Education and the use of Multimedia Tools

Education and the use of Multimedia tools.

The ability to grasp information is crucial to good leaning. Students with learning disabilities struggle to keep pace with classmates. Dyslexia (a condition that afflicts adults and children)makes processing information a challenge, in particular in math and reading.

A study showed children with Dylslexia and other learning disabilities showed significant improvement with  the use of multimedia tools (example: video and interactive games) (Nedulcut and Pop 2011) Multimedia assists in the learning process by keeping students continuously engaged during lessons.

Mathmagics is incredible multimedia learning tool.The App available thru ITunes is very user friendly and utilizes math problems in a game setting. The App forces students to answer math problems and correctly rewards them by moving up to the next level if answers are correct in a fun cartoonlike enviroment. The brilliance of the program is how it engages as it teaches. The increase in multimedia use in the educational field is the natural progression of technology in the classroom. Multimedia
Is an essential tool educators in the classroom.

Mayo Clinic
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseasesconditions/dyslexia/basics/definition/con-20021904 retrieved on Nov 2, 2014

Week 8, The Art of The Blog.

I'm a blog aficionado checking various blogs on a daily basis and one of my favorites is Latingossip.Com.

Blogging is an art, and one of the most important rules to successful blog writing is to know your audience. Bloggers that connect to their audience will reap success. I personally enjoy  reading blogs that cater to my demographic, Latino, college educated, bilingual, health-conscious, politically savvy, and sense of community.

There are numerous “best practices’ when writing a blog, in my opinion voice is number one. The blog I chose to write about this week uses a  cool nonjudgmental style encouraging reader feedback, an intricate component of a successful blog.

There is a great saying “variety is the spice of life”,  In the blogging world variety is a good thing, this blog offers a nice mix of entertainment news, health and wellness articles, music videos of all genres, stories that focus on issues relating to Latinos living in the United States, and what I like best is the sarcastic / bilingual humorous articles and stories that are written in a non offensive style.

LatinGossip.com  also updates us on prominent Latino leaders such as supreme court justice Sonia Sotomayor  or Senator Ted Cruz. The blog also posts obituaries of important Latinos. An example is that of fashion icon Oscar de la Renta, a native to the Dominican Republic that rose from humble beginnings to the pinnacle of the fashion industry, these stories of successful Latinos are motivational to new and upcoming entrepreneurs.

In blogging, updates are a major ingredient of the  “best practices” recipe. A good blog uses just the right amount of updates. This particular blog knows its audience well,  electing to write all posts in a concise format in English with Spanish translations.

The bottom line is a great blog should entertain its audience. The key to a good blog is simple, know your audience, write concise, know what your talking about, make it  entertaining and last but not least, bring your swag.

Knapp, J. (2014, October 9). Blogging Basics 101 - Social Media & Blogging Tips. Retrieved October 25, 2014.

Staff, L. (2014, October 9). Oscar de la Renta passes away. Retrieved October 25, 2014, from http://www.latingossip.com/rip/oscar-de-la-renta-passed-away.html

Week 7 Joe Paterno

PRESS RELEASE:

Joe Paterno dead at 85, the legendary coach died of complications of lung cancer.
The death of one of the most beloved figures in sports has shocked the Penn State community.
Paterno coached  the Nittany Lions to five undefeated seasons and two national championships (1966-2011).

He was fired from this head coaching duties in November amid  accusations of misconduct by a member of his coaching staff.

A recent scandal involving the embattled coach erupted before his death when college website Onward State reported his premature death, the story was rebroadcast by CBS Sports, The Huffington Post and MSNBC. The false news story was quickly retracted.

Coach Paterno nick named JoePa spend  61 years as a coach of Penn State, one of the longest  tenures in college history. He left a legacy clouded by his handling of the sexual abuse scandal that ended his storied career. Paterno leaves behind three sons, two daughters and a loving wife.

New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/23/business/media/premature-reports-of-joe-paternos-death-roiled-web.html?module=Search&mabReward=relbias%3As%2C%7B%222%22%3A%22RI%3A14%22%7D&_r=0
USA Today
http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/college/football/story/2012-01-21/former-penn-state-coach-joe-paterno-dead/52737230/1
SportsReference.com
http://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/coaches/joe-paterno-1.html
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Facebook Post

“They ask me what I'd like written about me when I'm gone. I hope they write I made Penn State a better place, not just that I was a good football coach."

Joe Paterno

Penn State coach Joe Paterno has died from complications of lung cancer. My wish is that people will judge him  using the full body of his work and not from any single failure. I choose to applaud the positives he had on generations of Penn State students while recognizing his failure at the end of his career was inexcusable, and seriously tainted his legacy.


RIP. JoePa

New Media Tools

Technology has given us new social media tools to communicate. I’d like to share three of my favorites and my thoughts on what tool is the most effective.

Social Media
Social Media sites like Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter, Instagram are the preferred communication tool for generation Y. In my opinion the most effective tool for getting a message out to a large audience. The potential of social media The platforms are also a great for small business, allowing for advertisement campaigns with minimum cost. Linkedin is a social media site dedicated to the professional, the site helps you connect with other professionals, look for employment, post a resume. Get news on events. Facebook is the largest online community in the world (New York Times) , the media tool allows you to connect with family and friends living near or far away. You can  share photos and videos, update your status, create invitations or special interest groups.

Webinar:
Webinars are another new media tool  that is having an impact, especially to the business sector, easy and cost effective to produce. Webinars are seminars that are broadcast over the internet. Thru this media you can broadcast educational material, show a presentation, and all while receiving valuable feed back from the attendees. A business associate of mine that own a company named Onesta that manufactures high-end organic  products  uses the platform to give a series of educational classes on how to effectively use his products and it’s been a valuable tool in the growth of his company.

Blogging
Blogging is another tool that is increasingly being used to share information. Blogging is a platform that is used to give commentary and can be used as an effective personal or business tool. A blogging site can have a custom design to give it a unique look. Many use a blog to give opinions and attach links to to other webpages. In business blogs are used to create interest about a product or service.

New Media Tools are constantly evolving, what may work today will change tomorrow. In my opinion, currently  the most effective new media tool is social media sites. In sheer numbers, these platforms have the most accessibility to a new audience and growth potential and  most are free. With social media sites, you’re only limited by your creativity.  These platforms are great for introducing new products and a great tool for creating a positive perception of the product.

https://www.linkedin.com/nhome/?_mSplash=1

http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/business/companies/facebook_inc/index.html

http://codex.wordpress.org/Introduction_to_Blogging

Week Three: Unrestricted Web Publishing,

Week three of class brings us to the topic of unrestricted web publishing. In this  day and age where anyone can publish content on the web, it's important to have some guidelines in place to help measure the credibility of a source. As a sports junkie, I find this article enlightening..

 My story comes from the New York Times and the topic is currently dominating the national news. In Hope Solo Case, Soccer Turns a Blind Eye Toward Domestic Violence. The piece was written by Juliet Macur a staff writer and best selling author and speaks to the sensitive issue of domestic violence and sports, she raises the question if a double standard exists by those in media when reporting on incidents when well known athletes are involved, are there inconsistencies. The  author also explores if gender factors into media reporting, and if violent sports like football may be seen by a writer through a different lens over lets say soccer a more finesse and  less violent sport. Are male athletes perceived more violent and more  likely to be given more media exposure over women for a similar domestic violence charge.

Recently the National Football League has come under harsh criticism for their handling  of the case involving Baltimore Ravens superstar running back Ray Rice,  who was caught on security video striking his girlfriend at the time, and knocking her unconscious ( he later went on to marry the victim). The story has ignited a firestorm of criticism toward football commissioner  Roger Goodell, the perception is the commissioner and the NFL is too lenient with players.The Ray Rice case has brought renewed concern to the issue of domestic violence.

 I initially read the article and then began to research the credibility and the accuracy the source, I  used  the Criteria to Evaluate the Credibility of a WWW guidelines as suggested in our learning module and found the author is well respected in the field of sports writing, she received numerous honors from  the Associated Press, the National and New York Press, and the Society of Professional Journalists. What convinces me the article is credible is 

the knowledge she has with the subject matter, her sports background as the captain of the Columbia University rowing team and a active competitor for the prestigious  New York Athletic Club gives her insight into the world of intense high-level competition. In my opinion these qualifications allow her to bring a unique and must needed athlete and women's point of view on this disturbing trend. she is well received in the professional organizations that govern her profession and I would venture to call her an expert in her field.

She is accessible listing her contact information at The New York Times and a link to her personal webpage and in viewing the page, no special interest items were listed, no ads of any type. I feel the author's writing avoids any personal bias she may hold, or any hidden agenda. the article was well-written and credible when measured by criteria in our handout. All writers have there own take on a source, Mrs. Macur was fair and consistent.  

Citation:

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/20/sports/soccer/in-hope-solo-case-us-soccer-doesnt-get-it-right-either.html?_r=0

Internet Use and Publishing Guidelines

The University of Texas, Internet Use and Guidelines

http://www.utmb.edu/site-policies/guidelines/

WWW.Facebook/NewYorkTimes

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/20/sports/soccer/in-hope-solo-case-us-soccer-doesnt-get-it-right-either.html?_r=0

What was life like before Social Media?

I new thing I learned is that Social media can be so many things, an outlet to voice your opinions and gather instant feedback, a news gathering source,a cultural exchange platform, sites like  Facebook and Twitter enable us to stay connected. In May of 2013 I had the pleasure of  attending The World Innovation Forum.The event was held in the beautiful industrial  city of Leon, Guanajuato, located in central  Mexico. I attended as part of group of students and professors, one student and faculty from a partnership of educational institutions of The Laureate  Group, students and staff from different regions of the world.

As a non-traditional student (in my case a older adult that has returned learn new skills to compete In the competitive Silicon Valley region)  This was  first exposure to cultures outside my comfort zone of  Mexican and American.We were a group of about 60 students and professors. The two week period was a life-changing event for me, I developed great friendships and gained amazing knowledge from this group, from places like India, Thailand, Malaysia, China, Pakistan and other areas of the world. The event helped me to better understand how people from different regions of the world perceived Americans and american culture. Many of my preconceived notions and cultural bias were incorrect, the time spent with these individuals  helped me understand that although we have many cultural differences, we also share many close similarities,  In particular a love for family and a longing for peace and prosperity. Social Media has enabled me to stay connected with this group of friends and thru this incredible platform we call Facebook, I’m able to continuously refresh this friendship. Without social media this would not be possible, In my opinion platforms like Twitter,Facebook and Instagram’s most important gift to society is that of connectivity.

The question to how reliable social media  can be in regards credibility is a  valid one, there is no denying that social media like many news outlets can post inaccurate information, the responsibility lies with the reader to research other sources of information outlets before taking news for granted. Any form of media can make mistakes. If former president George W. Bush and the mighty CIA can be duped into believing Iraq possessed  “Weapons of  Mass Destruction” any informational outlet or source can make  reporting mistakes. I reiterate Media literacy and Life Experience is a factor in regards to gauging credibility. I use various sources to confirm a major news story, from news sources  like Al-Jeezera, CNN, BBC, NYTimes, La Opinion, to my world wide group of college classmates. Getting the story right is a must.

The Vantage Point:: New Media and Knowledge

Week two of class brings us to the topic of ethics and media. One of the biggest challenges facing those of us who embrace social media is that of privacy. Is it ethical for companies like Google spy on customers and track websites you have visited, and without your knowledge or consent package that information and sell it to the highest bidder. and soon after your bombarded by custom made ads selling you everything from Graduate Masters Programs to tortilla machines. The ethical line is becoming more blurred and much of the blame is on media.