Red Queens and Increasing Returns

Module (5) Blog Post

Red Queens and Increasing Returns

At first, I had to determine what the red queen had to do with technology. Through articles, I determined that the Red Queen gets her name from the story written by Lewis Carolin. The story is titled “Through the Looking Glass”. In this narrative, a dialogue between the two characters, Alice and the Red Queen a question is posed by Alice in reference to why they are not making any progress. The Red Queen replies back to Alice stating that just to stay in the same place, you have to run as fast as you can. It is difficult to make progress. The dialogue between these characters is compared to the competition that takes place between emerging technologies. The race is very hard, and the result can be that one of the technologies lags behind in the race to fully emerge. Dr.Thornburg (2008c) explains that the technology that falls behind is often left behind; however, it does not mean that the one that wins is the best technology among them. 

When you decided to obtain a DVD for your science fiction assignment in Module 4, where did you go to find a movie based on a Philip K. Dick book? Did you rent or purchase a DVD, or did you view it digitally on your computer using Netflix or a similar vendor of video-on-demand? 

The movie that I selected was “The Minority Report” starring Tom Cruise. Fortunately, I have an old collection of movies as well as a new collection. I actually had the video on an old VHS and my DVD player plays both VHS and DVD movies. However, I have become a fan of Netflix because it is the cheaper way to go. 

Is the current competition between DVDs and video-on-demand an example of increasing returns or Red Queens? Justify your response with sound reasoning and specific examples. 

Yes, the way that we watch movies is an example of Red Queens. There continues to be a competition between how movies are presented for some time. The example, it cost more to go to Walmart or any order retail store to buy a DVD than it does to download the movie using Netflix (another source). Economic hardships that are being endured in our society is causing people to become more and more money conscience. The cost of DVDs is going to be a considering factor in the distinction of DVDs.

Where do you think DVDs and video-on-demand are on the four criteria of McLuhan’s tetrad? 

It is apparent that VHS is completely obsolete even though I still have a collection. I think that both DVDs and video-on-demand has caused VHS to become obsolete. My guess would be that video-on-demand will overtake DVDs and make them obsolete in the near future.

Reference:

Thornburg, D. (2008c). Red Queens, butterflies, and strange attractors: Imperfect lenses       into emergent technologies. Lake Barrington, IL: Thornburg Center for Space Exploration.

Module 4: The Disruptive Power of Second Life

How is Second Life a disruptive technology?

Some may consider the mere fact that the disruption is identified in the new form of the communication system. In accordance with Rosedale (2008), he explains how using symbols for communication could be considered disruptive. My perspective about “Second Life” is that I do not see it as a disruptive technology at the present time; however, it is like any technology in that it has to be used in the right way, at the appropriate age, and with supervision for minor children.  It is considered a disruptive technology because through the creation of a virtual world that gives people the opportunity to reinvent themselves. Some choose to reinvent themselves while providing fictitious data that misleads others about “the real person”. Social networking is having such a great impact on our society in this era. According to Rosedale (2008), humans are social creatures that desire to explore information in the virtual world is inherently a social behavior that people desire to experience. Phillip Kapor shows a slide listing a number of technologies he considered disruptive when they appeared, including Lotus 1-2-3, UUNet, Real Networks, Wikipedia, and Second Life. Yes, Second Life was included.

What technology or innovation did it displace?

 

Some of the technology or innovation that it did displace is the way that we travel and the social defenselessness. Yet, it has heightened our ability to fantasize about who we are and where we are through a virtual world.

 

How many years do you think Second Life has left before another emerging technology or disruptive technology replaces it?

 

Technology is replaced, upgraded, and marketed at a fast rate of speed. It is now 2012, and I believe that is still slowly emerging. Cost effectiveness is sometimes one of the most crucial components that a consumer considers before adoption or using the technology. Reviews of participates with Second Life reveal that it is costly and requires too many resources. This technology will be replaced in less than a decade.

 

What are the social benefits of Second Life, and what might be the social implications of virtual worlds in your industry?

 

As an educator in the elementary arena, I do not see “Second Life” as a disruptive technology. In fact I use this site as a behavior tool – http://www.dojo.com. The rationale is that technology is so closely monitored by our school system and the technology team. Yet, I think about the desire for educators to implement more student directed learning and to implement more access to technology in the classroom. Some virtual world has been designed for educational purposes. For example, Active Worlds Educational Universe is one of the oldest and largest networks. Educational worlds can be found in 3D recreations of museum and gallery spaces, computer programming tutorials, and virtual libraries.

References:

Rosedale, P. (2008). Second Life [Video]. Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/the_inspiration_of_second_life.html.

Wallace, M. (2006). Mitch Kapor on the power of second life. Retrieved from http://www.3pointd.com/20060820/mitch-kapor-on-the-power-of-second-life/

Rhymes of History Technology (Module 3)

Rhymes of History Technology

The technology that epitomizes “Rhymes of History Technology” is the camera. In a video presentation, Dr. Thornburg made this profound statement, “A Rhyme in History is an affect or effect of a new development rekindles something from the distant past” (Laureaute Education, 2010). As we know, the camera has gone through many technological changes from the very beginning of time.

In the old west movies, we could see the man under the cap taking pictures in the Wild West. Beaumont Newhall was born in Lynn, Massachusetts on June 22, 1908. Some of his earliest childhood memories revolved around photography. He recalled watching his mother in her darkroom as she developed her own glass plate images as well as dipping his fingers into the chemical trays to see what they tasted like (Beaumont, 1982).

 The ability to take still pictures has developed into taking pictures with movement and using automatic focus. Capturing memories through pictures has always been a desire for many people through the centuries. Cameras are used in our personal lives to collect memories. Cameras are used in business for surveillance; cameras help to keep our society safe from criminal activity. Images of documents taken by scanners are a great asset in the business world. The uses of all types of cameras are profound in our society. 

Included are some Websites about cameras in my references.

Newhall, Beaumount (1982). The History of Photography. New York, New York: The Museum of Modern Art. p. 13. ISBN 0-87070-381-1.

Thornburg. D. (2009). Rhymes of History. Laureate Education, Inc. Retrieved April 11, 2012 from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?

URL Links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_camera#External_linksinks

http://wcc.wilkescc.edu/barkerb/GRA140/notes/History_of_Photography-Notes.pdf

Module 2: Emerging Technologies Tetrad

Our group selected the Lytro camera as our emerging technology. The Lytro camera offers a new approach to photography. Focus has challenged photographers since the very beginning. In 1839 the Parisian magazine, Charivari reported the following problems with Daguerre’s brand-new photographic process (Newhall, 1976).

“You want to make a portrait of your wife. You fit her head in a fixed iron collarto give the required immobility, thus holding the world still for the time being. You point the camera lens at her face; but alas, you make a mistake of a fraction of an inch, and when you take out the portrait it doesn’t represent your wife –it’s her parrot, her watering pot – or worse.”

This new camera provides a resolution for the focusing problem. You can view images of the Lytro camera that provides diagrams and explanations at http://stadium.weblogsinc.com/engadget/files/Lytro_FCC_User_Guide_November_2011.pdf. The Lytro camera refines the already awesome digital camera as we know it today.  As with any emerging technology it presents both pros and cons. A picture of the camera along with an itemized list of the pros and cons can be found at this website - http://www.spencergordon.com/2011/12/15/lytro-camera-a-pro-or-a-con/.

References:

Newhall, B. 1976. The Daguerreotype in America, 3rd rev. ed. New York: Dover.

Identify an Emerged Technology (Module 1)

Technology is constantly advancing; educators can provide meaningful lessons that captivate the students’ attention. As an educator, I have had the privilege of teaching in a traditional classroom; however, I have had the opportunity to further my education in a non-traditional learning environment. 

Identify a current technology that has emerged in the last few years that shapes learning or productively in your industry.  The current technology that has emerged in our classrooms in the last few years is the Mimio board. This exceptional technology makes instructional delivery faster, captures the students’ attention, and helps to move at a faster pace. 

What problems or challenges have been associated with this technology?  The first problem was getting the staff trained. The training came after the technology was installed in the classroom.  Although, we have had training, we need time to apply our skills and to practice what we have learned. The training provided took place during our planning period, and the trainer did not allow hands on experiences (due to  time restraints). Also, it has been hard to get replacement bulbs for the installed projectors due to their cost. 

What societal need does it meet, and what are its benefits?  It is an interactive board that allows students to interact with classmates as well as other students in other school settings. The benefits are faster instructional delivery, wealth of resources, interaction for students and content, and the promotion of student’s attention.  Educators like the Mimio board because it does not take up the white board space like the Promethean boards do. There is no screen attached to the white magnetic board. 

What would make this technology even better, avoiding the pitfalls you identified?  It would be great if we had the access to control the Mimio from anywhere in our classroom. There is a Mimio Pad wireless tablet that frees you from standing in front of the classroom. It would enable instructors to create and present interactive lessons from anywhere in the classroom via Mimio Teach technology. Students would have the opportunity to participate from their seats.

URL link:  http://www.mimio.dymo.com/Products/MimioClassroom-Family-of-Products.aspx