A Day Without My Blackberry

Not having a cell phone for a day? Yeah, it stinks but it’s manageable, right? Not if you have Blackberry. I only recently acquired a Blackberry. I got one free in a buy two Blackberry deal because my Dad needed one for work. I figured it would be helpful for those days my Hebrew professor liked to email us about five minutes before class to say she wouldn’t be able to make it. Yes, the Blackberry messenger aspect seemed cool, unnecessary but cool.

Seeing as we have to write a blog post a week, I’ve been having a little trouble coming up with new ideas. So the other day my Blackberry was exploding with Facebook updates and text messages wishing me a happy 20^th birthday. While I greatly appreciated all the love, I wondered what it would be like to go a day without all the emails and BBM’s. The next day I woke up, unplugged my phone from its charger and put it in my desk drawer and vowed not to look at it until the next morning.

At first, it wasn’t so bad. I checked my email once before I left my dorm and didn’t have to worry about it until later. I was forced to actually pay attention in theory class rather than hope for some outside contact. Then lunchtime rolled around. Because I couldn’t

text my friends to see who was free for lunch, I just went to the Commons hoping I would run into someone to sit with. I didn’t. I sat alone, awkward as ever, and ate my lunch as fast as I could. Then I went back to my room, my fingers itching to check for text messages, so I checked my email instead. Again. I was surprised to find an urgent email from my Dad asking frantically why I wasn’t responding to his BBM’s and phone calls. Apparently he needed to book my ticket home for Thanksgiving as soon as possible and needed to talk to me. After that moderate bump in the road, I did some homework and started to get ready for Chorale practice. I realized that I didn’t know if we were having an earlier practice than usual because we have a concert coming up. I couldn’t text anyone about it so I checked to see if anyone was on Facebook. No one was so I went to the DoYo early just to be safe. I ended up waiting there for an unnecessary extra 45 minutes.

These are only some of the obstacles I faced without my Blackberry but I think they exemplify the difficulty of my day. Cell phones may be good for keeping in touch with people, but having yours with you at all times can lead to things like addiction, car accidents, and sleep loss. Also, the actual device itself can cause radiation due to the magnetism of the technology. In terms of phones like Blackberrys, iPhones, and Droids, because of all the applications, multitasking can prove harmful to your ability to concentrate on a sole task and lead to decreasing test scores.

So try putting down your Blackberry for a day. I’m embarrassed to say how hard it was for me to get along without constantly checking my Facebook but I think I learned that maybe all these social networks are not healthy for a hardworking college student. Everyone should try a day without constant emails, texts, Facebook updates and Twitter posts and see how crucial these things are to our lives in current society.

How an iPad could help in Education and Assist Those Who Have Learning Disabilities

My three brothers and I have all been tested and diagnosed with learning disabilities, also known as a learning difference.  We all went to a middle school that only taught children that have been diagnosed with a learning disability.  One of the schools requirements for all students at the school is to make sure everyone had a laptop and they learn effective ways on how it can help you in the future and once you leave the school.  At the Eagle Hill School, in Greenwich Connecticut laptops play a large part in teaching and learning.  It gives the students the chance to learn at an early age how to research things the right way, how to type a paper on a computer, and how to organize.  Being taught how to use a computer is a lesson in itself.  Being a person that has a learning difference it is hard to keep up with the regular population of students that do not have a learning disability, and I now see that the Eagle Hill School was the best choice of schooling that my parents could have picked for my brothers and I.  If it wasn’t for the technology and teachings that I learned from Eagle Hill School I believe that I would not have been able to make it this far in school, and would never have had the techniques to use today. 


Check out this video of a real class using iPads

Eagle Hill School Mission Statement

Eagle Hill is a language-based, remedial program committed to educating children with learning disabilities. The curriculum is individualized, interdisciplinary, and transitional in nature. A secure, structured, nurturing environment supports and stimulates the development of the whole child. As a result, children learn to view themselves as competent individuals with a strong sense of self.

In an environment that recognizes and  embraces diversity, Eagle Hill teaches children an array of strategies and skills to manage their learning disabilities effectively at school and at home. Eagle Hill helps children gain the self-esteem necessary to initiate, nurture and maintain friendships. Inherent in the Eagle Hill philosophy is development of children with strong moral and ethical character.

Children leave Eagle Hill with confidence in their academic abilities, a true belief in their worth as human beings, and the strategies necessary to meet the challenges of their new school and social settings.

 (Information used from http://www.eaglehillschool.org/)

I believe that a laptop is very similar to a tablet and can accomplish many of the same tasks.  In relating to the reason why technology is used at the Eagle Hill School, I believe that the schools that are willing to use iPad’s as a way to teach and help students learn will be successful and an enormous step in education. 

This is a statement from the main website of the Eagle Hill School, this explains exactly why the school feel technology is important and helps students with learning differences learn on the same level as those without disabilities. 

Technology at Eagle Hill

The marriage of directed instruction and technology has proven to be a powerful tool for both students and faculty at Eagle Hill. Technology has been clearly shown to enhance both initial learning of content and retention of content information over time. The mission of Eagle Hill’s Technology Department is to continue to foster a technology program that provides teachers with ‘cutting edge’ technology products and continued support and training to enhance student learning. Classroom curriculum joined together with technology have allowed faculty to have increased tools for addressing different learning styles

Computer use in the classroom is meant to supplement, not replace, direct instruction. Teachers are facilitators who utilize new instructional methods and strategies made possible through the use of technology. To be effective, the curriculum must drive the technology program, not vice versa. Students learn the basic skills necessary to use computers independently by participating in project based learning throughout their classes.

Currently at Eagle Hill every classroom teacher is provided with a laptop computer. All campus computers have wireless access throughout the school to the network and all network services.

A laptop program has been in place in the upper school since 1998. Three mobile laptop labs and two traditional computer labs are spread across the campus.

(Information used from (http://www.eaglehillschool.org/)

In thinking hard and long about how a tablet or an iPad will be able to become successfully used in an educational atmosphere I have determined that the largest aspect in sing tablets in schools will help students with learning differences or learning disabilities (LD).  One of my accommodations like many others that have LD is the right to use a computer to take notes.  Personally it makes it much easier to organize thoughts and notes on a computer other then using a pencil and paper.  I have also in the past have read books on tape that made me carry around a bulky headset and tape deck and all the tapes that went with the books.  Now that it is easier to buy or rent books on iTunes, there are applications that can read the material to you making it much easier for someone like me to understand, highlight important information, and pronounce important parts of the reading. 

Here are some of the applications that can be helpful to not only students with learning disabilities but other students also. 

Proloquo2Go is a communication application that allows a child to communicate with pictures.  This application can be bought for an iPad or an iPad that lets a student communicate with pictures.  This is a useful application because it allows a student or child to carry a smaller piece of equipment.  It will most importantly help students with fine motor difficulties

Model Me Going Places is another great application, which helps with behavioral problems.  It is an application that shows a slide show of children displaying appropriate behavior.  It will be and has been helpful with children that have autism or behavioral issues in and out of the school environments.

I Write Words is an application that helps children practice writing letters, numbers, and words.  This will help with motor skills, which is a large part of some children that have been diagnosed with a specific learning disability.  It allows a kid to trace a letter on the iPad with their finger, and helps them with writing skills, and helps children that have bad handwriting skills or difficulties writing with a pencil/pen.

Screen Shot of the App. I Write Words 

Dragon Dictation is an app that allows a person to speak to the iPad and transfer it into an email or send a text message by easily speaking to the iPad.  It can be used with children that have reading or language disabilities, or kids that are not able to write due to a physical disability.  This is considered under the categories of a voice recognition tool or application.  Another reading or text to speech application is Read2me that gives the ability to students to import their own files in to an iPad and it will read the text out loud.  It can be useful for children who are weak readers.

Organization is a large and important tool to learn for someone who has LD.  The application, MyHomework can work with a student to stay organized with assignments or work that they need to do.  I know personally that Eagle Hill emphasized the importance of organization, and even designed a class that everyone in the school need to take that only revolved around teaching us how to stay organized.  This meant that a teacher would assign us with certain assignments such as organizing our calendar and binders.  If they were not organized then we would be given a penalty and be graded on our organization at every level.  This helped to keep track of our progress and I believe that even up to the college level this application can be used effectively homework.

Ideas formed and used from an interview with Andrea Prupus who discusses assistive technology,  (http://nextmontreal.com/assistive-technology-helps-kids-with-learning-disabilities-an-interview-with-andrea-prupas/) 

I have had a lot of thoughts and ideas about tablets and iPad's and how cool and fun it would be if it was used in schools.  It would be awesome if a student only needed to buy a tablet such as the iPad where it would have all their textbooks, readings, and everything they needed for class.  A student could take notes in class and even type their papers; there might not even be a need for laptops anymore.  It is much lighter and easier to carry around then book and a regular laptop.  I can think of many applications that a tablet would be great for education, particularly earlier grades.  A tablet with the right software that is designed right there can be great lengths taken into the technology of reading, writing, and math programs.  With a tablet a student could zoom in and out on text, just like reading a book.  By enforcing students to us an iPad it will give students and teachers, instant and personalized access to information, and creating more interest for students and their teachers.  By having both students and teachers using the same exact technology this will give them a chance to have something in common and maybe create a better relationship between student and teacher.  The iPad will also free the users from wires and they will not need to connect to the network because the iPad works wirelessly and on the 3G network.  It lets students and teachers move around much easier and it is much lighter then a laptop.  A large incentive in using the iPad in education is the money that will be saved because there will be no reason to buy textbooks and it will also help the environment because les textbooks will be made.  Finally, the iPad will keep users such as students and teachers up to date with current technology and give them something to talk about other then school work.  It will give them a chance to discuss what new applications are out that may strike interests and may help them with both parties with productivity.  (http://www.ipadinschools.com/).

Here are some examples of schools that the iPad is being used for educational purposes: (http://www.ipadinschools.com/)

Seton Hill University (Pennsylvania) – has commited to giving each of its 2100 full time students an iPad.

George Fox University ­– announced  that it would be giving its new students the choice between a Macbook or an iPad.

Oklahoma State University - will be starting  an iPad initiative with 125 students in five different courses during the fall term.

The University of Maryland - is giving iPad’s to 75 incoming Honors students in the fall.

Gibbon Fairfax Winthrop High School - was the very first high school to give an iPad to each of their 320 students

Northwest Kansas Technical College - is going to give an iPad to every student who registers for the Fall 2010 term – and they will be providing their content via iTunes.

Top 10 Apps 4 you Dad and Toddler!

Why are toddlers so interested in their parent’s iphone? A friend of mine has a full page of apps dedicated to her two year old daughter. She calls it her “life saver!” Where ever she is she can hand over her iphone and the toddler flips to her page, settles down and selects her favorite app! She not only knows how to get to her app page but she can slide through picture, take a picture and call her dad with no one’s help! She is just learning to talk but she is an iphone expert!!

Furthermore, my 55-year-old Dad has no idea how to even turn on a computer. My brother has even written him step-by-step directing including pictures of what buttons to push! So when my Mom called me this summer to tell me she had bought Dad an ipad I was shocked! How did he know how to turn it on? What would he do with it? He can’t even type! Sure enough when I went home a few weeks later, there was my Dad, ipad in hand writing an email, my jaw literally dropped to the floor! He showed me all the apps he downloaded to check the weather, the stocks and his work schedule.

TIME magazine came out with a list of "top 10 Apps for your Dad"…

1. GolfCard
2. iHandyCarpenter
3. GasCubby
4. Grill Guide
5. Family Guy
6. Trapster
7. Hundred Pushups
8. 5800+ Drink and Cocktail Recipes
9. Fanfinder
10. Thing

http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/completelist/0,29569,1906008,00.html

Road Trip for Family writes, "Back in the day, parents handed fussy toddlers their keys, a teething toy or maybe a rattle. Now, we hand over the iPhone.... It’s about iPhone apps. So, we decided to do some research and let our fingers do the downloading as we tried out some of the top contenders and a few more obscure apps. Here are our recommendations for the apps worth downloading. Let the happy road trips begin (www.roadtripsforfamilies.com)."

Road Trips for families Top 10 Apps for Toddlers and Kids

Disney’s Fairies Fly

ABC’s

Virtual Zippo Lighter

Wheels on the Bus

Teach Me: Kindergarten

Balloonimals

Bugdom 2

Toddler Teasers

Peekaboo Barn

Wordex

http://www.roadtripsforfamilies.com/2010/02/10-best-iphone-apps-for-toddlers-and-kids/

Disposable Girlfriend- Can Robots Replace Humans as Spouses?

Science fiction is full of stories of the quest for the Holy Grail of artificial intelligence: creating a computer whose programming is so complex that it can flawlessly interact with humans on a social and emotional level and even begin to "feel" emotions. Alongside the fascination with the potential of a machine that can truly "think" like a human is the anxiety that such a machine could replace a person. After all, if every person had the option to purchase their ideal, custom-made, indistinguishable-from-a-human spouse, how could a flawed, flesh-and-blood human spouse compete? The response to this question in fiction differs greatly by nation. Modern science fiction from America and Japan has provided two answers:



First, that dabbling in AI technology is dangerous, selfish, and an affront to humanity. In 2009, Film and television director Joss Whedon (probably best known for the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer) created a series for Fox Television called Dollhouse, which focused on an underground business called "The Dollhouse" that reprograms the brains of their human employees (known as "dolls") to suit the needs and desires of the buyer. The premise begins with some playful what-ifs (what if you could order a customized lover? an assassin? a girl programmed to act exactly like your dead wife?) but soon shifts focus to the larger implications of developing technology that can change the functions of the human brain. If the mind of a person can be quantified and expressed on a disc, and that disc can be physically destroyed, what is the value of the human mind? Furthermore, if a personality can be put on a disc and downloaded to another body, what is the value of the original body? What we Americans traditionally think of as "freedom"- the right to make our own decisions and to not be exploited by others- does not exist in the world of The Dollhouse. The series ends with the hard-won triumph of individual freedom at the cost of technological advancement. This moral (freedom within society is better than an elite society with too much government control) can be seen in countless American films, books, and television series.

Japan has a different take on the question of AI. The 2001 manga (Japanese comic) series Chobits takes place in a near-future Japan where customizable robots have become a normal part of society. These robots, called "Persocoms", look, speak, and feel exactly like humans except for cat-ear-like metal hubs on the sides of their heads. These AI are capable not only of blending in with humans, but they can perform internet searches, do calculations, and print maps.. sound familiar? Probably because a persocom basically functions like a sexy girl with an iPhone in her head. Human-persocom marriage is legal, and humans are starting to program their mates exactly as they want them instead of dating other humans. There are moments in the story when the human characters wonder about the worth of their bodies and personalities when they're surrounded by perfect robots, but for the most part everyone is happy to live and love in this new, robotic world. This response is very Japanese response to the AI problem: technological progress for the good of society as a whole is worth the discomfort an individual experiences when they realize that all the AI around them are smarter, better-looking, and more useful than they are. Chobits may have the potential to become prophecy. Japan currently struggles with a negative birth rate and a young generation that is more interested in the anonymous comforts of the Internet than in socializing with other people. Contemporary Japanese film and fiction is full of stories of young people being brainwashed and even killed by their computers, reflecting the anxiety of the older, non-tech-saavy generation.

Since the cautionary tales of man-made life forms ("golems") in the Old Testament, humanity has worried about the potentially disastrous effects of creating artificial life. Modern science fiction has sought an answer to the AI question over and over again, from I, Robot to Wall-E. Whether artificial intelligence will result in the end of humanity or a society where humans and robots get along just fine, only time will tell.