Monday, June 28, 2010
Podcasting
I created my own podcast. It is a podcast of me reading the first two pages of Chapter 7 (Podcasting) of Exploring Web 2.0 by Ann Bell. The link to my podcast is http://bracha999.mypodcast.com/.
Podcasting
Podcasting is very beneficial in all professional settings.
In a school setting, podcasting can be a great tool to promote school activities. For example, students as well as their family members can enjoy guest speakers, school concerts and sporting events – even after they have long been completed. School board meetings, PTA meetings, school news, daily news, weather reports, school closings, press announcements or any other piece of news the school wishes to share with its student and parent body can be broadcasted in either audio or visual format through the use of a podcast. Families can stay connected to the school and students can keep up with their lessons if they must be away from school for an extended period of time. In addition, podcasting can be a great aid to teachers. Teachers can use podcasts to summarize lessons or teach new material to students. Teachers can also make a directory of podcasts related to the subject they are teaching and post them so their students can acquire more knowledge. Students can add to the podcast directory as well – although this may need to be monitored by a teacher or another responsible adult. Podcasting can also be used to share poetry or creative writing – or any other subject matter. It can also be used to debate issues and discuss a variety of viewpoints, review literature and apply topics and concepts to real world events. As an online student, podcasting can be especially beneficial as teachers can post complete lessons and students can listen to them on their own time. Although online education cannot replace a teacher sitting in a classroom teaching the subject at hand and answering the students’ questions, it is one step closer to making an online classroom resemble a traditional classroom!
As a student studying business, I believe that podcasting can be extremely useful in companies as well. Business people need to keep up with a variety of research and information to enable them to make sound business decisions and to compete in today’s business world. Podcasting allows business people to gather this information “on the go”. Information and research findings can be shared between colleagues or different companies. Managers can post lectures on pertinent business subjects so their subordinates can listen to them on their own time. Colleagues who must miss an important meeting can catch up through the use of a podcast. This enables them to ensure that they have not missed any aspect of the business meeting, even the little nuances which may not be repeated by colleagues but may turn out to be important in the long run. It is even possible to record business conversations – something that can be very useful to people in professions that require exactness and attention to detail such as investigators or lawyers. In today’s highly competitive business world, when knowledge is power and we have all become mobile learners, podcasts are gems!
My personal experience with podcasts began today, when I went on the Internet to find information about podcasts and to subscribe to several podcasts.
First of all, I discovered that I needed to install iTunes, Juice or use an RSS feeder. I chose to install iTunes. Then, I found several podcasts that were interesting to a business student and subscribed to them. It is important to note that, as iTunes is installed in my computer, I had to go back to the sites to post a link to my blog and to the discussion forum.
As a business student, I subscribed to five podcasts that were related to the business field.
The first podcast I subscribed to is a CNN podcast. In this podcast, one of the editors of Fortune Magazine, Geoff Colvin, interviews NRG, a wholesale provider of energy, to discuss the next big trends in the business, such as clean coal (which basically amounts to carbon taken out of coal so it is not let up into the environment). The link to this podcast is http://podcasts.cnn.net/cnn/services/podcasting/csuite/video/2008/05/29/fortune.csuite.nrg.coal.fortune.m4v.
The second podcast I subscribed to was from the Financial Times. This podcast discusses how to prevent cyber attacks. Peter Whitehead interviews Edward Amoroso, the chief security officer at AT&T. They discuss the things that companies can do to protect themselves from cyber attacks. They also discuss what countries can do on a global level to prevent themselves from cyber attacks. In addition, Stephen Pritchard interviews Stephen Brost, chief technology officer at Teradata, about the things that firms can do about with all the data they collect over time. The link to the podcast is http://podcast.ft.com/index.php?pid=815.
The third podcast I subscribed to was called Business of the Green. It is also a CNN podcast. In this podcast, Olivia Zaleski, one of the editors of Fortune Magazine, interviews Bill Ford, executive chairman of Ford. They discuss new ideas that new entrepreneurs are coming up with for the auto industry, specifically the hybrid, plug-in hybrids and American batteries. The link to the podcast is http://ht.cdn.turner.com/money/big/podcasts/bizgreen/video/2009/07/07/f-bg-ford-batteries-hybrid.fortune.m4v.
The fourth podcast I subscribed to was about innovation and risk management. Companies are always trying to be innovative and creative. However, when one is innovative and creative, there is generally a bigger chance at his or her ideas failing. This podcast discusses how to keep the innovation and creativity alive while dealing with the risk of an original or out-of-the-box idea, whatever it may be, failing miserably. The link to this podcast is http://www.podcastsforbusiness.ca/extras/3_innovation_and_risk/index.php.
The fifth podcast I subscribed to discussed strategic entrepreneurism. While every new business owner wants to be “the next big thing”, most new businesses fail. Strategic entrepreneurism shows business owners how to run and manage a new company and how to design a company for the end result of selling that company to a larger company. Jon Fisher, one of the authors of the book Strategic Entrepreneurism, was interviewed. The link to this podcast is http://www.smallbusinesspodcast.com/programs/permalinks/SBP_2009-05-11_Strategic-Entrepreneurs.htm.
Some of the information in this post has been taken for Exploring Web 2.0 by Ann Bell.
In a school setting, podcasting can be a great tool to promote school activities. For example, students as well as their family members can enjoy guest speakers, school concerts and sporting events – even after they have long been completed. School board meetings, PTA meetings, school news, daily news, weather reports, school closings, press announcements or any other piece of news the school wishes to share with its student and parent body can be broadcasted in either audio or visual format through the use of a podcast. Families can stay connected to the school and students can keep up with their lessons if they must be away from school for an extended period of time. In addition, podcasting can be a great aid to teachers. Teachers can use podcasts to summarize lessons or teach new material to students. Teachers can also make a directory of podcasts related to the subject they are teaching and post them so their students can acquire more knowledge. Students can add to the podcast directory as well – although this may need to be monitored by a teacher or another responsible adult. Podcasting can also be used to share poetry or creative writing – or any other subject matter. It can also be used to debate issues and discuss a variety of viewpoints, review literature and apply topics and concepts to real world events. As an online student, podcasting can be especially beneficial as teachers can post complete lessons and students can listen to them on their own time. Although online education cannot replace a teacher sitting in a classroom teaching the subject at hand and answering the students’ questions, it is one step closer to making an online classroom resemble a traditional classroom!
As a student studying business, I believe that podcasting can be extremely useful in companies as well. Business people need to keep up with a variety of research and information to enable them to make sound business decisions and to compete in today’s business world. Podcasting allows business people to gather this information “on the go”. Information and research findings can be shared between colleagues or different companies. Managers can post lectures on pertinent business subjects so their subordinates can listen to them on their own time. Colleagues who must miss an important meeting can catch up through the use of a podcast. This enables them to ensure that they have not missed any aspect of the business meeting, even the little nuances which may not be repeated by colleagues but may turn out to be important in the long run. It is even possible to record business conversations – something that can be very useful to people in professions that require exactness and attention to detail such as investigators or lawyers. In today’s highly competitive business world, when knowledge is power and we have all become mobile learners, podcasts are gems!
My personal experience with podcasts began today, when I went on the Internet to find information about podcasts and to subscribe to several podcasts.
First of all, I discovered that I needed to install iTunes, Juice or use an RSS feeder. I chose to install iTunes. Then, I found several podcasts that were interesting to a business student and subscribed to them. It is important to note that, as iTunes is installed in my computer, I had to go back to the sites to post a link to my blog and to the discussion forum.
As a business student, I subscribed to five podcasts that were related to the business field.
The first podcast I subscribed to is a CNN podcast. In this podcast, one of the editors of Fortune Magazine, Geoff Colvin, interviews NRG, a wholesale provider of energy, to discuss the next big trends in the business, such as clean coal (which basically amounts to carbon taken out of coal so it is not let up into the environment). The link to this podcast is http://podcasts.cnn.net/cnn/services/podcasting/csuite/video/2008/05/29/fortune.csuite.nrg.coal.fortune.m4v.
The second podcast I subscribed to was from the Financial Times. This podcast discusses how to prevent cyber attacks. Peter Whitehead interviews Edward Amoroso, the chief security officer at AT&T. They discuss the things that companies can do to protect themselves from cyber attacks. They also discuss what countries can do on a global level to prevent themselves from cyber attacks. In addition, Stephen Pritchard interviews Stephen Brost, chief technology officer at Teradata, about the things that firms can do about with all the data they collect over time. The link to the podcast is http://podcast.ft.com/index.php?pid=815.
The third podcast I subscribed to was called Business of the Green. It is also a CNN podcast. In this podcast, Olivia Zaleski, one of the editors of Fortune Magazine, interviews Bill Ford, executive chairman of Ford. They discuss new ideas that new entrepreneurs are coming up with for the auto industry, specifically the hybrid, plug-in hybrids and American batteries. The link to the podcast is http://ht.cdn.turner.com/money/big/podcasts/bizgreen/video/2009/07/07/f-bg-ford-batteries-hybrid.fortune.m4v.
The fourth podcast I subscribed to was about innovation and risk management. Companies are always trying to be innovative and creative. However, when one is innovative and creative, there is generally a bigger chance at his or her ideas failing. This podcast discusses how to keep the innovation and creativity alive while dealing with the risk of an original or out-of-the-box idea, whatever it may be, failing miserably. The link to this podcast is http://www.podcastsforbusiness.ca/extras/3_innovation_and_risk/index.php.
The fifth podcast I subscribed to discussed strategic entrepreneurism. While every new business owner wants to be “the next big thing”, most new businesses fail. Strategic entrepreneurism shows business owners how to run and manage a new company and how to design a company for the end result of selling that company to a larger company. Jon Fisher, one of the authors of the book Strategic Entrepreneurism, was interviewed. The link to this podcast is http://www.smallbusinesspodcast.com/programs/permalinks/SBP_2009-05-11_Strategic-Entrepreneurs.htm.
Some of the information in this post has been taken for Exploring Web 2.0 by Ann Bell.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Photo Sharing
Thr following website is my photostream from flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bracha999. The pictures were taken from some of my vacations albums over the past few years.
Photo Sharing
Photo Sharing is an activity that can be used in a wide variety of manners.
Photo Sharing can be used in schools for educational purposes. Students can find pictures of places, events or activities that they are studying using tags and tag clouds. Educators can share, promote or store documents of school events. For example, pictures of field trips, graduation, school events or school projects can be embedded on the school’s website or blog, enabling parents to see them immediately. Educators can also create motivational and personalized posters, magazine covers or CD covers using the application flickr toys. In the classroom itself, teachers can grab feeds from photographers, or anyone who posted pictures for that matter, and discuss them in class. History teachers can give students a walking tour of historic buildings. Architecture students can photograph buildings and present them to the class through a slideshow. Science teachers can photograph plants or animals and share it on the class website or blog or through a slideshow. Language teachers, specifically foreign language teachers, can post pictures of words, places or events that they are studying and have the students describe them. Foreign language students can practise the language they are learning by leaving comments on the photos in that language. Finally, Photo Sharing can be a gem for media literacy students, as they can model and critique pictures or create a visual story through flickr visual. Photo Sharing can also be used between students themselves for projects or assignments by sharing photos or information on the topic chosen or assigned.
Photo sharing can be used in one’s personal life as well. Individuals can post pictures of their family, of events they have been to, activities they have done or places they have travelled to to share with family and friends. They can also find like-minded people who traveled to the same places as they did or are interested in the same type of activities or events as they are. This can lead to discussions on the subject. Information can be shared and friendships can develop.
As a student studying business, I believe that Photo Sharing can be used in businesses as well. On a practical level, Photo Sharing allows co-workers to share business photos, business projects and business proposals quite easily, which enables co-workers to view and approve documents with little difficulty. Photo Sharing can also give a human face to the company, allow the company to connect and interact with potential customers, provide links to the company’s website and blog, create visuals to integrate into company websites and blogs and create maps for websites or blogs by tagging pictures with addresses. Photo Sharing also allows customers to view images of the company’s products and, in certain cases, it can be used instead of a company website.
Most photo sharing sites seem to be quite safe and provide users with the option to make photos private. This is advantageous as many people do not want strangers to view personal pictures, especially pictures of children or loved ones, and they certainly do not want their pictures posted all over the Internet. That being said, many people assume that their posted photos are private even though they may not make the necessary changes to ensure that their photos do, indeed, remain private. Pictures that are not private can be viewed and commented on by the public. These pictures can also be copied and posted in different venues on the Internet. Of course, pictures posted by an individual person are generally considered his or her property and are subject to copyright. Nevertheless, some people may choose to disregard this fact and use the pictures for their business or personal use. Often, no malice is intended. The user just needed a picture of something and this picture fit his or her criteria. In addition, with the advent of photo shop and similar programs, pictures can be altered, sometimes in very negative manners. This can create a concern for people who wish to post personal pictures and allow them to remain public. It is important to note that most Photo Sharing sites have privacy settings. However, the individual must make a conscious effort to set the settings to ensure that his or her privacy is protected. In addition, in the event that one’s pictures are stolen or doctored, even though the individual may be protected by copyright, it is a big headache to fight and prove that the pictures are, indeed, one’s property and to undo whatever damage was done.
On the other hand, the benefits of Photo Sharing services are tremendous. Family and friends can view and comment on pictures of their loves ones. Some Photo Sharing sites even provide professional prints of pictures for a fee. People can connect with like-minded individuals. They can gain information on places they have been to or places they want to go and activities they have done or activities they want to do. Educators can use photo sharing as a tool when teaching their students. Schools can use Photo Sharing to promote or share school events with parents, sometimes even while they are happening. Business can use Photo Sharing to gain new customers and promote their company. Co-workers can collaborate on projects or proposals. Finally, photo sharing can be of great benefit to the individual who wants to discover new places or new things and, through viewing public tagged photos on the subject, can visit the places and learn about the things he or she never thought possible.
Some of the information in this post was taken from Web 2.0 by Ann Bell
Photo Sharing can be used in schools for educational purposes. Students can find pictures of places, events or activities that they are studying using tags and tag clouds. Educators can share, promote or store documents of school events. For example, pictures of field trips, graduation, school events or school projects can be embedded on the school’s website or blog, enabling parents to see them immediately. Educators can also create motivational and personalized posters, magazine covers or CD covers using the application flickr toys. In the classroom itself, teachers can grab feeds from photographers, or anyone who posted pictures for that matter, and discuss them in class. History teachers can give students a walking tour of historic buildings. Architecture students can photograph buildings and present them to the class through a slideshow. Science teachers can photograph plants or animals and share it on the class website or blog or through a slideshow. Language teachers, specifically foreign language teachers, can post pictures of words, places or events that they are studying and have the students describe them. Foreign language students can practise the language they are learning by leaving comments on the photos in that language. Finally, Photo Sharing can be a gem for media literacy students, as they can model and critique pictures or create a visual story through flickr visual. Photo Sharing can also be used between students themselves for projects or assignments by sharing photos or information on the topic chosen or assigned.
Photo sharing can be used in one’s personal life as well. Individuals can post pictures of their family, of events they have been to, activities they have done or places they have travelled to to share with family and friends. They can also find like-minded people who traveled to the same places as they did or are interested in the same type of activities or events as they are. This can lead to discussions on the subject. Information can be shared and friendships can develop.
As a student studying business, I believe that Photo Sharing can be used in businesses as well. On a practical level, Photo Sharing allows co-workers to share business photos, business projects and business proposals quite easily, which enables co-workers to view and approve documents with little difficulty. Photo Sharing can also give a human face to the company, allow the company to connect and interact with potential customers, provide links to the company’s website and blog, create visuals to integrate into company websites and blogs and create maps for websites or blogs by tagging pictures with addresses. Photo Sharing also allows customers to view images of the company’s products and, in certain cases, it can be used instead of a company website.
Most photo sharing sites seem to be quite safe and provide users with the option to make photos private. This is advantageous as many people do not want strangers to view personal pictures, especially pictures of children or loved ones, and they certainly do not want their pictures posted all over the Internet. That being said, many people assume that their posted photos are private even though they may not make the necessary changes to ensure that their photos do, indeed, remain private. Pictures that are not private can be viewed and commented on by the public. These pictures can also be copied and posted in different venues on the Internet. Of course, pictures posted by an individual person are generally considered his or her property and are subject to copyright. Nevertheless, some people may choose to disregard this fact and use the pictures for their business or personal use. Often, no malice is intended. The user just needed a picture of something and this picture fit his or her criteria. In addition, with the advent of photo shop and similar programs, pictures can be altered, sometimes in very negative manners. This can create a concern for people who wish to post personal pictures and allow them to remain public. It is important to note that most Photo Sharing sites have privacy settings. However, the individual must make a conscious effort to set the settings to ensure that his or her privacy is protected. In addition, in the event that one’s pictures are stolen or doctored, even though the individual may be protected by copyright, it is a big headache to fight and prove that the pictures are, indeed, one’s property and to undo whatever damage was done.
On the other hand, the benefits of Photo Sharing services are tremendous. Family and friends can view and comment on pictures of their loves ones. Some Photo Sharing sites even provide professional prints of pictures for a fee. People can connect with like-minded individuals. They can gain information on places they have been to or places they want to go and activities they have done or activities they want to do. Educators can use photo sharing as a tool when teaching their students. Schools can use Photo Sharing to promote or share school events with parents, sometimes even while they are happening. Business can use Photo Sharing to gain new customers and promote their company. Co-workers can collaborate on projects or proposals. Finally, photo sharing can be of great benefit to the individual who wants to discover new places or new things and, through viewing public tagged photos on the subject, can visit the places and learn about the things he or she never thought possible.
Some of the information in this post was taken from Web 2.0 by Ann Bell
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Social Bookmarking Site
My social bookmarking site is http://delicious.com/bracha999.
I used 20 sites. Some are news stories. Other are sports stories. Still others have to with business as that is the field I am currently studying.
I used 20 sites. Some are news stories. Other are sports stories. Still others have to with business as that is the field I am currently studying.
Ideas on how to use Social Bookmarking
Social bookmarking is a very useful tool which can be used in many capacities. First of all, social bookmarking can be very useful in school because it enables students and teachers to collaborate with each other using information on the Internet. In addition, because social bookmarking enables users to comment and review the bookmark, teachers and students can interact with each other and teachers can check if students read and understood the material based on the comments or notes they have written. Social bookmarking can be used in group projects and in individual projects. When the entire class is working on a topic at the same time or when a particular group project is assigned, social bookmarking can be used for collaboration between members of the group or class. Teachers and students can select and archive resources relating to the topic and share those links with each other. Teachers and students can comment on the URLs and discussions, albeit limited, can ensue. When an individual is working on a particular project, the teacher can post URLs for the student to read. This reduces the time doing online research and improves the relevancy of the resources found. In the same vein, social bookmarking can be quite advantageous for companies as well. It can be used to share relevant information with the appropriate parties before important meetings or before meeting with prospective clients. It can also be used to publish important or interesting information to share with colleagues. Social bookmarking is not only about sharing. It can also be used to consume information. For example, an individual can use RSS to direct specific web-based information about himself, search others bookmarks using tags, tag clouds to see relationships between concepts and discover people with similar interests based on similarities in tags and bookmarked sites. As I am a college student, social bookmarking can be used to help me with individual projects and group projects. It can also be used as medium to post additional information relevant to courses I am currently taking which can enhance the course or provide clearer insight into topics discussed and their relevance today.
I had previously never heard of social bookmarking. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that it is relatively simple to do. It is, however, time consuming. I spent hours finding and tagging the 20 sites required for this assignment. While social bookmarking can be very useful for businesses, groups and schools, especially when working on specific projects, it is not as interactive as some other Web 2.0 technologies such as wikis, blogs and social networking sites!
Some of the information on this post is taken from Exploring Web 2.0 by Ann Bell
I had previously never heard of social bookmarking. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that it is relatively simple to do. It is, however, time consuming. I spent hours finding and tagging the 20 sites required for this assignment. While social bookmarking can be very useful for businesses, groups and schools, especially when working on specific projects, it is not as interactive as some other Web 2.0 technologies such as wikis, blogs and social networking sites!
Some of the information on this post is taken from Exploring Web 2.0 by Ann Bell
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
My wiki
I have created a Wiki.
The site is: http://presentationclasswiki.pbworks.com
Please note that the wiki is to plan a sleepover party in Yosemite Park.
The site is: http://presentationclasswiki.pbworks.com
Please note that the wiki is to plan a sleepover party in Yosemite Park.
Impressions on Wikis
After reading about wikis and setting up my own wiki, I realized that wikis can be useful in a wide variety of manners. In a school setting, wikis can be used for group projects and class projects. Each student can collaborate, adding files, suggesting links and altogether creating a document that is comprehensive and up-to-date. Wikis promote a constructionist style of learning which is especially useful for students as they can build new ideas based on their previous knowledge. Wikis can be used to keep track of homework, tests, assignments and school events. They can also be used as personal workspace. At the same time, faculty members can have great use of wikis as well; they can create lesson plans and update curriculum as well as develop school policies. Wiki pathfinders can host teacher presentations, handouts and rubrics. They can also link researchers to important readings, thereby saving time and energy. Wikis can be useful in many other settings as well. For example, classroom communication, sports teams, community groups, book clubs and committees can greatly be enhanced through the use of a wiki. In addition, to-do lists, checklists, event planning, trip planning and party planning can be done through a wiki as well. As a business student, I find that wikis can be especially helpful in companies. They can be used for internal documentation but, more importantly, they can be used for collaborating on business projects and business proposals. Each member of the team can add to the project or proposal at his or her convenience. Earlier versions of the project can be seen at any time. With the aid of a wiki, the work done on the project or proposal does not need to take place solely in meeting; it can now be done whenever its members have the time despite their varying schedules, which can greatly enhance productivity and efficiently. In other words, members do not need to be at a meeting to contribute. Of course, business project or business proposal wikis are best when kept private to avoid leaking sensitive information. In addition, wikis can be very helpful for project management – from the conception to the finished project. They can also be used as operation manuals for workers or FAQ’s about the company. In fact, wikis can help the user organize almost anything. Finally, a student, employee or business person can always use a wiki as his or her personal workspace!
There were several things about wikis which surprised me. First of all, it is quite simple to develop a wiki. I had always thought of wikis as complicated and difficult. In reality, when working with a wiki sites such as PB Works, the process is easy to master. That is not to say that wikis are not time consuming, but wikis can add a tremendous amount of organization to any project. At the same time, I was surprised to realize how easy it is to edit a public wiki. Uninformed or uneducated people can easily modify the content of a wiki or, worse yet, put up false or misleading information. While it seems that the information on Wikipedia is fairly accurate and, when getting information from any source, one should verify it before believing it, I still find the fact that anyone can modify information rather worrisome. The reason is because, with most encyclopedias or information, there is an author who is writing or posting and that author is responsible for its content. In the case of a wiki, there is not one but many authors creating and modifying information. That means that anyone can edit the content without being responsible for the outcome – which may make people less wary about posting inaccurate information or pushing a certain viewpoint when stating facts. I have previously stumbled upon inaccurate information on wikis, probably posted by people who may not have known better. That being said I, like many students, use Wikipedia to learn more about subjects before researching them and I have found wikis extremely useful.
Some of the information in this post has been taken from Web 2.0 by Ann Bell.
There were several things about wikis which surprised me. First of all, it is quite simple to develop a wiki. I had always thought of wikis as complicated and difficult. In reality, when working with a wiki sites such as PB Works, the process is easy to master. That is not to say that wikis are not time consuming, but wikis can add a tremendous amount of organization to any project. At the same time, I was surprised to realize how easy it is to edit a public wiki. Uninformed or uneducated people can easily modify the content of a wiki or, worse yet, put up false or misleading information. While it seems that the information on Wikipedia is fairly accurate and, when getting information from any source, one should verify it before believing it, I still find the fact that anyone can modify information rather worrisome. The reason is because, with most encyclopedias or information, there is an author who is writing or posting and that author is responsible for its content. In the case of a wiki, there is not one but many authors creating and modifying information. That means that anyone can edit the content without being responsible for the outcome – which may make people less wary about posting inaccurate information or pushing a certain viewpoint when stating facts. I have previously stumbled upon inaccurate information on wikis, probably posted by people who may not have known better. That being said I, like many students, use Wikipedia to learn more about subjects before researching them and I have found wikis extremely useful.
Some of the information in this post has been taken from Web 2.0 by Ann Bell.
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