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CONVERGENCE CULTURE

I volunteered to blog on Convergence Culture because I have a personal connection with what Henry Jenkins calls Convergence Culture ( [] ). I work at Cox Media Group Ohio as an advertising sales manager and I see firsthand the impact convergence culture has on peoples’ everyday lives.

We have combined WHIO Radio, WHIO TV, Dayton Daily News, seven other newspapers and two magazine operations all under one roof and converged them into one media business. We share advertising, editorial, and every other aspect of business resources. But make no mistake about it, just combining these old media forms doesn’t create new media. According to Jenkins, what makes this “new transmedia” is adding an interactive digital component that allows our readers, watchers and listeners the opportunity to share content, photos, etc. to converge their authorship with ours, the publisher. We saw this convergence culture where everyday people in the Tunisian, Egyptian, and Chinese culture rose up recently in demonstrations and spurred on revolutions by using Facebook, Twitter, and social media. The dean or pioneer of Cultural Convergence Theory, Henry Jenkins, [], declares that Cultural Convergence impacts our culture as much, if not more, than the Renaissance did in the Middle Ages. I believe that Jenkins’ point of view is correct, that early theorists placed too much emphasis on the technological-only view of Convergence Culture and in their premature insistence that all content will come from one box created by formal publishers. Instead, I agree with Jenkins that we must not neglected the human element-the role everyday people play in co-authoring, and in creating new media, as we now see new media playing out in our culture today. One good tool to check out to learn more about this theory is Henry Jenkins’ book Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide, [].

Smartboards ==== What do you get when you cross an iPad with a white board? A tablet computer the size of a wall. Smart boards, also called interactive white boards, have been available since the early 1990’s, primarily as a tool for business meetings, but by the late 1990’s, smartboard manufacturers began marketing to the education sector. Smartboards add an interactive aspect to the standard electronic briefing in multiple ways. The teacher and students can interact with the smartboard screen, one at a time, by physically touching or writing on the screen or simultaneously through a response system, which allows students to answer or pose questions using individual remote “clickers”. Some systems even permit responses via smart phones or text messaging. ====



==== Many systems are available today with a wide range of capabilities and for a few hundred to several thousand dollars. One site, the [|Electronic Whiteboards Warehouse], listed more than 20 manufacturers and [|Touchboards] lists almost 100. Some systems are designed with business users in mind and others target schools and teachers. Options include size of the display, portability, front or rear projection, connectivity, and remote response systems. ====

==== Like many technologies, simple applications appear relatively easy to use. Almost anyone who is comfortable with a conventional computer should be able to integrate a smartboard into a meeting or classroom. Other features, like the remote response system, would be more challenging. Anecdotal evidence generally supports the effectiveness of smartboards in the classroom. Teachers and students appear to like the systems, which certainly helps with engagement. However, a limited search of journal articles revealed only a few focused studies, such as a 2009 article in //[|Remedial and Special Education],// Volume 30 Number 1, January/February 2009, pages 47-57.==== ==== As smartboards grow in popularity, so do apps for them. A quick search of the Internet turns up a multitude of resources. [|Smarttech], one of the manufacturers, offers free downloads of software and free 30-day trials of selected products. Teachers who are using smartboards readily share their own apps. Check out [|Mrs. Hurley’s Place for English Language Learners and Teachers] or the resources listed on the web site for schools in [|Bedforshire, England.] ====

__Singularity __
== As its root suggests, a singularity is something unique and remarkable. For example, a mathematical singularity is the point where an equation breaks down, while in astrophysics a singularity is infinitely small point with an infinitely large mass—something found only during the big bang and at the center of black holes. A more popular conception of singularity refers to technology and its development. When technology advances so far and/or so rapidly that it fundamentally changes the nature of human existence, dividing history into distinct “before” and “after” periods, a singularity will have occurred. ==

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Many scientists and scholars predict a technological singularity within a matter of decades. Such a singularity could stem from medical technology that dramatically expands human health and longevity, or from industrial or agricultural technology that eliminates hunger, poverty, and the need for human labor. What most people mean when referring to a technological singularity, however, is the eventual creation of computers that are more intelligent than humans. This could occur through artificial intelligence (AI), the creation of a fully thinking machine, or intelligence amplification (IA), expanding human capabilities through technological enhancements. =====

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Superhuman intelligence would qualify as a singularity for several reasons. Technological progress would no longer be constrained by what the human brain can conceive or create, opening the door for machines to enhance themselves or create new ones far beyond what humans can achieve, or even imagine. Similarly, all aspects of life could change dramatically as humans suddenly have to share the world with superior beings for the first time. =====

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Prominent writers and thinkers disagree about the nature and impact of the singularity. Speculation ranges from dire predictions of humanity’s utter downfall, to utopian visions of technological wonderland, to profound transformations that make qualitative comparisons difficult or impossible (like comparing apples and aardvarks). =====

** Key Thinkers: **
Videos:
 * Alan Turing (1951) wrote, “Once the machine thinking method has started, it would not take long to outstrip our feeble powers… At some stage therefore we should have to expect the machines to take control.”
 * I.J. Good (1965) believed machines even slightly beyond human intelligence would be able to enhance themselves and grow more intelligent in an endless process.
 * Vernor Vinge (1983) wrote, “We will soon create intelligences greater than our own. When this happens, human history will have reached a kind of singularity, an intellectual transition as impenetrable as the knotted space-time at the center of a black hole, and the world will pass far beyond our understanding.”
 * Ray Kurzweil (2005) predicts the singularity will arrive by 2045, and while it will profoundly and irrevocably alter the human experience, its impact may be positive. He wrote, "The Singularity will allow us to transcend these limitations of our biological bodies and brains ... There will be no distinction, post-Singularity, between human and machine.”

A layperson’s overview by Rocketboom Tech’s Ellie Rountree: media type="youtube" key="sGeZWYKtMOY" height="312" width="512"

Ray Kurzweil discusses the singularity: media type="youtube" key="1uIzS1uCOcE" height="390" width="480"

Building friendly AI, by the Singularity Institute for Artificial Intelligence: media type="youtube" key="0A9pGhwQbS0" height="312" width="512"

=Cloud Computing=

Cloud Computing has been called "the future" but that reality of what exactly Cloud Computing is can be confusing.



Cloud Computing allows users to access, save, and edit information elsewhere for editing from any computer. Microsoft Windows and Google are just some of the platforms available for Cloud Computing. Basically, the files (documents, pictures, video) are stored on supercomputers, and not a personal computer in someone's home. Once the files on in the "cloud" they can be accessed at any time by the person who originally uploaded the file as well as others who have received permission.

Many businesses use Cloud Computing to help workers' collaborate and help defer the cost of maintenance for the computers that store the information. Although, Cloud Computing can be used to store personal pictures and video as well, so its use is not limited to businesses.

Frank the Dog and Cloud Computing: media type="youtube" key="bRi4vPO4DYY" height="336" width="547"

Cloud Computing Explained: media type="youtube" key="txvGNDnKNWw" height="396" width="555"

Cloud Computing also is becoming popular within education. Through the use of Cloud Computing, students and instructors can access information both in the classroom and at home. While most companies charge a fee for the use of Cloud Computing, its use allows students to easily work on group projects and access course materials. For more information about how Microsoft has worked to include education in Cloud Computing visit their [|website.]

Social Networking
Sociologically speaking, a social network is a social structure made up of individuals linked to one another by some form of connection. Those connections vary in nature and can be based on things like friendship, familial ties, common interests, financial exchange, common dislikes, sexual relationships, relationships of common beliefs (i.e. religious beliefs), knowledge, and/or prestige. More recently, social networking has extended past a sociology term and become an integral part of millions of people’s day-to-day online lives. Online social networking sites allow for users to make similar connections to other that they might have made in their social networks through a web based platforms. This allows users to connect with people who may have been unreachable without this Internet based medium.

There are many different ways in which social networking can happen in virtual settings. The most common method is sites designated as social networking sites: examples of these sites include facebook, Myspace, Linkedln, and Twitter. But there are other sites that might not be thought of as social networking sites that really are. Any type of forum where people come together to discuss some common interest like television, movies, sports teams, music, food, etc. is allowing social networking to occur.

Even though social networking can be used in many positive ways, it can also be harmful. First, it can ruin a person’s productivity. It might also make a user more vulnerable to identity theft and stalking. And, what happens on social networking sites might cause trouble in the “real world,” as the following video shows. media type="youtube" key="kT_cp2x0qso" height="390" width="640"

For more information on social networking, visit: [] []

Or, you could sign create a profile on a social networking site and figure it out on your own. Just do not sign up for Myspace. Nobody is on Myspace anymore.

__**Digital Divide**__
When Tim Berners-Lee founded the World Wide Web in 1990, he had an idealistic vision that with access to the web, individuals would have a wealth of information and opportunities at their fingertips. For many, Berners-Lee’s vision has become a reality, as the WWW has expanded global markets and worldwide communications. For others, however, the benefits of this new technology have remained out of their grasp through what appears to be a digital divide. The term digital divide, first appeared in the mid-1990’s when Bill Clinton and Al Gore spoke of the impending issue during political speeches in 1996.

The Digital Divide refers to the gap between individuals, societies, countries and social classes and their access to the Internet and other digital technologies. Although income and social class are generally named as the two most prominent factors creating this divide, age, gender, education and ethnic background also play an important role in the chasm that exists regarding access and technological literacy. Acquiring computer and technology skills is crucial to all people in the 21st century, and the ability to access the wealth of information through Internet access is critical as well. In 2004, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) made this statement regarding the importance of Internet access to the American population:

“The Internet facilitates an ever-growing range of activities and applications such as educating children; accessing information from across the globe; connecting with people, governments, and organizations; obtaining information about health care; conducting price comparisons; bidding on contracts; and widening entertainment choices. As the volume and complexity of the Internet’s content has grown, so has the need for high-speed access technologies. In light of this trend, it will become increasingly important for Americans to have affordable access to broadband service” (US Bureau of the Census).

The reality is, many Americans do not have access to the Internet or the technical skills needed to keep up in a technological era. According to a 2006 report from the United States Department of Commerce, fifty-four percent of all Americans use the Internet. However, the statistics also show that eighty percent of these individuals reside in households with incomes over $75,000 or more a year. Of this eighty percent, almost sixty percent of these users are white compared to the 39.9 percent of African Americans and 31.8 percent of Hispanics who have home access to the Internet. Although some argue this gap is closing, others maintain that as the economy continues to struggle, a divide will continue to grow that will result in a further breakdown of social class.

In fact, as new technologies continue to develop, so does our understanding of literacy. Many argue that a new form of illiteracy is on the horizon as those Americans who remain on the wrong side of the digital divide struggle in an inter-connected world of digitized communication. Moreover, the digital divide crosses borders globally and many developing countries struggle in the global marketplace as a result of an ever-changing technological era where skills and access are not readily available. For example, President Joaquim Alberto Chissano of Mozambique, claims that the number of Internet hosts in New York City exceeded those in all of Africa. Statistics show that in developing countries, less than one in one- thousand of these residents have computer access. As a result, existing inequalities among world populations will continue to grow. In truth, the economic and social implications of the digital divide are complex and we are only just beginning to understand the emanating consequences of this issue.

media type="youtube" key="SIoBCMKzwYQ" height="390" width="480"

__Web 2.0__
The features which characterize Web 2.0 are interaction and collaboration. Whereas “Web 1.0” allowed users to access data and content which was periodically updated, Web 2.0 allows users to connect with each other, creating, modifying, updating, and generating content in a virtual community. The more commonly known interactive applications include social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace, wikis, blogs, online video (YouTube), tagging, and RSS contributions. However, web services such as PayPal, and project management software such as Google Docs (which allows people to access files from anywhere and share them with others) are also interactive applications made possible by Web 2.0. In sum, Web 2.0 has created an open web that can be accessed by anyone through a web browser, on any Internet-connected device in the world.

Sources: [] []

Web 3.0
In the future internet, i.e., Web 3.0, all electronic devices will be active participants. In addition, in the “internet of things,” objects such as automobiles, machines, home appliances, and food containers will be connected. Semantic technology will provide services that are “mobile, ubiquitous and pervasive,” and “24/7 availability will be the norm.” In Web 3.0, “everything and everybody will be connected.” In other words, “everything, everywhere, always.”

Source: []

=__**Virtual Classrooms**__= Wikipedia’s [|definition] of a virtual classroom is an environment where teachers and students communicate through the same virtual medias without actually being in the same location. The most common virtual classrooms occur in colleges and universities where students, instead of traveling to campus for their course, take their courses online through the university. Professors of these courses use online programs, such as [|Elluminate], to communicate with students about course topics and they can share presentations, videos, and lectures, all online! These online courses may also consist of a course website where students can obtain and turn in assignments and communicate with the professor through e-mail.

This all sounds fantastic for university professors, but what about the K-12 teachers. How can they make their classrooms more virtual? Well, turning the current classroom into one that exists in a virtual world may not be as difficult as one may think. Sure, using PowerPoint presentations for visuals during lectures or the smart board to play online educational games are great activities and ways to incorporate technology in the classroom. But how many times have teachers wished that they could take their students on a field trip to the American Museum of Natural History in New York City or visit a country that they were studying in class? Well, they can, and without ever leaving the classroom.

[|Second] Life is one example of a virtual world where teachers can take their students on tours of museums, art galleries, countries, and time periods that are being studied in class, without ever leaving the classroom. The link above will take you to an article that discusses what educators can do in their classrooms using the second life world and provides links to other ways of incorporating technology and second life in classroom activities. [|Cisco] is a way educators and their classrooms can connect with real people and places all over the world. Clicking on the link above takes you to their website which discusses their products and how they work to help people collaborate, live, heal, and learn together as a global community. Links to the TV commercials are there, too!

The Horizon Project <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">and [|Active Worlds]<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">discuss how virtual worlds have impacted education. They also provide links and descriptions of other projects, websites, worlds and activities that students can become involved in while being in the classroom.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Turning a classroom over to a virtual world is not the formidable task it may seem. Virtual classrooms can open up a world of possibilities for teachers and students alike. Teachers now have the recourses to introduce their students to the people and places that they wouldn’t have otherwise known about, complete projects and assignments related to other areas of concentration through virtual programs while collaborating with other students, and take virtual field trips to places that they are learning about without ever leaving the classroom. It’s like a dream come true!

=<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Folksonomy﻿ =

Folksonomy, a portmanteau of the words “folk” and taxonomy,” is a system of classification organized and defined by common people. The term was first coined by information architect [|Thomas Vander Wal]to describe a phenomenon, originating from sites like Furl, Flickr, and Del.icio.us, where common users make tags to organize and share information. A tag is a keyword assigned to a piece of information that allows other users to locate that information through a search engine.

Folksonomy, like most things, has advantages and disadvantages. Interestingly enough, Folksonomy’s greatest advantage is also its greatest disadvantage. That is, folksonomy is fundamentally democratic. Anybody can define any piece of information as they see fit. In the pre-folksonomy era, sites would dictate the keywords assigned to specific information. In this age, community membership depended on existing knowledge. Folksonomy allows average people the power to control how they view the world. Conversely, this creates anarchy. There's no requirement for any reasoning behind the tagging. Users can tag any information with any term. Thus, searching by tags risks sifting through chaos.

Here's an informative video bout folksonomy and tagging from Palomar college Instructor Teresa Pelkie: media type="youtube" key="e8zajIMPVQE" height="390" width="480"

=Differentiated Learning=

//Differentiated learning// is the overarching term for a number of overlapping philosophies of instruction that place the student at the center of learning. The terms “differentiated learning” and “differentiated instruction” are used mostly interchangeably. In a differentiated learning environment, teaching is tailored to the individual student. Typically, instructors are given wide latitude to structure their classrooms in ways that reach all students, whether through rotating out various group and activities, allowing students to negotiate classroom rules, or having students generate their own topics for projects and papers. Instruction may be individualized by form, content, evaluation, or a combination of the above.

This class uses differentiation in instruction. By picking the topics for our class wiki and hotlist, and by individually determining both the form and the content of our final projects, we are tailoring our learning to our own needs. Dr. Haught has encouraged us to focus our projects on areas in which we have little or no experience. Therefore, our projects are not busy work but genuine opportunities for learning what we each feel will most help us.

One area where differentiated instruction is often used is in programs for gifted students. Because these students often outstrip traditional classroom exercises, gifted programs must attempt to engage them at their own learning levels. Differentiated learning may also take into account artistic, kinesthetic, emotional, and other intelligences that may not otherwise fit into typical classroom learning.

Example of applying differentiated learning at the elementary school level:

media type="youtube" key="3jO9cDzxaqg" height="390" width="480"