State of the Union

I fell that I am a little over due to add a rant to my blog. So I think it is time to add a new one.
I recently learned that a good friend of mine husband was recently fired from his job. You may ask what is different about that? People get fired everyday. Well before you decide to stop reading this posting let me provide you with a background about the person that got fired and how the company decided to handle the firing.

Background

To keep names confidential I will just call my good friend’s husband named Jim. The company Jim worked for was a newspaper company that provides the news for several of the cities and towns in and around my location. This newspaper company is by no means a New York Times, or a Atlanta Journal Constitution. But they tend to do a good job, and besides I do not live in a huge metropolitan area that the NYT or AJC have behind them.
Now Jim has been associated with this organization for not 10, 15, or 20 years. He has been working for this organization for 35 years. 35 straight years. I have to say it one more time 35 YEARS. Than why did he get fired?
Well he must have done something terribly wrong. Maybe he had a sexual harassment case brought up against. Or maybe he was embezzling money from the job. Or, I got it, after 35 years he was sick and tired of getting up everyday and going to work, and was often times showing up late or not coming at all. Well rest assured it was none of the above. Jim simply got fired because he just so happened to fall into the group that got fired this time.
Over the years this newspaper company would gather a bunch of the workers together and fire them. The company may include a reason why or it may no. Jim has made it through this entire time without getting fired. Maybe I need to do some more investigating because I just do not understand.

How it happened

Jim’s superior one day last week called a meeting. Jim and 49 others were to be present at this meeting. Then the news was broke to them. But the most disturbing part was how it the news was giving to them and the subsequent events.
Jim was fired with 49 others without given a reason. After 35 years of loyal, dependable, hard work to this company he gets fired for no rhyme or reason. Next the company brought in local law enforcement to keep the peace. Each of the 49 people was supervised by the police as they gathered their belongings and was walked off the premises. Jim had some of the perks provided to him from the company which included a cell phone that had to be turned in as well.

Now

I don’t really understand the firing and how the company decided to handle it. Quite frankly it may not be any of my business. But I wonder if it is a result of now. Or current state of the economy may be the reason for it. I just read the other day that the National Basketball Association had to lay off 20 (not sure if that is correct number because 40 keeps popping in my head) people because of economic concerns. I don’t know…But as one human being to another, Jim deserved a reason. Even if Jim did not care to here it after 35 years it deserved that much than to be escorted of the premises by the police.

RSS Control Station 4

Overall my experience with the RSS Control Station went well. It is valuable to further my knowledge of all the resources that are available to me through Google.
As I stated in my prior posting, it is nice for Google Reader to do the work for me. Thus far, I have subscribed to 11 different blogs and Google Readers goes to each one of these blogs every time to sign in to check and see if the author(s) of the blog posted something new. I can read each on of the blogs from my reader and even can link directly to the blog if I want to get more information.
There were several different things I could do with my subscriptions in Google Reader. One of these advantages has to deal with organization. I was able to create folders on my Google Reader to help maintain some type of order with the blogs and associate blogs for educational purposes and others for leisure.
Using Google Reader for educational uses would not be difficult at all. In higher education Google Reader could be used for keeping up with campus news, sports, changes to policy, and any other uses a college or university sees fit.
In K-12 Google Reader could be used by each one of your students in a classroom. Especially, useful in Reading classes when the teacher would like to include literature circles. On days when the student has reading to do at home or outside the classroom the student can post his notes on or reflections to their blog. The teacher to subscribe to the blog to see how the student is doing on their readings and also students could subscribe to each others blogs.

iGoogle is a great tool I could use on a personal level. I enjoyed the many features associated with the website. The different gadgets found throughout the website is particularly useful. I find myself going over seas at least once a year and the currency converter is a great tool to use just for that. The podcast player is another great tool because I can use the RSS functions in my podcast player to subscribe to different podcast. iGoogle also provides a direct link to my gmail and twitter accounts through the use of the gadgets that they have.
Overall I just love to use this site. A one stop shop as I called it before.
The RSS Control Station assignment I particularly enjoyed because of the iGoogle page. They have gadgets for just about everything that you could think of.

RSS Control Station 3

In my first posting on the RSS Control Station (the original) I discussed iGoogle and Google Reader. Also in the posting I made mention about a posting in edublogs about social networking. It is amazing all the different opportunities technology allows a user to have. In the aspect of social networking a user is able to share, store, and sort diverse forms of media and information through websites, photos, videos, or people.
Steve Hargadon had a really great posting called Moving Toward Web 2.0 in K-12 Education. This posting is really significant because of all this discussion on shifting our educational practices. One change that is frequently discussed is the modification from teacher-centered instruction to student-centered learning. This can be done in various ways including authenticity, engagement, or collaboration. This article makes references to these strategies as well.
Just another reason why I enjoy the components associated with Google Reader. Google Reader will go to the blogs and let me know about the new postings. Saving me time and energy. Oh…and this is all apart of Social Networking as well.

RSS Control Station 2

For a class that I am taking this semester I have to develop a page using the HTML code. This writing is not new to me but I do not have a through background into it either. This iGoogle page I was to create is a great resource. I did a search on HTML in iGoogle and found many different gadgets and resources that I could use to help me write HTML or gain a further understanding into it.



Earlier in the semester I actually signed up for a twitter account. I have known about twitter for well over a year but I am just now starting to adjust to using it. It almost seems that it has evolved because I also finally got into blogging. Well I received the link to download Twitteroo for the PC but the download would not work for me. Well it just so happens that I would able to place a gadget in my iGoogle homepage that provides a direct connection to Twitter. Makes life so much easier.





Gmail is also the email provider that I most widely use. Many of my colleagues, friends, and family members use it as well. iGoogle also has a widget where I can place the gmail chat option on my homepage and allows me to stay in constant contact with everyone.

RSS Control Station

In my Emerging Instructional Technology class at the University of Northern, I was tasked to set up an RSS System through the use of Google Reader and iGoogle. Google Reader is an aggregator that I had set up before but needed to subscribe to a few more blogs which include Weblogg-ed by Will Richardson, stevehargadon.com by Steve Hargadon, and Edublogs by Ewan McIntosh.

I must admit I am really satisfied that I did subscribe to a few of these blogs. I could have always gone online and gained information about open office but to just get the facts from someone, as in the case of Steve Hargadon, I could easily do more research from the background that I received in the blog.
Another example presented by Ewan McIntosh had a really great posting called Danah Boyd on Handheld Social Networking. This article was particularly interesting to me because I am currently doing some research on Social Networking and it was nice to get another perspective on the topic.

But back the reason for this posting. Besides Google Reader I also had the opportunity to use iGoogle. I particularly like this site because of the ability to include widgets or gadgets but also add web feeds. On top of that I am a Gmail user and just to come here, a one stop shop if you will, iGoogle homepage provides a direct link to my Gmail account. On this site I added different tabs to help provide some organization to my web feeds and gadgets. Some of these gadgets I included are a currency converter (I seem to make it overseas at least once a year, podcast player with a library of subscriptions to podcast, and RSS feeds to some websites and blogs.

Pretty interesting stuff I had the opportunity to get familiar with.

Reflecting on Web Design

My goal in web design is to become more knowledgeable in the field.  At this point I have no real interest in becoming a professional web designer but do think it is important to have a background in the field.  On the other hand, I do want to take the leisurely approach to web design to create my own websites or blogs. 

At this point I have several interests in web design.  I would include graphic design to my list of interests because I believe that visual design is a weak area for me and I must improve on it.  Therefore, having the opportunity to improve my visual design skills through web design will only help me to improve in the area.  I would also like to include Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) to my list of interest as well because of its relation to graphic design and also having consideration to how the web page will be viewed.  I recently learned that a web designer must remember their audience and how the audience will view my web pages, whether that is from a computer, hand held device, or cellular phone. 
One more area of interest in web design is also JavaScript. I want to continue to learn and implement diverse forms of interactivity and behaviors into my web page.  I will continue my research into this area because the viewer of my web page could disable the JavaScript on my page through the use of their web browser.

My current skills that I have that will be useful for me creating web pages are my openness to learn web design and my general interest in it.  I would also include some of my experiences using Dreamweaver and different graphics software like Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Photoshop Elements.  But as I stated before there is more that I can learn even with the programs I do have experience with. 

The skills in web design that I need to brush up on is, as I stated before, graphic design.  I never had a real interest in this area and now starting to learn the importance of graphic design. 
I definitely need to improve my skills of HyperText Markup Language (HTML), eXtensible HyperText Markup Language (XHTML), and eXtensible Markup Language (XML).

The hardware tools that I already have for web design include:
            -  A solid, up-to-date computer
            -  Extra Memory (4 gigs)
            -  A large Monitor (24in)
            -  A scanner and/or digital camera

The only software that I have is the default program that came with my computer (Microsoft Windows Movie Maker)

The tools that I need to buy to help improve my web design skills include the software of:
            -  TextPad
            -  Adobe (Macromedia) Homestyle
            -  Adobe Photoshop
            -  Adobe (Macromedia) Flash
            -  File Transfer Program

The tools I would like to buy eventually includes:
            -  A second computer (MAC) as my test computer on a different platform.
            -  Adobe Photoshop Elements

 

 

Second Life Assignment

This posting features my visit to Second Life. In a class assignment we were tasked to try and located places in Second Life of interest to us. My Master's paper contains elements of Collaboration and Social Networking and therefore I wanted to locate places in Second Life in relation to them. The first 6 locations are more for Collaboration with hints of Social Networking, however, the last two locations are more for Social Networking.









http://slurl.com/secondlife/Lighthouse%20Learning%20Island/40/150/24
At this location there are various resources. One of the more recent resources took place from Oct. 07 to Jan 08. This site contains various resources for collaboration for students and collaboration with teachers as well. I would use this site for my own professional development .










http://slurl.com/secondlife/Norcott%20West/53/53/34
At this location there are different collaborative projects to join, which includes games and projects. One of the projects displays a model from beginning to end of the project with a rubric. Also has displays boards around the island that various people’s thoughts on projects or reflections that cycle through. I would use this site in my classroom to locate some projects that I could be a part of.


http://slurl.com/secondlife/U%20Pacific/221/133/23
This location is the University of Pacific. One of the west renowned universities for collaboration. Could be used to see the type of collaboration being used here and how it could be implemented into a classroom.









http://slurl.com/secondlife/Synergy%20Island/42/100/26
At this location this company develops software for team collaboration and customer relationship management. I could use this location to talk to representatives of the company to stay current with their software and brainstorm ideas for how I could use the software in education or teacher development.


http://slurl.com/secondlife/Kelley%20Executive%20Partners/206/127/23
This location is has collaboration opportunities for those in the business world. This site is good for those as corporate trainers to collaborate with others or staff development in one organization or several companies under one organization. My avatar is sitting in one of their meeting where the speakers can face the audience and could have visuals on the TV’s in the background.


http://slurl.com/secondlife/Synergy%20Island/42/100/26
At this location this company develops software for team collaboration and customer relationship management. I could use this location to talk to representatives of the company to stay current with their software and brainstorm ideas for how I could use the software in education or teacher development.


http://slurl.com/secondlife/Sobaeksan/203/203/66
This location is used for social networking. Go and meet friends. Or discuss various ideas that one may have on technology, education, collaboration, or anything else.


http://slurl.com/secondlife/CMP%201/245/8/28
Life 2.0 is another social networking island where there is much discussion collaboration, education, research, in virtual environments. Would be a good location to visit to try and sit in on a conference that may take place here.

Microsoft Excel

Office 07 and Office 08

I have the luxury of co-teaching a course called Educational Technology and Design which allows me to teach all different types of technology and programs. This pass week I had the opportunity to teach Microsoft Excel for the Office 07 for the PC platform and Office 08 for the Mac platform. Although these programs have been released for a while now the university in which I am employed recently upgraded the computers around campus over the summer which meant it was time to teach the new program.

As I stated before I co-teach this course and therefore have weekly meetings on Tuesday. At this meeting I've learned from a few of the professors that the goal for Microsoft was there was not supposed to be a very big difference between office programs between the Mac and the PC. Well if that is the goal then they have a long ways to go. In fact they may be moving backwards. I personally feel that Office 03 were closer in how programs ran then 08. Take Microsoft Excel for example, these programs are so different that a novice to either one of the platforms would be in a world of trouble.

Before going into detail of Microsoft Excel I would like to state my bias for PC over the Mac. Yes the Mac is getting better and I do realize I need to be knowledgeable in the functions of the platform but Mac has not grown on me yet. For that matter I have not even owned and IPod and don’t even want to own one. So maybe it goes further then that and I just don’t approve of Apple. I will save my Mac bashing for later. But would like to end bias message by a quote I have been hearing a lot lately dealing with the US presidential election. I prefer PC over the Mac. My username is ggill01 and I approve this message.

The professor’s I work with are advocates of Mac and I am an advocate of PC. Relating this message back to Microsoft Excel they prefer the program for many reasons but one of the main reasons is the formatting tool bar offered with the Mac. I personally do not like the tool bar because it just get’s in the way. There is nothing else to it then that, but when I am working on my workbook I often times have to keep moving that toolbar because it is in the way of something. Unless you have a make with a screen that is 22 in or larger you will probably have to keep moving that toolbar around to.

To look at the PC I prefer not having that formatting toolbar that is just in the way. I will stick with my PC that has the formatting toolbar with all the other menus at the top of the screen. Another reason I like this tool bar because it is more dynamic. If I insert a chart to my workbook my “dynamic” toolbar enables more options that deal with formatting of the chart. The same could be done with a table or graph.

So this is just two perspectives of the Microsoft Excel program. But regardless of the perspectives the programs were not created similar to the two platforms but created differently.