Consider the concept of a “community of practice.” How can such a community offer opportunities for learning?
I feel that the concept of a "community of practice" is a great opportunity for learning. These posts below a picture, as in Shirky or posts in a discussion forum start out in a simply way. Someone asks a question about something. This is how almost all learning takes place. Whether at school where either the teacher or student asks a question in a formal setting or online where someone asks any question that they need or simply desire an answer too.
The next step in creating a community of practice is for someone to answer. When this answer is posted several things can happen. It can be the correct answer, the incorrect answer, or an answer that does not help the person who asked the question. Regardless of which happened the question asker can choose to use or not use the answer for whatever purpose they were intending.
After this exchange of information another user may stumble upon the question. This person may comment that they agree, disagree, or give an answer that is more helpful. This process can continue as long as someone is reading the post and is interested. Many people may become involved in a disagreement about the answer, become engulfed and give a very detailed answer, or discover more than one answer to the original question.
One of the great things about this scenario is that learning takes place even when the original user looses interest. They may be satisfied with the original answer. Other users may be able to use the more detailed answer or one of the alternate answers given, rather than adding another answer post. Anyone who is in search of an answer to a similar question could find this discussion useful and learn from the answers of others long before the question entered their head.
The idea of a community of practice is like working on a test or project with a group. More ideas are flowing and there is a higher probability that someone knows the answer. Therefore the answer will most likely be more developed and stronger than if working alone. Communities of practice are also more efficient. Instead of reading long manuals or texts one could search for a question on a discussion board and find an answer for their specific question in simple terms. Many times the solutions found in these communities are more simple and easy to understand. People with a problem can learn from others that encountered the same problem before them and see how the others went about solving the problem. Tips and tricks may also be included to make the solution more efficient and easier.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Media ==> Invisible
If Shirky is right, and we’re headed to a period where social media tools like YouTube, Flickr, and social networks like Facebook become “invisible,” what’s the impact on things you spend money on as consumers? Books? Movies? Music?
If social media were to become invisible people would rely less on things like books, movies, and music. There are websites that are able to take the place of all of these things currently but many people are still not used to finding and taking advantage of these resources. The social media tools have not yet crossed over into the realm of invisible, they still take the form of normal, to use Shirky's words. Eventually these tools will become second nature, and they will not be lived without. According to Shirky this is the direction that we are headed in.
If this were to happen economics would have to change. Stores would not be able to sell books, movies, and music as they once could. These media items would be, most likely, electronic. There is evidence of this transition today. Once things had to be written on paper to be transported. Later things could be typed and put on a large disc, smaller disc, and finally cds. Flash drives later were used, then attachments to emails. Now, today using google docs and other sites, typed information can simply be accessed and edited with the correct password.
This concept is also true for the three forms of media listed above. Books, movies, and music can all be downloaded online as computer files and saved to a hard drive. This is already happening. iTunes allows people to download these things without ever obtaining a physical copy. This cuts down on production costs and allows these items to purchased at a slightly less expensive rate. Eventually, with the social media sites becoming invisible the forms of media will become easier to obtain at cheaper costs and the more expensive physical copies will become obsolete or collectors items. Eventually the only obvious way to do things could become online through social networks.
Doing things through social networks will also cause one of two things to happen. Media will become extremely well put together, well sung, or well written. More people will be talking in larger forums, as the internet provides, about the media, and therefore critique more harshly than ever before. Things will need to be near perfect to become "famous." This may also take place because of sheer amount of competition. More competition means it must be better to stand out among the rest in its' genre.
If social media were to become invisible people would rely less on things like books, movies, and music. There are websites that are able to take the place of all of these things currently but many people are still not used to finding and taking advantage of these resources. The social media tools have not yet crossed over into the realm of invisible, they still take the form of normal, to use Shirky's words. Eventually these tools will become second nature, and they will not be lived without. According to Shirky this is the direction that we are headed in.
If this were to happen economics would have to change. Stores would not be able to sell books, movies, and music as they once could. These media items would be, most likely, electronic. There is evidence of this transition today. Once things had to be written on paper to be transported. Later things could be typed and put on a large disc, smaller disc, and finally cds. Flash drives later were used, then attachments to emails. Now, today using google docs and other sites, typed information can simply be accessed and edited with the correct password.
This concept is also true for the three forms of media listed above. Books, movies, and music can all be downloaded online as computer files and saved to a hard drive. This is already happening. iTunes allows people to download these things without ever obtaining a physical copy. This cuts down on production costs and allows these items to purchased at a slightly less expensive rate. Eventually, with the social media sites becoming invisible the forms of media will become easier to obtain at cheaper costs and the more expensive physical copies will become obsolete or collectors items. Eventually the only obvious way to do things could become online through social networks.
Doing things through social networks will also cause one of two things to happen. Media will become extremely well put together, well sung, or well written. More people will be talking in larger forums, as the internet provides, about the media, and therefore critique more harshly than ever before. Things will need to be near perfect to become "famous." This may also take place because of sheer amount of competition. More competition means it must be better to stand out among the rest in its' genre.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
EBay ($25 < $100)
Have you used a website like Craigslist or EBay to buy or sell something? What was the experience like? Would you use such a service again? If you haven’t, detail how you have sold or bought something outside the environment of a retailer.
I am not as careful as I should be with phones. Only once since I have had a phone have I made it through the entire contract without having to buy a phone early. The first time it happened I talked my dad into going back to the Verizon store to buy a replacement phone, he was not thrilled. So, several months later, when my phone was dropped and the screen cracked, I was nervous to tell my father. I worked up the nerve, because I really did like having a personal phone to use. He told me he would spend no more than twenty dollars, because it was a second time happening. This was not good news being that a phone was going to run about one hundred dollars. I was going to have to make up the difference.
I thought for a while about the proposal. I was going to have to save some money, and if I saved enough maybe I could get a cool phone with lots of features! I explained my situation to a friend and he suggested EBay to find a new phone; he had purchased a few things the previous month. I took his suggestion and went online to find an old phone that someone was selling and decided to create an account and bid on a phone that was the same as the one I had just broken. I won the bid at exactly twenty dollars, convenient. Then paid for the shipping and saved myself seventy-five dollars. The phone arrived in the mail a few days later.
I had a good experience with EBay. I put in a bid of twenty five dollars and won the bidding war at twenty dollars. The phone I received in the mail had a few small scratches but was worth the money I saved. The description of the product and the pictures that went with it gave forewarning of these scratches, no surprises. I have heard stories about items that have been described as being in good condition and then once the package was opened the item was no where near the condition described. The fact that I was able to put in a maximum bid was a feature that I liked. I did not have to continuously check the site and rebid. The shipping was fast as well. The day after I won the phone the seller shipped it off. The customer service was excellent. I have also heard stories about situations where delivery was postponed because the seller waited a week before shipping the item.
I would use the service again in a similar situation. I would need to feel that I could trust the product. I would need to know exactly what I would be getting. Generally now I use sites like Amazon or I enter a Google search on the product I am looking to purchase. The results almost always include a site or two selling the item used or at an extremely reduced price. I like saving money and therefore look for the best deals I can and if it is on EBay or Craigslist then that is where I will make my purchase.
I am not as careful as I should be with phones. Only once since I have had a phone have I made it through the entire contract without having to buy a phone early. The first time it happened I talked my dad into going back to the Verizon store to buy a replacement phone, he was not thrilled. So, several months later, when my phone was dropped and the screen cracked, I was nervous to tell my father. I worked up the nerve, because I really did like having a personal phone to use. He told me he would spend no more than twenty dollars, because it was a second time happening. This was not good news being that a phone was going to run about one hundred dollars. I was going to have to make up the difference.
I thought for a while about the proposal. I was going to have to save some money, and if I saved enough maybe I could get a cool phone with lots of features! I explained my situation to a friend and he suggested EBay to find a new phone; he had purchased a few things the previous month. I took his suggestion and went online to find an old phone that someone was selling and decided to create an account and bid on a phone that was the same as the one I had just broken. I won the bid at exactly twenty dollars, convenient. Then paid for the shipping and saved myself seventy-five dollars. The phone arrived in the mail a few days later.
I had a good experience with EBay. I put in a bid of twenty five dollars and won the bidding war at twenty dollars. The phone I received in the mail had a few small scratches but was worth the money I saved. The description of the product and the pictures that went with it gave forewarning of these scratches, no surprises. I have heard stories about items that have been described as being in good condition and then once the package was opened the item was no where near the condition described. The fact that I was able to put in a maximum bid was a feature that I liked. I did not have to continuously check the site and rebid. The shipping was fast as well. The day after I won the phone the seller shipped it off. The customer service was excellent. I have also heard stories about situations where delivery was postponed because the seller waited a week before shipping the item.
I would use the service again in a similar situation. I would need to feel that I could trust the product. I would need to know exactly what I would be getting. Generally now I use sites like Amazon or I enter a Google search on the product I am looking to purchase. The results almost always include a site or two selling the item used or at an extremely reduced price. I like saving money and therefore look for the best deals I can and if it is on EBay or Craigslist then that is where I will make my purchase.
I Can Do It!
You have an important personal question you’d like answered. Explain the procedure for getting your question answered and why this method appeals to you (you don’t need to get specific, but let’s assume the answer does not require specific expert knowledge, as from a doctor).
The transition from home life to living on your own in an apartment includes major changes. My mom made dinner almost everynight. Once I moved into my own apartment things changed. I began having to cook for myself. My mother is the best cook I have ever met She runs a catering business out of our kitchen and takes boxed meals from the frozen food section and creates masterpieces that are not even close to the meal that she purchased. I have learned many things about cooking from her, but not everything. I have, on many occasions, needed extra assistance while cooking dinner or coming up with ideas about what to have. I first inclination was to phone home and talk to my mother, however my mother is not just waiting by the phone for me to call and I needed to find an alternate solution.
I turned and saw my computer. I immediately thought, "I'll Google it!" I typed in what I was looking for in the search bar and was greeted by several hundred thousand sites that wanted to help. I looked through the first site and did not see what I was looking for, so I simply went back to my search results and selected the second link. There I found the directions that I was looking for, which even included pictures for each step, problem solved!
I prefer to get information from a personally trusted source, like my mom. I know that she would never lead me astray, and that she is only a phone call away. Personal sources however are not always available to help find the answer that I might be looking for. That is when I must trust another source, my go to source being Google. This appeals to me because I have access to the internet almost anywhere I go and Google is quick and easy to use. Sometimes I must look at multiple search results but it is still faster than going to the library or finding alternate means of solving my problem. I have used Google on countless occasions to find a quick solution, do research, or get directions to complete a task. I have learned everything from recipes to how to change out parts on my car to rules of a game.
The transition from home life to living on your own in an apartment includes major changes. My mom made dinner almost everynight. Once I moved into my own apartment things changed. I began having to cook for myself. My mother is the best cook I have ever met She runs a catering business out of our kitchen and takes boxed meals from the frozen food section and creates masterpieces that are not even close to the meal that she purchased. I have learned many things about cooking from her, but not everything. I have, on many occasions, needed extra assistance while cooking dinner or coming up with ideas about what to have. I first inclination was to phone home and talk to my mother, however my mother is not just waiting by the phone for me to call and I needed to find an alternate solution.
I turned and saw my computer. I immediately thought, "I'll Google it!" I typed in what I was looking for in the search bar and was greeted by several hundred thousand sites that wanted to help. I looked through the first site and did not see what I was looking for, so I simply went back to my search results and selected the second link. There I found the directions that I was looking for, which even included pictures for each step, problem solved!
I prefer to get information from a personally trusted source, like my mom. I know that she would never lead me astray, and that she is only a phone call away. Personal sources however are not always available to help find the answer that I might be looking for. That is when I must trust another source, my go to source being Google. This appeals to me because I have access to the internet almost anywhere I go and Google is quick and easy to use. Sometimes I must look at multiple search results but it is still faster than going to the library or finding alternate means of solving my problem. I have used Google on countless occasions to find a quick solution, do research, or get directions to complete a task. I have learned everything from recipes to how to change out parts on my car to rules of a game.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Parking Services Hierachy
Describe a group you are a member of (online community, church, job, etc.) and how it is organized. Is there management? How is information distributed within the group?
Here at JMU I work for Parking Services. We monitor parking lots and issue citations to illegally parked vehicles. There are student employees and there are full time staff people that keep the organization running. All the employees fit into an organized flow chart or "org chart."
The chart is as follows:
Director
\/
Associate Director
\/ \/
Student Supervisors <--> Full Time Supervisor
\/ \/
Student Cadets Full Time Officers
There is one director, one associate director, 4 student supervisors, one full time supervisor, twenty student cadets, and five full time officers. There is clearly management with in the organization. Information that is passed from one tier to the next tier is either done through meetings, e-mail, or online and paper posts. Generally information does not skip tiers, that is, the cadets will not receive information from the associate director, that information is passed through the student supervisors. There is however some communication among all supervisors, but that information is passed down from upper management. The process works well and things stay organized and because the organization is small the information spreads quickly with little to no glitches.
Here at JMU I work for Parking Services. We monitor parking lots and issue citations to illegally parked vehicles. There are student employees and there are full time staff people that keep the organization running. All the employees fit into an organized flow chart or "org chart."
The chart is as follows:
Director
\/
Associate Director
\/ \/
Student Supervisors <--> Full Time Supervisor
\/ \/
Student Cadets Full Time Officers
There is one director, one associate director, 4 student supervisors, one full time supervisor, twenty student cadets, and five full time officers. There is clearly management with in the organization. Information that is passed from one tier to the next tier is either done through meetings, e-mail, or online and paper posts. Generally information does not skip tiers, that is, the cadets will not receive information from the associate director, that information is passed through the student supervisors. There is however some communication among all supervisors, but that information is passed down from upper management. The process works well and things stay organized and because the organization is small the information spreads quickly with little to no glitches.
New Group No Manager
If managers aren’t important anymore towards the formation or control of groups using online tools, what do you consider the main role websites such as Meetup.com, Facebook, or MySpace have provided newly emerging groups?
These social networking sites have provided a platform for new groups to communicate and organize. There is not necessarily any sort of hierarchical staff that control the direction or focus of the group as a whole. These sites allow for things to get done and for people to share ideas for the group. The sites also allow the groups to expand. There are ways to invite others to join your cause or participate in the activities that the organization is working on. Groups can grow and be productive with no oversight, as in the example in chapter one of Clay Shirky's Here Comes Everybody. When Ivanna lost her phone, her friend, Evan, created an organization that turned out quite productive. He created a website and hundreds of people came together to find the phone, and eventually got it returned. This organization had many people participating and watching the event unfold, but without supervision. One man made the site and many people then took the initiative to work together as one almost unknowingly to form a community with a common purpose.
So as websites, the only role these sites serve is to provide space, people will do the rest. They have changed to world of organization. Without these sites many groups could not exist. The sites give a voice to small causes and ideas that would not be lucrative to a corporation. There are not many, if any, companies that would be willing to search a city for one lost phone. It would cost too much money and require too many resources, with little to gain. However, with a platform like Facebook, meetup, and Myspace, groups can be created for a simple purpose at a low cost. If the site then becomes linked with another site even more people will see the organization and possibly contribute. This trend may continue and the organization could grow and become very effective; as seen in Ivanna's phone example.
Source:
Here Comes Everybody, Clay Shirky, Chapter 1
These social networking sites have provided a platform for new groups to communicate and organize. There is not necessarily any sort of hierarchical staff that control the direction or focus of the group as a whole. These sites allow for things to get done and for people to share ideas for the group. The sites also allow the groups to expand. There are ways to invite others to join your cause or participate in the activities that the organization is working on. Groups can grow and be productive with no oversight, as in the example in chapter one of Clay Shirky's Here Comes Everybody. When Ivanna lost her phone, her friend, Evan, created an organization that turned out quite productive. He created a website and hundreds of people came together to find the phone, and eventually got it returned. This organization had many people participating and watching the event unfold, but without supervision. One man made the site and many people then took the initiative to work together as one almost unknowingly to form a community with a common purpose.
So as websites, the only role these sites serve is to provide space, people will do the rest. They have changed to world of organization. Without these sites many groups could not exist. The sites give a voice to small causes and ideas that would not be lucrative to a corporation. There are not many, if any, companies that would be willing to search a city for one lost phone. It would cost too much money and require too many resources, with little to gain. However, with a platform like Facebook, meetup, and Myspace, groups can be created for a simple purpose at a low cost. If the site then becomes linked with another site even more people will see the organization and possibly contribute. This trend may continue and the organization could grow and become very effective; as seen in Ivanna's phone example.
Source:
Here Comes Everybody, Clay Shirky, Chapter 1
Friday, September 10, 2010
No Privacy Tax
I like grocery loyalty cards. I like the benefit that it gives to the customer. I am not a religious coupon clipper but I will save money if I can. When it is that easy I feel that the discount is worth the purchasing privacy that I give up. I actually like the idea behind the card. The fact that they record exactly what i buy is, to be honest, a little invasive, but in return i receive money off my purchase, which adds up quickly and generally a coupon that may actually be useful at some point. Sometimes the "free" coupons are way off base but most of the time the coupons are for items that might go well with what I purchased. The aspect that i do not like is that the grocery store can give my information to its partners which can in turn send me mail and phone calls that I do not wish to receive. I do however feel that the benefit of saving money is worth the time and effort to throw away the mail and hang up the phone. The loss of purchasing privacy is worth the discounted food items. I have used and will continue to use my loyalty card even after learning some facts about the information that i chose to give out.
"I Pledge" KMC
"I Pledge" KMC
G*****
I feel that google is doing the right thing by censoring there search results. China has a different culture. From a humanity perspective I do not like what Google is doing but then once I think about it for a minute I realize it is not really Google's decision to make. Google is one of if not the most used search engine in the world. They provide a very helpful service to people around the world at no cost to them, and we must remember they are in the business of making money. From a business standpoint the decision they made to censor results was an amazing choice. Without using this censorship the idea of Google may not even be able to exist in China. Google has made it possible to work around the local laws that affect the use of the internet. Google needs to produce these different results in other countries in order to keep the business in those countries. I feel that it is a good thing that Google made the effort to follow the laws of that area of the world. When deciding about whether or not it was okay for Google to make this decision we must keep in mind that this is the internet and that different country's version of Google can be accessed. I visited the chinese version of google, google.cn, to come to this realization. However in China the United States' version is most likely blocked from the public's use. I support what Google has done in China and believe that it is a good business decision but that does not mean that I think it is okay that China is blocking results from their citizens.
"I Pledge" KMC
"I Pledge" KMC
Thursday, September 2, 2010
EDUC 150 and Me
My name is Kevin Clear. I live near the beach and try to spend as much time there as possible. I love to play sports and be outside. Along with being active I enjoy working on both real and model cars. I try to spend as much time as I can with friends and family. I work hard and have held a job since I was 15. I am a very busy person and doing the things I love to do relaxes me and keeps me as stress free as possible!
I am a Junior Interdisciplinary Liberal Studies, IdLS, Major at James Madison University. When I graduate I plan on teaching at the elementary school level. I have been working with children since my early high school years and have found that it has become somewhat of a passion for me. After teaching for several years I plan to return to school and work toward a doctorate in administration and eventually take a position as a principal. If at all possible, and if I can generate the ambition, I would like to open my own private school near the beach. I have enjoyed the education classes in which I have been enrolled and look forward to this class and relating it to my future career as an educator. I have been working recently to become more technologically savvy. I feel that this class will give me some experiences that will be valuable in my future. I hope to learn about a broad view of the concept of information and how people interact with that concept. I am hoping to determine practical uses for information and how information affects today's society. I am interested in the concepts presented in the course description and look forward learning how I can relate them to the classroom. I am excited about this class and will continue to share updates!
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