Week 6: Media and Information Literacy

This week we learned about visual literacy within media. This is the ability to interpret, negotiate, and make meaning from information presented in the form of an image. We focused this past class week on using Photoshop. Photoshop is truly a remarkable tool as it appears there is an infinite number of options and creative tools available to develop any picture and change it entirely.

Visual literacy is based on the idea that pictures can be “read” and that meaning can be communicated through a process of reading. It is like the saying pictures are worth 1000 words. Photoshop is the ideal tool for anyone and being in Journalism, Public Relations, this tool is a key to our success. Although it has been under scrutiny in the past for changes to original document etc, I think it just goes to show how incredible of a tool Photoshop really is and all of its capabilities.

In public relations, I can see multiple uses for having graphic editing software. Being able to show new photos for marketing purposes or having the option to create new graphics for a company is very useful and can speak volumes about that company as a whole.

The video I found is very interesting and shows how you can use Photoshop in advertising.

Extra Blog: Copyright and Fair Use

This is a very cool and interesting video created by using clips of Disney movies explaining Copyright and Fair Use laws. I find it interesting that the very people (Disney) who helped copyright so many things are able to make this parody regarding copyright.

Extra Blog : Webspiration

This is my mind map that I would use for a job in public relations. It displays how I would use social media tools, such as youtube and twitter in the PR market. Being in a field where having a personal organizer benefits not just yourself and your plans but having to find ways to get new, and important information about the products or services I am required to endorse can be challenging. Having tools to organize these projects and plans are great. Using the social media tools is a great help as well.

Click on the link below to be lead to my Webspiration mind map.

http://www.mywebspiration.com/view/774301aab2

Week 5: Tech Tools for Critical Thinking

This week we focused on new tools that are being developed for social media and technology. We learned about a mind-mapping tool call Webspiration. This is just one of so many new and interesting tools available on the internet stemming from open source software. In class we discussed concept mapping and multiple web sites that let you create your own concept maps for organizing your thoughts. Having these tools that help with organization and planning make visuals for projects and presentations much easier. I created my own concept map that related some tools on the web to my field, public relations.

Within public relations concept maps can be used for multiple purposes. To begin with when organizing projects, plans or ideas having a tool like webspiration for example is great. I think these tools are a great way to lay out and organize thoughts on how to spread new information and ideas about the products or services you endorse. Having the ability to use new tools within social media to get word of these new services is incredibly beneficial, and having the concept mapping tool to organize and make clear these thoughts and processes is great.

This video I found is demonstration of free/open source software. It displays lots of different public software that is free, has had multiple uses and makes the users life much simpler. As you know this type of software was developed online and is constantly changing. Lets take a look at some of this software that has influenced our lives.

Week 4: Copyright Law, Plagiarism, & Ethical Issues

Copyright is "protection offered to creators of original works". Copyrighting enables creators of ideas to have protection from letting other people steal there ideas or concepts. In the past, I was fortunate enough to gain knowledge about what was went over in class, which shows just how important copyright infringement and plagiarism is. Just by breaking copyright law, or committing plagiarism, someone can lose all of there creditability and it is almost impossible to gain it back.

In my profession as a public relations major it is possible for me to see myself encountering copyright and plagiarism issues everyday. However, currently working at the college level the most obvious thing I foresee happening is students cheating. However having the proper education on this topic should enable people to better understand and learn to avoid the issue of plagiarism. On the profession level, within public relations, one must be wary of plagiarism with press release and writings to ensure that the work is one's own.

For my video I chose to embed I found a video displaying and explaining intellectual property and showing the rights of copyright infringement, law, etc.

Week 3: Blogging, Web Technology

This week in class we focused on learning how to blog. We used a website called Blogger and began to learn the art of blogging. Blogging is a great new form of technology available on the internet that allows us to express ourselves in our own ways. It is one of the new forms of Web 2.0 technology that allows us to be making constant strides online. In class we learned how to use this website and not only embed videos but tag labels as well.

There are many different reasons why blogging is a great tool. Besides the obvious social aspect to the device, it allows for the spread of new ideas. It shows different perspectives and different sides of the truth that may not be shown elsewhere. When using a blog or creating a blog you are able to make it your own personal brand. This is part of the reason that makes blogging so unique from other aspects of social media.

Blogging has made the spreading of your own personal ideas much easier. People now have made blogs about anything and everything stemming from sports to celebrity news and now there are blogs about ways to use and help people use technology. Web 2.0 tools and applications are remarkable. The new platform that allows us to create and edit personal software just shows how it is truly a great tool!

Week 2: MAC vs. PC

In this class we learned the basics of the Mac operating system and how to smoothly use a Mac computer without fail or falter. I have had a Mac for 7 years now and they are by far more superior to personal computers (PCs). During this week of class we got to learn the basics of the Mac (i.e. the dock, finder, etc). These simple tools are just the beginning layer for opening the capabilities of the Mac. Macs have become a superior computer. The tutorials we went over in class showed us everything we needed to get started on a Mac to understand the capabilities it has. It is truly a magical machine.

Apple is making a serious name for itself in IT. Everything seems to have the prefix "i" in front of it these days, or things are being made to fit with apple products. 2 years ago I could have said PCs were the leader in computers but now Macs have completely taken over the market. With that being said it is my opinion that everyone should become acquainted with Macs because the technology world seems to be moving in that direction. In the future I can only see myself continuing to use macs because of how user friendly they are and the fact that they have built in firewalls to avoid common viruses is a great added plus.

The video I chose is hilarious. It compares Macs with PCs. This is a collections of commercials that have gained much fame throughout the past couple of years and some credit this genius marketing to Apple's extraordinary success.