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Artifact #8
Artifact #9
Artifact #10

Articfact #10

Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/10/movies/the-24-hour-movie-and-digital-technology.html?_r=2&emc=eta1

This article was very interesting, because i can relate to many of the points that the writer is talking about. Personally i do not got to the movies unless it is a hit movie that i cannot wait to see, or someone wants me to go with them to see a movie. This is because it is so much more convenient for me to wait until the movie comes out to the public because i can watch it on my own time. Also i can barely stand to pay ten dollars just to see a movie one time. Once that movie comes out to the public there are times when you can pick it up at the store for 15, or go to rent it for less than half of that price. With that you can also watch it on your own time, and in the comfort of your own house. With new technology you can also pretty much watch the movie no matter where you are. With itunes now making movies available for purchase, and things like netflix becoming more and more popular you can be anywhere and watch your favorite movie. I am starting to believe that before long cinemas are going to become less and less popular because of new ways for people to obtain the films. As the article talked about, the way that movies are being made is also changing. Today you dont even need film to produce a box office hit, as we could see with the creation of James Cameron's Avatar who made everything from a digital image. Things are just becoming more digital as time is going on and before long i believe that cinemas will become a thing of the past. Right now when people talk about going to see a movie it is normally people who belong to the older crowd because that is what they grew up with, but personally if the movie does not ust jump out at me as being a hit then i can stand to wait a few weeks for it to come out to the public to see it.

Artifact 9: The Spirit of Sharing

This article does not surprise me at all now that i have seen how so many different companies are using the internet. Even though you would not really see the need for museum's to show their content on the internet, it is a very good way for them to create interest in the items they have. Things like Facebook and twitter are making it easier and easier for these places to create a buzz about what they have going on and catch the eyes of those people who may be interested in what they have to offer. After being enrolled in a art history course this spring i have been using the Saint Louis Art Museum website to look at the collection they provide online. They feature all of their collection online so it is not mandatory that you go to the museum to see the artwork all the time. Not only do they have the pictures of the art on the website, they also have some descriptions of the art that tell about the time and the artist. The art museums will get much more interest i feel from any outsiders if they preview their collections online because people would know what they will be going to see. Things like facebook and twitter will help to promote any special presentations that they have going on, and also create interest from donors.

Artifact 8: Health Online

This artifact was very interesting to me. I myself have been sick at times and found myself getting on webmd to try and diagnose myself. I personally hate going to the doctor so if there is any way for me to avoid that then i will try it. Although when i have used webmd, i still end up having to go to the doctor because I have to get medicine or something to take care of my problem. I do feel like these sites are a good idea though because they make society think about their bodies and gives people a way to know whats going on inside their body. I feel like the games being made to help the children with illnesses are very good because it gives them a easier way to understand what is going on in their body. Also the websites that get people together with the same illnesses are a great idea i believe because kids with very bad illnesses could become outcasts by the kids around them so those sites give them a way to interact with kids in the same boat as them.

Sometimes i question the effectiveness of the health sites because some people might be so quick to just use those sites and diagnose themselves and are wrong. Sometimes the best way to figure out what is really wrong with you is to go to the doctor where they are educated and know all of the signs of an illness. When using one of those sites you could be over looking a bigger problem than what might be shown to you.

Artifact #7:Professors Use Technology to Fight Student Cheating

In this article the author writes about all of the ways that students are cheating, and what schools are beginning to use to stop it. Although all of the scenarios that they discussed related to the steps that schools are taking did not sound to me like they would be good enough to stop someone who really wants to cheat.  The problems I had with this article is that many of the things discussed were a little far fetched. For instance the whole palm reader thing that the GMAT is going to begin testing just seams over the top and like a waste of money. Along with the palm reader, i feel like it is a little ridiculous that some colleges are encouraging the installation of a $150 program and webcam on the computers of people taking online classes so they can view what is going on in the room as they take the exam. I do like the idea that teachers are setting up phony websites with the wrong answers provided so that they can catch students if they are using the internet to complete assignments or tests. The only problem i find with that idea is the teachers are way to worried about what is going on as far as cheating and could be spending way to much time on the internet making these sites when there are other things in the classroom that they could be putting time into.

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Artifact #4
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Artifact #6
CMC-Stand 3: Units 1 and 2

CMC – Strand 3: Units 1 and 2

Hey guys, sorry I'm a little late on the blog entry but this weeks units are about searching and researching on the internet and online collaboration. 


The focus Unit 1:Searching and Researching on the Internet is to teach students about how to use the internet to do research. One main point of Unit 1 was why do people seek online information? They then gave a list of five reasons that explain what people use the internet to search for.

• To get an overview of a subject they know nothing about.
• To find factual information
• Keep up to the minute on news
• Balance different points of view from different sources
• Test a hypothesis or theory

Were living in the information age, and the internet has revolutionized our lives by making more information to more people than ever before. Although we have all of this information available to us though not all of the information is worth something. The book gives a short list of sources that are recommended for research. 

• Mailing Lists
• Newsgroups
• Online News Sources
• Electronic Journals, Books, and Reports
• Reports by major international, government, and professional organizations
• Commercial Internet Research Sites

When doing research keep in mind that there are political decisions behind what is shown and not shown on internet sites so make sure to see both sides of the political spectrum when researching a topic. As well as looking for political bias you must make sure that the information being collected is current and up to date.

There are three different types of search engines that are being used as well. Which one you use could affect the results that you get from your search. 

The three different types include:

• Subject Directories-organize online material into categories (Yahoo!).
• Keyword based search engines, which include sites like google and excite.
• Meta-search Engines run searches by searching other search engines and combining results (Dogpile).

During Unit 2 of Strand 3 the book discusses online collaboration. In all different focus areas such as health, education, law, and politics, you can be sure that there is online collaboration being used as an easy way to communicate. Anyone entering a career today should be able to communicate online and collaborate with co-workers because many times the people you work with you may never meet in face to face conversation.

The book goes over a online collaboration exercise that allows students to collaborate online with people they already know offline. One big point that the book mentions is that when online with people you do not know you must establish your identity and let others know who you are, and your intentions.