Multimedia

For many people blogging is, in essence, journaling or a form of personal diary. But a blog can also be a tool that is used to tell a story, either a personal story or a more public story, such as on news sites. The article "Snow Fall: The Avalanche at Tunnel Creek" found at http://www.nytimes.com/projects/2012/snow-fall/#/?part=tunnel-creek is full of multimedia tools. The article was more of a visual event than just a reading piece. The author used pictures, video, graphs, and text to tell the story of the people involved in the avalanche. It was a touching story and the multimedia tools enhanced the presentation by making it more alive. I personally felt the actual text was a little long and monotonous, but the visuals really helped me to understand what was being told. For example, the descriptions of the routes the skiers took was completely over my head, but the map that showed their route was crystal clear. Likewise, the linked video at the end told the same story I had just read but it allowed the emotion of the story to really hit home. The story itself was enhanced because it reached out to more people, rather than just those who like to read.

Certain techniques are more effective than others, but I would guess that opinions differ as to which is which. For me I believe that video, slideshows, and audio are the most effective.

Video is effective because it gives both visual and audio which appeals to all learning styles. Video can be used to teach, give examples, or just present information. News sites often use video clips to highlight stories they've reported on. CNN.com (http://www.cnn.com/) has videos embedded directly into many of their news articles so that you have the choice of reading or viewing.

Slideshows are effective for their visual aspect. They allow you to flip through at your own pace. They also provide smaller chunks of information on the pictures which helps the information to be processed more easily. Disney's Family Fun site, http://family.go.com/, is a perfect example of this type of tool. They have a variety of articles that are solely slideshows that you can flip through.

Audio is another tool that enhances our messages. Podcasts are one type of audio. These can stand alone or be linked to a blog or news post. They cover a variety of topics and allow you to listen without the constraints of radio signals. http://www.npr.org/rss/podcast/podcast_directory.php

An interesting blog

Most of the blogs that I follow or read on a regular basis, don’t have a huge following. They certainly wouldn’t have made the “25 Best Bloggers of 2013” list. I follow them because the topic is something that interests me, and/or because a friend of mine writes it. For the purpose of this assignment, I chose to evaluate a cooking blog, http://www.101cookbooks.com/. This blog did make Time magazines “The 25 Best Blogs, 2013 edition.” The 101 cookbooks blog started as a way for the author to share recipes from her collection. It has grown into a giant cookbook of it’s own (McCracken, 2013).

In order for a blog to be successful, it should adhere to some general guidelines. Some of these are discussed in Ilias Chelidonis post about the steps to creating a successful blog. Two of the biggest are to decide what your blog is going to be about and decide on a name for it (Chelidonis). Heidi Swanson accomplished these two with her blog; her content is clear and the name depicts what the blog is about. If I’m searching for a blog, I don’t want to have to guess about the content; therefore, when the main subject of the blog is included in the title it makes it much easier to find when using a general search engine. The blog itself is laid out very well. Not only can you go through the posts in a chronological way, but you can also search the site based on ingredient or meal type. This makes the blog extremely user friendly. The blog is visually appealing, but it also functions very well.

Chelidonis, I. (n.d.). 12 steps to launch a successful blog. Retrieved from http://www.dailyblogtips.com/steps-to-successful-blog/

 

McCracken, H. (2013, August 5). The 25 best bloggers, 2013 edition. Time.com. Retrieved from http://techland.time.com/2013/08/05/the-25-best-bloggers-2013-edition/slide/mark-forsyth-inky-fool/

***This is a mock press release intended for educational use only.  Please read the references cited at the bottom of this post for more information on Joe Paterno's death.***

University Park, Pa-It is with great sadness that the University announces the passing of Joe Paterno. Although Paterno was released from the University on November 9, 2011 amid questions of his responsibility in an ongoing investigation, his commitment to the school and the athletic department should not be questioned.

Paterno joined the Penn State athletic family in 1950 where he served in the assistant coaching role for sixteen years. In 1966 he became the head coach for the Nittany Lions. His first season was a draw, but he followed it with two undefeated seasons in 1968 and 1969. For the next 32 years he dedicated himself to the Lions. Paterno is the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) leader in career victories and one of only three coaches in NCAA history to post 400 career wins, an honor received on November 6, 2010 at home in Beaver Stadium when the squad made an impressive comeback to defeat Northwestern.

Paterno was college football’s all-time leader in bowl victories (24) and appearances (37). His tenure included two National Championships (1982, 1986); five undefeated, untied teams; 23 finishes in the Top 10 of the national rankings; 5 AFCA Coach-of-the-Year plaques; and more than 350 former players who signed NFL contracts. Penn State is one of just eight teams with 800 wins all-time, and Paterno has been a member of the Lion staff for 513 of them.

His dedication was not just to the athleticism of his players, but also to their role as students. He determined as a young head coach that his team would be comprised of young men who would graduate and make significant contributions to society upon their graduation. Paterno and his staff built a model program, evidenced by nearly 50 Academic All-America selections. The team regularly posted high graduation rates; they were ranked No. 1 academically out of the top 25 football teams in 2009 and 2011 by the New America Foundation’s Academic Bowl Championship Series. "Coach Paterno's commitment to achieving success on the football field with players who competed just as intensely in the classroom was unwavering and unparalleled," former Nittany Lion standout Todd Blackledge, a first team Academic All-America and 2001 Academic All-America Hall of Fame inductee, said of his college mentor. "He was a teacher first and a coach second, and his legacy should never be measured by wins or championships, but by the thousands of well-rounded contributors to society that he helped to mold and develop."

JoePa, as he was affectionately called, and his family have given more than $4 million dollars to the advancement and growth of University programs. In lieu of flowers or gifts the family has asked for donations to be made to the Special Olympics of Pennsylvania or the Penn State-THON.

Joe Paterno leaves behind his wife, Sue, five children, and 17 grandchildren.

Facebook Post

 January 22, 2012

It is with great sadness that the Nittany Lions announce the passing of legendary coach Joe Paterno. JoePa spent most of his life and the entirety of his career here in Happy Valley. He settled here at the age of 23, starting a family and a legacy. His contributions to his community and his players both on and off the field will not be forgotten. Our thoughts and prayers go to his family and friends during this time.

 

Joseph Vincent Paterno. (2014). The Biography.com website. Retrieved 11:33, Aug 03, 2014, from http://www.biography.com/people/joe-paterno-9434584

Junstrom, J. (2012, April 25). Joe Paterno, 2012 Dick Enberg Award recipient. Retrieved from http://www.blackshoediaries.com/2012/4/25/2974927/joe-paterno-2012-dick-enberg-award-recipient

Penn State's legendary Joe Paterno passes. (2012, January 22). Retrieved from http://www.gopsusports.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/012212aap.html

New new media

There are many different social media tools available, and the number seems to be growing at a rapid pace. I’m familiar with a few of them, but am always discovering more. I mainly use social media sites solely for socializing (say that five times fast). I’ve used them to connect with friends and make new friends through special interest groups. So, I’m active on Facebook and a member of several groups there. I also have a very active Pinterest account. I actually enjoy Pinterest more because I’m a very visual person, and I love finding ideas for things by searching images. The images have led me to many interesting articles and blogs that I now read regularly, but the original draw was the images. I have also discovered that I learn more about my friends and what’s going on in their lives by the images they “pin” than by what they share on Facebook. I also like that I’m able to organize my ideas into categories so that I can easily find them, and that level of organization really appeals to my nerdy side.

Along the same lines, I like photosharing sites because I can see my friends and their families. I have an Instagram account and have used the Shutterfly photsharing site (https://thefannons.shutterfly.com/138). What I like about Shutterfly is that you don’t actually have to an account to view the site. When we took my little to the beach for the first time a few years ago, I was able to set up a personal website and share it with her grandparents who couldn’t be with us. They were able to enjoy the trip with us. Although we now can share photo albums through our clouds, these sites are still useful for those who don’t share idevices.

In expanding my social network repertoire I did come across some new sites that were interesting. One of them, StumbleUpon, will probably become a new favorite. It is a social bookmarking site similar to Pinterest in that you create pages that interest you. It is less image focused and more content focused. What I like is that you create interests and the site finds articles and sites that meet your interests. I like that it takes some of the time away from just doing a general web search and somewhat streamlines the process. http://www.stumbleupon.com/stumbler/tracepfan

I did look at a “Mashup”, in particular Zeemaps. This was a very interesting site and I can see it being very useful in different fields. I created a map of a vacation trip just to play around with the site (https://www.zeemaps.com/map?group=1054482#), nothing exciting really. There would need to be some research done in order to input all of the data, however, the possibilities are endless. In a classroom setting the site could be used to map locations, people, events…any number of things that are being studied. It could be used by a company to map locations or the availability of resources for a particular assignment, meeting, etc. There really is no limit to how the site could be utilized. It was very interesting, and I would definitely like to become more familiar with it.

I have participated in several webinars through anymeeting.com and actually registered for one that is happening this upcoming Tuesday evening at Go To Webinar. What I haven’t quite figured out yet is how to find a particular webinar after it’s happened, like if I wanted to reference it again or watch it again. Podcasts are along the same lines but I don’t enjoy them because it’s similar to listening to a book on tape, which I really don’t like (that whole visual learner thing again). I can definitely see webinars and podcasts as useful tools to broaden communication among groups. They both give the ability to share presentations, speeches, etc. with a much broader range of people beyond the traditional conference room.

Although, there are tons of media and networking sites available, I believe these are the most effective for reaching large numbers of people. The appeal to a variety of learners and already have a large number of followers. I’m just beginning to dabble in all of these new media sites, but I’m anxious to find out more about them, to understand how they work, and to figure out how to use them both personally and professionally.

Credibility...

In this age of new media one of the challenges that one is faced with is deciding what to believe. It’s important to know whether or not what you are reading is accurate information. According to Montecino (1998), “Anyone, in theory, can publish on the Web; therefore, it is imperative for users of the Web to develop a critical eye to evaluate the credibility of Internet information.” Her article Criteria to Evaluate the Credibility of WWW Resources gives tips about what to look for to evaluate what is trustworthy news.

I recently read an online article from the New York Times about vaccine costs, The Price of Prevention: Vaccine Costs Are Soaring. This article caught my attention because I have young children, and the issues surrounding vaccines are always interesting to me. This particular article was looking at the rising costs of vaccines for doctor’s offices and patients. The author, Dr. Elisabeth Rosenthal, is a credible author on this particular piece. Looking at her biography, she is a medical doctor who has been writing since her medical school days, but became a full time journalist in 1994 (). The article itself is an objective piece; she does not fill the article with her opinions. She interviews several parents who have had issues with getting children’s vaccines and inserts their quotes to provide a “realness” to the issue. The two main sources that she used were links from the CDC and information from a pediatrician in San Antonio, Texas. All of the links were current links that took you to other articles on the topic or to the CDC’s website where they had information to back up the graphics and statistics that Dr. Rosenthal used in the article. She also included a video link of part of her interview with the Texas pediatrician. The links and video added an extra element to the piece that would have been unavailable in the print version of the article.

While this article provides objective information about the cost of vaccines, and the reasons driving these costs, there are ultimately going to be hundreds of articles and opinions about vaccines and their effectiveness, dangers, benefits, etc. The Rosenthal article is well sourced and a credible reference, but most people aren’t going to take the time to look at background and search through links to get a full picture of the topic and make their own judgment. They are generally more likely to find an article with an opinion similar to their own and click through comments and pictures that create a more exciting piece of reading. Therein lies the double edged sword of unrestricted web posting: vast amounts of information versus accurate and reliable information.

Montecino, V. (1998, August). Criteria to evaluate the credibility of WWW resources. Retrieved July 3, 2014, from http%3A%2F%2Fmason.gmu.edu%2F~montecin%2Fweb-eval-sites.htm

Rosenthal, E. (2014, July 2). The price of prevention: Vaccine costs are soaring. The New York Times. Retrieved July 4, 2014, from http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/03/health/Vaccine-Costs-Soaring-Paying-Till-It-Hurts.html?ref=us&_r=0

Social Media News

It’s the end of the day. My children are in bed. My husband is in bed. I need someone to talk to. Where do I go? Facebook, of course! Some days, it’s the only real adult “conversation” that I have. And usually I learn way more than I would ever want to know. So what did I learn today? Well, one couple that I know celebrated their 39^th anniversary (Congratulations!); another friend had a water heater to burst while they were gone. When they returned she found years of pictures and scrapbooks ruined (So sorry!). I also learned that tickets for a concert at a local venue went on sale today and a new season of Doctor Who premieres August 23 on BBC America. I was saddened to see that a friend had shared a link to an article indicating the Billy Graham was in critical condition and the family was asking for prayer, however, after clicking on the link, the article was actually from March of this year. Another article from a conservative news site pushed the headline that Chris McDaniel supporters were denied access to voter polls. The article went on to allude to the fact that the primary was filled with fraud.

So how do you know what to believe? Is it possible to obtain credible information on sites like Facebook? Of course it is. It is credible and true that my friends have been married for 39 years and that my other friend lost many sacred things to water damage. It is also true that tickets went on sale and Doctor Who will premiere in August. Where we have to be very careful is in looking at “news” articles that our friends like and share. While the article about Billy Graham was true, it was an outdated article. The facts of the article, while true in March, were inaccurate in June. But if I had not looked further into the article, not just the headline, I would have never noticed the date.

The same holds true for the Chris McDaniel article. I read the entire article. But then I took it a step further and visited some other news sources. Only one other news outlet reported on the results. While many of the facts were the same, the language was more objective than subjective and painted a clearer picture of what was actually going on with the situation as a whole.

So back to my question: can you obtain credible information on social media sites? The answer is yes…and no. As with any other site or source, it’s up to you to fact check the credibility!

Social media--positive or negative?

My go to social media sites are Facebook and Pinterest. I use down time to browse these sites just to find out what my friends are interested in and what is trending. I don't usually watch the news or read the newspaper, so I visit news sites, both local and national, frequently to stay current on what is going on in the world.
I admit that I often rely on Facebook to keep me abreast of what's going on because I can scroll my news feed and find plenty of stories and articles that are being shared. I don't read news sites daily, so if it's not being shared or posted, then there is a good possibility I will miss it. I used to be guilty of believing and sharing every interesting or "flavorful" article that I saw. I quickly realized that I needed to be more careful about what I shared; just because it's in print doesn't mean it's reliable. I tend to do a little more background and fact checking on my own these days. I feel like the accountability that is placed on us as consumers to be more critical thinkers is a positive influence that comes from this new media. For me personally, the positive aspect is that I'm more aware because the information is only a click away.
On the other hand, one negative that I see is that there can be a limit to the information that you expose yourself to. What I mean by this is that most of my friends on Facebook are friends because we are similar. We have similar beliefs and interests, so when they comment on articles or share them I am usually in agreement with the information they are posting. The negative aspect of that is that it would be very easy to hide yourself in "like mindedness" and never really seek out, to understand or form conversations with, those who have different ideas.