9-1 Blog: Multimedia Tools

Multimedia tools greatly enhance the quality of communication processes. When communicating via written word, people cannot decode body language or social cues, which makes it very hard to interpret the true meaning of a message. Multimedia tools and web 2.0 technologies, however, have greatly enhanced old school online communication. With the click of a button, two people on opposite sides of the world can chat via video conference. With products such as iMovie, Flip Video, and Aminoto, messages literally almost pop out of your screen with 3D effects. I believe that certain multimedia tools are more effective for certain individuals based upon their personal preferences. For example, I am a visual learner. I prefer to communicate with pictures, graphics, and maps over long paragraphs of text. I’ve found PowerPoint to be a great messing technique (https://aartechresources.wikispaces.com/Multimedia+Tools#Multimedia Tools-PowerPoint). This tool even allows me to add music to my presentation if I would like.

Multimedia is just that – many forms of media. Communication is not a “one size fits all” process. Communication is usually tailored to a specific target audience. The more tailored the message, the better it is received by the audience. Multimedia tools often make communicating fun and exciting. I once heard the phrase “it’s all in the delivery”. No matter the message, multimedia tools provide an engaging platform upon which to deliver.

Education Technology Resources. (n.d.). Multimedia tools. Retrieved May 26, 2014, from https://aartechresources.wikispaces.com/Multimedia+Tools

Module 8-2: Blog Best Practices

The blog that I chose to analyze is The Yoga Blog and can be found here: http://www.theyogablog.com/. I think that this blog does a great job at providing relevant, up-to-date information to those interested in the practice of Yoga. Blog posts here are constantly updated and include information from sources such as Yoga magazine and PBS. While this blog does have advertisements on the side, its primary purpose is not to sell products to the reader. I do not feel bombarded by advertisements when visiting this blog, which often turns a lot of people away. I believe that the top 3 best practices for creating an effective blog are:  

    1.)   Keep the blog up to date.

a.    If I visit a blog, and the most recent post is 4 months old, I immediately lose interest in reading further. Information nowadays is updated in real-time with technology all around us. In order to stay ahead of the latest trends, I want to read a blog that is constantly updated and on top of things as well.

    2.)   Choose fonts/backgrounds that are pleasing to the eye.

a.    Many blogs I came across were unattractive because of their large and obnoxious user interfaces. While colors are appealing to a certain extent, too many crazy colors and fonts can be a turn off. A lot of blog reading is done on smart phones, so writers should also consciously use fonts/colors that are compatible with mobile technology.

   3.)   Do not make your site “salesy”.

a.    Advertisements are a big turn-off for people. People are marketed too all day long with junk e-mail, side banners, etc. The last thing they want is to be flooded with more advertisements when they’re trying to read a blog at their leisure. I used to visit a blog on a daily basis, until a Progressive Auto Insurance advertisement would play for 30 seconds before I could continue to the site. I would suggest that a blogger keep his or her blog as ad-free as possible. 

7-2 Blog: Press Release

Joseph Vincent Paterno (Penn State) dies at age 85

1/22/2012

Joseph Paterno, longtime Penn State football coach, died at age 85 on January 22, 2012 after his battle with lung cancer. Paterno won more games than anyone in major college football, but was fired among a child sex abuse scandal.

His family released a statement shortly after his death on Sunday: “His loss leaves a void in our lives that will never be filled. He fought until the end, stayed positive, and thought only of others…”

Bobby Bowden, major league football coach and rival of Paterno, says that he hopes Paterno can be remembered for all the great things he did for Penn State. “It’s just a great tragedy”, he says.

For more information, please contact Cathy Doherty at c.doherty@snhu.edu

References 

McCarthy, M. (2012, January 22). Media dead wrong to repeat false report of Paterno's death. USA Today. Retrieved April 28, 2014, from http://content.usatoday.com/communities/gameon/post/2012/01/media-outlets-dead-wrong-to-jump-the-gun-on-paternos-death-joe-paterno-poynter-cbssportscom/1#.U0WZBqhdXAl 

ESPN. (2014, January 23). Joseph Paterno dies in state college. Retrieved May 14, 2014, from http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/7489238/joe-paterno-ex-penn-state-nittany-lions-coach-dies-85-2-month-cancer-fightv

Facebook post

Joseph Paterno, famous Penn State football coach, lost his battle with cancer at age 85. Paterno was fired after officials learned he had knowledge of a sex abuse scandal and did not take the appropriate measures. He will be missed by many dear family and friends. As one former co-worker puts it, "This is simply just a great tragedy overall". 

6-2 Blog: Social Media Tools

The three social media tools I decided to try were:

1.) Pintrest - http://www.pinterest.com/cathydoherty22/ 

2.) LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=130876462&trk=nav_responsive_tab_profile 

3.) Vine - https://vine.co/ 

I believe that social media tools which incorporate pictures and videos will be the most successful. I think that part of the reason why Twitter is so popular is because there is a 140 character limit of text. People often tend to like to get things done as quickly and efficiently as possible. If there is a large block of text to read, people will often think, "I don't have the time for this." Pintrest, Vine, and Instagram all take advantage of this quality in people. I also browsed LinkedIn. This is a professional networking site. Unlike Facebook, you don't post pictures of your weekend, but you do post descriptions of your most prestigious awards and accomplishments. This social media tool is specifically for developing your professional network,and is therefore successful without incorporating flashy pictures or videos into the equation.

Reference

Aids.gov. (n.d.). New media tools. Retrieved May 05, 2014, from http://aids.gov/using-new-media/tools/index.html#tool-bookmarkingNew