There are many things that I love: good food, my family, and nice cars to name a few. Although I love many things, I do not use the word lightly. That being said, I feel very comfortable saying that I love Google Earth. What's to love about it you may ask? What's not to love about it? Google Earth provides you with a detailed map of the whole world, and it's easy to spend a couple of hours 'flying' around the world with the easy to use controls. Google Earth has got a lot of the same features as Google Maps, but there are also some differences.
Similarities Both give you a map of the world, driving directions, are customizable, and have got a lot of cool 'extras'.
Differences Google Earths map is MUCH more detailed and manipulatable, and once it gets your driving directions, it will even give you a step by step tour of the route. It's easier to upload pictures and put them onto Google Maps, and you can't create a personalized map and put it on the web with Google Earth. I was able to upload my pictures onto Google Earth, but had trouble actually seeing them on the map. After doing some more research, I found that if you want to put actually put your pictures on the map, you have to join the 'Community', and the pictures might not be up for a few weeks or a few months. While this is fine if you simply want to contribute to Google Earth, if you are looking to use the program as part of a class, you will have to do a fair amount of advanced planning (i.e this program is not ideally suited to use in a lot of classrooms).
Examples of Use There are a lot of different uses for Google Earth, and I've put links to them on the right side of the page under 'Google Earth links'. The site 'Google Earth Lessons' has a great variety of different in-class uses, 'Google Earth youtube video' shows you a video on youtube where a journalist talks about the multimedia uses of GE, and 'Google Earth Blog' talks about using GE in the classroom and gives a variety of uses for various subjects.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Second Life
One of the programs that I've been looking at recently is Second Life. What is Second Life? Simply put, Second Life is a massive virtual world populate by cartoon-like characters called avatars. With a population of about 5 million residents, SL is designed and owned by it's residents, which are represented by Avatars. The reason that I've been looking into this program is that it has got a lot of potential use as a teaching tool at SMU. While I couldn't find out exactly how many schools are useing Second Life, the best figure that I found was that over 200 schools are using SL. The two biggest advantages to using SL are: 1. it gives distance-learning students a more realistic learning experience, and 2. it gives students another way to interact outside of the class room. A link to SL is on the right side of the blog, and I will continue to post more info as I find it.
After doing more research, I've come accross a number of differnt ideas for how SMU could use second life: it would provide a more interactive experience for distance-learning students; a couple of places could be created where students could come to discuss homework or various clubs could meet on SL if they are having trouble getting everyone together; and a virtual mock-up of the campus could be created, thus letting students take a tour of the campus without have to come all the way over here.
Academic Uses:There are a lot of colleges using Second Life, including Harvard Law School and Ball State University. In the case of Ball State University, a teacher named Sarah Robbins held an English composition course on SL. The course was topped at 18 students, which meant that only 18 of the 300 Freshman that applied for the Spring Semester were accepted. While the novelty of the class undoubtedly had an impact on the popularity, I think the fact that around 200 schools are using Second Life is some way speaks volumes about it's potential as a learning tool at SMU. I've posted the links to a number of website that have got additional information about using Second Life as a teaching tool.
‘SL wiki’ is a simple ‘wiki’ about SL uses in education. It’s got a lot of good links to blogs about using SL in education, places in SL that are involved in education (such as universities, libraries, and museums), and sample lesson plans. This seems like a really good place for someone who is interested in using SL for educational purposes to start their search.
‘SL bibli’ is a website that has got a lot of great links to websites and blogs that deal with education/research in SL. I really like this site because it offers such a wide variety of links that you can probably find something on the site useful no matter what your interest in SL is.
‘Crossroads article’ is a fairly short and simple yet remarkably informative blog that talks about a number of institutions that are currently using SL for academic purposes. I liked this blog because it gives you enough information to quickly decide if you are interested in reading it or not, but not enough to totally overwhelm you.
Real World Ideas: As the name suggests, ‘SL ideas page’ is the Second Life ideas page. This page and the whole site is a great place to start if you want to know what Second Life is and if you want ideas/facts that you KNOW are true and are not just rumors or ideas that might be true.
‘SL business plan’ is an article about a company that won a second life contest. The company made a market research and analysis program that would allow real-world companies figure out what will and what won’t work in online universes. This article caught my attention because I think that the internet is slowing heading in the three-dimensional dimension and, while it may not happen for a long time, having companies actually advertise and even set up shop in SL would make clear the fact that SL is not some online ‘game’ universe’, but is in fact evolving into a world/country of its own.
I really liked the article ‘SL millionaire’ because it gives a really good example of the very real business possibilities that exist in SL as well as giving a list of other actual businesses. It also talks about how SL is different from other Massive Multiplayer Online Games in that these games are usually just online versions of popular computer/video games, where as the purpose of SL is not to ‘slay dragons to advance a level or collect weapons to prepare for battle’ but to socialize, build contacts, and maybe even start a business.
Although I am a fan of SL, I thought that the blog posting 'SL cons' offered some good insights on the downsides of second life.
After doing more research, I've come accross a number of differnt ideas for how SMU could use second life: it would provide a more interactive experience for distance-learning students; a couple of places could be created where students could come to discuss homework or various clubs could meet on SL if they are having trouble getting everyone together; and a virtual mock-up of the campus could be created, thus letting students take a tour of the campus without have to come all the way over here.
Academic Uses:There are a lot of colleges using Second Life, including Harvard Law School and Ball State University. In the case of Ball State University, a teacher named Sarah Robbins held an English composition course on SL. The course was topped at 18 students, which meant that only 18 of the 300 Freshman that applied for the Spring Semester were accepted. While the novelty of the class undoubtedly had an impact on the popularity, I think the fact that around 200 schools are using Second Life is some way speaks volumes about it's potential as a learning tool at SMU. I've posted the links to a number of website that have got additional information about using Second Life as a teaching tool.
‘SL wiki’ is a simple ‘wiki’ about SL uses in education. It’s got a lot of good links to blogs about using SL in education, places in SL that are involved in education (such as universities, libraries, and museums), and sample lesson plans. This seems like a really good place for someone who is interested in using SL for educational purposes to start their search.
‘SL bibli’ is a website that has got a lot of great links to websites and blogs that deal with education/research in SL. I really like this site because it offers such a wide variety of links that you can probably find something on the site useful no matter what your interest in SL is.
‘Crossroads article’ is a fairly short and simple yet remarkably informative blog that talks about a number of institutions that are currently using SL for academic purposes. I liked this blog because it gives you enough information to quickly decide if you are interested in reading it or not, but not enough to totally overwhelm you.
Real World Ideas: As the name suggests, ‘SL ideas page’ is the Second Life ideas page. This page and the whole site is a great place to start if you want to know what Second Life is and if you want ideas/facts that you KNOW are true and are not just rumors or ideas that might be true.
‘SL business plan’ is an article about a company that won a second life contest. The company made a market research and analysis program that would allow real-world companies figure out what will and what won’t work in online universes. This article caught my attention because I think that the internet is slowing heading in the three-dimensional dimension and, while it may not happen for a long time, having companies actually advertise and even set up shop in SL would make clear the fact that SL is not some online ‘game’ universe’, but is in fact evolving into a world/country of its own.
I really liked the article ‘SL millionaire’ because it gives a really good example of the very real business possibilities that exist in SL as well as giving a list of other actual businesses. It also talks about how SL is different from other Massive Multiplayer Online Games in that these games are usually just online versions of popular computer/video games, where as the purpose of SL is not to ‘slay dragons to advance a level or collect weapons to prepare for battle’ but to socialize, build contacts, and maybe even start a business.
Although I am a fan of SL, I thought that the blog posting 'SL cons' offered some good insights on the downsides of second life.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Windows Media Player
Another program that I've been goofing around with lately is Windows Media Player. WMP is a free video-creating program that comes with all Windows PC's, is easy to use, and works well for turning home movies or pictures into simple yet elegant videos. On the right side of the blog are a couple of tutorials that Christina and myself have created.
What I Use It For: Creating basic, non-professional-grade videos using video clips, pictures, and/or sound files that I have.
Things To Keep in Mind: The only real 'quirk' that the program has is that if you import a video file onto the program it will automatically erase all of the other files that you have on there. Also, WMP is a good program for make simple, homemade movies. If you want to make more of a professional grade movie, your probably going to have to pay for a program. I recommend getting Pinnacle Studio.
What I Use It For: Creating basic, non-professional-grade videos using video clips, pictures, and/or sound files that I have.
Things To Keep in Mind: The only real 'quirk' that the program has is that if you import a video file onto the program it will automatically erase all of the other files that you have on there. Also, WMP is a good program for make simple, homemade movies. If you want to make more of a professional grade movie, your probably going to have to pay for a program. I recommend getting Pinnacle Studio.
Google & Flickr maps
I've recently been looking at the programs 'Google Maps' and 'Flickr Maps'. The ideas behind both programs are the same: take pictures that you've taken and put them on a map. On the right side of the blog are links to to the maps that I created on Flickr Maps and Google Maps. Below is a comparison of the two programs.
GOOGLE MAPS
Pros: Easy to find, fairly easy to use,& you can get use the program to get directions, find businesses, etc.
Cons: You must have the photos on an online program, although they do provide a free image uploading program called Picasa; you also have to copy and paste the link from the online photo storage site onto the place marker on Google Maps.
Examples of Use There are a number of examples of ways that Google Maps can be used and I've put some links to some of the ways on the right side of the blog under 'Google Maps links'. The link 'Google Maps Mania' takes you to a blog that has got a lot (probably hunderds) of examples of how Google Maps is being used, 'Google Maps article' is a fairly short article that talks about various ways that Google Maps can be used in a K-12 grade setting,and 'Ten uses for Google Maps and Earth' is a cool blog that a teacher wrote that has a list of ten ways to use GM and GE in the classroom.
FLICKR MAPS
Pros: Fairly easy to find and use (simply select which pictures you want to put on the map, and then drag them to where you want them on the map)& automatically save/updates the map as you add pictures to it.
Cons: You have to create an account and upload pictures onto the site before you can create a map & you have to use a seperate program (such as mapquest) if you want driving directions.
Examples of Use There are a number of examples of ways that Flickr Maps can be used and I've put some links to some of the ways on the right side of the blog under 'Flickr Maps links'. 'Flickr ideas article' is a article that talk about a number of ways for using Flickr, and 'Flickr info site' is a pretty cool site that talks about the basics of Flickr and gives a number of cool websites that use the photo-editing program.
MY RECOMENDATION: I recommend using Google Maps. It takes about as long to upload pictures onto the internet with Picasa as it does Flickr and, while it does take longer to create a map with Google, it's really nice not to have to use another program to find driving directions. There also seems to be more uses/applications for Google Maps than for Flickr Maps.
GOOGLE MAPS
Pros: Easy to find, fairly easy to use,& you can get use the program to get directions, find businesses, etc.
Cons: You must have the photos on an online program, although they do provide a free image uploading program called Picasa; you also have to copy and paste the link from the online photo storage site onto the place marker on Google Maps.
Examples of Use There are a number of examples of ways that Google Maps can be used and I've put some links to some of the ways on the right side of the blog under 'Google Maps links'. The link 'Google Maps Mania' takes you to a blog that has got a lot (probably hunderds) of examples of how Google Maps is being used, 'Google Maps article' is a fairly short article that talks about various ways that Google Maps can be used in a K-12 grade setting,and 'Ten uses for Google Maps and Earth' is a cool blog that a teacher wrote that has a list of ten ways to use GM and GE in the classroom.
FLICKR MAPS
Pros: Fairly easy to find and use (simply select which pictures you want to put on the map, and then drag them to where you want them on the map)& automatically save/updates the map as you add pictures to it.
Cons: You have to create an account and upload pictures onto the site before you can create a map & you have to use a seperate program (such as mapquest) if you want driving directions.
Examples of Use There are a number of examples of ways that Flickr Maps can be used and I've put some links to some of the ways on the right side of the blog under 'Flickr Maps links'. 'Flickr ideas article' is a article that talk about a number of ways for using Flickr, and 'Flickr info site' is a pretty cool site that talks about the basics of Flickr and gives a number of cool websites that use the photo-editing program.
MY RECOMENDATION: I recommend using Google Maps. It takes about as long to upload pictures onto the internet with Picasa as it does Flickr and, while it does take longer to create a map with Google, it's really nice not to have to use another program to find driving directions. There also seems to be more uses/applications for Google Maps than for Flickr Maps.
Monday, March 10, 2008
JING
Another program that I've been using a lot recently is Jing. Jing is basically a free program that allows you to record what your doing on your computer and share it with other people. They say that a picture is worth a thousand words, and this is definitely true when you are trying to describe to someone how to use a program on a computer! With Jing, all you have to do is select how big of a recording window you want and you're in busineness. I've put a link to the Jing project on the right side of the blog.
What I Use It For: Creating the Audacity tutorials that are on this page.
Things To Keep in Mind: Jing only will only let you record videos up to 5 minutes long, so you'll want to use the 'pause' button whenever you can if you're making a long video. Programs will run slower while Jing is recording a video, so you might want to pre-open them before you start recording a video.
What I Use It For: Creating the Audacity tutorials that are on this page.
Things To Keep in Mind: Jing only will only let you record videos up to 5 minutes long, so you'll want to use the 'pause' button whenever you can if you're making a long video. Programs will run slower while Jing is recording a video, so you might want to pre-open them before you start recording a video.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Audacity
Audacity is probably the best FREE audio-editing program that I've ever used. It's easy to downlaod and, after a few minutes of experimenting with it, can be used to make simple adjustments to an audio track. It also has everything you need to to make more complex adjustments and it doesn't take very long to learn how to use the various tools.
What I use it for: Converting WAV files to MP3 files (unfortunately, it won't convert WMA files to MP3's), and editing audio files to use on other programs (such as Windows Movie Maker).
Tutorials: Christina and myself have created a couple of tutorials for those that want to use Audacity and need help getting started. Audacity 101 goes over how to download the program, Audacity 102 goes over how to upload and export audio files, and Audacity 103 goes over how to use some of the simplest editing tools on the program. These tutorials and other videos and links can be found on the right side of the blog under the 'audio links' header.
Things To Keep in Mind: One of the funny 'quirks' of Audacity is that the program will ask you to save a small file called 'LAME MP3 encoder' from a website the first time you try to save an audio file as am MP3. This is only a one-time thing and you can even delete the file after Audacity has used it once. There is a link to the download page under the 'audio links'.
What I use it for: Converting WAV files to MP3 files (unfortunately, it won't convert WMA files to MP3's), and editing audio files to use on other programs (such as Windows Movie Maker).
Tutorials: Christina and myself have created a couple of tutorials for those that want to use Audacity and need help getting started. Audacity 101 goes over how to download the program, Audacity 102 goes over how to upload and export audio files, and Audacity 103 goes over how to use some of the simplest editing tools on the program. These tutorials and other videos and links can be found on the right side of the blog under the 'audio links' header.
Things To Keep in Mind: One of the funny 'quirks' of Audacity is that the program will ask you to save a small file called 'LAME MP3 encoder' from a website the first time you try to save an audio file as am MP3. This is only a one-time thing and you can even delete the file after Audacity has used it once. There is a link to the download page under the 'audio links'.
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