• Guidelines for Online Etiquette

  • Netiquette has well written content and comes from a credible source, the name and contact information for the author is available. The article explains the proper "netiquette" we should all follow.
• Begin each e-mail with a greeting stating the person's name (Hello Kerry, or Hello Dr. Reed), and closing with your name on its own line (Regards, Kerry, or Thank you, Dr. Reed). This follows the format of more formal business communication (i.e., letters and memos), and it raises the tone of the correspondence so that there is a level of respect no matter the content. It also clearly delineates the beginning and end of messages in a thread containing many
• For e-mail, identify yourself and the subject of your e-mail message.  Be sure to include the course number and section, the assignment, and your name in the heading.
• Avoid satire or sarcasm.
• Use "please" and "thank you". The power of these simple signs of respect and caring cannot be overstated
• Never write anything you wouldn't want to see publicly printed; computer messages cannot be assumed to be private
• Since anything you write online can be (and may be) forwarded to others, do not disclose trade secrets or company-confidential information as part of a course

5 more annotations...

• Web-based training jobs are on the rise, and Web-based trainers are in high demand, as companies realize the effectiveness and cost savings associated with training employees via the Web.

  • I chose this article because it explains in detail how web-based tools, specifically ones geared towards education are important in today's technological environment. It comes from a national newspaper that is respected and the author is well known in this field.
• There are several kinds of Web-based training. E-learning courses are developed for the Web and include content in the form of presentations accompanied by graphics, audio and even video
• orm of presentations accompanied by graphics, audio and even vide
• Students can follow along on a white board and download a manual to accompany the webinar. Students can perform exercises on their own computers. Videos are another form of Web-based training. Trainers can use software to capture tasks they are performing on their computer and add audio to accompany the content. Students can upload videos and learn the content. This method is especially effective for teaching about different types of software.
• Microsoft Office, especially Word and PowerPoint ,is essential for a Web-based trainer. Knowledge of software such as Adobe’s Creative Suite and Captivate may be a requirement for some Web-based training positions.
• Web-based training is appealing to organizations because of the cost savings associated with training employees online
• People can receive web based training twenty-four hours a day from the comfort of their own computers, and take the training from home. As more organizations move to Web-based training, the need for trainers will increase exponentially.

5 more annotations...

• The Web Way to Learn a Language
• With the growth of broadband connectivity and social networks, companies have introduced a wide range of Internet-based language learning products, both free and fee-based, that allow students to interact in real time with instructors in other countries, gain access to their lesson plans wherever they are in the world, and communicate with like-minded virtual pen pals who are also trying to remember if bambino means baby.

  • This article was well written and very thorough about the different web-based tools and how they are used for educational purposes. It is from a very credible source and the author and his contact information is displayed.
• To counter boredom, online language programs have introduced crossword puzzles, interactive videos and other games to reward users for making progress.
• All students, whether using the pay or free model, can join social networking groups and speak live (using VoIP) to people around the world who are native speakers interested in learning English
• Apps for a smartphone No program would be complete without an accompanying smartphone app, and many exist for the iPhone and other devices.

3 more annotations...

• In the 21st century, technology has changed the ways in which we communicate and go about our lives. Very few educators would disagree with the notion that technology has dramatically changed the teaching and learning process.

  • I chose this article because it is very specific on how web-based tools have changed the way we learn today. It is written by respected author and she gives her contact information. The site is up to date and and is not bias toward any subject matter.
• n the 21st century, it's the WORLD.  Blogging, Twitter, Facebook, and other online platforms changed our notion of audience.
• There's also a web 2.0 tool, LiveBinders that allows users to create a binder online.
• The way that we think of textbooks is completely changing. It is no longer limited to merely text and pictures. Today’s textbooks often have web-based sites that include assessments, animations, additional materials, videos, and other materials to support the learning of new content.
• Much attention has been placed on interactive gaming as a powerful platform for student learning. Every day, new programs and web-based tools are teaching our students content that was once paper or chalkboard based.
• Voice recognition software has improved greatly in the past few years and is more accessible. Children with special needs and limited English proficiency are able to more effective communicate in language based contexts
• Technology facilitates our ability to extend classroom community by using web-based platforms like Edmodo.  Teachers and students can use this platform to discuss homework, post assignments, and interact with peers as they work on projects.
• We still use libraries, but so much of our research and learning is now more web-based.  What used to take hours in the library to find, we find instantaneously.  As a result, we need to sort through huge amounts of information efficiently.  We know how to get and use information. I would argue that because it takes less time to find information, we spend more time digesting, thinking, and learning about new information.

6 more annotations...

•    

     

   

  How It Works

   

   

     

   

  

   

  From interactive tools built for the Mac to multimedia learning content, Full Sail University's online platform is unique inside and out.

  • I chose to use Full Sail University site as a reference because it is well respected and I am personally familiar with how the FSO platform is changing the way we learn today. The content is well written it has great visual and audio multimedia to back up the content. The page navigation is very concise and to the point.
• Watch this video to see examples of our original educational media – custom-developed by dedicated Full Sail designers, the Instructional Design team.
• Each course has a homepage that contains your assignments, projects, and grades, and gives you easy access to classmates and instructors. And since our degrees center on creative media, you'll notice that your course content can include everything from videos, to podcasts, to original animation.
• Through live classes, you'll be able to interact with your instructors and peers in the same way you would in a creative studio or classroom. Can't make it? They'll be archived and waiting for you when you're ready.
• You'll be able to upload many types of media to Full Sail's online learning platform, and use industry collaboration tools to share and critique work with your classmates.

3 more annotations...

• When people had only one or two computers, file sharing wasn’t a big worry.

  • I chose this article because it very specifically explains how web-based cloud storage changing the way we store our information. The author information is available and it is from a well respected source.
• Web-based file cabinet accessible from any device that has an Internet connection.
• Google began acclimating people to the notion of storing documents in the cloud with its Google Docs feature in 2005.
• Nearly 60 percent of adults with online access own at least two Internet connected devices, according to Forrester Research. Just under 3 percent, or 4.5 million people, have at least nine different gadgets.
• Then count smartphones and tablets, and it’s not hard to get to a large number of machines.
• Dropbox stores 100 billion files on its servers.
• Meanwhile, storage companies benefit financially from a constant decline in costs as servers and data storage devices get cheaper each year.
• The sales pitch for online storage is that it lets users make changes to a Word file, for example, so that there is a single version available from both their work and home computers. It is a process known as synchronization, or sync for short. Users can also collaborate on a documents with colleagues or share video clips and photos with friends.

• Mr. Houston says he saves nearly everything to Dropbox including copies of his driver’s license and passport.

   “I have five or six laptops, and they are totally interchangeable,” he said.

7 more annotations...

• Using online services to back up and protect your data is becoming an affordable option

  • I chose this article because it very specifically explains how web-based cloud storage changing the way we store our information. The author information is available and it is from a well respected source.
• But now there's a special place coalescing where data never dies: It's called the cloud.
• Internet giants Google Inc., Amazon.com Inc. and Facebook Inc. have relied for years on cloud computing, where information is split up and stored across large networks of remote servers, rather than all in one place.
• When storing a holiday dinner photo, for instance, Google slices it into many shreds of data that are then duplicated and sent to dozens of data centers all over the world. That way, if one data center melts down or has a long power outage, your family portrait can be reassembled from the pieces still stored in the center's surviving peers.
• For many consumers, storing copies of all of your music, photos and documents in the cloud is now an affordable option -- and one that will protect you from waking up with your memories erased.
• But for regular old family snapshots, music files and writing drafts, the cloud is providing an affordable and convenient way to keep your digital stuff safe.

4 more annotations...

• Videoconferencing helps companies cut travel costs

  • The author's contact information is available and the article comes from a very respected source.

  • This article is well written and explains in great detail how web-based tools, more specifically video conferencing tools have saved money and will continue to save more money in the future as more and more companies start changing their meeting and conference policies.
• But Weinberger estimates he will travel only once this year to each office, relying instead on videoconferencing from the main office in Kansas City.
• "You don't have a meal with your colleagues videoconferencing," Weinberger says. "But I can save tens of thousands of dollars. If I go to the New York office only once, instead of going three times a year, I save the firm $3,000 (on airfare and hotels), and that's just me.
• n a development that has airlines and hotels spooked, more companies are starting to agree with Weinberger's assessment. In 2008, the global videoconferencing market grew 24% to $2.4 billion, according to Roopam Jain, a technology analyst at Frost & Sullivan. The firm forecasts the market will more than double, to reach $5.7 billion by 2013.
• "Change in the economic environment has led to (companies) reducing travel, and that has played well for the videoconference industry," Jain says

3 more annotations...

• For example, he said, if a veterans office in a remote area has a veteran come in with signs of post traumatic stress disorder, there may not be a psychologist available for miles. But with a video link, the vet could talk privately with a doctor and never leave his local VA office for example.

  • The article goes into detail and cites many sources on how web-based tools are saving companies time and money, while allowing them to be more productive. The authors information is available and the site is from a respected source.
• Maldow also said another benefit of video conferencing is quicker action on pending decisions

• These days, working from home is starting to look better and better — not only for workers, but also for companies. There are just so many reasons that it makes better business sense. While only six percent of Americans already work from home full-time, according to a recent Career Builder survey, it is expected to reach 63 million in the United States by 2016

  • I chose this article because because it was very thorough and explains in detail how internet collaboration has enabled people to work from any where and still be able to fulfill all the needs of the employer. Its content is well written and the author's information is available. The website is respected and an authority in its field.
• There are environmental perks, money savingsand, most of all, happier employees
• !Let’s take a look at why working from home can make you happier, healthier and better balanced:
• We would save more than $15 billion in gas at the pumps.
• • We would save $12 billion per year in accident-related costs.
   
  • Employees would save between $1,800 and $6,800 in transportation and work-related costs, including child care expenses.
   
  • Americans would save more than $650 billion a year total!
• 1. It would save businesses more than $200 billion (more than $10,000 per employee) through all the different amenities that they would no longer need in running an office.
   
  2. National productivity would be increased by 5.5 million man-years or $235 billion worth of work.
   
   

  According to survey conducted by Staples Advantage, all of these factors make employees more loyal. In fact, 76 percent of telecommuters are more willing to put in extra time on work and say they are more loyal to their company since telecommuting.
• Telecommuters say their stress levels have dropped 25 percent (on average) since working from home.
• Seventy-three percent even say they eat healthier when working from home.

• The Staples Advantage survey says that more than 80 percent of respondents who work from home say they now maintain a better work-life balance. With all of the extra time and money you will save, it will become easier to plan your work-life balance. So many people plan their lives around work, so why not shift that and balance it so you can have more fun?

   

  It is pretty clear why so many businesses are starting to look at telecommuting as a viable money saving option, and it is no surprise that the projections for 2016 show that so many more employees will be working from home by then.

7 more annotations...

• As we move more of our lives into online interaction and collaboration, there has never been a more important time to 'get it' than now

  • I chose this article because it goes into detail on how internet collaboration is making work, research and education available to people outside of their physical location(globally). It is from a credible source and the content is very thorough. The author's information is made available.
• Online collaboration opens avenues for people to leverage themselves.
• The collaborative power of Web 2.0 and the pervasiveness of the Digital World into all walks of life have increased the urgency for advancements in this area in order to capitalize on the rapid uptake of collaborative technology

1 more annotation...