Cellphones in School?

Cellphones would be benifical for classroom use simply because of the way technology is rolling these days. Many cellular devices like Blackberry©, iPhone©, and other smartphones have the abilities to have "apps". An "app" is a downloadable application that can be added your
phone system. There could be multiple "apps" created in favor of education use such as a homework generator and assignment reminders. Some assignments could be done on your cellular device, which would save the people who did not attend school that day or even week.

Cellphones would also help ensure safety for the cellphone owner. The child could contact there parents in case of an emergancy and vice versa. Cellphones could cut the costs of the laptops that may have to be purchased for schooling.

Pleo: The Interactive Dinosaur

Caleb Chung, creator of the interactive toy Furby, has done it again by developing the interactive dinosaur, Pleo. Pleo is a life like dinosaur, who is just like having a pet in your house. He can be used for cuddling, playing, reacting and also learning with young children.

Chung has created such things as the interactive Mcdonalds resturant, the walking Barbie, and fighting robots. Then 5 years later, his newest and greats invention came along and pretty soon, Pleo will be over taking the technology world. Pleo walks, sleeps, cuddles, eats, listens and speaks. But he also looks just like a real baby dinosaur. Each one begins life as a newly-hatched baby Camarasaurus then it begins to develop the attributes of a growing dinosaur.



This may change the future of technology but developing a larger appreciation to interaction and learning. Children will begin to love the way they learn just by owning the fun, interactive dinosaur, Pleo !

It's Christmas Pleo!

:)

Siftables

Siftables. Cookie sized handheld computers that motion sense, detect their surroundings, and have a small display screen that creates their digital communication abilities. These new technolgical enhancements that David Merrill and Jeevan Kalanithi have created open up new doors for education. Mr. Germann Rocks!

The way the Siftables work is that they can group, sort, and pile information in a interactive manner. The technogical building blocks allow people to develop a more hands on feel for computing. You can make up your own interactive stories, play a Scrabble like game, and create your own music on these small devices.

Siftables, the new technology that creates an interactive world. Cool!

Please click the Siftables link for more information :)

The Sixth Sense

The video we watch in class was about the new idea of a product called The Sixth Sense. I like the idea of this product because it opens up a whole new world for us now. It creates new technology oppurtunities for the world such a being able to reach computer without sitting at one. The necklace shaped product holds a camera, projector and also includes 4 fingers rings that are different colors!

Its A Social Revolution #2

Is social media just a fad or is it total revolution?
Are we just following what people say or is life turning into technology based?
I believe that social media is exploding into something big! People are using social networking sites to access their lives and other people lives for information. Adding a person on facebook and following people on twitter gives you a freedom to do what you want and to interact with whoever you want!

Explore The World Through Your Computer Screen

Snap Snap Snap.
When multiple pictures are taken, you develop a whole library of your recent vacation or simply just a day of hanging around. but have you ever thought of multiple pictures creating just one picture?
Thats why Microsoft has developed new software. Photosynth is software that uses different pictures, gathers them up, and collages them together to make one big picture. For example, you could go to the mountains with your whole family and each memeber would have to take multiple pictures of just one area. Then you could put the pictures in to Photosyth and a big, 3D picture would be created.
Could this be a new way of photo editing?

One Laptop per Child

The XO Laptop is very cool laptop. The purpose of this laptop is to educate children in thrid World countries using something that most of us children in Canada have access to.
It is a durable, technological advanced laptop. The screen can be viewed in both sunlight and indoors! There is a crank to charge the laptop and also other ways to keep its power up. Wireless internet is accessible because of the network system. One laptop is a booster to another, and so on.
The advance technology of this laptop seems to be a new interesting idea for the future and the succession of todays children all over the world!

It's A Social Media Revolution

"I Want To Be Just Like Her When I Get Older"

When we grow up, we idolize our elders such as a sister or a mother. We copy what they wear and how they act but do children these days copy how we act on the internet?
Growing up, I really had no idea about the internet because it wasnt used alot in our household. So i looked up to my sister and how she dressed. I always thought she had the coolest clothes and the best hairstyle but if i was born in this new age of technology, i would try to make myself identical to how she is on the web.
There have been multiple times when i log on to Facebook, and my friend request notification area is lit up and i realize that the kid adding me as a friend is only in Grade 4, how am i suppose to react? I use to babysit some of these kids and well im not to sure if i want them to see me in the embarassing photos that my friend added last week, or my daily status that might have a moody attitude behind it.
So because of this, i believe that the way we act on the internet is controlled by our younger peers. We always have to think twice about uploading pictures and posting statuses because of the people who view it.
If i were to sit down my 5 year old cousin in front of the computer screen, as i scrolled through pictures on Facebook, she would be surprised of how i acted.
So in the same sense of digital citizenship, plain old citizenship is ran the same. How we act of the inside is viewed by the world. To be a citizen in your life is to create a healthy "enviroment" for your peers. In the social aspect of life, you have to be civil to everyone around you. You have to communicate with everyone around you in a pleasent manner, even though you barely know them or you just arent associated with them, you still have to be "nice".

New Devices, A New World?

So, the Multi-Touch Screen that Jeff Han has developed is certainly interesting. The ability to touch one surface with all ten fingers opens up so many new things for technology! This Multi- Touch screen is similar to a computer or a large iPod touch, but the difference is that you can interact with multiple "touchs".

After watching the video showing how the Multi- Touch Screen is used, i discovered that i would certainly enjoy using this on a daily basis for all my computer tasks. The touch keyboard, cool apps, and picture storage all appeal to me simply because it would be easier to run. The fact that your hands are the method of running the device is actually quite interesting.

Truthfully, this is just a really cool device!

Definitley something i want in my room ;)

We Are The World, Or Is The Internet?

These days, the Internet has opened up a lot of negative and positive opportunities for youth. Technology has become so advanced that the Internet can be accessed through pretty much anything. Examples of these gateways are iPod touches, iPad , laptops, computers and cellular devices.
Now a days, youth are using social networking websites like Facebook and Twitter as a way to communicate to their peers. But really, is that always a good thing? In my opinion, it certainly isn’t. With the access to pornographic websites, chat rooms for inappropriate reasons and ways to get information about someone that doesn’t even expect anyone to know, youth have their eyes opened up to things that they don’t need to know about!
Being a youth myself, I have seen it all on the Internet. False advertisements, websites for adults, bullying chat rooms and other weird and dangerous things are included in all the things I have seen. But still, I am a constant user of cyberspace. My life is online. I can communicate with my peers, post images and thoughts all over my Facebook, Twitter and Myspace accounts.
Some people just abuse the use of the Internet. Pornographic images, stalking and cyber bullying just seem to ruin the whole point of Internet. It could be used to connect with others, gather important information, and search for interests but it becomes overwhelmed with “bad” things. These “bad” things begin to make us wonder, is technology taking over the world?