Week 14 - Using Games for Teaching & Learning

This week we learned about Second Life's use in education. By providing an educational classroom in 3-D, students can explore places they are learning about and immerse themselves in a true learning experience. I think this is a great way to get the students excited about what they are learning because technology is always fun.
Using games for teaching has evolved a lot since I was a kid. I remember having simple computer games at the lab to learn math and only spending little time in the computer lab. Students now, even at a young age, have constant access to the internet and computers and have many different games for learning a variety of subjects. I think its great that education is evolving and students are getting to learn and retain information using fun, educational games.

I think using games for learning has a chance to impact the advertising industry because if it becomes very popular, it can become a great advertising medium. For example, companies can use games on their web sites to attract people to their product (such as the Dr. Pepper game that was used as an example for class.) Coke is another great company that provides games to entertain its customers. In addition, games are being incorporated into online commercials to keep viewers entertained. For example, I watch shows on abc.go.com and during the commercials, online quizzes or games are given about the product. I think this is a trend that will keep growing as more people are doing things online (such as watching tv shows).

An outside source I found is funbrain.com. This web site is another great resource for kids to play while they learn. I remember using computer games such as MathBlaster when I was young, but these web sites are so interactive and offer a variety of arcade games,web books/comics, and even incorporates movie characters. I would definitely recommend this site to my little brother:)

Week 13 - Distance Education & Virtual Schooling

In class we watched videos about universities offering online degrees and K-12 virtual schools. The internet is changing the way we go to school. In my opinion, this is positively impacting education by providing opportunities to those who may not have access to good schools. For example, my high school only had about four AP classes available, while the school in the more affluent neighborhood about 35 miles away offered three times as many. This puts students at my school at a great disadvantage when applying for college, etc. However, programs such as Florida Virtual School make classes available to those who want to take them. Students can expand their curriculum by taking foreign language classes or higher level math classes even if their school doesn't offer them.
In addition, many college classes are also taught online. While at UF, all of the business classes and some math classes I have taken were available online. Students can watch lectures at their convenience, work at their own pace, and only have to show up on campus to take the exams. I think these classes, as well as online degree programs, make it easier for college students to obtain their degrees because they can work on their own time and can balance work and family life.

Online education is impacting the advertising industry by allowing more people the opportunity to obtain professional degrees. More people becoming qualified will impact competition in getting employment within the industry. On the other hand, these new degree programs are being heavily advertised (especially online) and creating more revenue opportunities in the field.

This video, created by a high school student, explains the benefits of Florida Virtual School. I think it's great to see how many students actually like the program and don't want to see it go.

Week 2- Educational Technolgy

In this week's lesson we were introduced to technology and how it is being used to teach in today's society. While we now relate technology to the internet, in the past other mediums of technology were used. For example, I remember listening to audio tapes and using overhead projectors when I was in elementary school. While we now use more advanced forms of technology, it is important to note that technology has been used to assist educators for many years. A great example of today's educational technology is this very course. We meet in the lab once a week, and the other two hours are to be completed online. We have presentations to watch, forums to post and interact, and this blog to keep up with. This is very different from other classes because there is such a heavy reliance on technology.

Even though educational technology doesn't directly apply to advertising, I think it is still relevant because technology is becoming an everyday part of society as a whole. The skills that we learn in this class can be used in advertising in many ways. For example, while forum posts can be used to interact and teach by ordinary people, market researchers can view them to gain insight into their consumer's minds. Photoshop is also a great skill needed by advertisers who will create visual art. Even though the education field and the advertising field use technology in different ways, I think they relate to each other because the same skills are needed, it is just a matter of how you apply the technology.

I found a video on Youtube that was created to teach kids the proper way to wash their hands.

This is an example of educational technology because someone had to create a video, put it together with kids in mind, and post it on the internet for adults everywhere to have access to a fun, informative video. Instead of a chart or poster to teach kids, this video uses a cartoon to exemplify the correct way to sanitize your hands. It also uses a catchy song that will keep the children's attention and get them excited about what they are learning. I think this is a great exmaple of educational technology because the kids can learn from something they also find entertaining. Because germs help spread the flu, I'm sure this video is being used all over the country to explain to kids the proper way to wash thier hands.