Presentations2 4/16/2010

Katie-
Talked about the digital divide in low income schools. This proposal although extensive sounds like something that teachers will have to go though sooner or later, so this was a great topic, foreseeing what lies ahead while the technology in schools is increasing. Phase1, bridging the knowledge divide. Need to educate the teachers, then the teachers need to implement technology with their teaching habits. Phase2, set up learning lab times to help kids/teachers use this stuff and they need to use their resources such as the library.

Beau-
Exploited pros and cons about games, basically saying the cons were minimal compared to the pros of games and made a very good, strong argument for the gaming atmosphere. Touched on how games stimulate learning habits. Brought up the example of the Divinchi surgical machine, which is an awesome invention. One thing I'm pretty sure you didn't say, that I think is another cool thing about this machine is that it is easier to keep sterile, there are a lot less chances for contamination on the patient when the machine is doing the work and not a bunch of people standing around the patient. As long as routine matinence and cleaning are done that is after every procedure....the main point was games have changed our culture, and as games/simulations are being used more and more for ex. unmanned aircraft, gamers are becoming more and more important as the job market is opening up to the public. "Technology feeds off gaming community"

James-
Proposed a plan that parents play games with the kids because parents think games are bad which they really are not. Games stimulate different parts of the brain just like blind people read braille. I'm not exactly clear on this, but when someone is playing a game they create a 3D imagine in their head? I know your presentation got goofed up which was very unfortunate, but it definently sounds like you know what you are doing, and as long as you can make Julie understand it too which shouldn't be hard lol then you will do fine. I know when I have kids I am definently going to be playing games with them all the time!

Hauns-
Social networks are bridging the chasm, aka digital divide. People are drawn to communities, so with all these online aka virtual communities that people are joining, this provokes even more people to join. And I don't think you said this, but I think its generally true-I think it was the teenagers/young adults that got most involved in these online communities, and as it got more and more popular then the general popular age on these social networks has become much broader, just like how your grandma talks to you now online. I think that is a big point. Content-the stuff that we post online let other ppl get to know who we really are. Then people will create things which replicate our personalities. Did you social networks CAN, or ALREADY ARE bridging the digital divide, because I think it has already started puttin up a couple bridges.

With that said, thanks everyone for giving me your thoughts!