Social Networking

     Social Networking can be many things; from the internet sites we all know -- Facebook, MySpace -- to a simple, in-person meeting of a group of people. Whether you think you do or not, we all use Social Networking every day. Every time you get on YouTube or Facebook; every time you go to school, you are interacting with other individuals. This is Social Networking.
     I am involved with Social Networking in many ways. When I am at school, I talk to my friends and teachers. When I go home, I join a large "social network", the audience to a famous television show. When I play video games online, I interact with other people from around the world. Wherever I go, it is hard to avoid being in contact with Social Networking.
how it affects me
     Social Networking has had a pretty big effect on my life; some parts more that others. In-person conversations and interaction has definitely helped to improve my social skills. This is something you just do not get while you are typing "lol" and "omg" into the chat window. This is not to say that digital Social Networking has had no effect on me. Using online games and sites such as Facebook, I am able to keep in touch with distant friends and family members.
     Overall, I think Social Networking is a good thing to have, so long as people do let their Facebook account take over their top priority. One good thing to remember is that spending too much time on Social Networking sites can actually alienate you from your friends more so than they connect with with them. Always find ways to spend time with your friends or family away from the computer.


     jmers593

ujam

     Have you ever wanted to be a music artist or music producer? Well, these days it is easier than ever. One internet application that you can use to make music easily is call ujam.

     ujam allows you to record, upload, or remix music. There are options to modify the tempo, pitch, and instruments of the arrangement. You can modify the individual notes played in the "melody" section of the song, and choose preset background tracks. You can even edit the instruments in the background tracks.

     The site even allows you to save your works and come back to finish them later. If you think you've made a good track, ujam allows you to share your music via SoundCloud and Facebook. This allows you to send your songs to friends to get some feedback.

     Overall, ujam is a fun, intuitive site that is easy to use. I definitely recommend it to everybody.

     jmers593

Technology in Education

     In today's society, it is hard to avoid the impact that technology has had on our lives. This can especially be seen in the field of education. In recent years there have been great advances in technology that allow educators, as well as those being educated to more easily do their jobs.

     Teachers can show videos on televisions or projectors. There are even whiteboards that double as computers. The education process has also been greatly advanced by the internet. Teachers can search the web for ideas to use in classes, or even post assignments on a school web page.

     Technology has probably had an even greater impact on the life of a student. They can use the internet to do research for papers. Computers allow for the ability to store assignments and documents on school servers. This allows students to access data from any school computer.

     Whether technology is being used by teachers or students, education is made easier. With better computers and devices being created each year, the possibilities are endless.

If You Build It, They Will Come

     Last fall, a friend of mine introduced me to a game that they found. They told me that it was a game in which you had to build during the day, and fight off monsters at night. It sounded pretty cool so I decided to check it out. I played around a little and I instantly became a fan. The game was Minecraft.

     This little indie game was pretty simple -- the graphics were not amazing, there was no story line -- but most importantly, it was fun. The game allows you to harvest blocks of various resources and build various tools and structures from the resources. At night, dangerous monsters including giant spiders and zombies come out to attack you. You often find yourself hiding out in a makeshift mud hut to avoid being killed.

     Possibly the most amazing part of the game is the generated world. No two Minecraft worlds are the same. The game randomly generates plains, mountain ranges, deserts, and vast oceans. All of these places are fully explorable, and can be quite the site.

     When the game first started up, nobody could have guessed that it would become so popular. Spread primarily by word of mouth and on blogs and YouTube, Minecraft rapidly became viral. In December of this year, Minecraft sold its one millionth copy.

     If nothing else, Minecraft serves as a signal to independent game makers that there is always a chance that your small game could be the next big thing.

     jmers593

Glogster - Protest The Hero

     This is my first Glog. I chose to make it about my current favorite band, Protest The Hero. This was quite simple and took me about an hour to make.


     jmers593

It's All In The Game

     The other day, I read an interesting article in the Kansas City Star newspaper. The article was about whether kids who play video games were being hindered academically.

     The article went on to explain that children who play video games could actually develop necessary skills for school and every day life. A study found that playing video games, even violent ones, could help to strengthen problem solving skills, and increase persistence. These skills can transfer into the classroom.

     The study showed that children who regularly played video games were more likely to answer questions in class. Not only that, they would be more willing to keep answering until they got a right answer. This is similar to a video game in which you face a hard challenge; you may fail many times, but keep playing until you beat the level.

     However, video games are not always good. Both players and researchers can agree that too much gaming is bad for you. This has been shown to lead to poor reading/comprehension scores in school and on tests.

     There have been many students, including myself, who have been able to keep good grades and play video games. I feel that games do not hinder a person's ability to learn. So long as someone is not ruining their life by playing too many games, I feel that video games do no harm. Feel free to post your own opinion on this.

     jmers593