Technology & Internet Terms (Part 3)

Our next technology & Internet term is "podcast." According to Wikipedia's definition, "a podcast is a series of digital computer files, usually either digital audio or video, that is released periodically and made available for download by means of web syndication." Although it may seem like podcasts need to be played on an ipod, that's not the case! If you have a computer that can process digital audio/video files, you can play podcasts on that!

Check out this great video called "Podcasting in Plain English."
http://www.commoncraft.com/podcasting

Please note that some podcasts are available for download for free. Others may cost money.

Visit this site for the opportunity to check out more podcasts that are ready for download. Once there, be sure to look at the "Podcast Directory" on the right for some great categories such as art, comedy & humor, cooking, fashion, hobbies, sports, travel, and more!

http://www.digitalpodcast.com/


Prior to this blog post, did you know about podcasting? What did you think about the "Podcasting in Plain English" video?

Technology & Internet Terms (Part 2)

The next technology & Internet term we'll examine is "Twitter." This is a method of communication that's growing in popularity. Did you know that some celebrities like Oprah, Anderson Cooper (from CNN) and comedian Kathy Griffin all use Twitter?

According to Wikipedia's definition, "Twitter is a free social networking and micro-blogging service that enables its users to send and read messages known as tweets. Tweets are text-based posts of up to 140 characters displayed on the author's profile page and delivered to the author's subscribers who are known as followers. Senders can restrict delivery to those in their circle of friends or, by default, allow open access. Users can send and receive tweets via the Twitter website, Short Message Service (SMS) or external applications. While the service costs nothing to use, accessing it through SMS may incur phone service provider fees."

Just like other social networking sites, it's important to use common sense & follow some rules so that you're "tweeting" safely. Check out this site for 4 tips on how to use Twitter safely: http://ezinearticles.com/?Twitter-Safety---4-Ways-to-Use-This-Top-Social-Media-Site-Without-Compromising-Your-Personal-Safety&id=1589849.

Which rule did you find to be most important to follow?

Technology & Internet Terms (Part 1)

This week I'd like to focus on some technology & Internet terms that you might hear (or see) used often. First, we'll start with the term "social networking."

According to Wikipedia's definition, "a social network service focuses on building online communities of people who share interests and/or activities, or who are interested in exploring the interests and activities of others. Most social network services are web based and provide a variety of ways for users to interact, such as e-mail and instant messaging services."

Some popular social networking sites are Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

While these can all be great ways to stay in touch with friends & family, as well as to make new contacts for school or work, it's important that people follow some safety tips when using these sites. Check out Microsoft's webpage about social networking safety.

Which of those 10 tips listed do you feel is most important?

Writing - "Specially" or "Especially"

Here's a great site that talks about using the words "specially" and "especially" in writing.

http://englishplus.com/grammar/00000287.htm


My favorite parts of that site were these lines.

• "Most of the time there is little or no difference between the words especially and specially ."


• "In the sense of "particular" or "particularly," the words mean pretty much the same thing. Often they can be used synonymously. However, if you want to stress the exceptional or noteworthy quality, then especial or especially is a better choice. If you want to stress the distinctive purpose of something, then special or specially is the word you are looking for. "

Knowing that in most writing, the author is trying to denote something exceptional, I'd say the best rule is to stick with the word "especially."

So here's your "assignment" for this blog entry. I'd especially like if you would write one sentence that correctly illustrates how you could use that particular word! I'll start!

"I especially enjoy when students use the blog!"

Writing - What do you find to be the hardest part?

When it comes to writing, what part do you find to be the most difficult? Try to be as specific as possible and I'll do my best to make sure that future blog topics deal with those things!

Elluminate Bloggers!

Thank you for attending the Elluminate session today on "Blogging". I hope you now have a better understanding of what a "blog" is and how it can help you!

Please consider visiting the e-learning blog site again. It is a great way to practice your reading, writing, vocabulary and soft skills.

To become an official blogger today on our site please answer the following questions by submitting your comment. Remember, you can submit your blog without creating an account by clicking on anonymous. If you do select that option, please add your name at the end of the blog to receive credit for the assignment below.

Tell me about your "blogging" experience or share your answers to the questions below:
Do you plan to visit the e-learning blog site in the future? Have you used blogs in the past to make decisions on a purchase or to learn about a particular subject?

Thank you for your submitting your comment! Have an awesome day.

eLearning Blog - A Look Back (Part 4)

Now it's time to examine November's topics. There were some great ones covered that month!

Use the link below & browse through the blog topics presented that month. Pick one that you think you'll gain the most from reviewing, read through the topic carefully, and participate on that by adding your reply. After you've done that, come back here & tell us what topic you selected, the date it was originally presented, and what you learned from it! Have fun!

http://elearningbroward.blogspot.com/2008_11_01_archive.html

Can a word be overused? Absolutely!

Is it possible that a word can be overused in writing & speaking? Absolutely!

Check out this article from CNN.com about how the word "absolutely" is used too much. It's interesting!

http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/wayoflife/07/14/absolutely/index.html?iref=mpstoryview

What are your thoughts? Do you use the word "absolutely" in your writing & speaking? Do you feel that you use it too much? Do you know of anyone else who uses that word too much?

eLearning Blog - A Look Back (Part 3)

October 2008 was one of the most active blog months. Let's check out some of those great topics!

Look for a topic that seems interesting. First read it; then participate in it by adding your response. After you do that, come back here & tell me the date of the topic you selected, the blog topic title, and what you learned!

http://elearningbroward.blogspot.com/2008_10_01_archive.html

eLearning Blog - A Look Back (Part 2)

Let's continue with our "blast from the past" look at previous blog topics! This time, we'll focus on topics from August 2008.

Scroll through & find one topic that catches your interest. Read it & participate in it by adding your response. After you do that, come back here & tell me the date of the topic you selected, the blog topic title, and what you learned!

http://elearningbroward.blogspot.com/2008_08_01_archive.html

eLearning Blog - A Look Back (Part 1)

This week, I want to look back to some previous blog topics that have been covered because we've had a lot of really good topics! Use the link below & go back to the July 2008 topics. (They will be presented in reverse chronological order, meaning the last blog topic of that month is at the top of the page & the first one for that month will be at the bottom.)

Scroll through & find one topic that catches your interest. Read it & participate in it by adding your response. Then, come back here & tell me the date of the topic you selected, the blog topic title, and what you thought about it!

http://elearningbroward.blogspot.com/2008_07_01_archive.html

Writing - New Words!

I read an article online recently about Merriam-Webster (yes, the dictionary people) and how they've added new words to their dictionaries. In fact, about 100 new words were added that largely reflect changing trends in American society.

Have you heard of the terms "frenemy" or "locavore" before? Those are 2 of the new words that were just added! (In case you're wondering, a "frenemy" is someone who acts like a friend but is really an enemy, and a " locavore" is one who eats foods grown locally.)

Check out the article for more information about this!
http://www4.comcast.net/articles/news-national/20090709/US.New.Dictionary.Words/

Use this link below to see some of the new words. Once there, pick a word you have not heard of before and click on it. You'll see the word and definition. (If you aren't sure how to pronounce the word, click on the little red megaphone icon to hear it stated. Be sure that your speakers are hooked up & turned on!) Then, come back here & post the word you picked and the definition of it.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/info/newwords09.htm

Expressions (Part 3)

Have you ever heard the expression "the rule of thumb" before? I have, but never really knew where it came from. Here's where you can find out about it! http://www.dailywritingtips.com/rule-of-thumb/

Once you read about that, come back here & tell me one rule of thumb that you have, whether it's about your study habits, your online course, or even just life in general.

Expressions (Part 2)

Check out this next expression! You might feel this way after a hard day at class or after a really tough job interview that had question after question given to you!

http://www.dailywritingtips.com/wracking-or-racking-your-brain/

Have you ever heard (or used) that expression before?

Expressions (Part 1)

Let's begin to explore some common expressions. The first one we'll focus on is "first come, first served." Have you heard of that before? Use this link (http://www.dailywritingtips.com/first-come-first-served/) to find out more! Then tell me what you thought of that information presented on the site!

Writing - 12 Important Greek Words to Know

I bet you've read (or heard) some of these words before! Check out 12 important Greek words that you should know. Which one (or ones) did you already know? Which one (or ones) were you least familiar with?

http://www.dailywritingtips.com/greek-words/

I had always heard of the term "kudos," but never knew it had Greek roots!

Tell me what you learned!

When is it ok to not have a subject in a sentence?

In writing, is it ever ok to not have a subject as a part of your sentence? Well, believe it or not, the answer is "yes" and "no." It will depend on your sentence & what you're trying to say. Let's look at some examples.

If you're telling someone to do something, you may use statements like you see below.

"Go to the store."
"Take the trash outside."
"Please call me back."

Even though you don't see a subject written in those sentences, it's understood to be the word "you."

If, however, you're not telling someone to do something (or making a command), and you're just making a statement telling about something, then you do need to have a subject included (even if it's the word "you"). Let's see some examples of what you wouldn't want to write and then the correct way to write it.

Incorrect way: "Went to the mall."
Why is it incorrect? Who went to the mall? Was it me? Was it you? Was it Linda?
Correct way: She went to the mall.

Incorrect way: "Is ready for exercise."
Why is it incorrect? Who is ready for exercise? Is it me? Is it you? Is it President Obama?
Correct way: The hospital patient is ready for exercise.

Incorrect way: "Cooked a delicious meal."
Why is it incorrect? Who cooked that meal? Was it me? Was it you? Was it a chef?
Correct way: The culinary instructor cooked a delicious meal.


Are you ready to give this a try? Write two sentences. One should be a direction (or a command) where you're using the "understood you" as the subject. The next sentence should be a simple sentence that clearly has a subject & a verb.

I'll start!

1.) Attend the online workshops this week.
2.) Everyone should attend the online workshops this week.

eLearning Blog - Happy 4th of July!

Hello bloggers! I just wanted to take this time to wish you a very happy and safe 4th of July!

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Did you know that there's a Twitter site that you can follow for quick updates on workshops & other goodies? Check it out by going to http://twitter.com/GED_Online.

Have you heard of Twitter? Do you use it? If you want to know more about it, check out this Wikipedia description of Twitter: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twitter.

Writing - Brain Food

Obviously when you write (or do almost anything), you need your brain to be ready to handle the work set forth. Did you know that certain foods are considered "memory boosting" foods? Some fruits, vegetables, grains, and fish can improve brain health!

Check out this article. http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/18264218/ns/today_health/

After you've had a chance to read it, tell me if you eat (or will eat) any of the foods listed as potentially being "memory boosters."

Tell me a story - July's edition

I love starting off the month with a "tell me a story" topic! This time, however, I won't give you a particular start to the story, nor will I give you any items that you have to incorporate. The only direction that your story needs to have is that it needs to be funny or outlandish!

I can't wait to see what you come up with for your story! Have fun and be creative!