The Skinny on the Trololo

Check this Russian news story (with English captions) for a valuable lesson in global media flows.

This is all that's wrong with FB!

This is probably one of the best ways I could describe to you all the things I HATE ABOUT FACEBOOK! But, I still find myself a slave to it, because of all the friends I can actually stay in touch with on here.

Social Networking Wars: Super News!

Here are a couple of animated cartoons about making fun social networking sites. This first one is about Myspace contronting a user for not being on the site. In steps Facebook.





Twouble with Twitter....





"Friend Request"

Social Network Sites

Since the Internet is now used for everything in daily life, why not online learning? Even though sites like second life are starting to use this kind of tool to reach students, this is a kind of learning that in my opinion is still in its infancy. This seems like the logical next step since society has already seen the adaptation of twitter, facebook, second life and so many more that I could not even begin to list them here (nor do I even know them all!!) One area of particular interest to me is instructional communication in the online classroom and more specifically how teacher immediacy and social presence relate to student motivation in the online classroom. One of the really cool things about online learning is the interpersonal dynamic that has to be accounted for-that is, how do instructors promote a "climate" for learning when there is no classroom and students are in a virtual world? Verbal immediacy is a good tool to use as it is more difficult to use nonverbal in this sort of learning environment. What I would love to see in the future of online learning is more research and study into the ways student motivation is shaped in this sort of classroom. Are students motivated the same way as they are in the traditional classroom? More motivated for learning? Perhaps less? Fascinating stuff indeed!!!

Lego Poetry

Hollywood should be taking notes. Well played, tomjoetwins, well played.

Avatars and Us

My Second Life avatar Sheena Baddingham thought the class might be interested in this video about behaviorism and avatars. It seems that creating an avatar from an image of ourselves can affect behavior. Researchers at Stanford University have been studying this. I know that having Sheena around has motivated me to become a better person. (just kidding, nothing can do that)

Jeff Gomez talking about transmedia narratives

Jeff Gomez speaks of symphonies of nonlinear narrative. Transmedia is a way to overcome licensing problems, studio politics, etc. Movies will be a lifetyle experience. He says people will spend money to live in unique worlds like the Avatar world. Maximizing profit but he also says that sponsors will make some experiences free for fans.