Module 4 Blog Responses

During this module, I responded to the following blogs:

Anwar Mohammad- http://anwar-mohammad.blogspot.com/2012/07/disruptive-power-of-second-life.html?showComment=1343488977197#!/2012/07/disruptive-power-of-second-life.html

Tracy Snow- http://snowkween.blogspot.com/2012/07/mod4blogassign-disruptive-power-of.html?showComment=1343490334869#c4189978355750951856

EDUC 7108 Module 4 Blog Post: The Disruptive Power of Second Life

Dr. Thornburg (Laureate Education Inc., 2009) defines a disruptive technology as a “new technology with the same functionality of an existing technology, but it functions more efficiently, and then obsoletes that technology.” Second Life is a virtual reality online world that has made the technology behind chat rooms obsolete. The technology uses the same idea of allowing people to communicate and collaborate, but Second Life also allows the users to create their environment using graphics, the ability to personalize an avatar, and the ability to hear and participate in chats through microphones and speakers.




According to Rosedale (2008), Second Life is a rapidly expanding virtual world, with infinite possibilities of user-created products and data. Virtual worlds allow information to be presented using powerful iconic symbols versus text to organize and experience information. Due to the rapid expansion of Second Life, I think that it will be at least another 8 years before another emerging or disruptive technology replaces it. According to the Elon University/ Pew Internet Project (n.d.), immersive virtual reality worlds are predicted to emerge between 2016-2025. Second Life still has the power to grow in size, graphics, and abilities.



Another benefit to Second Life is that it creates a social experience to explore information, allowing for communication and collaboration. In my field of elementary education, virtual worlds such as Second Life are beneficial in motivating students to participate in expressing themselves and working with others. Yet, Rosedale (2008) addressed a concern of the social implications of Second Life, explaining how we may begin to like our virtual image more than our human selves. Students creating their own avatars allow them to express their individuality, but we do not want them to become so consumed in their virtual reality that they withdraw completely from face-to-face social interactions. With the future emergence of immersive virtual realities, students will become more likely to use virtual worlds such as Second Life for a majority of their social interactions and searches for information.



References

Elon University/Pew Internet Project. (n.d.). Imagining the Internet: A history and forecast: Forward 150 timeline. Retrieved April 7, 2011, from http://www.elon.edu/docs/e-web/predictions/forward150years.pdf



Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Emerging and future technology: Disruptive technologies. Baltimore, MD: Author.



Rosedale, P. (2008). Philip Rosedale on Second Life [Video]. Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/talks/the_inspiration_of_second_life.html.

EDUC 7108 Module 3 Blog Responses

I responded to the following blogs about "Rhymes of History" during this module:

Rashida Brown- http://rashidabrown.wordpress.com/2012/07/10/rhymes-of-history/#comment-57

Anetha Johnson- http://anethajaye7108.blogspot.com/2012/07/johnson-module-3-blog.html?showComment=1342191406596#c5541076832274136253

EDUC 7108 Module 3 Blog Post

Through history, the concept of communicating to gain information has been retrieved and evolved as the abilities of technology increases. Dr. Thornburg (Laureate Education Inc., 2009) explains how rhymes of history occur when, “the affect or impact of a new development rekindles something from the distant past”. Communication dates back to the idea of writing on walls using symbols to create a message or tell a story. Over time, technology has given people the ability to communicate anywhere, anytime using cell phones. The concept of cell phones has been rekindled as new developments changed its design and functions from a car phone in a bag, to smaller designed flip phones for personal use, and now even smaller smartphones to multitask daily forms of communicating. “In recent years, the purpose of the cell phone has shifted from a verbal communication tool to a multimedia tool, often adopting the name “mobile device” rather than being called a phone at all” (Ai InSite, 2011). Besides still being able to use cell phones for making calls between one or more people, these mobile devices have given the added abilities for surfing the web, taking pictures, sending e-mails and text messages, and communicating with people through social networking sites.

Kevin Kelly (2007) described three trends of rhymes in history which hold true to the rekindling of communication through cell phones: embodiment, restructuring, and codependency. Embodiment is the ability for cell phones to connect to the Web. As mobile devices allow for Internet connection, people can use this tool for gaining information from the web and sharing information themselves. Through restructuring, the purpose of cell phones has shifted to allow for linking to more pages and data using the web. Looking towards to future, Google has already begun to develop augmented reality technology to allow people to link to things in the world using a tool such as a cell phone. Going back to the idea of creating phones for communicating, cell phones have rekindled the idea of our codependency on each other. People’s contributions of information from the web and our ability to retrieve such information has developed a codependency for each other to be able to share and gain knowledge.

References
Ai InSite (2011). The history and evolution of cell phones. Retrieved from http://insite.artinstitutes.edu/the-history-and-evolution-of-cell-phones-57809.aspx


Kelly, K. (2007, December). Kevin Kelly on the next 5,000 days of the Web [Speech]. Speech delivered at the EG 2007 Conference, Los Angeles. Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/talks/kevin_kelly_on_the_next_5_000_days_of_the_web.html


Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Emerging and future technology: Rhymes of history. Baltimore, MD: Author.