Cellphones are now more for data than calls

The ubiquitous cellphone is a necessity for most owners. The ways in which it is used are not surprising, but some of the statistics in this week’s article may be. Go to the link below and read the article. Write a reflective comment that shows you have read the article, expresses your views, and addresses my questions.

The people mentioned in the article seem to make very few calls. How many calls do you make each week? What do you do with your cellphone? A quarter of U.S. households are now wireless-only. How difficult would it be at your house to not have a landline? What sort of handset design does your cellphone have? If the way in which cellphone users are charged changes as Mr. Hesse predicts, how will your cellphone costs be affected? How many text messages do you send each month? Is the average number of text messages for American teenagers excessive? If you did not have a cellphone to send text messages, would it hinder you from bonding with your classmates?

Cellphone Article

Mobile Music, but Lower Quality

You probably own a portable music device, such as an iPod. They are seen everywhere and enjoyed by people of all ages. This week’s article looks at how these devices have influenced the quality of the sound that we hear through iPods and compressed computer files. Go to the link below and read the article. Write a reflective comment that shows you have read the article, expresses your views, and addresses my questions.

Do you agree that there have been technological advances in the quality of media everywhere except in music? Can you hear the difference between compressed music files and music on CDs? How often do you listen to music on CDs? Respond to the quote from Mr. Fremer about music “It was an activity. It is no longer consumed as an event that you pay attention to.” Do you care about the quality of sound when you listen to music? How much would you be willing to pay for a stereo system?

Mobile Music Article

The Office of 2020

It is fun to think about the future and anticipate changes that will come. This week’s article is about the findings of a two-year study that reports major changes coming in the next ten years. Go to the link below and read the article. Write a reflective comment that shows you have read the article, expresses your views, and addresses my questions.

How will you feel about working with multiple generations? The article is from a Canadian newspaper. Do you think that the predictions are applicable in other countries as well? Which of the predictions are you looking forward to the most? Which of the predictions scares you the most? Are there any predictions that you do not believe will happen? What are your predictions for jobs and the workplace in the next ten years?

The Office of 2020 Article

PowerPoint – The Enemy

PowerPoint is a commonly used presentation tool. PowerPoint presentations often have a poor reputation, one that is often deserved. This week we look at the role that PowerPoint plays in the American military. You may be surprised by its ubiquitous presence. Go to the link below and read the article. Write a reflective comment that shows you have read the article, expresses your views, and addresses my questions.

The article expresses the concerns of military commanders that PowerPoint “stifles discussion, critical thinking and thoughtful decision-making.” What is your opinion about the use of PowerPoint? What should the commanders do to correct the problems that PowerPoint creates? What do you think about the amount of time that is spent in the military making PowerPoint slides? How should the military use PowerPoint? What should be done to make PowerPoint presentations more interesting? What do you think about the practice of using PowerPoint for “hypnotizing chickens?”

PowerPoint Article

Cell Phone Etiquette

We have talked about cell phone use before, but a reminder from time to time is not out of place. This week we look at some of the rules. The reading will not be long, but your answers will be important. Go to the link below and read the article. Write a reflective comment that shows you have read the article, expresses your views, and addresses my questions.

What percentage of the rules in the article do you follow? Which is your most frequent offense? What irritates you the most about other people’s cell phone use? A question from the article: When should an incoming call take priority over the situation at hand? What will happen to cell phone etiquette as more and more people have them and as children grow up using them?

Cell Phone Etiquette Article

Solving Algebra on Smartphones

We have read articles about the use of handheld devices in the classroom to improve learning. In this week’s article we read about a project that has had a measurable impact on student achievement in math. Go to the link below and read the article. Write a reflective comment that shows you have read the article, expresses your views, and addresses my questions.

What kind of a blog would be useful at our school to help students with their subjects? If you were surveyed about the mobile technology that you would prefer to use, which one of those listed in the article would you choose? Would Smartphones be useful in helping students at our school? At what grade level should students begin using them in classes? In which subject areas could they be beneficial? In the project, was it reasonable for the school to turn off the text and voice capabilities of the Smartphones? In your opinion, what was the best part of this project? What do you think about the reward system as a way to motivate students?

Smartphone Article

Food for Thought

It is not uncommon for people to enjoy food. This week’s article shows how technology has come to influence the way in which people look at food and how they enjoy it. Go to the link below and read the article. Write a reflective comment that shows you have read the article, expresses your views, and addresses my questions.

What is your opinion of the photographic food diary phenomenon? Have you ever taken photos of the food you eat? Under what conditions is this practice acceptable? When is it not appropriate? What other unusual things have you heard of people photographing? How would you react if you were on a date and the person you were with wanted to photograph everything they ate? Is the psychotherapist interpretation of this accurate? What does the philosopher’s quote, “Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are.” mean to you?

Food Article

Online Payment Anxiety

As a regular of technology you are probably comfortable doing things on the Web. Soon you will have opportunities to have credit cards, debit cards, checking accounts, etc. The opportunity for online shopping should give you cause to pause and think. This week’s article provides information and advice for people who shop online or would like to consider doing it. Go to the link below and read the article. Write a reflective comment that shows you have read the article, expresses your views, and addresses my questions.

Do you intend to shop online? How popular will shopping online become? Will people stop going to stores? I learned several new things by reading this article. What did you learn? Share two or three items from the article with your parents. Were you able to teach them something new? Which of the online forms of payment seems the most risky and why?

Online Payment Anxiety Article

Internet Bus

You have seen and probably experienced Wi-Fi in different locations: coffee shops, airports, etc. This week’s article looks at an innovative use of Wi-Fi that a school is trying. Go to the link below and read the article. Write a reflective comment that shows you have read the article, expresses your views, and addresses my questions.

How would you feel about converting the school’s buses to Internet buses? What would be the advantages? What problems would it create? Would it be fair? It would cost the school extra money to do this and students without laptops would not benefit. What about charging extra for people who use their laptops to surf on the bus? Would having Internet access on the buses make a difference in behavior? How much more homework would get done if we had this benefit?

Internet Bus Article

A Social-media Minefield for Educators

Text messaging is a common practice. Students text each other regularly. Adults text, as well. However, there are circumstances under which there may be complications. This week’s article looks at ways in which texting, social media, and email can lead to trouble. Go to the link below and read the article. Write a reflective comment that shows you have read the article, expresses your views, and addresses my questions.

Looking at the example of the teacher who was a coach, what should he have done differently to avoid getting into trouble? Do you think that texting helps teachers and students “forge bonds?” The article mentions that “some schools insist teachers share their phone numbers with students so kids can call at night with homework questions.” If you were a teacher, what would you think about this idea? The general counsel for the teachers’ union talks about the need for guidance in the proper ways to handle student communication. What sort of guidance should be provided? What advice would you give? How will events such as those described in the article affect communication between students and teachers?

Minefield for Educators Article

Rewriting Textbooks – Literally

The idea of having digital textbooks is not new. Now one publisher has come up with software that will allow college instructors to edit digital editions of textbooks that they use in their classes. Go to the link below and read the article. Write a reflective comment that shows you have read the article, expresses your views, and addresses my questions.

What advantages do you see in having digital textbooks that the instructor can customize? What concerns would you have? Use your imagination and describe a couple changes that could be made to a digital textbook to make it more interesting. What do you think about the price difference between printed textbooks and the DynamicBooks version? If you were the publisher for DynamicBooks, how would you ensure that offensive things and plagiarism are kept out of your digital textbooks?

DynamicBooks Article

Happiest Online

Teenagers are referred to as digital natives. They spend a lot of time using digital communication. This week’s article looks at a study of how digital communication affects the psychological and neurological behavior of young people. Go to the link below and read the article. Write a reflective comment that shows you have read the article, expresses your views, and addresses my questions.

The study took place in the UK. Do you think that the results are representative of the rest of the world? Are you part of the 75% that cannot live without the Internet? When do you feel happiest, when you are online or at some other time? Do you agree that “In the future … the need and demand for advice through the internet will become even more critical.”? Were you surprised that 43% of the people being interviewed have known someone who has been a victim of an online scam? Do you know someone who has been the victim of an online scam? Are your visual-spatial skills highly developed? What should be done to provide guidance and support for the “in-between group?”

Survey Article

Walking with a Cell Phone

Using a cell phone is not difficult. Walking is not difficult. Combining the two should not be difficult. But apparently it is. This week’s article addresses the growing number of accidents that are caused by distracted walking. Go to the link below and read the article. Write a reflective comment that shows you have read the article, expresses your views, and addresses my questions.

What do you think about the number of pedestrians who go to emergency rooms each year because of accidents that they have while using a cell phone? What do you think about the percentage of people age 16 to 30 who injured themselves? How does this relate to their ability to multitask? What did you think about the study with the clown on a unicycle? Have you ever had an accident while walking and using a cell phone? If so, how did it happen? How did you feel?

Walking with a Cell Phone Article

Hacking for Fun and Profit

Previously, we read about problems that Google had with hackers that they thought originated in China. This week we look more closely at hackers in China and how they operate. Go to the link below and read the article. Write a reflective comment that shows you have read the article, expresses your views, and addresses my questions.

Is hacking ever justified? If so, under what conditions? What is your assessment of Majia? Is what he does justified in any way? Would you like to try hacking? What would you do? What would you do if you knew that a friend was hacking in a way that was obviously wrong in a serious way? What do you think the penalty should be for hacking on a level that does not cause major problems and does not involve stealing?

Hacking Article

Dexterous Digits in the Thumb Tribe

Texting is popular among people who are comfortable using their cell phones for communication. With this popularity, proficiency becomes important. This week’s article is about an international competition in texting. Go to the link below and read the article. Write a reflective comment that shows you have read the article, expresses your views, and addresses my questions.

How many times each day do you send text messages? At what point would you consider the number of text messages being sent each day to be excessive? Are you part of the thumb tribe? What is the most unusual situation in which you have sent a text message? How often do you send text messages while in your classes? How important is it to text quickly? What would you recommend people do to improve their texting speed? Should texting be taught in school instead of keyboarding? When did you begin using a cell phone? Respond to the following quotation: “When you talk, you often blabber. If you text, you think more coherently because you have to make yourself understood in short but logical sentences.”

Dexterous Digits Article

Too Much TV and Obsolete Things

This week we will look at two different articles. The first one is about children having difficulty speaking because of their exposure to television. The other article is about things that have become obsolete. Go to the links below and read both articles. Write a reflective comment that shows you have read the articles, expresses your views, and addresses my questions.

Which of the statistics in the article about speech surprised you? Do you agree that the background noise from TV makes it hard for children to understand their parents’ or older siblings’ speech? How much television should children be allowed to watch? If you had a much younger sibling, what would you do to promote his/her language development?

In the article about obsolete things, which of the obsolete things mentioned are still being used in your house? Is the article wrong about any of the items in its predictions? What do you think will become obsolete in the next decade?

TV Noise Article

Obsolete Things Article

Google in China

Google’s presence in China has been controversial since it agreed to cooperate with the Chinese government in its Internet censorship. This week’s article looks at how things have changed and what Google is considering. Go to the link below and read the article. Write a reflective comment that shows you have read the article, expresses your views, and addresses my questions.

Was Google’s initial arrangement with the Chinese government appropriate? If you were negotiating with the Chinese government to have Google available in China, what conditions would you accept and what conditions would you refuse? Who do you think was responsible for hacking Google’s computers and why would they make such an attack? Was Google’s response to the attacks the best choice for that situation? What would you have done? Respond to the following quote: “It’s not Google that’s withdrawing from China, it’s China that’s withdrawing from the world.”

Google Article

Viruses and Social Networking Sites

Social networking websites are very popular. So are malicious programs that hijack people’s accounts. This week’s article looks at how this happens and the impact that it has. Go to the link below and read the article. Write a reflective comment that shows you have read the article, expresses your views, and addresses my questions.

Have you ever had an experience like those described in the article or do you know someone who has had such an experience? If so, how was the account compromised and what happened? Why do you think that people hack other people’s accounts? What advice would you give to avoid having this happen? What would you recommend doing if this does happen?

Social Networking Article