Being Too Connected

There was an interesting article in Saturday's National Post about being too connected and how it can cause "networking fatigue". It tells a funny tale about the journalist refusing to join Facebook and how she just wants her friends to pick up the phone. The article made me ask, is there such thing as too much?
As new networking tools come into existence every day, and popularity grows, our way of interacting changes. What happens to our lives once we are forced to join more and more networks in order to stay connected? What will happen if they all of a sudden are not as cool anymore? Will our relationships have changed?

Here's the link:
http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/artslife/weekendpost/story.html?id=c8c256ba-077f-42ad-9c30-bda6b60456ff&p=1

Technological Showcase: Podcasting

In this entry, I am going to look at Podcasting. I will address several questions. What is podcasting? Where can it be used? How can it be used in the classroom?
Podcasting is online audio content that is delivered via an RSS feed.
An RSS feed link appears when a website allows other sites to use some of their information. Individuals can then 'subscribe' to this feed and they will be informed every time information is updated.
Podcasting uses the standard RSS feed reader or aggregator, only the feed you subscribe to contains an audio file in it instead of written (typed) word. Individuals can listen to the contents using a reader or aggregator that supports podcasting on their computer, or they can listen to podcasts on the go with an iPod.
The name podcasting was developd to be used on Apple iPods, but individuals do not need to have an iPod in order to listen to podcasts. They can be accessed on almost any computer.

How can Podcasts be used?
Podcasts are now being used for many different reasons. When blogging first came into dominance, many people started acting as if they were journalists. Blogs are journals that are frequently updated and can usually be viewed by the public. Now with podcasts, individuals can pretend as if they are hosting their own radio shows. Podcasts are available on every subject imaginable.
They are also being used for

• museum tours
• training
• story telling for children and the Blind
• promotional material for musical bands
• distributing public safety alerts from police departments

Now I am going to provide a link to an example of a podcast. It comes from HabsInsideOut, which is a division of the sports section of the Montreal Gazette. This website constantly updates readers on information concerning the Montreal Canadiens hockey team. Once every week or two, they gather various members of the sports media to discuss issues concerning the Canadiens. This material can be heard on a podcast, which they call "PuckCast". This PuckCast took place on February 28, 2007 and features journalists Sid Banerjee and Mike Boone. They discuss the NHL trade deadline: http://www.habsinsideout.com/2007/02/puckcast_volume_1_number_11_af_1/

For people who are reading my blog and want to try making their own podcast, I will now provide some links that detail how to create a podcast: http://www.podcastingnews.com/articles/How-to-Podcast.html http://www.zefhemel.com/archives/2004/10/11/how-to-create-your-own-podcasting-show, http://podcasts.yahoo.com/publish/1

Podcasting in School

This is an example of how podcasting can be used in the classroom: Ms. Singer teaches grade five English and she notices that many students in her previous classes did not like to participate. For these reasons, some students had a hard time remembering the material and did not do as well on exams. She wanted to find a new interesting way to get her students more involved. She searched the Internet, asked some of her colleagues, and finally came upon podcasting. She thought that using a new technology could make the material more fun. She decides to assign groups of students a topic and have them debate that topic using a podcast. All the topics cover material that could be tested on upcoming exams. Each week, one group will meet with her in the computer lab and discuss and debate a certain topic. The next day, the whole class will listen to the podcast together and other classmates will be able to comment and give their opinion. Not only does this offer a new type of presentation (one that might be easier for students that have a fear of speaking in public) but also students will be able to use these podcasts to study for their exams. They can access the podcasts from their own homes and can go back to them whenever they need to refresh their memory. One obstacle she encountered was that she did not want students to feel bad if they did not always have access to the Internet at home or to an iPod. To resolve this problem, she scheduled extra computer lab time so that all students would have the opportunity to study the podcasts.

I hope everyone enjoyed my showcase of podcasting. If you have any questions feel free to ask them in the comments.

Lurking

I have a confession to make... I am a lurker. I read various discussion boards (sports, food, etc.) and NEVER comment. I check other posts and come up with my own opinion but I never let anyone else know what it is. Even with Facebook, which I am a member, my profile is as limited as it can be and I relish in reading other people's more extensive profiles. As I reflect on my behaviour, this may be why it has taken me awhile to get used to blogging. As much as I enjoy the Internet, I have a hard time actively participating in it.
After reading Let's Get More Positive About the Term 'Lurker' by Jacquie McDonald, I am left with mixed feelings about lurking. Is lurking sneaky? Or is it realistic since like McDonald says, in order to stay relevant you need to constantly check what is going on. Sporadic attendance leads to lurking. With the fast paced lives that we live, is it possible to constantly check out new posts every time they come in? How can lurkers become participants? Is there any way for me to change... and do I want to??

Continued from Class

I can't remember where I read this but someone famous was interviewed and said that within the first 30 seconds of meeting someone, they had decided whether or not they wanted to continue talking to them. This means that what someone is saying does not make as big an impression as their appearance and physical presence. At least not for first impressions.
I feel that online, people have a chance to be given more than 30 seconds to make a good impression.

Letting People Read Your Diary

The article Blogging as Social Activity, or, Would You Let 900 Million People Read Your Diary? by Bonnie A. Nardi, Diane J. Schiano and Michelle Gumbrecht really hit close to home. One issue I have been grappling with about blogging has been the fact that so many people can read your personal, private thoughts. I do not necessarily understand how diary writing can go from something so private to the complete opposite by allowing millions of people know your deepest, darkest secrets.

They also discuss how many people write their blogs for their audience. This can also shape what goes into a blog. How can a diary be completely true to the author if they have to think about how the audience will react?

On a personal level, recently a friend had been battling a disease and her family used blogging as a way to let people know her status and express how they were feeling. I did check the blog often and I understood that it was a very efficient method to inform friends and family that live outside the province. At the same time, I thought maybe it was not the most appropriate venue to deal with something so personal. I understand that for some people blogging is very helpful in order to release emotions. For me, I can't help but wonder, is there ever a time when blogging crosses a line and becomes too personal? Or is there no such thing as too personal anymore?

This is my first time blogging, so I'm just learning how to use it. I am starting this blog for my class in Educational Technology at Concordia University. The class is called Social Computing & CSCL/W. As the semester unfolds I will be posting my thoughts on material that I encounter from this class.