Home video technology is something I find very important. For as long as I can remember there was some type of home video recorder close by. My sisters and I grew up dancing so our mother was constantly recording us. She also recorded every moment she could of us growing up. It is something I didn't enjoy growing up, but having videos of my childhood are priceless. Now that I am a mother I find myself recording my daughter constantly. I went and bought an HD Sony Handycam when I was pregnant so I wouldn't miss any moment and yet I use my phone to record the majority of things. I love the convenience of it. Properly making a video is something I personally know nothing about and I am sure the general public is the same way. That is the best part of small video recorders and smartphone recorders, they are not rocket science. You really don't have to know anything about making videos because of how easy they are to use. I would say that with today's technology home videos are a new literacy. Many of my friends and family are out of state so we communicate through videos posted online quite a bit. We also share big moments on social media sites like Facebook. I think it would be a good idea to have communication majors at least take a basic video class that concentrates shooting and editing videos. I feel that because of the convenience and accessibility of home videos they will become a more important medium in the communication field.
Monday, September 30, 2013
Monday, September 23, 2013
Displacement Theory and Television
As I am sitting here trying to figure out how to start this blog, in the background my television is tuned to the news. I know this is a guaranteed way of getting any information about my city I may need or want to know. That is why I feel the displacement theory is not completely relevant to the topic of television. The locality that television allows is enough to keep television around even though technology is changing constantly. While I understand there are new and exciting ways to get information nowadays, I just feel television is too important in too many American households for it to ever be replaced completely. Many families use television as an educational tool, an way to relax after a long day, or as a way of spending quality time together. I personally have my television on while I am awake just to have some background noise when I am alone or my daughter is sleeping. Its comforting to me because I don't necessarily feel like I am alone and it allows my mind to relax. I also understand that even though we can access television programs through almost any electronic device using apps like Netflix and Hulu, nothing compares to the convenience of television. One of the biggest conveniences television offers is the screen size accommodating large groups comfortably. Have you ever tried to watch a movie with someone on a tablet? It doesn't happen too easily and almost not worth the hassle and discomfort. My husband and I have parties on game days which gives us a great reason to spend time with people we enjoy and all watch the same game on the same screen. Also many televisions are smart televisions that allow you to do more than just watch tv. The main place I use Pandora is on my television because it is just a couple clicks away. I don't have to drag out my laptop or chance getting charged data through my phone. I watch youtube, check my email and facebook, and can even video chat using my television so I feel that its ability to adapt to the many technological changes is why television will not be replaced anytime soon.
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Technology in my education
For this blog I am going to talk about how communication technology has played a role in my education and whether or not it has helped my education. I'm going to start off by saying I have no clue how I would have made it this far in my education without communication technology. I am one that loves most online classes. If fact, this is the first semester I haven't taken an online course since I went back to school. I love the flexibility that comes with it and studying when it is best for me instead of at a set time. I was able to stay in school through pregnancy and having a baby because I was enrolled in online classes. I even took an exam while I was in labor because I had the time to kill. While I love online classes, it does have its downfalls too. You have to be real good at time management or you could easily fall behind. You also have to be adamant on checking your class to make sure you don't miss anything. It is also more expensive to take online classes so that is a big downfall. I don't blame the schools since they have to make money in order to function.
There are other ways I use communication technologies in my education. Just tonight while studying for an exam, I had my powerpoints on my laptop, my book on my tablet, and was emailing and texting classmates about the exam at the same time since we couldn't meet for a study group. It really helps with multitasking if you have the right devices and enough of them. One of my favorite things are my e-books. Imagine my excitement when I found out I could rent my textbooks as e-books for next to nothing. My books on campus this semester would have cost me well over $800 but thanks to renting e-books I didn't pay more than $200 total for ALL my school supplies, not just my books. It is an awesome way students can pinch on some money. I have only had one teacher since 2008 say anything about my e-book and that was only because she hadn't taught in over 20 years. She said she didn't realize how advanced technology had gotten and ended up liking the e-book option. When accessing my e-books I can instantly look up words I may not know with the push of one button which allows material to be read quickly and smoothly. I can also take notes right on the page of the book, highlight, and print anything I may need. I just purchased the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 and it was by far the best thing I have ever purchased for school. It is amazing how much it has helped me. I can fill in powerpoints by writing on my tablet and then print it out when I come home. In one of my classes we have to watch a bunch of movies on our own time so I am able to rent it on my tablet cheaply and watch it anywhere even without wifi. When I have to do research all I have to do is take out my phone and the whole world is at my fingertips. I can do everything I want and need to do on just my phone. Amazing! I have had many teachers use different websites for classes. My favorite was a music history class that used youtube to show videos of the music we were learning about. I do feel that technology has improved the quality of my education, I also feel it has somewhat hurt it too. It is very easy to get distracted while you are trying to study. You can open as many internet browsers you want and have any social networks and chats open to keep you off track. It can make you lazy in your studies. I can access many libraries and other research tools from my house and while this may sound convenient, it may not help the information stick in your mind as well as actually going to the library, looking up what you need to find, and writing it out on paper. Another thing I don't enjoy about communication technology is how it is constant. When you take classes on campus your mind can rest when you leave the classroom. I can access all my school material on the go which means it is constantly on my mind. I am the worse about checking my blackboard every 20 minutes even though I get notifications when something is posted. I feel like I always have my nose in some form of technology.
I had never heard of Massive Open Online Courses, but have a good feeling I'll be checking some out. Anything to possibly better my education and my future I will try, especially if it is free. I think it would be a great to test whether or not you like a particular area of study without having to pay for it or waste a full semester of your time. I'm going to see what kind of business classes I can find on it next summer.
There are other ways I use communication technologies in my education. Just tonight while studying for an exam, I had my powerpoints on my laptop, my book on my tablet, and was emailing and texting classmates about the exam at the same time since we couldn't meet for a study group. It really helps with multitasking if you have the right devices and enough of them. One of my favorite things are my e-books. Imagine my excitement when I found out I could rent my textbooks as e-books for next to nothing. My books on campus this semester would have cost me well over $800 but thanks to renting e-books I didn't pay more than $200 total for ALL my school supplies, not just my books. It is an awesome way students can pinch on some money. I have only had one teacher since 2008 say anything about my e-book and that was only because she hadn't taught in over 20 years. She said she didn't realize how advanced technology had gotten and ended up liking the e-book option. When accessing my e-books I can instantly look up words I may not know with the push of one button which allows material to be read quickly and smoothly. I can also take notes right on the page of the book, highlight, and print anything I may need. I just purchased the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 and it was by far the best thing I have ever purchased for school. It is amazing how much it has helped me. I can fill in powerpoints by writing on my tablet and then print it out when I come home. In one of my classes we have to watch a bunch of movies on our own time so I am able to rent it on my tablet cheaply and watch it anywhere even without wifi. When I have to do research all I have to do is take out my phone and the whole world is at my fingertips. I can do everything I want and need to do on just my phone. Amazing! I have had many teachers use different websites for classes. My favorite was a music history class that used youtube to show videos of the music we were learning about. I do feel that technology has improved the quality of my education, I also feel it has somewhat hurt it too. It is very easy to get distracted while you are trying to study. You can open as many internet browsers you want and have any social networks and chats open to keep you off track. It can make you lazy in your studies. I can access many libraries and other research tools from my house and while this may sound convenient, it may not help the information stick in your mind as well as actually going to the library, looking up what you need to find, and writing it out on paper. Another thing I don't enjoy about communication technology is how it is constant. When you take classes on campus your mind can rest when you leave the classroom. I can access all my school material on the go which means it is constantly on my mind. I am the worse about checking my blackboard every 20 minutes even though I get notifications when something is posted. I feel like I always have my nose in some form of technology.
I had never heard of Massive Open Online Courses, but have a good feeling I'll be checking some out. Anything to possibly better my education and my future I will try, especially if it is free. I think it would be a great to test whether or not you like a particular area of study without having to pay for it or waste a full semester of your time. I'm going to see what kind of business classes I can find on it next summer.
Monday, September 9, 2013
Music
Music surrounds my everyday life. It calms me down, motivates me, and even acts as my escape. The devices I use to listen to music depend on where I am located and what I am doing. In my car, I usually have on just the simple radio. When I travel I tend to listen to more cds because I don't have time to switch channels every time the station gets fuzzy. In my home, I usually listen to music through my play station 3 if I am in the kitchen or on my smart television when I am in the living room. On my television I have my options on how I listen. I either start up my Pandora or listen to the radio through the surround sound system. I also enjoy the music stations my cable provides. Occasionally I will listen to the music on my phone, but not very often. I also have an mp3 player that I use when I am working out.
I listen to all sorts of genres depending on my mood. My favorite is country music because it reminds me of where I am from. Anytime I start to get homesick or lose track of my values, it reminds me of who I am. I use music to cope with my feelings a lot. I use it most when I am anxious/overwhelmed because it helps me focus and allows me to clear my head. When I am mad I use rock music as a release and usually listen to it extremely loud. I listen to happy music I can dance to in order to boost my motivation, especially when it comes to cleaning. Music when I am studying is needed because it helps me focus and I enjoy it in the background. My husband and I enjoy listening to music together even though we don't always agree on what style. Music has brought us closer as a family and is something we enjoy sharing with our daughter. I don't typically enjoy talk shows on radio. I listen to the short news clips and traffic updates, but that is all I can handle. I do hear a lot of advertisements on the radio and pay closer attention to restaurants advertising deals. Music is something that will always be incorporated in my every day life no matter how I will have to listen to it. I enjoy the options I do have when it comes to listening to music and am excited to see how it continues to change.
I listen to all sorts of genres depending on my mood. My favorite is country music because it reminds me of where I am from. Anytime I start to get homesick or lose track of my values, it reminds me of who I am. I use music to cope with my feelings a lot. I use it most when I am anxious/overwhelmed because it helps me focus and allows me to clear my head. When I am mad I use rock music as a release and usually listen to it extremely loud. I listen to happy music I can dance to in order to boost my motivation, especially when it comes to cleaning. Music when I am studying is needed because it helps me focus and I enjoy it in the background. My husband and I enjoy listening to music together even though we don't always agree on what style. Music has brought us closer as a family and is something we enjoy sharing with our daughter. I don't typically enjoy talk shows on radio. I listen to the short news clips and traffic updates, but that is all I can handle. I do hear a lot of advertisements on the radio and pay closer attention to restaurants advertising deals. Music is something that will always be incorporated in my every day life no matter how I will have to listen to it. I enjoy the options I do have when it comes to listening to music and am excited to see how it continues to change.
4 beds ready to treat Internet addicts
4 beds ready to treat Internet addicts: 4 beds ready to treat Internet addicts
This is an article I found interesting about communication technology.
This is an article I found interesting about communication technology.
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
Introduction and Radio
My name is Jacklyn Mantooth and I am studying communications at the University of Louisville. If I am not at school I am spending time with my daughter, Emily. This blog is a class assignment for Communication Technologies. This is also my first class that has assigned a blog so I'm not quite sure how to feel about blogging. I am older than most of the people in my class so I am sure my feelings and attitudes toward this subject are going to be different. For example, however convenient technology may be it is not necessary. l am not one to run out and buy a new phone just because its the latest technology, but I do enjoy technology and use it daily. Technology fascinates me, how it grows and changes constantly. When I was growing up, computers were unheard of and cell phones were only in movies so to be able to watch a movie, email someone, and answer a phone call as I ride in a car or sit at a park is absolutely amazing.
My first blog is about the radio and what I feel the future holds for radio. Radio is one of the only things I can think of that hasn't changed since I was a kid. l mean yes, it has become more accessible with apps and internet access, but the radio itself hasn't changed and I think its going to stay that way for quite a while longer.They still hold weekly shows, national countdowns for music, and quite a bit of advertising, locally and nationally. With radio being a free service and having the ability to reach many people at the same time it is still a great source for relaying information to the general public. ln a dire emergency when the internet and cell phone towers are out you will still be able to pick up radio stations to find out information and what needs to be done. I do feel that the accessibility of radio is one of the only reasons radio is still around today and what gives it the staying power for the future.
My first blog is about the radio and what I feel the future holds for radio. Radio is one of the only things I can think of that hasn't changed since I was a kid. l mean yes, it has become more accessible with apps and internet access, but the radio itself hasn't changed and I think its going to stay that way for quite a while longer.They still hold weekly shows, national countdowns for music, and quite a bit of advertising, locally and nationally. With radio being a free service and having the ability to reach many people at the same time it is still a great source for relaying information to the general public. ln a dire emergency when the internet and cell phone towers are out you will still be able to pick up radio stations to find out information and what needs to be done. I do feel that the accessibility of radio is one of the only reasons radio is still around today and what gives it the staying power for the future.
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