An iPod Classroom?

Journal #3

Podcasts are a wonderful invention.

But how to they work? Simple. Let's say there is a businessman, let's name him Edward. Anyways, Edward is a very busy man, as he goes to and from work by public transportation everyday. Since he works in the city, he has to travel a long way from home. Edward goes to work early and comes home late. Because Edward's work pretty much dominates his life, he has no time to keep up to date with the current news. Also, he doesn't like newspapers because they take up too much space on the subway and they're too messy. One day, Edward decides to buy a video iPod. With iTunes, Edward can subscribe to the news' podcasts; whenever he attaches his iPod to his computer, it synchronizes with iTunes and the program automatically downloads a short video or audio clip into Edward's iPod, which contains the precious daily news which Edward desires to watch on the way to work and on the way back. (Also, he can listen to his music after watching/listening to the news too, by the way!)

Isn't that neat? Why yes, it is.

Anyways, there are many other uses for podcasts other than just listening to the news; they have proven themselves useful in the academic world as well. If students could download lessons to their mp3 players off a school website then they could listen to them on the go as study aids or in order to avoid having to carry heavy books. A student could simply attach their iPod to their computer everyday to automatically receive new lessons or updates. I'm not all for completely being dependent on iPods and mp3 players, but I believe that because of podcasts, they are a potential learning aid. I think that the notion of an iPod classroom isn't really necessary, as technology is meant to make our lives better/easier, not control it completely.

Although, we have to remember that even though iPods are becoming more common, not all of us will have access to one, as they're still expensive and weren't necessarily created for academic purposes.

I'd like to pause for a moment to remind you readers the kind of school we go to. We go to Mary Ward, a center for self-directed learning. "V-casting" is said to promote independent study, the type of study which is the entire Mary Ward program. I think that v-casting would go hand-in-hand with our school, don't you think? The full potential of v-casting could be brought out in seminars, one of the most important factors of our school. Wouldn't be so convenient simply to have seminar v-casts, where students could listen to seminars that they have missed, or would've loved to hear again? Although it would help to have seminar v-casts, students could take advantage of that in a negative way and find an excuse never to come to class or interact with their teachers.

So...

Podcasts + Mary Ward = Good
or
Podcasts + Mary Ward = Bad

You decide.

When War Meets Video Games

Journal #2

With the dawning of next generation gaming, war games and shooters have come a long way from Duck Hunt. Modern day graphics are simply stunning; war games are becoming more and more realistic yet still be interesting. There are games like Call of Duty series, which occurs in World War II and involves actual battles that were fought. But setting graphics and realism aside, the main reason why somone should like a game is for its gameplay. As a gamer, I've had my share of shooters in the past and I've got to admit: war games are a hell load of fun. It's the thrill of dominating yor opponents which attracts gamers to these games; and with the integration of the internet in modern-day gaming, gamers can take the fight to the internet and play alongside with friends or play gamers that live thousands of miles away.

Realism in a game means how smoothly the gameplay flows; if the game doesn't flow, then a gamer might lose intrest in playing. Sure, it'd be amazing to play war games which are realistic as possible, but I personally don't mind if there's a glitch here and there. As long as the gameplay isn't ridiculous then I can deal (I'm not a really picky guy, but some gamers out there completely refuse to touch games which aren't the most realistic out there).

But anyways-
The key word in war games is the word "game", but more importantly, the word "simulation".

sim·u·la·tion
n.

1. Close resemblance or imitation.
2. Assumption of a false appearance.

(Source: "simulation." The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary. Houghton Mifflin Company. 22 Nov. 2006. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/simulation>)

War games are merely a simulation of war and fighting so we know better than to take them seriously. Aren't war games made so people can have fun, not to reveal the terrifying horrors of actual fighting? I acknoledge the fact that even though they're just games, they can be a negative influence on the little kids who play them and the teenagers who take games a little too seriously and have nothing else better to do with their lives. I doubt that anyone could develop a game in our day and age which really captures what it's really like to be fighting a war anyways.

Look, it's just a game. Games are fun to play.