Week 14: Using Games for Teaching & Learning

In this week’s class, we discussed using games on the computer to facilitate teaching and learning. Computer games are incredibly important to the modern classroom as they have changed the format for learning. Current students have been raised in an era of technology unlike previous generations, and therefore are more likely to use computers and understand them better. Games facilitate learning in youth by making learning so much fun, they may not even realize that they are doing schoolwork. Computer games for learning combine the modern technology and fun factors to create a world in which learning is both accessible to any schedule and interactive through the media outlets and computer world.



This game, The Oregon Trial, is a poplar elementary school game which teaches a variety of subjects while students try to travel across the virtual Oregon Trail. History, mathematics and grammar are learned in the game through the time period reference, and purchases made by each family. Critical thinking skills are developed through the challenges the students face when travelling the Oregon Trail, and the choices they make to continue.



This is a basic educational computer game helps students learn shapes and colors while enjoying cartoon characters. They are learning basic thinking skills.



This is an example of a math game using a frog character to keep the younger students interested. The benefits of using a character would be that it distracts the students from thinking they are working by making the math fun.



This is an example of music lessons through a computer game. This could be very beneficial as not everyone has the time or money for piano lessons and with this program, the learner could fit the lessons into their schedule for a one-time fee for the software.

As a public relations major, any sort of multimedia use to help facilitate learning is useful. Public Relations practitioners are in the business of generating interest I a client’s product or organization. Therefore, an online game could be an interesting product to release in a media kit for, for example, an amusement park. The game could be educational in some way, while also informing the players of the amusement park or organization.

Week 13: Distance Education and Online Learning

In this week’s class we discussed distance education, online learning, the details of how both are accomplished, and what benefits these methods bring to students that a traditional classroom would not. Distance Education is providing a learning environment to students in different places, not in a traditional classroom setting. Educators may use mail, television, or even online communication to reach distance learners. With technological advances in today’s society, online education is becoming more prevalent and easily accessible to many who are unable to be in a traditional classroom setting, such as people with full-time jobs, people who want to take a class which is unavailable to them elsewhere, or people who are unable to travel to get to school. It provides an environment in which student may have the opportunity to study a subject which in the traditional setting they may not have had the chance.



This video demonstrates the place and time values of distance education compared to that of traditional classroom education. The classroom student had problems because he had to be in the classroom at a certain time for his class. He missed the train, and had to walk, which caused him problems. When he finally gets to class, there is no one there. The distance education student had no problems. He was able to break in the middle of his class to answer a phone call. Also, he was on the beach taking his class. This video demonstrates some of the benefits of taking distance education courses compared to taking traditional classes.

As a Public Relations major, distance education provides the tools necessary to communicate with others using a variety of techniques. In Public Relations, communication of ideas to a broad audience is sometimes vital to a campaign or a press release, as the stakeholders and publics may need to be reached immediately. An example would be the online communication used for distance education, such as podcasts, webcasting, and generating Web sites. Also, training new team members is made easy through the online learning system which commonly allows multimedia presentations to further the learners’ understanding of a concept. A good example of this in Public Relations would be learning how to complete a media kit, using examples of online multimedia software.

Week 12: The Importance of Creating a Professional Web Presence

This week in class we discussed the importance of building a strong resume and how to monitor your online personality, both of which can be accomplished through creating a Professional Web Presence. Since employers now may search for potential employees’ personal information online, making sure that your information and online personality are appropriate is vital in today’s job market. Profiles on social media sites, pictures online, and personal information should be carefully monitored to make sure that you are projecting only the best version of yourself, so as not to threaten your job. Also, Professional Web Presences may include posting information about your resume on a Web site for potential employers for online job networking, by using a site such as LinkedIn to promote yourself as a potential employee.

This is an example of a Professional Web Presence.

This Web site is from a tutorial on Google sites about creating your own Web site. This is an example of a Professional Web Presence as it depicts a personal Web site with a resume and other personal information which is essentially advertising this person to the online world.

This concept essentially applies to every field of work. As a public relations major, communications through using a Professional Web Presence as well as the online multimedia technologies used to create on may help further enhance job experiences. Public Relations is a field in which these skills are essential, and just by completing a Professional Web Presence one is demonstrating the usage of such tools required in the field such as Web site organization and maintenance, advertising (you are the product), and displaying videos or images in an online portfolio. In a sense, a Professional Web Presence details all of the skills you have for a profession in the Public Relations field as it includes an online resume.

Week 10: Open-Source Software

This lesson plan discussed open-source software as free software which is available online and can be changed or adapted in some way by users, with the source code. The idea is that open source software provides a free alternative to commonly used application software systems which may be expensive. An example would be a teacher downloading an open source photo editing software instead of purchasing the high-priced Photoshop.

I got this image from GoogleImage search, and http://assets1.csc.com/features/images/12340_2.gif.
It is a diagram of the different categories of open source software.



This image is relevant to the topic of open source software as it gives specific examples of each kind.

As a Public Relations student, open source software could easily save a lot of money within the office environment for required application software such as painting, drawing, and presentation tools that could be used for Public relations projects. Media kits, news releases, brochures, and other materials which PR officials manufacture for accounts could be produced at much cheaper costs. This could lead to more jobs at a firm due to money not being spent on expensive application software; as well as easier access and quicker completion of products due to collaborative efforts provided by open source software.

Week 9: Google Documents and Cloud Computing

This week we discussed the concept of cloud computing using the example of Google Documents. Cloud Computing is a format of creating documents, projects, etc. using the Internet for applications rather than downloading expensive software for applications. It involves a wireless hub of information technology in which users may collaborate or work individually on multimedia presentations, calendars, word documents or any other form of application without the actual software. This is the case with the application of GoogleDocs, in which users may create a document and return to it on any computer, not only the one on which the work was originated. Also, users may choose to share or collaborate on documents, thereby are allowed to change a document at the same time, in completely different places.

This YouTube video discusses the features and benefits of cloud computing, using enterprise cloud computing as an example.

This video clearly relates to the topic as it details the process of cloud computing and how the technology affects modern consumers.

Just as it relates to any business environment, cloud computing could easily relate to my interest of Public Relations. Public Relations work requires a lot of multi-tasking, as many different jobs must be completed each day in order to fulfill the many clients’ needs. Therefore, cloud computing would allow easy collaboration and transportation to different computers, for workers to let their work adapt to their busy schedule rather than vice versa.

Social Media Tools Concept Map

This is my concept map for relating five social media tools to my field of study, Public Relations. The five social media tools I selected were Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, and GoogleDocs. I chose these because I felt that each one represented a different aspect of the job of a Public Relations Practitioner.

Please View my Concept Map here.



A Public Relations (PR) worker could use Facebook to create groups for an organization, a project team, or an event. These groups could be beneficial for reminders, updates, and constant communication which are accessible for each person’s schedule. For LinkedIn, I thought that a PR workers could use this sight to recruit new employees; network with other organizations; and view the hiring and operating standards of the competing PR firms. PR workers could use Twitter to communicate quick updates, announce press conferences, and launch products to a mass audience over the Internet.

YouTube could be used for guerrilla marketing campaigns and displaying press conference videos for a mass audience. Guerrilla Marketing would be any quickly spreading video used to promote a product or service, maybe in an unusual or unique way, such as the Red Bull “Flying” contests which are heavily videoed and displayed on YouTube. Finally, GoogleDocs could be used for PR workers to help collaborative efforts on a project such as a media kit or news release. GoogleDocs could also be used for a calendar for the entire firm to see and schedule around or collaboratively.

Discussion Forum: Digital Storytellying

GoAnimate.com: cread1231's Animation by cread1231


Like it? Create your own at GoAnimate.com. It's free and fun!

I used GoAnimate.com to create a mini-cartoon, starring Underdog. I made up a story about Polly having her necklace stolen by Riff Raff and Underdog saving the day. The tool was easy to use. It has characters, voice boxes for either typing, using sound files in the system, or importing sound files to have the characters communicate. You can also create all of your own drawings, sounds, movements, etc., use some already available or surf the Internet for new ideas.

As a Public Relations major, this tool is a very good resource for ads, media kits, compiling information about a client/company which the agency is about to work with. Also, for me personally, the tool expands my abilities to quickly and efficiently tell a story. The site was very easy to use, and I compiled my own stoy vision with text and motions with characters, scenes, and sounds already available on the site. I can not stress enough the convenience of the site and the easy-to-use tools.