Journal #4 Final Curriculum Project Plan

Site Title: "Then & Now: Music Sampling"

Developer: Nicole Everett

Rational/Focus: The goal of my site is to serve as an addition to my "published" iBook of the same title, and to showcase the increase in music sampling and hot it crosses genres in music everyday.  While also pinpointing that this is not a "new" phenomenon in musical history--it's been happening for generations.

Main Features Outline:

• typical navigation
• external links to other websites
• multimedia elements, i.e. sound and video clips, mp3s
• photo thumbnail images, and some in CSS styling
• comparison charts/tables

Content: 7 HTML webpages

1. home page- navigate the webpage options and functionality throughout site
2. basic info- explaining what is music sampling and other various definitions involved
3. history- explaining where the method originated and how it progressed through generations in popular music genres and the people associated with the business of sampling
4. examples- the page that will be most interactive, provided there will be sound clips to play and examine for comparison
5. resources- other web site links that draw similarities and more foundation to this method in music creation, and a link to how to download the iBook version

Target Audience: Everyone and anyone interested in learning the facts about alternative music history.  Music professionals, music teachers/students.

Design Consideration: I would want for the site to be informative but also fun.  Not for it to be just a site full of mundane factual information.  I want there to be interactive elements.

Limiting Factors: If there isn't an interested audience, the site is unnecessary.  It needs to be compelling. And technically, I need to be able to understand how to appropriately apply multimedia elements within the HTML write up and CSS styling, otherwise the site won't be functional.

The Site Map:
http://www.gliffy.com/go/publish/image/6373712/L.png

The Wire Map:
Site Title in the largest and enticing font
Headings of webpages in smaller, matched font. Animation graphic on each web page button
links open up to separate windows

Journal #3

Kessler.  (2010, September).  The Case For Social Media in Schools.  Retrieved from http://mashable.com/2010/09/29/social-media-in-school/

I was initially against any support of incorporating social media in education, but after reading through the evidence from Sarah Kessler's article, I find that there are many benefits of combining social media and young students. Some of the points made were from a direct study of Ms. Delmatoff's middle school class, but the fact that her social experiments proved success only further pushes the idea that if applied correctly, social media could now be considered another learning resource.  Those in support of incorporating social media in education have expressed that if, the professional (the teacher) can get ahead of the curve and understand where social media is beneficial to young students then the fear of the risks involved when surfing the internet can be limited. 

Q1: Considering there is no escape from the growth of both the Web and social media interaction, how much longer before other schools and teachers (nationwide) will begin to implement changes like those similar to Delmatoff's experiments?
A1: Just like we are not going to get adults and even adult learners to stop in the progress of social media, the same goes for the youth of our society.  The youth have dominated over social media.   And if proving including social media in educational curriculum has positive results, then it can only mean we should further encourage a collaboration of social media and learning sooner.  The more social expertise we gain in the years to come, and the technological advancements that are destined to accompany it, the more it should be available to students and not a thing of resistance.  This change is going to happen faster than expected.

Q2:  It's a new wave of excitement for young students to be able to incorporate what they know about social interaction with their everyday learning.  Will this change how they interact on Facebook vs. Kidsblog.org?
A: Hopefully with the right direction, students will learn how to conduct themselves in particular spaces within social media and the Web.  Just like their are social ques that we learn from culture, a new Web culture will develop and it should show students how to behave in cyber life and in real life.  How to be friendly on Facebook and how to be academically professional on Kidsblog.org, and alternatively how to be appropriate outside cyberspace as well. 

Journal #2- Affinity Group

Journal #2

Joining an Online Affinity Group

I have found the group “Books and Writers” on LinkedIn as my Affinity group.  It is a group that is dedicated to established and amateur professionals interested in the literary industry, specifically publishing.  Considering that I am in the process of narrowing down the career path I wish to follow, I figured this group would provide me with personal accounts from people already experiencing how this industry works.

The link to this group is:https://www.linkedin.com/groups?home=&gid=1697027&trk=groups_most_popular-h-logo&goback=.anb_1697027_*2_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1

Q1: What do you plan to take away from this group and what will you do with the information gained?

A1: I plan to find out more about the publishing business.  I have always had an interest in writing, and now that I’m in the EMM program I have discovered that I would like to produce written learning materials.  Being that this program focuses on multimedia elements I understand that I will gain the tools to manipulate technology to my advantage when time to create new learning materials for the future.  I hope that this group will shed some light on what the process is like for getting involved in this industry and hopefully I can combine what I’m learning from the EMM subject matter with real life accounts on how to become successfully published.

Q2: Do you think you will be able to gain any professional insight from the RSS Digg blogs?

A2: The RSS Digg blogs are nearly dependent on your personal preferences and how you acquire the information shared.  If I start to follow blogs that are providing information or any resources that would assist developing my professional path, then I'm bound to gain and an advantage with what's provided. 

Chapters 1-3

Journal #1

Robbins.  (2012, August).  Learning Web Design, 4^th Edition.  Retrieved from http://0-proquest.safaribooksonline.com.opac.library.csupomona.edu/book/web-design-and-development/9781449337513

Summary: Web development can be seen as a convoluted system of technical jargon and “trial and error” know-how to the untrained web design novice.  Though Jennifer N. Robbins’ Learning Web Design manages to explain all the intricate information in a concise breakdown so that web development doesn’t become as daunting as most people would expect.  In order to understand how to begin in web design, one must understand how the Internet and the Web are formed and how they function. She provides brief history throughout the explanations of Web functionality to further explain why we as a society have gotten as far as we have in the technological advancement of the Internet.  That simply provides a clear background of where we began with the Internet and how relative it is to understanding it now. 

Q1: What are the first things to consider when approaching the beginning of designing a website?

A1: According to Robbins, you cannot only consider the physical appeal of what a website could potentially look like, but you must think of how the site will work for the client to use.  There are 3 disciplines that outline how to begin working functionality of a site: the Interaction Design (IxD), User Interface (UI), and User Experience (UX). 

            IxD: making sure the site is “user friendly” and efficient.

            UI: focused more on the particular functions of site in terms of useable tools (buttons, links, 

            etc.)

            UX: ensuring the user experience as a whole is enjoyable through observational methods.

Q2: What is the difference between the Internet and the Web?

A2: The Internet is defined as a connected network between computers for the purpose of sharing information through a governed system of rules and standards; for example, email.  The Web is a subset within the Internet that performs as one of multiple ways to transfer shared info. 

About Me

Hello to all!

My name is Nicole Everett, I am Southern California native and a die-hard LA Laker fan!  I'm currently on my journey through the EMM Masters Program after a short break from any learning environments (I had to try living the "real life" after undergrad).  I received my Bachelors in Sociology at UC Santa Barbara, and so far I'm really enjoying using my sociological perspectives within the field of education.  I initially begrudged the idea of returning to school after some years away, but I'm happy to be back, and paving a new road for myself. 
I can be found on the other side of the CLA building working as a Research Assistant to the Executive Director of Admissions and Outreach. And in my spare time I'm catching up with friends and family--or finally having some "peace to myself" at my new apartment. :)

On the technology continuum...I guess I would place myself in the intermediate realm of understanding.  I've been using computers since early childhood (lucky me), so everything computers isn't that frightening.  Only when it comes to this advanced information do I seem to get a little lost. But I'm hoping that I'll be able to catch on fairly quickly.  Wish me luck this time. 

I decided to return to school for my Masters, specifically in Education Multimedia because a close friend referred the program to me.  She explained her route to teaching in higher education and I figured that I have always been involved in the administrative aspect of education in some way, that this would make a good fit.  In terms of trying to identify my career from this point, I'm still guessing...no, attempting to narrowing it down.  Again, wish me luck.