Module 2

Nintendo Hand-held Tetrad

The Nindendo Entertainment System celebrated its 25^th anniversary in October of 2010 (Reisinger, 2010). It has gone through many transitions throughout the years. Nintendo’s handheld game system was released in the 1980s with games entitled Donkey Kong, Mario Brothers, and so forth (Melanson, 2006).  

 

The next gaming success came when the GameBoy and its versions were released in 1989 (Melanson, 2006). The price appealed to many consumers which made GameBoy very popula

The GameBoy Color (in 1998) included better graphics and gaming experience, as did the GameBoy Advance (in 2001). The GameBoy Advanced packed more punch with the power of Super Nintendo but with a sleek design. 

 

In 2004-2005, the Nintendo DS Lite was introduced. The built-in WiFi is a great selling point, as is the sleek design and dual screen.

Tetrad of the Nintendo DSi XL 

SOURCES:

Melanson, D. (2006). A brief history of the video game. Retrieved 12 January 2011 from http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/03/a-brief-history-of-handheld-video-games/

NintendoDS. (2011). Retrieved 12 January 2011 from http://www.nintendodsi.com/#slideshow=feature-1

Reisinger, D. (2010). Happy 25^th, Nintendo Entertainment System.In CNET. Retrieved January 15, 2011, from http://news.cnet.com/8301-13506_3-20019927-17.html?tag=contentMain;contentBody;3n

Wikipedia. (2011). Handheld game console. Retrieved 12 Jaunuary 2011 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Handheld_game_console

 

 

 

 

Module I--Emerging Technologies: Glogster

Emerging Technology: Glogster

What is Glogster?

One technology that is new to education is Glogster. Glogster was founded in 2007. Glogster is an online poster that can be embedded in wikis and websites. This new Web 2.0 tool is also interactive. One can embed videos that play at the click of the mouse. Text can be added in unique frames. Audio can be added as well. Glogster is a new high-tech replacement (or alternative) to the traditional cardboard poster in which the student writes words, draws pictures, and pastes photographs (Dyck, B., 2009)

Problems or Challenges in Using Glogster

Glogster is a Web 2.0 tool and faces the same problems or challenges of many other free web-based tools. Slow internet connections or high volume on the website poses a problem for teachers and students. Those students who do not have access to the internet at home may demonstrate slower progress in completing their glogs. Since Glogster is still quite new, there’s still not a lot of technical support when a student (or teacher) has a problem.

I have found that there have been many times where a wonderful technology works most of the time and then the other times that same technology seems inundated with “gremlins”. Apparently, I have to perform the same action several times and then when I “hold my tongue just right” everything falls into place.

Benefits of Using Glogster

Glogster has many advantages. Glogster is free to use and now has the educational version called Glogster EDU. Since it’s a Web 2.0 tool, this technology is multi-platform (Windows and Macs) and so is more easily accessible since it’s on the web. Glogster’s use doesn’t have to be limited to the classroom setting since students may work on their glogs at home and at school. Wikis and blogs allow others to collaborate and comment on each other’s work and so does Glogster (Grant, L. 2010).

In creating a multimedia presentation for a literature study on Hatchet by Gary Paulsen, I embedded my Glogster page onto my Kidblog page. My students enjoyed watching the videos that I embedded onto the glog. I was also able to post some photos that represented the parts of the book that we had read. Hopefully, after the holidays, my flexible reading group (high reading level students from three different classes) will be able to create their own glogs when we meet again and finish the book.

Suggestions for Improving Glogster

Tenkely, K. (2009) hosts a newsletter/blog entitle I Learn Technology and writes a review of of Glogster. She describes several uses of this Web 2.0 tool and provides the viewer with links to see finished products. When looking at the comments on this page, one subscriber writes that inappropriate pictures have been posted by Glogster users, even in Glogster EDU. I’m not quite sure how one could totally avoid this problem unless Glogster did a better job at filtering what is posted on its site. Tenkely (2009) responded to the subscriber by proposing that the affected school system block glogster.com rather than glogster.edu.

Besides filtering inappropriate pictures, another improvement would be for Glogster to provide more technical support. It’s frustrating to use a tool and then to have something not work correctly. YouTube does provide some great tutorials but additional help is needed.

Sources:

Dyck, B. (2009). Hooked on Glogster: Posters 2.0. Retrieved December 19, 2010 from http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/columnists/dyck/dyck037.shtml

Grant, L. (2010). Developing the home-school relationship using digital technologies. Retreived December 20, 2010 from http://www.futurelab.org.uk

Tenkely, K. (2009). Glogster. Retrieved December 21, 2010 from http://ilearntechnology.com/?p=601