My English teacher sent the whole class a link to explore, this link was:
http://www.c4lpt.co.uk/Directory/index.html
Then we were instructed to go to the Presentation Tools page and pick out a tool or a couple pf tools to help with or upcoming presentation.
I chose Slide Share and PhotoStory. Both of these are slide show programs that help you to put pictures into easy to manage slide shows.
And they're both FREE!
Here are the links so you can check them out yourself
PhotoStory
Slide Share
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Top 10 Things I learned from Chapter 1
While I was reading Ch. 1 I learned something new from almost every article
"What the Bagelman Saw"
I can't believe that that many people would steal. It is very eye-opening the direction in which our society is heading
"Everybody Does It"
I couldn't believe how much of a gap is growing between the socio-economic classes. It is easy to look into everyday life and see the stressors placed on people by this great divide.
"The Art of College Management: Cheating"
It is shocking how easy cheating is coming to people. I understand the pressure of being a student but that is what receiving a grade is for. A grade is supposed to reflect the time and effort put into the class by the person receiving the grade and no one else.
"Psssst... What's the Answer?"
The stigma and shame associated with cheating is disappearing as the years go by. People are so interested in the bottom line they do not care about how they get there and that is reflecting upon the youth of today and manifesting itself in the form of cheating.
"Justice or Just Us? What to Do about Cheating"
The statistics were shocking. The fact that 2/3 of students cheat on test and 90% of student cheat on homework. I can understand the homework because what people deem as cheating "working together" I deem as cooperation.
Also I agree with the proposed solution for cheating. It was shown that there is less cheating in classes where the teacher is liked and where the students feel they are adequately assessed. The solution to cheating is to replace the ineffective teachers with ones that will engage the student and make them want to learn the topic at hand.
"God's Little Toys: Confessions of a Cut and Paste Artist"
This represented a very interesting take on plagiarism. I was not aware of the term "cut and paste" in reference to literature.
"Rise of the Plagiosphere: How New Tools to Detect Plagiarism Could Induce Mass Writer's Block"
It is amazing the technology that they are coming up with today. I think that it is an immense amount of technology aimed to try and catch cheaters in the act as opposed to teaching student why not to cheat. People's original thought are not always original to the world but are in fact original to the individual.
"Term Paper Websites"
I do not understand why the websites are allowed to exist. I suppose in the eyes of the law they are selling a legitimate product but it is destroying the ethical systems of the youth of today.
"Something Borrowed"
I can't believe that the playwright basically copied the woman's life into the play and did not even credit her for it. I feel as though the playwright knew it was wrong and I feel that she should have acknowledged her sources of inspiration somewhere in the play booklet.
"What the Bagelman Saw"
I can't believe that that many people would steal. It is very eye-opening the direction in which our society is heading
"Everybody Does It"
I couldn't believe how much of a gap is growing between the socio-economic classes. It is easy to look into everyday life and see the stressors placed on people by this great divide.
"The Art of College Management: Cheating"
It is shocking how easy cheating is coming to people. I understand the pressure of being a student but that is what receiving a grade is for. A grade is supposed to reflect the time and effort put into the class by the person receiving the grade and no one else.
"Psssst... What's the Answer?"
The stigma and shame associated with cheating is disappearing as the years go by. People are so interested in the bottom line they do not care about how they get there and that is reflecting upon the youth of today and manifesting itself in the form of cheating.
"Justice or Just Us? What to Do about Cheating"
The statistics were shocking. The fact that 2/3 of students cheat on test and 90% of student cheat on homework. I can understand the homework because what people deem as cheating "working together" I deem as cooperation.
Also I agree with the proposed solution for cheating. It was shown that there is less cheating in classes where the teacher is liked and where the students feel they are adequately assessed. The solution to cheating is to replace the ineffective teachers with ones that will engage the student and make them want to learn the topic at hand.
"God's Little Toys: Confessions of a Cut and Paste Artist"
This represented a very interesting take on plagiarism. I was not aware of the term "cut and paste" in reference to literature.
"Rise of the Plagiosphere: How New Tools to Detect Plagiarism Could Induce Mass Writer's Block"
It is amazing the technology that they are coming up with today. I think that it is an immense amount of technology aimed to try and catch cheaters in the act as opposed to teaching student why not to cheat. People's original thought are not always original to the world but are in fact original to the individual.
"Term Paper Websites"
I do not understand why the websites are allowed to exist. I suppose in the eyes of the law they are selling a legitimate product but it is destroying the ethical systems of the youth of today.
"Something Borrowed"
I can't believe that the playwright basically copied the woman's life into the play and did not even credit her for it. I feel as though the playwright knew it was wrong and I feel that she should have acknowledged her sources of inspiration somewhere in the play booklet.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Summary of "The Business of Life"
Nowadays, the internet is everything. It provides information and for some it provides an escape and a way of making a living. In the article “The Business of Life,” by Peter Svensson he discusses the aspects of these virtual worlds and the people who make money by playing the game in their everyday life.
People around the world are playing these MMORPGs (massively multiplayer online role playing games). The users in these online spaces are forming communities and especially economies that interact with the real world. Entrepreneurs such as Kasi Nafus, whose clothing store online brings in enough income to comfortably support her life style, are taking advantage of this “secondary market” and making money. Nafus does not have to deal with the pains of a real clothing store. There is no fabric to work with, or a factory to make the clothes, instead she is able to use an image-editing program to make virtual copies of the clothes and sell them through data files sent to the buyers accounts. Second Life, the game Nafus creates for, has its own currency that is convertible to US dollars at a fluctuating rate, just like today’s economy.
Although there are a lot of differences between the online jobs and the real life jobs one thing is consistent, outsourcing. Most of the jobs that are created online are outsourced to other countries. Clothing stores are not the only type of online income available. Most of the MMORPGs are fighting games in which players need items to help make them stronger. These games offer an opportunity for “gold farmers,” people who get paid to play the game to get the items and then give them over to a mother company for sale. An example of this is Ilin Aurel, from Romania. He gets paid $200 a month to help find items which other people can buy off Gamerloot.net. This site gives access to “people who don’t mind spending real money to their in-game characters.”
In all respect these online economies are growing quickly. It is estimated that at least $100 million dollars will be traded between real money and the virtual worlds. With the number of users continually growing, the real world trade surrounding these online economies has no option but to grow and expand as well.
People around the world are playing these MMORPGs (massively multiplayer online role playing games). The users in these online spaces are forming communities and especially economies that interact with the real world. Entrepreneurs such as Kasi Nafus, whose clothing store online brings in enough income to comfortably support her life style, are taking advantage of this “secondary market” and making money. Nafus does not have to deal with the pains of a real clothing store. There is no fabric to work with, or a factory to make the clothes, instead she is able to use an image-editing program to make virtual copies of the clothes and sell them through data files sent to the buyers accounts. Second Life, the game Nafus creates for, has its own currency that is convertible to US dollars at a fluctuating rate, just like today’s economy.
Although there are a lot of differences between the online jobs and the real life jobs one thing is consistent, outsourcing. Most of the jobs that are created online are outsourced to other countries. Clothing stores are not the only type of online income available. Most of the MMORPGs are fighting games in which players need items to help make them stronger. These games offer an opportunity for “gold farmers,” people who get paid to play the game to get the items and then give them over to a mother company for sale. An example of this is Ilin Aurel, from Romania. He gets paid $200 a month to help find items which other people can buy off Gamerloot.net. This site gives access to “people who don’t mind spending real money to their in-game characters.”
In all respect these online economies are growing quickly. It is estimated that at least $100 million dollars will be traded between real money and the virtual worlds. With the number of users continually growing, the real world trade surrounding these online economies has no option but to grow and expand as well.
Friday, February 8, 2008
I Question
Equine Science
Behavioral Problems in Horses
The effect of beginner riders versus intermediate- advanced riders
The effect of the WKU Basic equitation class on the WKU horse herd
Behavioral Problems in Horses
The effect of beginner riders versus intermediate- advanced riders
The effect of the WKU Basic equitation class on the WKU horse herd
Critique of "You're 16, You’re Beautiful and You’re a Voter" by Anya Kamenetz
An interesting article I read was from the New York Times titled “You’re 16, You’re Beautiful and You’re a Voter”. The author of the article Anya Kamenetz is a staff writer for Fast Company.
The article began by introducing the presidential race and the increase of younger and younger voters at the polls everyday. The point of view was valid and extremely reasonable until it stepped over the line from brilliant to extreme. Voting has been a touchy subject for the last couple of years. With more and more people neglecting the polls and portraying voting as a burden as opposed to a privilege, younger people need to be encouraged to vote responsibly. In this article the thought of an “early voting permit,” awarded only after “passing a simple civics course” is a great idea. The article speaks not only how they would have to work to get the permit, but how it would turn it for an age-related issue to an education-related issue.
The other issues presented by the author, however, I feel are extremely ludicrous. Implementing voting at an early age is one subject, but trying to spread the feeling out to topics such as alcohol, marriage, and the financial responsibility of credit cards is just too far. I know this may sound unfounded but you should just let kids be kids. The “phasing in adults rights and responsibilities is good but using method such as this will just shift the problems from the teens to the grade school children. The author suggests implementing a drinking permit at the age of 16 which allows you to have a few drinks with your parents and at school functions after passing an alcoholism course. Alcohol is not restricted from youths as a punishment, but as a health factor. The human brain does not fully develop until 20-21 years of age, according the WebMD.com. In any case, the most likely scenario is that if the 16 year olds get a drinking permit then the younger siblings and the siblings friends will want to drink too. Although they would not have as much access as the teenage group has now I feel that it would just shift the problem from bad to worse. Even with the drinking permit, most kids would abuse alcohol to the same extent they do nowadays.
The last issue the author suggests is the possibility of allowing kids to obtain credit cards as long as they had a parent co-signer and passed a financial literacy test. The “young applicants” would be required to make a year of on-time payments from money they have earned. I think teaching kids about the effects of credit cards is a great idea but actually giving them credit cards at that young of an age is senseless. Many teens do not think very far forward, and while this program might help to develop thought process, the majority of teens are going to get excited and run up a bill forgetting how much everything costs.
The author states, “The more we treat teenagers as adults, the more they rise to our expectations.” I think that is true but there is a point in life where kids should just be kids and with their whimsical ways should not be allowed to have access to things such as credit cards and alcohol. I understand that only the 16 year olds who work for the privileges will be rewarded with them. However, at a time when young people are figuring out who they are, there are many silly mistakes that will just be exaggerated with the allowance of underage drinking and credit card use. I do however support the thought of both educating student about all of the previous topics (alcohol, credit cards, and voting) and possibly allowing for an “early voting permit.”
I'm sorry this turned into a critique
The article began by introducing the presidential race and the increase of younger and younger voters at the polls everyday. The point of view was valid and extremely reasonable until it stepped over the line from brilliant to extreme. Voting has been a touchy subject for the last couple of years. With more and more people neglecting the polls and portraying voting as a burden as opposed to a privilege, younger people need to be encouraged to vote responsibly. In this article the thought of an “early voting permit,” awarded only after “passing a simple civics course” is a great idea. The article speaks not only how they would have to work to get the permit, but how it would turn it for an age-related issue to an education-related issue.
The other issues presented by the author, however, I feel are extremely ludicrous. Implementing voting at an early age is one subject, but trying to spread the feeling out to topics such as alcohol, marriage, and the financial responsibility of credit cards is just too far. I know this may sound unfounded but you should just let kids be kids. The “phasing in adults rights and responsibilities is good but using method such as this will just shift the problems from the teens to the grade school children. The author suggests implementing a drinking permit at the age of 16 which allows you to have a few drinks with your parents and at school functions after passing an alcoholism course. Alcohol is not restricted from youths as a punishment, but as a health factor. The human brain does not fully develop until 20-21 years of age, according the WebMD.com. In any case, the most likely scenario is that if the 16 year olds get a drinking permit then the younger siblings and the siblings friends will want to drink too. Although they would not have as much access as the teenage group has now I feel that it would just shift the problem from bad to worse. Even with the drinking permit, most kids would abuse alcohol to the same extent they do nowadays.
The last issue the author suggests is the possibility of allowing kids to obtain credit cards as long as they had a parent co-signer and passed a financial literacy test. The “young applicants” would be required to make a year of on-time payments from money they have earned. I think teaching kids about the effects of credit cards is a great idea but actually giving them credit cards at that young of an age is senseless. Many teens do not think very far forward, and while this program might help to develop thought process, the majority of teens are going to get excited and run up a bill forgetting how much everything costs.
The author states, “The more we treat teenagers as adults, the more they rise to our expectations.” I think that is true but there is a point in life where kids should just be kids and with their whimsical ways should not be allowed to have access to things such as credit cards and alcohol. I understand that only the 16 year olds who work for the privileges will be rewarded with them. However, at a time when young people are figuring out who they are, there are many silly mistakes that will just be exaggerated with the allowance of underage drinking and credit card use. I do however support the thought of both educating student about all of the previous topics (alcohol, credit cards, and voting) and possibly allowing for an “early voting permit.”
I'm sorry this turned into a critique
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Can Computers Change the Way We Think?
There is a raging debate over whether or not computers are able to change the way we think. When the question, “Can Computers Change the Way We Think?” was asked to a college level English class the responses we not only split, but most students shared the same concerns about the computers as their classmates.
The majority of students felt as though the computer had the ability to change the way we think. Some aspects of everyday life the students felt computers changed were the knowledge of spelling and grammatical rules, privacy, access to information, and social networking. Almost every student spoke on the subject of how word processors, such as Microsoft Word, have become more of a crutch than a help. The younger generation of today are not using Microsoft Word to double check their writing assignments as much as they are just hoping Microsoft Word fixes all of their problems. Also nowadays with the wealth of information out there it is easier to pull up the internet and inquire about a specific subject. In a matter of seconds, billions of responses to the inquiry would be at the disposal of the reader. This saves the reader the time of going to the library and endlessly searching for reference books, however it feeds into the mind set of instant gratification. This ability to pull up billions of references can help to open up new ways of thinking for people, or even sway people’s opinions on subjects. Even though most of the topics listed have not been that dangerous the next two are in fact very dangerous. Identity theft is increasing because of the availability of personal information on the internet. Hackers, if skilled enough, can simply go into a companies’ record and steal all of the necessary information needed to make online purchases and transfer money from bank accounts. If people do not get the information by hacking then a lot of times they can just get the information from social networks such as Facebook and MySpace. It is a wonderful tool to be able to contact long lost friends and make new ones however it does have its drawbacks. The younger generation is feeling safe enough to give personal information out over the internet which can lead to more abductions, sexual assaults, etc. Also many of these sites allow you to build mini versions of you, or avatars. Some people spend so much time building up their online self that they begin to lack the essential social skills needed for socializing and cooperating with peers. Even with all of these valid points there were still some students who believed the complete opposite, computers cannot change the way we think.
The very few students that believe computers cannot change the way we think did not necessarily disagree with almost anything the other side stated. In fact, in most cases they agreed with most of the point brought out as far as privacy, crime, socialization, and grammatical skills. However, most of these people felt as though they were behavioral changes and not changes in the way we think. If computers were taken off of this planet tonight then these people feel they could revert back to living without them and be able to function doing “back of the envelope calculations.” Giving someone a tool that will help them does not automatically mean they will begin to overuse the tool and become lazy. That is a genetic defect of the entire human kind. The computer is a wonderful tool and can help to improve people’s insight into the world and people availability to information but it is just like everything else in life; too much of a good thing is a bad thing. If you begin to overuse Microsoft Word and do not rely on your own knowledge or share every aspect of your life to complete strangers than the internet can become a debilitating and dangerous aspect of life. However just because the internet changes the majority of human behavior does not mean I changes the way people think in general.
The majority of students felt as though the computer had the ability to change the way we think. Some aspects of everyday life the students felt computers changed were the knowledge of spelling and grammatical rules, privacy, access to information, and social networking. Almost every student spoke on the subject of how word processors, such as Microsoft Word, have become more of a crutch than a help. The younger generation of today are not using Microsoft Word to double check their writing assignments as much as they are just hoping Microsoft Word fixes all of their problems. Also nowadays with the wealth of information out there it is easier to pull up the internet and inquire about a specific subject. In a matter of seconds, billions of responses to the inquiry would be at the disposal of the reader. This saves the reader the time of going to the library and endlessly searching for reference books, however it feeds into the mind set of instant gratification. This ability to pull up billions of references can help to open up new ways of thinking for people, or even sway people’s opinions on subjects. Even though most of the topics listed have not been that dangerous the next two are in fact very dangerous. Identity theft is increasing because of the availability of personal information on the internet. Hackers, if skilled enough, can simply go into a companies’ record and steal all of the necessary information needed to make online purchases and transfer money from bank accounts. If people do not get the information by hacking then a lot of times they can just get the information from social networks such as Facebook and MySpace. It is a wonderful tool to be able to contact long lost friends and make new ones however it does have its drawbacks. The younger generation is feeling safe enough to give personal information out over the internet which can lead to more abductions, sexual assaults, etc. Also many of these sites allow you to build mini versions of you, or avatars. Some people spend so much time building up their online self that they begin to lack the essential social skills needed for socializing and cooperating with peers. Even with all of these valid points there were still some students who believed the complete opposite, computers cannot change the way we think.
The very few students that believe computers cannot change the way we think did not necessarily disagree with almost anything the other side stated. In fact, in most cases they agreed with most of the point brought out as far as privacy, crime, socialization, and grammatical skills. However, most of these people felt as though they were behavioral changes and not changes in the way we think. If computers were taken off of this planet tonight then these people feel they could revert back to living without them and be able to function doing “back of the envelope calculations.” Giving someone a tool that will help them does not automatically mean they will begin to overuse the tool and become lazy. That is a genetic defect of the entire human kind. The computer is a wonderful tool and can help to improve people’s insight into the world and people availability to information but it is just like everything else in life; too much of a good thing is a bad thing. If you begin to overuse Microsoft Word and do not rely on your own knowledge or share every aspect of your life to complete strangers than the internet can become a debilitating and dangerous aspect of life. However just because the internet changes the majority of human behavior does not mean I changes the way people think in general.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Summarization of "Lessons of 1992"
This article explains the similarity between the Democratic Party of 1992 and of 2008 elections. The situation of coming from a Republic-run presidency with a steep divide in parties is a common factor. Politics sometimes get off the focus of the real issues at hand. The Clinton administration faced so many scandals that to try and gain popularity with both parties his policies were “strategically vague.” Today’s candidates are too busy demoralizing and “demonizing” each other to focus on the real issues such as healthcare. One exception to this rule is John Edwards who has actually focused on the issues in his campaign. If the next president elected to the White House is democratic then the result from 1992 will replay if the candidate does not have a “broadly outlined workable plan for universal coverage.”
Summarization of
Krugman, Paul. "Lessons of 1992." The New York Times 28 Jan. 2008.
Quotes from same source
Summarization of
Krugman, Paul. "Lessons of 1992." The New York Times 28 Jan. 2008.
Quotes from same source
Monday, January 28, 2008
The Important Things In Life
As time passes, you grow and take time to realize the important things in life. Those things are very subjective, however, and depend greatly upon the environment in which you grew up.
As a female college student the important things in life are discussed on an almost hourly basis; boys, the internet, and school. The important things in life must be the subjects that everyone talks about and the ones that bond you together with your peers. Nowadays, however, most of the bonding takes place over the internet and most of the discussing occurs through Facebook.
The alarm goes off an hour before I should be in class. The sun is already up both because it is winter so the sun rises earlier, and my classes do not start as early as a normal adult work day would. Before classes I eat breakfast and have to get my morning fix of the web.
I open the internet and have my homepage set to the WKU home site. This is, of course, for the purpose of saving the 5 seconds it takes to type in the address. I log on and check my e-mail looking for last minute assignment changes from teachers. I also check Facebook for any changes that might have occurred from 11:58, two whole minutes before I went to bed, and when I woke up. How ignorant do you look when you walk into class and your friend asks if you got her bumper sticker she sent you, or about the party on Friday, all information received via Facebook?
Usually, Facebook consumes more time than I allotted and I rush up the hill to get to my class on time. After class gets out, it is back down to the dorm for more surfing.
No one does homework midday right after classes, but many people Facebook. Interesting how a noun when used in everyday life can become a verb. So I arrive at the dorm, fix lunch, and sit down at the computer for a midday supplement of browsing. I check Facebook for some news, if nothing extreme has changed I don’t have time- sensitive responses needed. This frees up time to check other sites such as “Addicting Games” or even for me, “Webkinz.” Both of these are sites on which you can, yet again, occupy your time with useless, fun games.
After my fix of games and continuous checking of Facebook, I log on AIM so I can constantly be connected with friends while I take a break from browsing to complete my homework for the day. I make sure and check my WKU e-mail and compose a few messages myself to stay on top of all academic and extracurricular activities.
By the end of the day I have checked my WKU mail 50+ times, sent a few out myself, checked my real e-mail once, if that, been on Facebook almost constantly except during class, and taken some time to play games.
This is all done while texting friends throughout the day, both in and out of class.
This helps put into perspective the important things in life does it not…
As a female college student the important things in life are discussed on an almost hourly basis; boys, the internet, and school. The important things in life must be the subjects that everyone talks about and the ones that bond you together with your peers. Nowadays, however, most of the bonding takes place over the internet and most of the discussing occurs through Facebook.
The alarm goes off an hour before I should be in class. The sun is already up both because it is winter so the sun rises earlier, and my classes do not start as early as a normal adult work day would. Before classes I eat breakfast and have to get my morning fix of the web.
I open the internet and have my homepage set to the WKU home site. This is, of course, for the purpose of saving the 5 seconds it takes to type in the address. I log on and check my e-mail looking for last minute assignment changes from teachers. I also check Facebook for any changes that might have occurred from 11:58, two whole minutes before I went to bed, and when I woke up. How ignorant do you look when you walk into class and your friend asks if you got her bumper sticker she sent you, or about the party on Friday, all information received via Facebook?
Usually, Facebook consumes more time than I allotted and I rush up the hill to get to my class on time. After class gets out, it is back down to the dorm for more surfing.
No one does homework midday right after classes, but many people Facebook. Interesting how a noun when used in everyday life can become a verb. So I arrive at the dorm, fix lunch, and sit down at the computer for a midday supplement of browsing. I check Facebook for some news, if nothing extreme has changed I don’t have time- sensitive responses needed. This frees up time to check other sites such as “Addicting Games” or even for me, “Webkinz.” Both of these are sites on which you can, yet again, occupy your time with useless, fun games.
After my fix of games and continuous checking of Facebook, I log on AIM so I can constantly be connected with friends while I take a break from browsing to complete my homework for the day. I make sure and check my WKU e-mail and compose a few messages myself to stay on top of all academic and extracurricular activities.
By the end of the day I have checked my WKU mail 50+ times, sent a few out myself, checked my real e-mail once, if that, been on Facebook almost constantly except during class, and taken some time to play games.
This is all done while texting friends throughout the day, both in and out of class.
This helps put into perspective the important things in life does it not…
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)