Technology in the Classroom? Nothing new for us!

Over the years, it is obvious that technology has hugely impacted students and how they complete assignments in and out of the classroom.

One of the biggest gateways for this is YouTube. This website can provide videos ranging from an educational lecture to learning a certain dance move. I know that I have used YouTube to look up videos on how to do things that can help me complete an assignment, or I am embedding videos into a blog like this. Because of YouTube's wide variety and many sources, students can learn so much from this website.

Another type of technology that I consider to be impactive to studying and in classes is texting. Along with texting is the increase of Twitter users. Texting is a main problem because students are texting in class, which affects how much they are paying attention to the teacher, but they are also texting each other either during class or after school to get answers to homework and tests. This causes problems because students are not doing their own work most of the time and they are not giving themselves a chance to learn on their own. With the new increase in the use of Twitter, students are always tweeting during class; possibly about their professor or maybe about how much they do not want to be in class. The main issue that both of these technologies cause is lack of attention and also a lack of learning by a lot of students.

The last technology I would like to touch on that I personally use is the connection of regular courses with online work. I had numerous classes last year that used programs like Aplia and this year I am using new programs like My Accounting Lab and Course Connect. Both these programs are great for professors because they are able to assign work that students can complete on their own time, but it is even better for the students because they are able to do a lot of extra work in order to understand the topic more. A lot of these programs also supply the students with resources that can help them clarify topics much better.

All in all, technology can be really great for students and professors but it can also be detrimental to learning.

Those tweets about my boss...

In this day and age, almost every person you see walking down the street has a smartphone attached to their hand. People have become so used to using their phone as a way to connect with family and friends, but also a way to run their daily business lives. I know that I have my email come to my smartphone and because of that, I am constantly checking my phone and answering emails. The problem that researchers are coming to now is employees utilizing their smartphones at work to tweet or be on Facebook. This is a huge problem for employers because their employees are not working efficiently, and they do not know what these employees could be posting about.

Employers can easily get onto potential employees' Facebook pages and/or Twitter feeds and see everything that this person is writing about. I have heard countless stories where a person has gone in for an interview, and after the employer sees their Facebook page, the potential employee is no longer a potential. The technology is going to continue to get better and better, so it is time for employees to start watching what they say while in the workplace.

Got a Secret?

One of my favorite websites to look at is called PostSecret. This website/following was started by Frank Warren in 2005 as a way for anyone in the world to anonymously post their secrets. People can decorate or design postcards which are then sent to the Germantown, where PostSecret is located. The guidelines are that the secret has to be completely truthful and never been spoken before. In the first two years that the website was up and running, PostSecret received 2,500 postcards.

The reason I wanted to share this website with everyone in the class because, every Sunday when a new set of postcards is revealed on the website, I read through them and try to picture myself in this person's shoes. Reading each one is eye-opening and puts things very much into perspective.

Maybe seeing this website will encourage someone in our class participate in this world-wide project.  www.postsecret.com

Want to Know About Me?

Hey guys! My name is Katherine Mooney and this is my first blog. I am a sophomore majoring in Business Management (Human Resources Track) with  a double major in Information Systems.

From the start of my freshman year, I became very involved on campus. I am a senator with the Student Government Association, Vice President and Social Chair for our Women's Club Rugby team, along with a University Host. I absolutely love all the activities that I participate in and they are the main reason I have enjoyed my time at school thus far.

At the end of this semester, I hope to have furthered my knowledge in anything Information Systems related. Since it is my second major, I want to learn more about what I can do with that degree and what types of jobs it encompasses. I also hope to learn more in depth information about PowerPoint, Word, Excel, and the other soft wares included in Microsoft Office.

I love talking to people, so lets be friends!!