely to use that as a sourse of information rather than turning to a book. Most children turn to the television or a computer game for their narrative appeal. Over all the book comes across as boring, old-fashioned, frustrating and requiring too much effort. Books arn't seen as trendy they are seen as something atht parents disaprove of.
Music is a topic that is addressed as many children these days have access to some kind of audio equipment in the home. Music today continues to play a uniquely flexible and pervasive part in children's and teenagers lives.
The article also talks about how parents are concerned for their children's safety outside the home while young people themselves say there is not enough to do in the area where they live. As a result, young people are much more likely to be wanting to watch television or playing on their computer games as there is not much else for them to do.
A study has been taken out associated with the use of TV, video, books, computer games, music and personal computers. It finds that young people use the media for around five hours each day and points to the dominance within the UK of 'screen-entertainment culture'.The report also considers some of the differences between social classes and television usage, in homes where there are children. Nearly everyone has a TV and a VCR at home and 4 in 10 have cable and satellite.
The article goes on to talk about how the decline in books in young people's lives is now changing as it is threatened both by IT a sourse of information and TV a form of narrative. Those who have access to a computer are twice as likely to use that as a sourse of information rather than turning to a book. Most children turn to the television or a computer game for their narrative appeal. Over all the book comes across as boring, old-fashioned, frustrating and requiring too much effort. Books arn't seen as trendy they are seen as something atht parents disaprove of.
Music is a topic that is addressed as many children these days have access to some kind of audio equipment in the home. Music today continues to play a uniquely flexible and pervasive part in children's and teenagers lives.
The article also talks about how parents are concerned for their children's safety outside the home while young people themselves say there is not enough to do in the area where they live. As a result, young people are much more likely to be wanting to watch television or playing on their computer games as there is not much else for them to do.
Articles- Young peoples facility with the new world of converged media
Articles i have choosen
1)Livingstone, S (1999) 'Young people new media: Children, young people and the changing media enviroment' http://www.psych.lse.ac.uk/young_people/
[13/04/08]
2)Mominó, J.M. and Meneses, J. ‘Digital inequalities in children and young people: A technological matter’ http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/0/36/38359326.pdf [13/04/08]
3)Bryant et al. (2006) ‘IMing, text messaging, and adolescent social networks’
http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol11/issue2/bryant.html [13/04/06]
4) Johnson, B (2008) 'Adult social networking sites attract young users'
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/apr/02/socialnetworking.ofcom [13/04/08]
5) Prensky, M. (2004) “The emerging online life of the digital native: what they do differently because of technology and how they do it” http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky-The_Emerging_Online_Life_of_the_Digital_Native-03.pdf
[13/04/08]
1)Livingstone, S (1999) 'Young people new media: Children, young people and the changing media enviroment' http://www.psych.lse.ac.uk/young_people/
[13/04/08]
2)Mominó, J.M. and Meneses, J. ‘Digital inequalities in children and young people: A technological matter’ http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/0/36/38359326.pdf [13/04/08]
3)Bryant et al. (2006) ‘IMing, text messaging, and adolescent social networks’
http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol11/issue2/bryant.html [13/04/06]
4) Johnson, B (2008) 'Adult social networking sites attract young users'
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/apr/02/socialnetworking.ofcom [13/04/08]
5) Prensky, M. (2004) “The emerging online life of the digital native: what they do differently because of technology and how they do it” http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky-The_Emerging_Online_Life_of_the_Digital_Native-03.pdf
[13/04/08]
Disagreement- Article 5
At the begining of this website it talks about the kind of intereation a digital native would have with technology on a daily basis. I kind of disagree with this a liitle because just because you are classed as a digiatl native it doesn't necessarily mean that you are always using technology 24 hours a day and cant go a day without checking your emails or going on a computer or feeling lost without your mobile phone. Many young people for instance are classed as digital natives but some people spend moere time than others interacting with it.
Take me and my friends for an example i have friends back at home that are not at university and have jobs and children they don't necessarily come in contact with it that much anymore now they arn't in education and don't have have jobs that they use technology for therefor don't use it that much as they busy spending there time doing other things. However i am the same age and i am in contact with it a lot because of the lifestyle i lead. As i am a student i need to use technology computers etc for my work and to check emails. I also probably have more spare time as i don't have children. We are both still classed as digiatl natives as we are familiar with technology and have been brought up to use it but one of us is more in need and dependant on it than another.
Take me and my friends for an example i have friends back at home that are not at university and have jobs and children they don't necessarily come in contact with it that much anymore now they arn't in education and don't have have jobs that they use technology for therefor don't use it that much as they busy spending there time doing other things. However i am the same age and i am in contact with it a lot because of the lifestyle i lead. As i am a student i need to use technology computers etc for my work and to check emails. I also probably have more spare time as i don't have children. We are both still classed as digiatl natives as we are familiar with technology and have been brought up to use it but one of us is more in need and dependant on it than another.
Disagreement- Article 4
I also agree with the author of this article as they talk about how if you have an interest in technology then you are more likely to have a better understanding of it despite your age. I take my parents as an example they are both the same age. However my mum doesnt really have a great interest in technology she does have a mobile phone but doesn't really use it that much only when she really needs to and hasn't really got the first idea about computers she types slow and only uses them for work purposes. Because she doesn't have an interest in it she doesn't really want to develop her knowledge further. Like with anything in life if you don't have a particular interest in a topic it puts you off learning about it no matter how old or young you are. My dad on the other hand relies a lot on technology uses it all the time and is always on his lap top and mobile phone because he has an interest in it.
Disagreement- Article 3
I don't really disagree with this article as it backs up what i have been saying about generations and age not been a meaningful social category which i agree with. I agree with the author that not all young people are 'born digital' like only been able to learn through videos, sounds and pictures rather than picking up a book. I think although we have been born into a society which is advanced in technology it isn't something we should always rely on.
Like the author i agree that in every class there is a handful of people that have amazing skills with technology and some people that can not stand computers and mobile phones etc or they just can't afford them so can't familiarise themselves with them. This doesn't depend on age or what generation you were born in. I think it is mainly the fact that we use it if it works for us and we can afford it if not they we don't tend to use it therefor don't become expert in using it and don't rely on it.
Like the author i agree that in every class there is a handful of people that have amazing skills with technology and some people that can not stand computers and mobile phones etc or they just can't afford them so can't familiarise themselves with them. This doesn't depend on age or what generation you were born in. I think it is mainly the fact that we use it if it works for us and we can afford it if not they we don't tend to use it therefor don't become expert in using it and don't rely on it.
Disagreement- Article 2
I disagree with the fact that this website talks about eductators been in the 21st century digital age now but still are doing things the old way and how they should start focussing and observing new modern ways of learning. I think many educators are up to date with technology and use new teaching methods as they generally find it more quick easy and successful rather than teaching in ways that maybe they learnt. Many of my tutors at uni encourage us to use the internet for research even though they aswell encourage us to use old fashion methods like using books from the library. Just because they are still using old methods of learning to teach doesn't mean they arn't taking into acount new ways of learning aswell.
I think although media and technology is changing all the time, the old traditions will always remain, just like the new traditions that we are creating now will still remain in years to come. Many students today may prefer the old ways of learning more so why should we not be educated this way aswell. Not everything has to be done by using technology I know sometimes i prefer reading through a book rather than searching on the internet for ages. So i think been educated with old and new teaching methods is important and the old methods should not be completely dismissed.
I think although media and technology is changing all the time, the old traditions will always remain, just like the new traditions that we are creating now will still remain in years to come. Many students today may prefer the old ways of learning more so why should we not be educated this way aswell. Not everything has to be done by using technology I know sometimes i prefer reading through a book rather than searching on the internet for ages. So i think been educated with old and new teaching methods is important and the old methods should not be completely dismissed.
Disagreement- Article 1
I disagree with the fact that this website talks about how students are more well equiped for the advances in technology than adults as they have been brought up around this new technology so have hadn't to change from doing things any other way. The reason i disagree with this is because of my own experiences as i know that i am not very good with technology even though i grew up with it and i use it everyday. People like my dad for example or my uncle are just as capable and clued up if not more so than me and they didn't grow up around this new technology. My uncle has more knowledge about computers and the internet etc than me even though i maybe use it more but this is just because i am in eductaion so have to use it more for my work. I think this website is wrong in assuming that there is a digiatl divide as age is a major factor of whether or not you are able to accept that technology is changing. So students are there for classed as digiatl natives and teachers as digital imigrants causing a digital divide in schools and universities. I think that although many teachers may prefer teaching the traditional way like maybe how they learnt at school doesn't mean they are uncapable of teaching with new methods.
I don't believe that it is completely down to how old you are and what generation you grew up in as too wether you are classed as a digital imigrant or native. The website has a table of what kind of things make you a digital immigrant and a native. I don't really agree that just because you are classed as a digital immigrant that you necessarily do all those things. For example i class my self as a digital native but i dont like recieveing information quickly like the table says i prefer it in slow and controlled releases which is what is described as a digital imigrant. So i think sometimes its hard to classify yourself under either one.
I don't believe that it is completely down to how old you are and what generation you grew up in as too wether you are classed as a digital imigrant or native. The website has a table of what kind of things make you a digital immigrant and a native. I don't really agree that just because you are classed as a digital immigrant that you necessarily do all those things. For example i class my self as a digital native but i dont like recieveing information quickly like the table says i prefer it in slow and controlled releases which is what is described as a digital imigrant. So i think sometimes its hard to classify yourself under either one.
Thursday, 10 April 2008
Week 8 Website 5 Digital Imigration
This report start off my describing the kind of daily interaction a digital native has with technology. Emily Field a twenty year old university student is used as an example she is shaped by digiatl technology and spends most of her time in the digital universe of websites, emails, text meassages and mobile phone calls.
Every day she gets up in the morning and strate away checks her mobile phone for text meassages or missed calls, then goes to her computer and checks her emails and the social networking site Facebook which connects millions if university students to see if anybody has written on her wall. She then browses around the internet goin on different websites looking at news articles. Then she uploads the iTunes page to see if any of her subscribed podcasts have come in. The other day when she went to meet her friend she had forgotten her mobile phone so travelled five miles back to go and get it. She couldn't live without her mobile phone with her she felt completely lost and panicked she needs it on her at all times.
Technology is an essential part of her everyday social and academic life. 'I don’t know where I’d be without it. In fact, I’ve never really been without it.' This is what makes her a digiatl native somebody who has never known aworl without instant communication.
Whereas on the other hand her mother, Christine is a “digital immigrant”, still coming to terms with a culture ruled by the ring of a mobile and the zip of e-mails.
The report goes on to describe many studies from different theorists. Lord Saatchi claims that digital technology is changing the way people absorb information. The digital native’s brain is physically different as a result of the digital input it has received growing up.
Dr Anders Sandberg evidence suggests people are becoming more visual than verbal. Some people are claiming that once computers gain good language understanding and you can speak to them, then reading and writing are going to seem cumbersome.
Helen Petrie states that the sheer mass of visual, auditory and verbal information in the modern world is forcing digital natives to make choices that those who grew up with only books and television did not.
Every day she gets up in the morning and strate away checks her mobile phone for text meassages or missed calls, then goes to her computer and checks her emails and the social networking site Facebook which connects millions if university students to see if anybody has written on her wall. She then browses around the internet goin on different websites looking at news articles. Then she uploads the iTunes page to see if any of her subscribed podcasts have come in. The other day when she went to meet her friend she had forgotten her mobile phone so travelled five miles back to go and get it. She couldn't live without her mobile phone with her she felt completely lost and panicked she needs it on her at all times.
Technology is an essential part of her everyday social and academic life. 'I don’t know where I’d be without it. In fact, I’ve never really been without it.' This is what makes her a digiatl native somebody who has never known aworl without instant communication.
Whereas on the other hand her mother, Christine is a “digital immigrant”, still coming to terms with a culture ruled by the ring of a mobile and the zip of e-mails.
The report goes on to describe many studies from different theorists. Lord Saatchi claims that digital technology is changing the way people absorb information. The digital native’s brain is physically different as a result of the digital input it has received growing up.
Dr Anders Sandberg evidence suggests people are becoming more visual than verbal. Some people are claiming that once computers gain good language understanding and you can speak to them, then reading and writing are going to seem cumbersome.
Helen Petrie states that the sheer mass of visual, auditory and verbal information in the modern world is forcing digital natives to make choices that those who grew up with only books and television did not.
Week 8 Website 4 Digital Imigration
The author in this article doesn't like the term 'Digital natives' and digital immigrants' as he believes they 'misrepresent the true nature of learners and learning today'. He goes on to talk about how as educators many are aware that students today are different than they were as children and students have grown up with digital tools therefor cannot imagin life without them. Whereas many people from the older generation remeber a time when there was no such thnig as email and laptops. However he believes what is wrong is the implications drawn from this distinction and the age distinction is perhaps the most discriminatory. Yes learners today tend to do different things with technology and use it pehaps more than previous generations but what is missing is the analysis of the depth of their understanding of technology. In other words most youth today ahve agood understanding of technology. They know haow to downloadmusic films etc, send emails, communicate on social networking sites like facebook as this is the focus of their current use of technology as a tool. This comes down to the distinction been one of interest and use rather than of age. So if you have a particular interest in technology and use it a lot then you are more likey to be able to have a better undestanding of it no matter how old you are.
To conclude the article Henry Jenkins posts soem thoughts on digital natives/immigrants and gives three major terms that also distort many aspects of the phenomenon:
The terms are ahistorical, It collapses all young people into a so-called digital generation and It ignores the degree that what's really powerful about most of the new forms of participatory culture of fans, bloggers, and gamers is that such affinity spaces allow young people and adults to interact with each other in new terms.
At the end of the article their is a place where peopel can leave their comments which is a good thing. One lady has left a comment which backs up what the article was saying. She is a 4o year old woman who uses technology everyday and is very familiar with it. She considers herself as a digiatl native rather than immigrant which shows its not exclusive to age or generations. Its about those who are comfortable with the power of networks to connect and learn
To conclude the article Henry Jenkins posts soem thoughts on digital natives/immigrants and gives three major terms that also distort many aspects of the phenomenon:
The terms are ahistorical, It collapses all young people into a so-called digital generation and It ignores the degree that what's really powerful about most of the new forms of participatory culture of fans, bloggers, and gamers is that such affinity spaces allow young people and adults to interact with each other in new terms.
At the end of the article their is a place where peopel can leave their comments which is a good thing. One lady has left a comment which backs up what the article was saying. She is a 4o year old woman who uses technology everyday and is very familiar with it. She considers herself as a digiatl native rather than immigrant which shows its not exclusive to age or generations. Its about those who are comfortable with the power of networks to connect and learn
Week 8 Website 3 Digital Immigration
This website talks about the problem with 'digital natives', 'digial immigrants' and the 'digital generation'. The author of this article disagrees with the fact that all young people today are 'born digital' and are part of some 'special or distinct experiential universe that grants them special prowess or powers and blinds them to other things' for example only been able to learn through video or pictures rather than picking up a book. What lead him to believe this is the fact that he doesnt believe that 'generations' are meaningful social categories. For instance its like saying that all people who were born before 1974 are uncapable and not familiar with using the latest technology juat because they havnt't been born into it. They could have the same level of knowledge if not more than somebody who has been born into this new technological society.
Further down the article the theorist Henry Jenkins talks about how "digital natives" help us to recognize and respect the new kinds of learning and cultural expression which have emerged from a generation that has come of age alongside the personal and networked computer. He raises the issues about youth as as digiatl natives implies that there is a world which these young people all share a body of knowledge that they have all learnt and mastered together, rather tahn seeing the online world as unfamiliar and uncertain for all of us.
Further down the article the theorist Henry Jenkins talks about how "digital natives" help us to recognize and respect the new kinds of learning and cultural expression which have emerged from a generation that has come of age alongside the personal and networked computer. He raises the issues about youth as as digiatl natives implies that there is a world which these young people all share a body of knowledge that they have all learnt and mastered together, rather tahn seeing the online world as unfamiliar and uncertain for all of us.
Week 8 Website 2 Digital Immigration
The website begins by talking about how educators are now ain the 21st century digital age but are still doin things the old way. Its about time they started focussing and observing new modern ways of learning. Marc prensky then goes on to talk about some of the features of our 21st century landscape that will be of utmost importance to those entrusted with the stewardship of children's 21st century education.
Then the website talks about digiatl natives and how they are no longer “little versions of us” (teachers/parents grandparents etc) like they might have been in the past. They have grown up so differently that teachers and parents can no longer use their training and knowledge to educate them in the best way possible. This makes communication more difficult. Prensky argues that digital natives will start to evolove and change so rapidly that it will be hard for digital immigrants to catch up.
Following this the website talks about student engagement and how new ways should be found to engage students in school. They must be engaged in the 21st century way electronically through what kids call 'gameplay'. Incorporating into the classrooms the same combination of desirable goals, interesting choices, immediate and useful feedback and opportunitis to improve that engage kids in their favourite complex computer games.
The wrest of the website discussess the topics of collaborating with students, flexible organization, digiatl tools, programming,Legacy Versus Future Learning and school versus after schoool. Each topic is discussed in a few paragraphs under these bold headings which breaks the website down into sections and makes it easy to read.
Then the website talks about digiatl natives and how they are no longer “little versions of us” (teachers/parents grandparents etc) like they might have been in the past. They have grown up so differently that teachers and parents can no longer use their training and knowledge to educate them in the best way possible. This makes communication more difficult. Prensky argues that digital natives will start to evolove and change so rapidly that it will be hard for digital immigrants to catch up.
Following this the website talks about student engagement and how new ways should be found to engage students in school. They must be engaged in the 21st century way electronically through what kids call 'gameplay'. Incorporating into the classrooms the same combination of desirable goals, interesting choices, immediate and useful feedback and opportunitis to improve that engage kids in their favourite complex computer games.
The wrest of the website discussess the topics of collaborating with students, flexible organization, digiatl tools, programming,Legacy Versus Future Learning and school versus after schoool. Each topic is discussed in a few paragraphs under these bold headings which breaks the website down into sections and makes it easy to read.
Wednesday, 9 April 2008
Week 8 Website 1 Digital immigration
This web site goes talk about how the world today is developing and so fast moving that there is always advances in technology that people are having to familiarise themselves with. However students today are well equiped for these kind of changes more than adults resulting in the disconnection between how students learn and how teachers teach. The researchers that are mentioned in the website Ian Jukes and Anita Dosaj refer to this disconnection as "poor communication between 'digital natives' today's students and 'digital immigrants' many adults.
The website then goes on to talk about the differences between digiatl native learners and digital immigrant teachers and what types of things set them apart from one another. Digital immigrants prefer recieving their information quickly from multiple multimedia sources, they prefer parallel processing and multtasking. They process pictures, sounds and videos before text, so they would rather learn through watching videos rather than picking up a book to read. They prefer random access to hyperlinked multimedia information and they like to interact with friends and family simultaneously. They learn 'just in time' and like learning that is relevant, instantly useful and fun whilst recieving instant gratification and rewards.
On the over hand digital immigrants like teachers/tutors prefer slow and controlled release of information from limited sources, singular processing and single or limited tasking. Providing text books is much preferred rather than learning through pictures, sounds and videos. Teachers like to provide information linearly, logically and sequentially. They prefer students to work rather than network and interact. They prefer to teach 'just in case' incase things do come up in the exam, and they choose to teach to the curriculum guide and standardized texts, they give deferred gratification and rewards.
The website then goes on to talk about the differences between digiatl native learners and digital immigrant teachers and what types of things set them apart from one another. Digital immigrants prefer recieving their information quickly from multiple multimedia sources, they prefer parallel processing and multtasking. They process pictures, sounds and videos before text, so they would rather learn through watching videos rather than picking up a book to read. They prefer random access to hyperlinked multimedia information and they like to interact with friends and family simultaneously. They learn 'just in time' and like learning that is relevant, instantly useful and fun whilst recieving instant gratification and rewards.
On the over hand digital immigrants like teachers/tutors prefer slow and controlled release of information from limited sources, singular processing and single or limited tasking. Providing text books is much preferred rather than learning through pictures, sounds and videos. Teachers like to provide information linearly, logically and sequentially. They prefer students to work rather than network and interact. They prefer to teach 'just in case' incase things do come up in the exam, and they choose to teach to the curriculum guide and standardized texts, they give deferred gratification and rewards.
Week 8 Five Websites on Digital immigration
These are the five websites that i have choosen:
1) http://www.apple.com/au/education/digitalkids/disconnect/landscape.html
2) http://www.ascd.org/authors/ed_lead/el200512_prensky.html
3) http://www.googlizationofeverything.com/2007/12/the_problem_with_digital_nativ.php
4) http://www.elearnspace.org/blog/archives/003055.html
5)http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/article683193.ece
1) http://www.apple.com/au/education/digitalkids/disconnect/landscape.html
2) http://www.ascd.org/authors/ed_lead/el200512_prensky.html
3) http://www.googlizationofeverything.com/2007/12/the_problem_with_digital_nativ.php
4) http://www.elearnspace.org/blog/archives/003055.html
5)http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/article683193.ece
Tuesday, 8 April 2008
Week 8 Digital Immigration
When researching about digital immagration i found two interesting websites that i found interesting and collected most of my information from. Both of them have the title 'Digital natives, Digital immigrants'
http://www.wisc.edu/depd/html/TSarticles/Digital%20Natives.htm
http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky%20-%20Digital%20Natives,%20Digital%20Immigrants%20-%20Part1.pdf
According to Marc prensky who appears as the main man with the knowlegde and ideas in both these websites states that "The native/immigrant analogy can help us understand the differences between those who are comfortable with technology and those who are not"
Digital immigrants are those not born into the digital world, but have at some point in our lives, become facinated by and adopted many or most aspects of the new technology. Unlike Digital natives however who are used to recieving information really fast and like to parallell process and multy task. They are extremely literate in the new digiatl language of today.(Prensky M 2001). For example students,young adults and teenagers today would be classed as digital naitives as they are familiar with new technology. It plays a big role in their lives and they are always using it to communicate with people and for education purposes etc. They rely upon technology a lot and have been brought up with all the latest technology like the internet, mobile phones, ipods etc. Whereas Digital Immigrants are those who havn't really been brought up with this type of technology take your parents or grandparents for example who didn't grow up in a society where technology was well advanced the internet wasn't available and neither were things like mobile phones. They have had to learn and start adapting to this new technology. Which often can be very hard and challenging for many hence why as Marc prensky describes that even if they try to keep up with the advances in new technology they still mite have 'Digital immigrant accent'. For instance they mite print out a digital document to edit rather than just editing it online.(Prensky M 2001)
My mum for example had to learn how to use a computer because of the job she is in she needed to be familiar in using one as it is part of her job. She isnt very good with computers because she hasnt been brought up with them and never really used them in schools making her a digital immigrant but she had to adapt to this new technology however she is still not very good and on them like she can't type very fast etc so she still has 'digital immigrant accent'.
Prenksy also talks about how how students and young adults today at university and college etc are people who our educational system are no longer able to teach. The point he is trying to make is the fact that digital natives education is suffering as these people in the educational sysytem who are digital immigrants "speak an outdated language and are struggling to teach a population that speaks an entirely different language" (Prensky m 2001)
The education sytem are the ones that care about the digital devide between students (natives) and the teachers/lectures (immigrants) as they are more likely to be comfortable and familiar with teaching the traditional way that they were brought up which isnt around new technology that is popular today. Where as students are been brought up around this new technology and are very familiar with using it so want to learn through this. Which raises the question is this effecting our education as we are not learning the way we should be in todays advanced society? Or should we not rely on technology all the time?
For example students today when learning are happy to do all there research on the internet gathering information from certain websites. However they are encouraged by the educational system to go to the library and use books and journals to help them learn not just the internet.
I know when i am at home and am researching work through the internet using web searchers like google or yahoo to look up information my mum says to me i could never just get on a computer log on the internet and go to a search engine to do research i had to go to the library and find books.
http://www.wisc.edu/depd/html/TSarticles/Digital%20Natives.htm
http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky%20-%20Digital%20Natives,%20Digital%20Immigrants%20-%20Part1.pdf
According to Marc prensky who appears as the main man with the knowlegde and ideas in both these websites states that "The native/immigrant analogy can help us understand the differences between those who are comfortable with technology and those who are not"
Digital immigrants are those not born into the digital world, but have at some point in our lives, become facinated by and adopted many or most aspects of the new technology. Unlike Digital natives however who are used to recieving information really fast and like to parallell process and multy task. They are extremely literate in the new digiatl language of today.(Prensky M 2001). For example students,young adults and teenagers today would be classed as digital naitives as they are familiar with new technology. It plays a big role in their lives and they are always using it to communicate with people and for education purposes etc. They rely upon technology a lot and have been brought up with all the latest technology like the internet, mobile phones, ipods etc. Whereas Digital Immigrants are those who havn't really been brought up with this type of technology take your parents or grandparents for example who didn't grow up in a society where technology was well advanced the internet wasn't available and neither were things like mobile phones. They have had to learn and start adapting to this new technology. Which often can be very hard and challenging for many hence why as Marc prensky describes that even if they try to keep up with the advances in new technology they still mite have 'Digital immigrant accent'. For instance they mite print out a digital document to edit rather than just editing it online.(Prensky M 2001)
My mum for example had to learn how to use a computer because of the job she is in she needed to be familiar in using one as it is part of her job. She isnt very good with computers because she hasnt been brought up with them and never really used them in schools making her a digital immigrant but she had to adapt to this new technology however she is still not very good and on them like she can't type very fast etc so she still has 'digital immigrant accent'.
Prenksy also talks about how how students and young adults today at university and college etc are people who our educational system are no longer able to teach. The point he is trying to make is the fact that digital natives education is suffering as these people in the educational sysytem who are digital immigrants "speak an outdated language and are struggling to teach a population that speaks an entirely different language" (Prensky m 2001)
The education sytem are the ones that care about the digital devide between students (natives) and the teachers/lectures (immigrants) as they are more likely to be comfortable and familiar with teaching the traditional way that they were brought up which isnt around new technology that is popular today. Where as students are been brought up around this new technology and are very familiar with using it so want to learn through this. Which raises the question is this effecting our education as we are not learning the way we should be in todays advanced society? Or should we not rely on technology all the time?
For example students today when learning are happy to do all there research on the internet gathering information from certain websites. However they are encouraged by the educational system to go to the library and use books and journals to help them learn not just the internet.
I know when i am at home and am researching work through the internet using web searchers like google or yahoo to look up information my mum says to me i could never just get on a computer log on the internet and go to a search engine to do research i had to go to the library and find books.
Week 7 Zambia
Zambia- Distance learning
The university of Zambia was one of the first conventional university to establish distance learning where regular teaching staff teach both internal and distance learning students. The teachers did not have time to carry out teaching responsabilities for both students and thought that teaching distance learning students was an extra burden which was not sufficiently rewarding and they found it time consuming. This lead the staff to go back to campus based teaching. In the article it states that 25% of students in Scriven's Study would avouid distance learning if they could and 31 % of the respondants disliked marking distance learning students assignments.
Many people dont like distance learning and would avoid it when possible as they find the work very time consuming which i can relate to as i know the blogging work that i have to do is very time consuming and takes up a lot of my time as we are supposed to work on it at least 2 full days a week. I find that sometimes i am concentrating so much on getting my blooging work done each week that i do less work for my other modules. I feel that i need to do a lot of blogging to make up for the fact that we dont see our tutor everyweek so keeping up to date with different topics and debates each week is important.
The university of Zambia was one of the first conventional university to establish distance learning where regular teaching staff teach both internal and distance learning students. The teachers did not have time to carry out teaching responsabilities for both students and thought that teaching distance learning students was an extra burden which was not sufficiently rewarding and they found it time consuming. This lead the staff to go back to campus based teaching. In the article it states that 25% of students in Scriven's Study would avouid distance learning if they could and 31 % of the respondants disliked marking distance learning students assignments.
Many people dont like distance learning and would avoid it when possible as they find the work very time consuming which i can relate to as i know the blogging work that i have to do is very time consuming and takes up a lot of my time as we are supposed to work on it at least 2 full days a week. I find that sometimes i am concentrating so much on getting my blooging work done each week that i do less work for my other modules. I feel that i need to do a lot of blogging to make up for the fact that we dont see our tutor everyweek so keeping up to date with different topics and debates each week is important.
Monday, 7 April 2008
Week 7 China
China -TV and Radio Learning
China was one of the first countries to use radio and television for higher eductional purposes. in the early 1960's the first television universities were founded in the capital Beijing and other sities to meet the demand for adult education as there wasn't available funds to be able to hire teachers to fullfill the usual teaching methods like being taught face to face in a class room along with many other students.
China was one of the first countries to use radio and television for higher eductional purposes. in the early 1960's the first television universities were founded in the capital Beijing and other sities to meet the demand for adult education as there wasn't available funds to be able to hire teachers to fullfill the usual teaching methods like being taught face to face in a class room along with many other students.
I Think the posative aspects to learning though radio and television in china is the fact that they can train more people in less time as China has such a large population and is such a big place. The distance between the universities is very far unlike england where there are many universities and collefes everywhere for people to attend. People in China would have to travel long distances to be educated which many people would be unable or unwilling to do. The classes would have to many people in them and it would be harder to eductate people. Students are more likely to get distracted if they are amongst a lot of people and it can be hard to concentrate and focuss on listening to one lectures in a big room as hearing them may be a problem. So i think this is why over the past eight years the enrolment into these universities has totalled 1,291,833 as more people had easier access to learning. Many people like the fact that they are learning in the comfort of their own hoem and don't have to go out or travel to be educated.
I think this method of learning can be negative as you arn't really interacting with people who arnt your friends. As from my experience when you are in a class room learning you often have the chance to voice your opinion and discuss certain topics with people and listen to what they have to say which helps a lot as often everybody doesnt always look at things in the same light so you can learn from others. Also you are often put into groups to work so you have the chance to work and intertact with people face to face that your wouldn't normally giving you experience for later on in life when you go into a job. Learning from home doesnt give you any of these experinces. However with this learning through television and radio there is the option of some face to face tution if it is needed.
I Wouldnt really like to learn all the time sing this method its not really for me as i like learning amongst other people and i find it hard to work at hoem sometimes.
Wednesday, 12 March 2008
Week 7 Deakin University
http://www.deakin.edu.au/future-students/online-offcampus-studies/
I think the the fact that Deakin university gives students a choice of how they study is a good thing. As many people find different ways of learning better for them. We all have certain preferences that are best suited to us so it gives you that choice. I no many people working they would prefer going to the campus and recieve face to face teaching, whilst others would prefer just to sit at home and learn themselves through the internet etc. Some maybe dont mind and would prefer to experience both ways i think i would be one of these people as i wouldn't like to be constantly looking at a computer screen and learning through the internet sat at home all the time as i like getting out and interacting with people. Plus i find it easier raising any questions or queries with somebody face to face rather than online.
I think in the long run the fact that from 2004 they made everybody do one online unit is probably a good thing as it does give people that bit more experience with online technology and interaction. In our society today its probably most needed later on in life due to the constant change and development in new media and it will become most useful if you have some kind of experience as a lot of jobs etc today include some kind of online and computer interaction.
Although online interaction is good i think attending some on campus learning is also an important way of learning and develops your social and talking skills for later on in life. As you get practice in face to face converstaion and debates with people. I sometimes enjoy seminars rather than been sat at a computer blogging as i feel i get more feedback state away whereas with computer blogging you dont people dont always answer your questions. I think that seeing peolpes facial expressions or the tone you say something is important as it can help people understand something you are trying to say. You would not see this if you were having a conversation online.
Now i have some experience in online learning from this unit i can understand it more and can see how learning online is done before i may have found it hard as i was just so used to having face to face teaching as i was just used to attending lectures and seminars and sitting infront of a tutor.
I think the the fact that Deakin university gives students a choice of how they study is a good thing. As many people find different ways of learning better for them. We all have certain preferences that are best suited to us so it gives you that choice. I no many people working they would prefer going to the campus and recieve face to face teaching, whilst others would prefer just to sit at home and learn themselves through the internet etc. Some maybe dont mind and would prefer to experience both ways i think i would be one of these people as i wouldn't like to be constantly looking at a computer screen and learning through the internet sat at home all the time as i like getting out and interacting with people. Plus i find it easier raising any questions or queries with somebody face to face rather than online.
I think in the long run the fact that from 2004 they made everybody do one online unit is probably a good thing as it does give people that bit more experience with online technology and interaction. In our society today its probably most needed later on in life due to the constant change and development in new media and it will become most useful if you have some kind of experience as a lot of jobs etc today include some kind of online and computer interaction.
Although online interaction is good i think attending some on campus learning is also an important way of learning and develops your social and talking skills for later on in life. As you get practice in face to face converstaion and debates with people. I sometimes enjoy seminars rather than been sat at a computer blogging as i feel i get more feedback state away whereas with computer blogging you dont people dont always answer your questions. I think that seeing peolpes facial expressions or the tone you say something is important as it can help people understand something you are trying to say. You would not see this if you were having a conversation online.
Now i have some experience in online learning from this unit i can understand it more and can see how learning online is done before i may have found it hard as i was just so used to having face to face teaching as i was just used to attending lectures and seminars and sitting infront of a tutor.
Monday, 10 March 2008
Week 7 Distance learning- China
China was one of the first countries to use radio and television for higher eductional purposes. in the early 1960's the first television universities were founded in the capital Beijing and other sities to meet the demand for adult education as there wasn't available funds to be able to hire teachers to fullfill the usual teaching methods like being taught face to face in a class room along with many other students.
I Think the posative aspects to learning though radio and television in china is the fact that they can train more people in less time as China has such a large population and is such a big place. The distance between the universities is very far unlike england where there are many universities and collefes everywhere for people to attend. People in China would have to travel long distances to be educated which many people would be unable or unwilling to do. The classes would have to many people in them and it would be harder to eductate people. Students are more likely to get distracted if they are amongst a lot of people and it can be hard to concentrate and focuss on listening to one lectures in a big room as hearing them may be a problem. So i think this is why over the past eight years the enrolment into these universities has totalled 1,291,833 as more people had easier access to learning. Many people like the fact that they are learning in the comfort of their own hoem and don't have to go out or travel to be educated.
I think this method of learning can be negative as you arn't really interacting with people who arnt your friends. As from my experience when you are in a class room learning you often have the chance to voice your opinion and discuss certain topics with people and listen to what they have to say which helps a lot as often everybody doesnt always look at things in the same light so you can learn from others. Also you are often put into groups to work so you have the chance to work and intertact with people face to face that your wouldn't normally giving you experience for later on in life when you go into a job. Learning from home doesnt give you any of these experinces. However with this learning through television and radio there is the option of some face to face tution if it is needed.
I Wouldnt really like to learn all the time sing this method its not really for me as i like learning amongst other people and i find it hard to work at hoem sometimes.
I Think the posative aspects to learning though radio and television in china is the fact that they can train more people in less time as China has such a large population and is such a big place. The distance between the universities is very far unlike england where there are many universities and collefes everywhere for people to attend. People in China would have to travel long distances to be educated which many people would be unable or unwilling to do. The classes would have to many people in them and it would be harder to eductate people. Students are more likely to get distracted if they are amongst a lot of people and it can be hard to concentrate and focuss on listening to one lectures in a big room as hearing them may be a problem. So i think this is why over the past eight years the enrolment into these universities has totalled 1,291,833 as more people had easier access to learning. Many people like the fact that they are learning in the comfort of their own hoem and don't have to go out or travel to be educated.
I think this method of learning can be negative as you arn't really interacting with people who arnt your friends. As from my experience when you are in a class room learning you often have the chance to voice your opinion and discuss certain topics with people and listen to what they have to say which helps a lot as often everybody doesnt always look at things in the same light so you can learn from others. Also you are often put into groups to work so you have the chance to work and intertact with people face to face that your wouldn't normally giving you experience for later on in life when you go into a job. Learning from home doesnt give you any of these experinces. However with this learning through television and radio there is the option of some face to face tution if it is needed.
I Wouldnt really like to learn all the time sing this method its not really for me as i like learning amongst other people and i find it hard to work at hoem sometimes.
Sunday, 2 March 2008
Sue's Tasks -Task four
Our forum as a community of practice
I would say our new media cultures forum is a community of practice as we all our interested and want to learn about the same things and are aiming for the same goals. We all have a similar level of understanding and help one another along by giving advice and commenting on one anothers blogs when we have posted certain information and tasks each week. We are learning each week by reading books and researching and doing tasks to help us learn as we all want to achieve high grades in order to be successful. We all started as new comers and were on an equal level. We hadn't really had much experience on submitting our work on blogs before. However with in the group there would be people who had more background experience posting on blogs and forums as they may have used them before for personal interests besides work.
Like Wenger says in a community of practice there is no strict rules to follow and nobody really acts as the 'boss' its less informal unlike and organisational unit. In our community we don't have particular rules and somebody to report to. Although we do have tutors who are there to guide us and give us advice when needed. So we do have the hierarchy and a kind of power structure where the tutors who are the experts and have the knowlege are at the top and we as the pupils are lower as we are slowly learning.
We don't have srict rules for work we have to do. We are encouraged and told what things we should be learning and the kind of things that we are expected to do. It is then up to us how we but out ideas and learning experiences forward to be marked.
Now we are about six weeks into the topic there will be a bit of a power structure between us as students as some will have learnt more and completed more tasks in those weeks than others as some people have fallen behind so you could say they were even lower in the hierarchy.
What do other people think do you agree that this is why we have become a community of practice?
I would say our new media cultures forum is a community of practice as we all our interested and want to learn about the same things and are aiming for the same goals. We all have a similar level of understanding and help one another along by giving advice and commenting on one anothers blogs when we have posted certain information and tasks each week. We are learning each week by reading books and researching and doing tasks to help us learn as we all want to achieve high grades in order to be successful. We all started as new comers and were on an equal level. We hadn't really had much experience on submitting our work on blogs before. However with in the group there would be people who had more background experience posting on blogs and forums as they may have used them before for personal interests besides work.
Like Wenger says in a community of practice there is no strict rules to follow and nobody really acts as the 'boss' its less informal unlike and organisational unit. In our community we don't have particular rules and somebody to report to. Although we do have tutors who are there to guide us and give us advice when needed. So we do have the hierarchy and a kind of power structure where the tutors who are the experts and have the knowlege are at the top and we as the pupils are lower as we are slowly learning.
We don't have srict rules for work we have to do. We are encouraged and told what things we should be learning and the kind of things that we are expected to do. It is then up to us how we but out ideas and learning experiences forward to be marked.
Now we are about six weeks into the topic there will be a bit of a power structure between us as students as some will have learnt more and completed more tasks in those weeks than others as some people have fallen behind so you could say they were even lower in the hierarchy.
What do other people think do you agree that this is why we have become a community of practice?
Sue's Tasks Wenger and Jean Lave -Task three
I have chosen this website
http://www.friendsreunited.co.uk/practices as my online community of practice.
This is a website where people can find old friends you have lost touch with and discover what they are doing with themselves now by getting back in touch with them and organising reunions. These people become part of a community by signing up and getting back in touch with people that they havn't spoke to in years. People they went to school, college, university or worked with. Many people on this website have the same interst in finding people they have lost touch with and work together to help find one another buy joining up to this site and sharing their life experiences through posting photographs and writing notes etc and learning together as a group what each of them are doing with their lives now. Giving this website a kind of 'joint enterprise'.
Many people are actively involved in this website and with progression can catch up with many friends from the past. People join up with this website with a certain goal in mind to find a particualr group of people that have been part of their lives. Once they have found through searches their friends they can always keep intouch with each other on this website and develop a sort of online community.
I think it is quite like a community of practice as with this website you know the people you are talking to as you have known them before. Unlike other online communities of practice whereby you don't really know people so the interaction between people involves a lot more of you using your imagination as you can't see them you have to rely on words rather than face and body expressions to get to know the people as you arn't interacting with people face to face like you would in real life. Not that this means it cant become a community practice i think its just harder to build.
With this freinds reunited there is a section where you can join up to 'reuinions' where people plan to meet up with each other agen so they are seeing each other face to face again after years and years which makes the joint enterprise easier.
I wouldn't say this website particulary had anybody who was in more power than anybody else. However like a community of practice there is more people with more experience than others and know there way around the website better than new comers would as they have been members for a while so new people will look up to them. They have steps as to how you can go about finding your friends for newcomers to the site .They tell you information of what other people have done and experienced so you get a rough idea and can get advice from them and there experiences on the site.
On the top right hand side of the page there is the section for new people 'New to friends reunited' this is where you give your details and any advice is given to make you feel comfortable with what you are joining and to help you regain good relationships with the people you wish to. The same as if you were to join a community of practice offline you would be welcomed and slowly introduced when starting somewhere new.
I think is a good example of an online community of practice as it is a place where people can build on their past friendships together and learn of each others interests and experiences together. Would anybody else agree?
http://www.friendsreunited.co.uk/practices as my online community of practice.
This is a website where people can find old friends you have lost touch with and discover what they are doing with themselves now by getting back in touch with them and organising reunions. These people become part of a community by signing up and getting back in touch with people that they havn't spoke to in years. People they went to school, college, university or worked with. Many people on this website have the same interst in finding people they have lost touch with and work together to help find one another buy joining up to this site and sharing their life experiences through posting photographs and writing notes etc and learning together as a group what each of them are doing with their lives now. Giving this website a kind of 'joint enterprise'.
Many people are actively involved in this website and with progression can catch up with many friends from the past. People join up with this website with a certain goal in mind to find a particualr group of people that have been part of their lives. Once they have found through searches their friends they can always keep intouch with each other on this website and develop a sort of online community.
I think it is quite like a community of practice as with this website you know the people you are talking to as you have known them before. Unlike other online communities of practice whereby you don't really know people so the interaction between people involves a lot more of you using your imagination as you can't see them you have to rely on words rather than face and body expressions to get to know the people as you arn't interacting with people face to face like you would in real life. Not that this means it cant become a community practice i think its just harder to build.
With this freinds reunited there is a section where you can join up to 'reuinions' where people plan to meet up with each other agen so they are seeing each other face to face again after years and years which makes the joint enterprise easier.
I wouldn't say this website particulary had anybody who was in more power than anybody else. However like a community of practice there is more people with more experience than others and know there way around the website better than new comers would as they have been members for a while so new people will look up to them. They have steps as to how you can go about finding your friends for newcomers to the site .They tell you information of what other people have done and experienced so you get a rough idea and can get advice from them and there experiences on the site.
On the top right hand side of the page there is the section for new people 'New to friends reunited' this is where you give your details and any advice is given to make you feel comfortable with what you are joining and to help you regain good relationships with the people you wish to. The same as if you were to join a community of practice offline you would be welcomed and slowly introduced when starting somewhere new.
I think is a good example of an online community of practice as it is a place where people can build on their past friendships together and learn of each others interests and experiences together. Would anybody else agree?
Sue's Tasks Wenger and Jean Lave -Task two
An example of an 'Organizational unit' that Wenger talks about is when somebody in that organization holds a higher status than everybody else and they act as a kind of boss. Everybody else in that organization has to stick to their rules. An example of where this happens is in the workplace, in a school or at home with parents and children. With an organizational unit you are under pressure and you have to go by the 'bossess' rules and it is essential that you attend and complete what is asked of you. You wouldn't argue with your boss or school teacher or not turn up to work/school one day. It is a more strict enviroment the person in the organization who holds the power and authority is there for a reason to keep people in their place and make sure they are doing their job right. For example if you didn't take you 'boss' at work very seriously and see them as having authority and the power to sack you then you wouldn't do your job properly and often wouldn't turn up.
Whereas with a community of practice there is the people who have more knowledge and are the experts at that particular thing than others but it isnt as strict and is more 'informal' as Wenger says. You don't see them as much of a 'boss' they are more there to help you learn something you are interested in and have fun with it. After all you are there because you want to be not because you have to be like with school or work. With my horseriding teacher that I talked about previously i saw her more as a friend rather than a teacher and i saw her outside of my horseriding lessons and she is friends with all my family. As we lived in the same village also we new a lot of the same people. I think when you first start a community of practice like dancing or horseriding you may see the person who runs it as a kind of teacher especially if you are young. I think the older you get though and the more you get to know them you become to see them as a freind that you respect and look up to rather than seeing them as a boss. As you all share the same interests it is harder to put some people above others you just get along and work together as a team and enjoy what you are there for.
As Winger quotes '"Communities of practice are not a new kind of organizational unit; rather, they are a different cut on the organization's structure—one that emphasizes the learning that people have done together rather than the unit they report to" with communities of practice you are not pushed to go and don't have to report to somebody say for instance if you don't show up for a couple of weeks its acceptable. You kind of have the freedom to do what you want to a certain extent. You often make choices as a group rather than been told to do so or having to abide by rules and regulations like you would in school.
Communities of practice are a more relaxed atmosphere than an Organizational unit. You can learn at your own pace like taking exams when you are ready and helping one another. Age doesn't really matter you mite start a dance school and not know as much as somebody who is younger than you who has been there a long time. However with school for example most of your learning just comes from your teacher. You move along with everyone else who is the same age as you and is in the same class and don't have a choice when taking exams things are more structured.
Whereas with a community of practice there is the people who have more knowledge and are the experts at that particular thing than others but it isnt as strict and is more 'informal' as Wenger says. You don't see them as much of a 'boss' they are more there to help you learn something you are interested in and have fun with it. After all you are there because you want to be not because you have to be like with school or work. With my horseriding teacher that I talked about previously i saw her more as a friend rather than a teacher and i saw her outside of my horseriding lessons and she is friends with all my family. As we lived in the same village also we new a lot of the same people. I think when you first start a community of practice like dancing or horseriding you may see the person who runs it as a kind of teacher especially if you are young. I think the older you get though and the more you get to know them you become to see them as a freind that you respect and look up to rather than seeing them as a boss. As you all share the same interests it is harder to put some people above others you just get along and work together as a team and enjoy what you are there for.
As Winger quotes '"Communities of practice are not a new kind of organizational unit; rather, they are a different cut on the organization's structure—one that emphasizes the learning that people have done together rather than the unit they report to" with communities of practice you are not pushed to go and don't have to report to somebody say for instance if you don't show up for a couple of weeks its acceptable. You kind of have the freedom to do what you want to a certain extent. You often make choices as a group rather than been told to do so or having to abide by rules and regulations like you would in school.
Communities of practice are a more relaxed atmosphere than an Organizational unit. You can learn at your own pace like taking exams when you are ready and helping one another. Age doesn't really matter you mite start a dance school and not know as much as somebody who is younger than you who has been there a long time. However with school for example most of your learning just comes from your teacher. You move along with everyone else who is the same age as you and is in the same class and don't have a choice when taking exams things are more structured.
Sue's Tasks Wenger and Jean Lave -Task one
I have been part of many community of practices when i was a child. I used to attend a dance class near to wear i lived once a week called 'New Mills Dance and theatre Centre'. I also attended horse riding which took place in the village that i live in I also went to this once a week. I have chosen these as examples as i believe they were very important to me as a child and I had a lot of interest in both of them and continued to get better and better at them as i got older. They were my childhood hobbies. I Used to attend dancing every Tuesday night after school and used to practice to be in local shows that took place at the local theatre and work hard to take exams which would be marked by a proper examiner. Each time I passed an exam I got presented with certificates and medals then i would move up to the next grade. I didn't take my horse riding as seriously and this was a much smaller community of people. Every Friday or Saturday i used to learn how to look after and tack up the horses you could say this was the Joint Enterprise of the practice as we were all learning the same technique that was meant for grooming and tacking up the horse as we went through different stages of putting the saddle and bridle on etc. We would then go out horse riding together as a group. As Wenger says we were socially bounded as we all kind of had the same relationship with one another as we shared a passion for horse riding and did things together as a group.
Within these practices that were formed many people from the same school and town as me attended. I was surrounded by people with the same interest and they were all their for the same reason. This relates to Wenger’s discussion of communities of practice where by several people with a common interest get to together for the purpose of furthering their knowledge and practice of that interest (Wenger and Lave 1988)
Our mutual engagement In the dance classes was to become the best dancers to try and get to the top by learning different routines in jazz, modern, ballet and tap dancing.
Both practices i attend had a shared repertoire as we were all enthusiastic about learning new things like the routines we had to learn in dancing and the certain facts and names for types of horses and everything that comes with them.
Wenger’s reading also covered the aspect of knowledge and hierarchy's as there was a certain power structure in both practices i attended. There was the main teacher who owned and was in charge of the practices. Caroline was the main dancing teacher and Sarah was the main horse riding teacher both of these people were at the top of the hierarchy as they were the people with the most knowledge.
As Wenger says people always have different knowledge about things some will be better than others as they will have more knowledge and experience on a certain think and have the power to teach people who don't know the first thing. This is very true with the practices i attended.
In dancing Caroline had the most knowledge and experience then we had another teacher who was like second from the top of the hierarchy called Steph us as pupils didn't view her as highly but still respected her as a teacher as she was far more experienced than us. There was different classes in dancing which you can look at as a kind of power structure as people were at different levels. There was the older people who had done more exams and were on the highest grades then there was the younger ones who hadn't done as many and were on lower levels and there was a class for new comers. They didn't really have much experience as some of them hadn't even danced before. The higher the level you kept going the higher you are on the hierarchy and the more respect you got.
In horse riding when i first started i was at the very bottom I didn't really no much as i became more knowledgeable and the longer i was then i gained more power and was able to start teaching younger people in the practice how to horse ride.
Wenger also discusses team work and participation. In my dancing classes we all had to pull together as a group and help each other when we are performing shows so we could achieve the best of our potential.
With both practices i attended we had to wear a uniform which nobody else had. For dancing i had to wear a black or blue leotard with a black jumper that had the logo in the right hand corner 'new mills dance and theatre centre'. This brought us together as a community and people would easily recognise that we were part of that social practice even when we were not all together.
Within these practices that were formed many people from the same school and town as me attended. I was surrounded by people with the same interest and they were all their for the same reason. This relates to Wenger’s discussion of communities of practice where by several people with a common interest get to together for the purpose of furthering their knowledge and practice of that interest (Wenger and Lave 1988)
Our mutual engagement In the dance classes was to become the best dancers to try and get to the top by learning different routines in jazz, modern, ballet and tap dancing.
Both practices i attend had a shared repertoire as we were all enthusiastic about learning new things like the routines we had to learn in dancing and the certain facts and names for types of horses and everything that comes with them.
Wenger’s reading also covered the aspect of knowledge and hierarchy's as there was a certain power structure in both practices i attended. There was the main teacher who owned and was in charge of the practices. Caroline was the main dancing teacher and Sarah was the main horse riding teacher both of these people were at the top of the hierarchy as they were the people with the most knowledge.
As Wenger says people always have different knowledge about things some will be better than others as they will have more knowledge and experience on a certain think and have the power to teach people who don't know the first thing. This is very true with the practices i attended.
In dancing Caroline had the most knowledge and experience then we had another teacher who was like second from the top of the hierarchy called Steph us as pupils didn't view her as highly but still respected her as a teacher as she was far more experienced than us. There was different classes in dancing which you can look at as a kind of power structure as people were at different levels. There was the older people who had done more exams and were on the highest grades then there was the younger ones who hadn't done as many and were on lower levels and there was a class for new comers. They didn't really have much experience as some of them hadn't even danced before. The higher the level you kept going the higher you are on the hierarchy and the more respect you got.
In horse riding when i first started i was at the very bottom I didn't really no much as i became more knowledgeable and the longer i was then i gained more power and was able to start teaching younger people in the practice how to horse ride.
Wenger also discusses team work and participation. In my dancing classes we all had to pull together as a group and help each other when we are performing shows so we could achieve the best of our potential.
With both practices i attended we had to wear a uniform which nobody else had. For dancing i had to wear a black or blue leotard with a black jumper that had the logo in the right hand corner 'new mills dance and theatre centre'. This brought us together as a community and people would easily recognise that we were part of that social practice even when we were not all together.
Friday, 29 February 2008
Web Analysis week 6 (Part 1 Introduction )
INTRODUCTION
The website I have chosen to analyse is http://www.cosmopolitan.co.uk/. For those people who don’t know what this website consists of its an online woman’s magazine containing all the things the printed monthly cosmopolitan magazine does that you would buy off the shelf only instead of buying the magazine you can access it online.. It doesn’t cost anything to read and you can access it whenever you want to find the latest updates and gossip of what’s happening today instantly.
The reason I have chosen this website is because I often used to buy the magazine and if I didn’t then I browse through the website and read the sections I am interested in. So I am quite familiar with it.
The website I have chosen to analyse is http://www.cosmopolitan.co.uk/. For those people who don’t know what this website consists of its an online woman’s magazine containing all the things the printed monthly cosmopolitan magazine does that you would buy off the shelf only instead of buying the magazine you can access it online.. It doesn’t cost anything to read and you can access it whenever you want to find the latest updates and gossip of what’s happening today instantly.
The reason I have chosen this website is because I often used to buy the magazine and if I didn’t then I browse through the website and read the sections I am interested in. So I am quite familiar with it.
Web Analysis week 6 (Part 2 layout and structure )
LAYOUT AND STRUCTURE
The homepage consists of a header at the top of the page which is kind of like the contents page that appears at the beginning of the magazine. It tells the viewer what sections are available on the website and gives you the opportunity to look at different topics as and when you want to unlike reading a magazine which you would tend to read from the front to the back. It is very clear when viewing this page that it is a woman’s online magazine as the topics that are covered are Sex and relationships, Fashion, Beauty, Life Coach, Cosmo Body, In the know/Celebrity gossip, Chat/Blogs, Confessions, Galleries, Centrefold. All these topics are woman related topics and as soon as you log on this becomes clear as the colours used for the website are very feminine colours like Pinks, purples, turquoises. You wouldn’t really find a male logging onto this website as the sex tips, quizzes and fashions are all directed at the female sex. This gives a kind of digital divide as the topics are for woman only and those who are interested in these kind of ‘girly‘ aspects of life. This shows a very stereotypical role of woman and what they are interested in as it presumes that all woman are into making themselves look good and hearing the latest celebrity gossip when many maybe aren’t so interested in this kind of thing.
You could also say there was a digital divide with the age range as the magazine relates to topics like sex and relationships you wouldn’t really say it was for younger teenage girls more like the older teenage girl and young adults like 16/17 +
The homepage is very busy and loaded with examples of hypertexts, user generated content and forms of new media which I will be discussing later on .I would say it was easy to use as you can easily access other areas on the site from this page and it isn’t confusing to look at as you don’t have to scroll down far to reach the end of the page so it doesn’t come across so confusing.
The layout on the homepage is always kept the same the content just changes each month which I think is a good aspect as it is easily recognisable and regular viewers will always know where everything is and can visit the sections they want to look at instantly without having to take time to find them. I sometimes when i visit websites i get confused finding what I’m looking for if they are forever changing there layout and structure.
There are many slide shows containing snippets of what is available for example quizzes you can take and products that you can win. The website uses words and sentence like ‘Today’s highlights’ and ‘Out Now’ with images and the start of the sentence underneath them for example ‘see who wore what at the ......’ this makes people want to click on them and look at each section of the website because they are intrigued into what comes next or what the story or the tips are.
There is also many adverts down the side of the page advertising woman’s makeup and perfume like ‘Kylie Minogue Showtime Perfume‘. These slide shows and flashing/moving adverts are used as they draw attention to your eye as soon as you log onto the homepage as they aren’t something you would really look at first they are trying to persuade you to buy the product. There are different boxes spread around the homepage which create more functions for people to look at keeping them entertained for longer.
The homepage consists of a header at the top of the page which is kind of like the contents page that appears at the beginning of the magazine. It tells the viewer what sections are available on the website and gives you the opportunity to look at different topics as and when you want to unlike reading a magazine which you would tend to read from the front to the back. It is very clear when viewing this page that it is a woman’s online magazine as the topics that are covered are Sex and relationships, Fashion, Beauty, Life Coach, Cosmo Body, In the know/Celebrity gossip, Chat/Blogs, Confessions, Galleries, Centrefold. All these topics are woman related topics and as soon as you log on this becomes clear as the colours used for the website are very feminine colours like Pinks, purples, turquoises. You wouldn’t really find a male logging onto this website as the sex tips, quizzes and fashions are all directed at the female sex. This gives a kind of digital divide as the topics are for woman only and those who are interested in these kind of ‘girly‘ aspects of life. This shows a very stereotypical role of woman and what they are interested in as it presumes that all woman are into making themselves look good and hearing the latest celebrity gossip when many maybe aren’t so interested in this kind of thing.
You could also say there was a digital divide with the age range as the magazine relates to topics like sex and relationships you wouldn’t really say it was for younger teenage girls more like the older teenage girl and young adults like 16/17 +
The homepage is very busy and loaded with examples of hypertexts, user generated content and forms of new media which I will be discussing later on .I would say it was easy to use as you can easily access other areas on the site from this page and it isn’t confusing to look at as you don’t have to scroll down far to reach the end of the page so it doesn’t come across so confusing.
The layout on the homepage is always kept the same the content just changes each month which I think is a good aspect as it is easily recognisable and regular viewers will always know where everything is and can visit the sections they want to look at instantly without having to take time to find them. I sometimes when i visit websites i get confused finding what I’m looking for if they are forever changing there layout and structure.
There are many slide shows containing snippets of what is available for example quizzes you can take and products that you can win. The website uses words and sentence like ‘Today’s highlights’ and ‘Out Now’ with images and the start of the sentence underneath them for example ‘see who wore what at the ......’ this makes people want to click on them and look at each section of the website because they are intrigued into what comes next or what the story or the tips are.
There is also many adverts down the side of the page advertising woman’s makeup and perfume like ‘Kylie Minogue Showtime Perfume‘. These slide shows and flashing/moving adverts are used as they draw attention to your eye as soon as you log onto the homepage as they aren’t something you would really look at first they are trying to persuade you to buy the product. There are different boxes spread around the homepage which create more functions for people to look at keeping them entertained for longer.
Web Analysis week 6 (Part 3 hypertexts )
Use of Hypertexts
The homepage consists of many images with hypertexts on them. This lets you as a viewer have more informed choices about what interactive routes can be taken online. As Lister quotes ‘Hypertext links allow the reader to follow his or her own path through a body of information or narrative’ (Lister 2007:387)
The user can move navigate their way around the website easily and in any way and order you want to by clicking on these hypertexts. Some examples of the content of the website accessed via hypertexts are: articles on sex and relationships ‘shortcuts to relationship success’
http://www.cosmopolitan.co.uk/index.php/v1/Love_and_Relationships_success_advice/9093
Fashion tips ‘update your wardrobe for winter’
http://www.cosmopolitan.co.uk/index.php/base/editorialgallery/?pic=1&aid=59196
Celeb gossip ‘was Britney drugged’
http://www.cosmopolitan.co.uk/index.php/v1/Celebrity_Gossip_Britney_Spears_Drugged/77322
I Think hyper links are good as you are allowed to select what you want to view from options that are available. You can narrow your search down by choosing your own route and creating your own unique experience. It gives a sense of instant interactivity as you can easily flip through the different pages and always get back to the homepage if you want to as its easily accessible.
When you have clicked on a hypertext on a particular section for example from the Beauty section down the left hand side of the page their is a list of all the topics that are covered in the beauty section so once you have looked at one particular page from that bit you can just click on the list to view something else. That way you don’t miss anything and rather than going back you can just click on another page from the list.
M, Lister et al (2007) New Media: A Critical Introduction, London: Routledge
The homepage consists of many images with hypertexts on them. This lets you as a viewer have more informed choices about what interactive routes can be taken online. As Lister quotes ‘Hypertext links allow the reader to follow his or her own path through a body of information or narrative’ (Lister 2007:387)
The user can move navigate their way around the website easily and in any way and order you want to by clicking on these hypertexts. Some examples of the content of the website accessed via hypertexts are: articles on sex and relationships ‘shortcuts to relationship success’
http://www.cosmopolitan.co.uk/index.php/v1/Love_and_Relationships_success_advice/9093
Fashion tips ‘update your wardrobe for winter’
http://www.cosmopolitan.co.uk/index.php/base/editorialgallery/?pic=1&aid=59196
Celeb gossip ‘was Britney drugged’
http://www.cosmopolitan.co.uk/index.php/v1/Celebrity_Gossip_Britney_Spears_Drugged/77322
I Think hyper links are good as you are allowed to select what you want to view from options that are available. You can narrow your search down by choosing your own route and creating your own unique experience. It gives a sense of instant interactivity as you can easily flip through the different pages and always get back to the homepage if you want to as its easily accessible.
When you have clicked on a hypertext on a particular section for example from the Beauty section down the left hand side of the page their is a list of all the topics that are covered in the beauty section so once you have looked at one particular page from that bit you can just click on the list to view something else. That way you don’t miss anything and rather than going back you can just click on another page from the list.
M, Lister et al (2007) New Media: A Critical Introduction, London: Routledge
Web Analysis week 6 (Part 4 Chatrooms and blogs )
Chatrooms and Blogs
http://www.cosmopolitan.co.uk/index.php/chatroom/topic/32759
One of the main attractions of this website is the ‘Chat’ section where there is use of Chatrooms, blogs and forums these allow user generated content whereby all the content is produced by the users. It gives the chance for woman to have their input and opinions or voice any issues they may have and what to discuss with people without having to do it face to face. It is an open space where you can post anything you like and even ask questions for people to answer and give their advice as many people do reply to people which starts off conversations. This relates to Meikle’s idea of ‘Conversational interactivity’ where readers can interact as well as contribute creating two way communication. Which is essential for interactivity.
It is almost like starting up a virtual community as young woman are often wanting to discuss similar issues and are all interested in discussing similar things as they are all readers of the magazine.
However in order to write on these blogs or chatrooms you have to be a member and log in on the homepage which is on the left hand side of the page. People have the option of ‘logging in’ with their username and password. This allows you to be a member so you can access certain parts of the website which other people can’t like writing on blogs and forums. This can in fact encourage more people to become members. People may not be happy giving away some of their personal details to a company when signing up to be a member even though its free you are kind of loosing a sense of control we don’t actually no how safe our details our which can put people off. I know i wouldn’t be happy signing up to an online magazine for this reason.
http://www.cosmopolitan.co.uk/index.php/chatroom/topic/32759
One of the main attractions of this website is the ‘Chat’ section where there is use of Chatrooms, blogs and forums these allow user generated content whereby all the content is produced by the users. It gives the chance for woman to have their input and opinions or voice any issues they may have and what to discuss with people without having to do it face to face. It is an open space where you can post anything you like and even ask questions for people to answer and give their advice as many people do reply to people which starts off conversations. This relates to Meikle’s idea of ‘Conversational interactivity’ where readers can interact as well as contribute creating two way communication. Which is essential for interactivity.
It is almost like starting up a virtual community as young woman are often wanting to discuss similar issues and are all interested in discussing similar things as they are all readers of the magazine.
However in order to write on these blogs or chatrooms you have to be a member and log in on the homepage which is on the left hand side of the page. People have the option of ‘logging in’ with their username and password. This allows you to be a member so you can access certain parts of the website which other people can’t like writing on blogs and forums. This can in fact encourage more people to become members. People may not be happy giving away some of their personal details to a company when signing up to be a member even though its free you are kind of loosing a sense of control we don’t actually no how safe our details our which can put people off. I know i wouldn’t be happy signing up to an online magazine for this reason.
Web Analysis week 6 (Part 5 Culture)
Culture
Looking at the website on a cultural basis I think that it shows a good representation of woman today where by they are often obsessed with how they look that they can’t get enough information and advise on how to look good. In today’s society its all about ‘image’ and looking right. There is clear evidence of this seen through the Cosmopolitan website as all the subjects in headings and hypertexts are all areas on how to improve woman like fitness, the latest fashions and what celebrity’s are wearing
http://www.cosmopolitan.co.uk/index.php/landing/9072
http://www.cosmopolitan.co.uk/index.php/landing/9070
http://www.cosmopolitan.co.uk/index.php/cat/The_sexiest_in_film
In today’s female culture woman feel that they have to keep up with the latest trends and looks in order to fit in and be accepted by certain individuals around them which is why the Cosmo website like this provides this kind of information. Woman aspire to be like these celebrity’s and will do anything to make themselves look like them with the help of tips from these online magazine websites like the Cosmopolitan one I am an analysing.
The fact that the online magazine has a ‘Chat’ section where people can discuss topics says a lot about our culture today in that sometimes we often feel more comfortable in discussing certain subjects with people we don’t know and feel the internet is a suitable place for this as we can hide our identity and it doesn’t matter what we discuss because people will never no who we are. As we use names like ‘silverbunni’ and ‘portia92’ that really don’t mean anything to anybody who doesn’t no them.
Looking at the website on a cultural basis I think that it shows a good representation of woman today where by they are often obsessed with how they look that they can’t get enough information and advise on how to look good. In today’s society its all about ‘image’ and looking right. There is clear evidence of this seen through the Cosmopolitan website as all the subjects in headings and hypertexts are all areas on how to improve woman like fitness, the latest fashions and what celebrity’s are wearing
http://www.cosmopolitan.co.uk/index.php/landing/9072
http://www.cosmopolitan.co.uk/index.php/landing/9070
http://www.cosmopolitan.co.uk/index.php/cat/The_sexiest_in_film
In today’s female culture woman feel that they have to keep up with the latest trends and looks in order to fit in and be accepted by certain individuals around them which is why the Cosmo website like this provides this kind of information. Woman aspire to be like these celebrity’s and will do anything to make themselves look like them with the help of tips from these online magazine websites like the Cosmopolitan one I am an analysing.
The fact that the online magazine has a ‘Chat’ section where people can discuss topics says a lot about our culture today in that sometimes we often feel more comfortable in discussing certain subjects with people we don’t know and feel the internet is a suitable place for this as we can hide our identity and it doesn’t matter what we discuss because people will never no who we are. As we use names like ‘silverbunni’ and ‘portia92’ that really don’t mean anything to anybody who doesn’t no them.
Sunday, 24 February 2008
Week 4 Task 2
Music Sharing online
The way we listen and purchase music today is very different to how we would have several years ago. Technology has changed and more and more upgraded and new gadgets are hitting the markets changing our behaviours and consumer choices. for instance i used to go into a music shop and buy cd's to play on a cd player whereas i now just download my music from the internet or get other people to send me music that they have downloaded from the internet and then once it is on my computer on itunes i can transfer it onto my ipod which i take everywhere with me. People today won't go into shops and by music as they can download it for free off the internet and share the music files with their friends.
Bands often try and make it big through networking sites by sending people messages asking them to listen to their music. Some people are obiously more interested in listening than others. I know i personally have never been particularly bothered in listening.
Music sharing can be successful for unkown artists/bands who want there music to be listened to and noticed as it can become more popular by it been spread across a large scale of people. Take Lilly Alan as an example she became well known through people listening to her music online and the Artic Monkeys were helped to become a big hit through the sending of URL's to myspace pages. People could just listen to them by the click of a button.
By online music sharing people can often listen to more varities of music rather than just the stuff that is in the charts thats been played on the radio all the time. You can just look up an artists name or the song and listen to it on the internet if you have heard about it through friends and you havnt heard it as its not normally your type of music rather than having to go out and buy it. People obviously wouldn'ty do this as if they havnt heard it before they may not like it so it would be a waste of money however with the internet you have the choise to listen and downlaod it and if you don't like it it can be deleted.
I think the face of popular music has been changed as more types of muic are been addressed and becoming more popular as they are been played on the radio more. I think musc can go through different phases of been popular. For example indie music once wasnt really played then all of sudden it became more popular probly due to people listening to bands of this type of music online.
The way we listen and purchase music today is very different to how we would have several years ago. Technology has changed and more and more upgraded and new gadgets are hitting the markets changing our behaviours and consumer choices. for instance i used to go into a music shop and buy cd's to play on a cd player whereas i now just download my music from the internet or get other people to send me music that they have downloaded from the internet and then once it is on my computer on itunes i can transfer it onto my ipod which i take everywhere with me. People today won't go into shops and by music as they can download it for free off the internet and share the music files with their friends.
Bands often try and make it big through networking sites by sending people messages asking them to listen to their music. Some people are obiously more interested in listening than others. I know i personally have never been particularly bothered in listening.
Music sharing can be successful for unkown artists/bands who want there music to be listened to and noticed as it can become more popular by it been spread across a large scale of people. Take Lilly Alan as an example she became well known through people listening to her music online and the Artic Monkeys were helped to become a big hit through the sending of URL's to myspace pages. People could just listen to them by the click of a button.
By online music sharing people can often listen to more varities of music rather than just the stuff that is in the charts thats been played on the radio all the time. You can just look up an artists name or the song and listen to it on the internet if you have heard about it through friends and you havnt heard it as its not normally your type of music rather than having to go out and buy it. People obviously wouldn'ty do this as if they havnt heard it before they may not like it so it would be a waste of money however with the internet you have the choise to listen and downlaod it and if you don't like it it can be deleted.
I think the face of popular music has been changed as more types of muic are been addressed and becoming more popular as they are been played on the radio more. I think musc can go through different phases of been popular. For example indie music once wasnt really played then all of sudden it became more popular probly due to people listening to bands of this type of music online.
Week 4 Task one
Social Networking sites
Social networking sites such as facebook,myspace and bebo have become very popular around the world they are free to join, with members having their own home page with some basic personal information like your age, gender and birthdate etc. There is a section where you can write about yourselfs and your interests. Memebrs can register with each other as friends, a status which allows them certain means of communication and gives access to more private content (e.g pictures) on each others site. You can all communicate with your friends by writing public messages on the wall of their profile.
http://newsletter.alt.ac.uk/e_article000993849.cfm
Facebook i would say is more popular amongts university and college students and mysapce has more users overall i know the main networking site that i use regularly is facebook (http://www.facebook.com/) .I started using this when i first came to university and didnt really no what it was untill then whereas now i am on it everyday and find it hard to even go on a computer without browsing on facebook. I do have an acount with myspace but never really go on it.
What i like about facebook is the fact that you can get back in conatct with friends who you havnt spoke to or seen for a long time by either searching for them on the friend finder or through a friend who is also friends with them. I have got back in touch with people i went to primary school with and can message them whenver i want even though we are at opposite ends of the country. As i am at university and i go out a lot there are many pictures been takin by me and my friends and facebook allows us to share them with everyone as you can tag people on them so the pictures will also come up on their profile aswell. I think the security setting is imporatnt on facebook as you can have the option of blocking people from seeing certain things on your profile that you dont want them to see and can also stop people who arnt friends with you from been able to access you profile. My profile is set so only my friends can see it as i dont want people i dont no been able to look at my profile and find things out about me that are personal.
I dont think these networking sites are dangerous for young people like chatrooms as you always no exactly who you are talking to as you have added them as friends. You cant really meet people you don't no and think they are somebody they arnt as you wouldn't add people who you dont know. I have had people who have sent me a friend request and i dont no who they are as they havnt had a picture of themselves and i didnt recognise the name there for i havnt added them.
I know people may not like the fact that with facebook and many of the other sites people can always know what you are doing by looking at your photographs and reading your status and conversations that you have had with people on each others walls. For this reason if i want to send a message and have a converstaion with somebody i will write it so it appears in their inbox so only they can see it as other people do not have access to this. People can find out who you are and arn't friends with and as soon as people log on things will come up on their news feed informing you of peoples latest updates. There seems to be no privacy for anybody on these sites as all your friends can see things before you do if they have looked on your profile a while before you have and something new has been posted they can read it.
Social networking sites such as facebook,myspace and bebo have become very popular around the world they are free to join, with members having their own home page with some basic personal information like your age, gender and birthdate etc. There is a section where you can write about yourselfs and your interests. Memebrs can register with each other as friends, a status which allows them certain means of communication and gives access to more private content (e.g pictures) on each others site. You can all communicate with your friends by writing public messages on the wall of their profile.
http://newsletter.alt.ac.uk/e_article000993849.cfm
Facebook i would say is more popular amongts university and college students and mysapce has more users overall i know the main networking site that i use regularly is facebook (http://www.facebook.com/) .I started using this when i first came to university and didnt really no what it was untill then whereas now i am on it everyday and find it hard to even go on a computer without browsing on facebook. I do have an acount with myspace but never really go on it.
What i like about facebook is the fact that you can get back in conatct with friends who you havnt spoke to or seen for a long time by either searching for them on the friend finder or through a friend who is also friends with them. I have got back in touch with people i went to primary school with and can message them whenver i want even though we are at opposite ends of the country. As i am at university and i go out a lot there are many pictures been takin by me and my friends and facebook allows us to share them with everyone as you can tag people on them so the pictures will also come up on their profile aswell. I think the security setting is imporatnt on facebook as you can have the option of blocking people from seeing certain things on your profile that you dont want them to see and can also stop people who arnt friends with you from been able to access you profile. My profile is set so only my friends can see it as i dont want people i dont no been able to look at my profile and find things out about me that are personal.
I dont think these networking sites are dangerous for young people like chatrooms as you always no exactly who you are talking to as you have added them as friends. You cant really meet people you don't no and think they are somebody they arnt as you wouldn't add people who you dont know. I have had people who have sent me a friend request and i dont no who they are as they havnt had a picture of themselves and i didnt recognise the name there for i havnt added them.
I know people may not like the fact that with facebook and many of the other sites people can always know what you are doing by looking at your photographs and reading your status and conversations that you have had with people on each others walls. For this reason if i want to send a message and have a converstaion with somebody i will write it so it appears in their inbox so only they can see it as other people do not have access to this. People can find out who you are and arn't friends with and as soon as people log on things will come up on their news feed informing you of peoples latest updates. There seems to be no privacy for anybody on these sites as all your friends can see things before you do if they have looked on your profile a while before you have and something new has been posted they can read it.
Saturday, 23 February 2008
Week 3 task 2
Public message boards- The Daily mail discussion board on the topic of 'lady claiming benefits for under 18 children'
http://chat.dailymail.co.uk/dailymail/threadnonInd.jsp?forum=376&thread=9876610&message=14734735
This message board discusses the issues about woman claiming benefits for so many children. The main focus been on a woman who had claimed benefits for all 18 children she had. Many people who wrote on the discussion board thought this was wrong and wondered how it was done. The government was addressed in a negative way by people as they were claiming that they didnt focus enough on engllish citizens as the woman who was claiming benefits for her 18 children is said to have a swedish nationality. ' The amazing thing is, she's not even British...She has ,i believe Swedish Nationality,but born in Africa.How did someone,NOT British citizen,Get these benefits?' The person who is making this claim wouldn't probably have the guts to go up to somebody in the real world who wasn't english and say that they didnt have the rights to claim benefits for all their children especially if they were friends or new a particular person that wasn't english. People feel like they can say what they want and not hold back and not get in trouble for it when they are writing on these messages boards online as nobody knows who they are as they don't give there real names they use nick names or fake names like 'xkeys' and 'madbess'. By using these names they know it is safe and they are free to express themselves in whatever way they want an probly in ways that they wouldn't if they were speaking in public. Pehaps they use these fake names because they don't want to be flamed in anyway by other users using their real name in responce to what they have said. Fake names don't give anybodys identity away.
The kind of people that are writing on this board in response to the topic are middle class people and all share the same feelings and agree that the working class woman who is claiming these benefits like many others arn't going out to work to earn a living they are just sitting at home not attempting to go out and get a job instead they rely on benefits.
Those people from middle classes (the people writing negative respones on the boards) are going out and working hard and paying tax which in effect the tax money they are paying is the money that is been given to the working class people who don't work and need the money for raising there children. Their opinions are strong and they believe that if some people can do this then why can't everybody.
When asked where people come from when they are discussing online they never say whereabouts they have come from so they can't be tracked down in anyway they always say just Enlgland or London places that are very big.
http://chat.dailymail.co.uk/dailymail/threadnonInd.jsp?forum=376&thread=9876610&message=14734735
This message board discusses the issues about woman claiming benefits for so many children. The main focus been on a woman who had claimed benefits for all 18 children she had. Many people who wrote on the discussion board thought this was wrong and wondered how it was done. The government was addressed in a negative way by people as they were claiming that they didnt focus enough on engllish citizens as the woman who was claiming benefits for her 18 children is said to have a swedish nationality. ' The amazing thing is, she's not even British...She has ,i believe Swedish Nationality,but born in Africa.How did someone,NOT British citizen,Get these benefits?' The person who is making this claim wouldn't probably have the guts to go up to somebody in the real world who wasn't english and say that they didnt have the rights to claim benefits for all their children especially if they were friends or new a particular person that wasn't english. People feel like they can say what they want and not hold back and not get in trouble for it when they are writing on these messages boards online as nobody knows who they are as they don't give there real names they use nick names or fake names like 'xkeys' and 'madbess'. By using these names they know it is safe and they are free to express themselves in whatever way they want an probly in ways that they wouldn't if they were speaking in public. Pehaps they use these fake names because they don't want to be flamed in anyway by other users using their real name in responce to what they have said. Fake names don't give anybodys identity away.
The kind of people that are writing on this board in response to the topic are middle class people and all share the same feelings and agree that the working class woman who is claiming these benefits like many others arn't going out to work to earn a living they are just sitting at home not attempting to go out and get a job instead they rely on benefits.
Those people from middle classes (the people writing negative respones on the boards) are going out and working hard and paying tax which in effect the tax money they are paying is the money that is been given to the working class people who don't work and need the money for raising there children. Their opinions are strong and they believe that if some people can do this then why can't everybody.
When asked where people come from when they are discussing online they never say whereabouts they have come from so they can't be tracked down in anyway they always say just Enlgland or London places that are very big.
Tuesday, 19 February 2008
Week 3 Task 1
IDENTITY & RELATIONSHIPS
I wouldn't say that withholding one's identity is ethically wrong if you are just giving out your nickname or not telling somebody your full name as this is just protecting your own safety.
However withholding and changing your identity can be dangerous. For instance an older man who is pretending to be a young teenager boy in chatrooms as they are making other people believe they are something that they are not. Children and young teenagers should really no who they are talking to when they are talking on chatrooms and forums as they may start to develop a friendship or relationship with somebody who isn't really who they are claiming to be in order to be accepted by somebody who is of similar age and has similar interests.
People tend to get addicted to online networking and chatroom sites as they like the fact that they can withhold their identity and not reveal their true selves as people find it a good way of escaping who they really are because they are unhappy with themselves so they believe that by forming a new identity and reinventing themselves will help them gain new friends or relationships. People they are talking to have no way of knowing the truth and will never see what they look like anyway. In a way its like they shut themselves away from the real world and create a new world for themselves where they have control. Like saying you look a certain way when u don't.
People go on these online forums where groups of people share the same beliefs as it gives you the chance to express yourself freely as you may not feel comfortable in sharing those thought with your friends and family that are around you so they give false identity because they dont want to be recognised.
People can be often persuaded into online interaction and be influenced by others into believing things so they will often change and shape their identity to fit in with these people so they can become part of their online community.
I wouldn't say that withholding one's identity is ethically wrong if you are just giving out your nickname or not telling somebody your full name as this is just protecting your own safety.
However withholding and changing your identity can be dangerous. For instance an older man who is pretending to be a young teenager boy in chatrooms as they are making other people believe they are something that they are not. Children and young teenagers should really no who they are talking to when they are talking on chatrooms and forums as they may start to develop a friendship or relationship with somebody who isn't really who they are claiming to be in order to be accepted by somebody who is of similar age and has similar interests.
People tend to get addicted to online networking and chatroom sites as they like the fact that they can withhold their identity and not reveal their true selves as people find it a good way of escaping who they really are because they are unhappy with themselves so they believe that by forming a new identity and reinventing themselves will help them gain new friends or relationships. People they are talking to have no way of knowing the truth and will never see what they look like anyway. In a way its like they shut themselves away from the real world and create a new world for themselves where they have control. Like saying you look a certain way when u don't.
People go on these online forums where groups of people share the same beliefs as it gives you the chance to express yourself freely as you may not feel comfortable in sharing those thought with your friends and family that are around you so they give false identity because they dont want to be recognised.
People can be often persuaded into online interaction and be influenced by others into believing things so they will often change and shape their identity to fit in with these people so they can become part of their online community.
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