Hot Topics in Technology

1. Hot Topics in Technology • Presented by: • Michael George Dixon, Jr. • Elaina Biffle • Jes Berndt • Brad Dupay • Grand Valley • State University for Dummies A Reference for Student Affairs

2. Topics at a Glance • Blogs • Institutional Spam • Social Networks • Instant Communication • Podcasting

3. Blogs Sunday, February 18, 2007 Why is this topic important? • According to a 2004 study, 51.5% of blogs were created by people aged 13-19; 39.6% were created by those age 20-29 • In another 2004 study, 62% of adult Americans had no idea what a blog was • Remarks made by Senator Trent Lott in reference to Strom Thurmond in 2002 set off a frenzy of responses via political blogs, eventually helping to contribute to Lott’s resignation. This event displayed the power and influence that blogs could have as a method of disseminating news and opinions. • As of 2005, it was reported that 25% of internet users were blog readers • It is expected that in 2007 the number of people who maintain a personal website will reach 100 million Posted by Brad at 3:44 PM 9 Comments

4. Blogs Sunday, February 18, 2007 Describe the topic • A blog is a user-generated website where entries are made in journal style and displayed in a reverse chronological order • Blogs may contain text entries, pictures, links to other websites, or multimedia content such as music and movies • The term blog is a shortened version of the word “weblog”, and is now used as both a noun to describe a personal webpage, as well as the act of maintaining and updating it (blogging) • The word “blog” was officially added to Webster’s dictionary in 1999 • Blogging began to gain popularity in 1999 with the creation of hosting sites such as Blogger, LiveJounral, and Xanga Posted by Brad at 3:51 PM 5 Comments

5. Blogs Sunday, February 18, 2007 Outline the benefits of the campus embracing this topic • Blogs can replace confusing and unorganized e-mail lists and other discussion forums with a more streamlined form of online campus community • Blogs offer faculty an opportunity to publish in a quicker and more dynamic format to be shared among their colleagues around the world • Instructors can use blogs to deliver content to students and use them as a way to encourage discussion of course materials • University presidents who maintain blogs become more available and accessible to student concerns Posted by Brad at 3:55 PM 8 Comments

6. Blogs Sunday, February 18, 2007 Discuss the problems/issues surrounding this topic • Students and faculty have used blogs as a grassroots effort to anonymously criticize, attack, and even remove presidents and other administrators (case in point: Gallaudet University) • Students and tenure-track professors have been denied jobs and other positions based on content contained on their personal blogs • Professors and other scholars who use blogs as a form of publication are criticized by their peers for blogs’ lack of review and credibility Posted by Brad at 3:57 PM 14 Comments

7. Institutional Spam • Why this is topic important? • Spam (unsolicited bulk messages) • Currently, institutions of higher education may not have “institutional spam” policies

8. Institutional Spam • Describe the topic • Institutional spam exists when a university uses mass e-mail capabilities to convey a message to anyone who has an university sponsored e-mail address.

9. Institutional Spam • Outline benefits of campus embracing this topic • Students would be more likely to utilize university e-mail if they know their mailbox wont be full of spam • If students receive a large amount of institutional spam, they may be less likely to read mail when something important needs their attention. • Limiting incoming spam limits the possibility of viruses, spyware, and other threats to the campus network. • Proper utilization of institutional e-mail lists can help keep students better informed and connected to campus.

10. Institutional Spam • Discuss the problems/issues surrounding this topic • Many institutions/organizations have a difficult time defining exactly what constitutes spam • There would need to be a balance between the need for campus network security and the need for access to information. • The process of deciding which parties have access to the e-mail list; may be political and/or subjective

11. Online communities like Facebook and MySpace have grown increasingly popular in recent years. It is unusual to meet a college student who does not have an account on at least one of these sites (if not both). • These online communities provide opportunities for positive interaction but have also created a number of specific issues not previously addressed in higher education. • Colleges and universities across the country are developing ways to address the use of these online services at their campuses.

12. There are a number of online communities available to internet users, but the two most popular sites at Facebook and MySpace. Let’s take a look at each of these sites individually. • Description of Facebook • Facebook is a social networking site developed by former university students. Membership was originally limited to individuals with a campus e-mail address but was recently extended to high school students as well. • Users create a unique profile based on website prompts, including contact information, class schedules, and personal interests like favorite songs and books. • While users may opt out from any of the identifying information, many students choose to post specifics about personal address and phone numbers, as well post pictures of family and friends. • Facebook profiles can be viewed by people in the “network,” which is determined by the user’s institution or geographical area. • Users can choose to limit the visibility of their profile to confirmed “friends.” • Facebook also provides an option to create and join “groups,” many of which have controversial titles. • Examples: “Got Some Captain In You?” (Alcohol) • “I’m a Conference Whore” (Student Involvement)

13. Description of MySpace • MySpace is similar to Facebook because users create a profile and can network with others as “friends.” • MySpace is open to any internet user with an e-mail address and does not separate users into groups by institution or geographical area. • This site has the added component of a blog, or journal option. Some users write journal entries, post poetry, or other forms of expression.

14. What happens outside the classroom also affects what happens in the classroom. Our relationships with students do not exist in a vacuum. • More and more students use these services – we can relate to them if we are familiar with current trends • We will be better equipped to handle related problems appropriately.

15. Privacy and Personal Information • Students may believe they are completely safe, but the personal information posted may make internet stalking more plausible or intrusive. • University officials may receive information about hate speech or harassment online, which can be difficult to address. • Employers and educators are increasingly aware of these programs and may use them in hiring decisions. Judicial Concerns • Some users post incriminating information, like photos of underage drinking. Institutions must decide how to address these behaviors, believing that there are not consequences. • The institution would be best served by developing a policy that outlines plans to address online behavior. • Student conduct codes may require revision to reflect behaviors that happen in cyberspace. Educational Concerns • Students spend increasing amounts of time on Facebook, MySpace, and other sites, which may potentially limit academic commitment.

16. Texting (Text Messaging) 6163315000 Feb 17, 2007 9:38:42 PM “Texting” has been very popular w/ younger kids 6163957000 Feb 17, 2007 9:39:50 PM Did u no dat it use 2 B called “SMS” 6163315000 Feb 17, 2007 9:40:59 PM No, I didnt wat did u use b4 cell phones 6163957000 Feb 17, 2007 9:42:06 PM I use 2 call people

17. Blackberry and other PDAs(Personal Data Assistants) Research in Motion is my manufacturer http://www.blackberry.com I also carry the capability of accessing e-mail without synchronizing to a computer We use a QWERTY-style keyboard to input messages faster than a regular cell phone would.

18. Sample Conversation in America Online’s Instant Messenger (AIM) Defaultuser: did u know dat AIM started in 1997? FirsIimer: no I didn’t no dat this is cool 2 use Defaultuser: it can really distract from work I have 2 turn it off Defaultuser: did u know dat AIM started in 1997? FirsIimer: no I didn’t no dat this is cool 2 use Defaultuser: it can really distract from work I have 2 turn it off

19. How Electronic Mail (e-mail) has revolutionized the way we communicate First you had to compose the letter… …then you had to walk it to the mailbox

20. …then you had to wait a couple of days for the letter to arrive and then the response… Now < 5 seconds

21. Importance of Topic • This topic is important because young people are choosing more and more to use this type of technology as a default means of communication.  Individuals are opting to have a cellular telephone as their own means of communication by phone than the standard landline telephone (http://media.www.californiaaggie.com/media/storage/paper981/news/2006/05/23/CityNews/New-Statistics.Show.Increase.In.Cell.PhoneOnly.Use-2013146.shtml). In this article, they highlight that their survey results might be bias and could be missing out on young people, people renting and single (not married) individuals.  • Other anecdotal evidence are stories of roommates sitting in the room together, refusing to talk about their problems with words verbally.  They could be sitting side-by-side in a room, venting their frustrations using AIM.  Stories like this are reiterating a phenomenon happening in U.S. American society which is indicating that young people are having a harder type communicating verbally and are using non-confrontational ways to handle their problems. 

22. Why should we talk about it? • Issues of cheating in class are a topic of conversation when individuals can use instant messaging capabilities (“texting”) to relay answers back and forth real time.  Students could also text others not in the class but who have access to answers, thus receiving unauthorized aid on exams.  • Communication has changed over the last 10+years.  Individuals are choosing to use non-confrontation means (texting, instant message, e-mail) to communicate concerns, issues and problems instead of using more interpersonal methods such as conversation.

23. Podcasting Why did we chose this topic?  Millennial students are accustomed to instant access when it comes to technology.  A large number of students already own iPods, and for those who don’t, it’s a relatively inexpensive cost for the university.  Universities should always look to advance learning by embracing technology.  Podcasting benefits more than just students. University personnel and faculty can utilize podcasting for continual study and professional development.

24. Podcasting Describe what podcasting is:  Podcasting, in its basic form, is creating audio files (most commonly in MP3 format) and making them available online in a way that allows users to automatically download the files for listening at their convenience  Podcasting allows anyone with a microphone and an Internet connection to create audio files that others can download automatically to their iPods or similar digital-audio players.  Listeners can download the files one at a time, or they can subscribe to a podcast and have a series of recordings transferred to their players whenever they hook the devices up to their computers.  Podcasts allow students to go over passages and/or lectures while, for example, working out at the gym or jogging to lunch.

25. Podcasting • Benefits of campus embracing this topic: • Makes the technology ideal for students who fall behind in class or those for whom English is a second language. • If lectures are available as podcasts, students can re-listen to troublesome passages, and it's easy for them to slow things down. • It gives students without backgrounds in certain topics a chance to catch up with more experienced peers (because of the instant access to review) • Students can listen to podcasts before class, this way, class experience would be less about lecture, and more intellectual discussion • Gives students who may miss a class an opportunity to review exactly what they missed, or if a student needs to review material, it would be readily available.

26. Podcasting • Benefits of campus embracing this topic: • Students may not want to sit at a computer and listen to course recordings • Podcasting takes no extra work on behalf of professors. All they have to do is wear a small microphone to record the podcast. • Technology companies are already beginning to provide podcasts to students from select professors. • It’s cheap. Podcasting requires no more hardware or software than a typical computer user has. • Universities could contract with scholars or specialized personnel to provide a number of podcasts on a particular issue. Questions could be submitted in advance by university personnel, and then after a particular podcast, clarifying questions or responses could be submitted for a reaction. • Alternatively, university personnel could be part of the podcast sessions. The big advantage to universities is that the staff don’t have to be tied to a meeting or in-service workshop. They can listen to the podcasts when they are ready at their leisure.

27. Podcasting • Problems/issues surrounding this topic: • May lead to empty classrooms or serve as a crutch for late-sleeping students, and some worry about podcasting's intellectual property implications. • Technology, computers, and the Internet seem to have become a ubiquitous component of life in the United States, yet there still exists a digital divide among the “haves” and the “have nots.” High speed Internet connections, computers, MP3 players, microphones, etc. do cost money which may prevent the economically disadvantaged from benefiting from this promising emerging technology. • No research/studies have been done on the effectiveness of using podcasts for scholarly purposes.

28. References • Blog. (n.d.). Retrieved February 13, 2007, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog. • Carnevale, D. (2006). E-Mail is for old people: As students ignore their campus accounts, colleges try new ways of communicating. The Chronicle of Higher Education, 53 (7), A27. • Farrell, H. (2005). The blogosphere as a carnival of ideas. The Chronicle of Higher Education, 52 (7), B14. • General Information from Facebook Mainpage. Retrieved February 16, 2007 from www.facebook.com. • General Information from MySpace Help Page. Retrieved February 16, 2007 from www.myspace.com. • Hargis, J. and Wilson, D. (2005). Fishing for Learning with a Podcast Net. Retrieved February 14, 2007, from http://www.unf.edu/dept/cirt/tech/podcast/HargisPodcastArticle.pdf • Hirschland, J. (2004). Facebook leads to student drug bust. Retrieved February 16, 2007 from http://studentaffairs.com/vcs/2006entries/FloridaInternationalUniversity.ppt #290,41,References. • Krause, S. D. (2005). Blogs as a tool for teaching. The Chronicle of Higher Education, 51 (42), B33. • Lopez, C. (2006). Podcasting: An emerging technology with potential. Retrieved February 14, 2007, from http://dmc.umn.edu/spotlight/podcasting.shtml

29. References • McGann, R. (2004, November 22). The blogosphere by the numbers. Traffic Patterns. Retrieved February 13, 2007 from http://www.clickz.com/showPage.html?page=3438891. • McGann, R. (2005, January 3). Blog readership surged 58 percent in 2004. Traffic Patterns. Retrieved February 13, 2007 from http://www.clickz.com/showPage.html?page=3453431. • New data on blogs and blogging. (May 2, 2005). Retrieved February 13, 2007, from http://www.pewinternet.org/press_release.asp?r=104. • Read, B. (2005). Lectures on the go. The Chronicle of Higher Education, 52 (10), A9. • Read, B. (2006). Attack of the blog: When disenchanted faculty members take to the Web, presidents should worry. The Chronicle of Higher Education, 53 (4), A35. • Read, B. (2006). Technology and influential blogs helped galvanize protests at Gallaudet. The Chronicle of Higher Education, 53 (12), A40. • Reynolds, G. (2006). Can blogging derail your career: The politics of academic appointments. The Chronicle of Higher Education, 52 (47), B6. • Salkowe, B. (2006, February 23). Students tap in to campus blogs. The Harvard Crimson. Retrieved February 13, 2007 from http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=511537. • Valesky, T. & Sabella, R. (2005, October). Podcasting in educational leadership and counseling. Paper presented at the conference of the Southern Regional Council on Educational Administration, Atlanta GA.