Emerging Technology #3- Twitter

Twitter is a social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read messages known as tweets. Tweets are text-based posts of up to 140 characters displayed on the author's profile page and delivered to the author's subscribers who are known as followers. Senders can restrict delivery to those in their circle of friends or, by default, allow open access. Since late 2009, users can follow lists of authors instead of following individual authors.[4][5] All users can send and receive tweets via the Twitter website, Short Message Service (SMS), or external applications (notably including those developed for smartphones). While the service itself costs nothing to use, accessing it through SMS may incur phone service provider fees. The website currently has more than 100 million users worldwide.

Since its creation in 2006 by Jack Dorsey, Twitter has gained notability and popularity worldwide. It is sometimes described as "SMS of the Internet." The use of Twitter's application programming interface for sending and receiving text messages by other applications often eclipses direct use of Twitter.

What we have to do is deliver to people the best and freshest most relevant information possible. We think of Twitter as it's not a social network, but it's an information network. It tells people what they care about as it is happening in the world.

—Evan Williams

Emerging Technology #2- Facebook

According to Wikipedia, Facebook is a social networking website that is operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc.^[1] Since September 2006, anyone over the age of 13 with a valid e-mail address can become a Facebook user. Facebook's target audience is more for an adult demographic than a youth demographic.^{[5] [6]} Users can add friends and send them messages, and update their personal profiles to notify friends about themselves. Additionally, users can join networks organized by workplace, school, or college. The website's name stems from the colloquial name of books given to students at the start of the academic year by university administrations in the US with the intention of helping students to get to know each other better. Facebook is available in over 75 different languages.

I personally have a facebook account like many people in the world so I felt pretty comfortable doing this as my second emerging technology post. It is very user-friendly if you have never made a facebook account before. When you set up your account you can post a picture of yourself so everyone that goes to your profile will be able to see what you look like if you would like. It has a section for basic information such as your sex, current city you live in, birthday, hometown, relationship status, political views, etc…All of which you can share with everyone or just your friends and you chose what they can view about you. There is a likes and interests section that basically is just for you to put hobbies, TV shows, favorite movies, etc...that you like. There’s even an about me section that you can talk about yourself to the world explaining who you are. Facebook is basically one of the easiest ways to keep in touch with people you do not live close by or even if you do live close by, an additionally way to besides using the telephone. My best advice is if you don’t already have a facebook account then to go to www.facebook.com and sign up! And you can always search for me and send me a friend request!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Facebook

Podcasting Assignment

This is the one that should work..I forgot to save it as an .mp3 the first time sorry!!

Antony

https://oncourse.iu.edu/access/content/user/thomas22/podcasting assignment.mp3

My podcasting assignment!

https://oncourse.iu.edu/access/content/user/thomas22/podcasting assignment.aup

My Del.icio.us URL....visit it now!;)

http://delicious.com/tags/athomas22iupui

My First Experience With This

Creating this blog was pretty easy and self-explanatory. Just going through each step at a time makes it really easy. Probably the hardest part is selecting a background and making it look all neat and creative because I am not really creative LOL. But what this does remind me of was Xanga what everyone use to use before myspace came out. So it shouldn't be that hard for me to get use to it. Keep in mind I am still constructing it to make it look perfect!;)

"Top 10 Cell phones for students" and "The Pros and Cons of Texting and Im"

The first article I decided to read was, "Top 10 cell phones for students." I chose this because I myself have a "smart phone". Some of the factors that were considered when picking the phones according to the article were: affordability, popularity, and functionality. My first question when look at this list was, "Where is the iPhone?"

I myself have an iPhone and there is not a day that goes by that I am not using it for something. What the iPhone and lot of other new smart phones have are what they call "apps". I feel like these phones can really help students in the classroom in certain situations. I know most teachers do not feel that way because when they see us with a phone they usually just assume we are texting or messing around. An app I have on my phone that really comes in handy for myself in the class room or at home during homework is called "WordBook". What this is is basically a dictionary. If there is a word I am not quite sure what it means then i just type it in this app and look it up. Also if I am not sure how to pronounce that particular word then it will pronounce it for me too. This app especially comes in handy when I am doing a reading assignment. They also have "Flashcard" apps and "Scientific Calculator" apps just to name a couple more.

In conclusion with the first article I read, I believe cell phones can have a place in the classroom for students. My question to the teachers is why can't we as students have more freedom with cell phones as long as we are using it for educational use? Again that is probably do to the fat that for every student that is using it for educational use, there are probably plenty that aren't as well.

The second article I decided to read about was, "The Pros and Cons of Texting and IM", by Kelley Loftis. In today's world most students have cell phones and text. This is a growing controversial issue in the classroom as well as outside of it. Students seem to text no matter what the situation, if its in the classroom when the teacher has specifically said its not allowed or even while driving.

"Texting while driving is a serious issue that is causing accidents and deaths." This is a serious consequence for students that continue to text and drive. I feel like for most students they will not get how serious tis is until God forbid something as serious as this quote happens to them or someone close to them.

Another Important issue with texting is their performance in the classroom. Many experts go both ways about how it effects students' work. Some say it actually is "not detriment to students' writing skills", while others say 'some students are using text messaging terminology as they are filling out applications, writing essays, and even term papers." I believe with the evolution of technology it is now becoming the teachers responsibility more now than every to come up with new methods of teaching students when to use text messaging terminology. I think this especially if they are using the terminology on term papers and filling out applications.

In conclusion, teachers need to become more aware of the changing technology in today's world. We as teachers need to come up with new methods to help teach students about texting. I mean with students texting non-stop, maybe we should help educate them and include some sort of text messaging education in the curriculum some how. We as teachers need to become proactive with the new technology students like myself are using.


Top 10 cell phones for students. (2009, July 22). Retrieved from http://www.techlearning.com/article/22074


Loftis, Kelley. (2009, January 8). The Pros and Cons of Texting and
IM. Retrieved from http://www.techlearning.com/article/15078

About me

(My girlfriend, Lindsey and I)

My names Antony Thomas and I am 22 years old. I am in my junior year and I am majoring in Elementary Education. I have lived in Indiana most of my life besides my sophomore through senior year of high school. I moved to London, England during that time and graduated high school over there. While over there I traveled to many different countries like Italy, Spain, France, and Iceland just to name a few. Those three years were probably the best of my life. While being back here in Indiana I have worked for Outback Steakhouse in Greenwood for the last three years. I serve there so if you are ever in town and want a great meal ask for me and I will be glad to take care of you;) If I am not working or at school than I usually am doing homework or hanging out with friends.