Open Source Software

Open Source software is an alternative to buying otherwise pricey programs. Instead of going out and buying the premium program for your need (i.e. picture,movie, music editing), you can go to online website and use their product for free. While these programs can be just as good as their expensive counterparts they also can come with a serious risk. It is not uncommon for Open Source software to often contain things that could be harmful for your computer. In my opinion I think Open Source software is great and should be used by everyone as long as you take the proper precautions.

As a sports management major I do not see myself needing to rely on Open Source software. As for my personal life, I will always be a fan of it and continue to use it. Not only is it cheap but for some programs they can be easier to use and easier to access.

Earlier in the year I posted a blog about Photoshop which is an example of a pricey picture editing software. An open source software that emulates Photoshop is Gimp, for my video I have a chosen a YouTube video which compares the two. Hopefully you will be able to see the difference between the two (besides the price tag) and formulate an opinion on Open Source software.

Distance Learning and Virtual Schooling

We learned in class this week about the ability of schools to be able to teach students and for students to learn without ever having to step foot into a classroom. Currently we use e-Learning as a way to teach kids outside of the classroom. Students can learn an entire subject without ever meeting the teacher face to face and just go into class to take the tests. Also Virtual Schooling is becoming more popular with more and more people getting great jobs with just an online degree. Online school is becoming more and more popular.

I do no see myself using Virtual Schooling ever as a sports management major but I would definitely use it if I ever became a teacher. I am an advocate of it in my everyday life also as I see it as a way to embrace technology.

Here is an article from salary.com talking about Online degree and the potential that they bring. Within the article it points to different kinds of online degrees including graduate studies. There can be positive that comes out of virtual schooling and should be look at by everybody.

Using Games for Education and Learning

This week in class we learned about the pros and cons of bringing the gaming world into the classroom. Games have a history about being used strictly for recreational use, but with the increase in technology there has been a recent to increase the use of games. Gaming allows for students to stay involved and learn the curriculum in a fun, easy atmosphere. The huge con is that educational gaming could take students away from the actual point of school and that is to learn. I am a huge believer in educational gaming especially with the increasing number of video game systems and computers people have their homes. Parents and teachers should not fight increasing technology but rather they should embrace it.

With my major I do not see myself using educational just because there would never be a time I would be educating someone. Maybe in my latter years if I become a teacher sharing my knowledge of the business I would use educational gaming for my students to learn. In my future the only time I would ever see it again is if I was speaking about the subject and why it should be used at PTSA board meeting. I will 100 percent encourage my children to use it and to use it to its full benefit.

Embedded below is YouTube video which shows an example of a possible educational game. When you watch it you will be able to see how harmless it is. You will also be able to see how easy it is to see the benefits. In this specific example it shows a game in which students are asked to spell words. It is no different than a teacher explaining it except it is intended to stimulate students interest in learning.

Creating a Professional Web Presence

This week we were asked to Google ourselves in class. First off, try it and see what comes up, it is really interesting to see what your current web presence looks like. We learned the importance of having a web presence and we watched a Google Sites tutorial. With more and more people logging online everyday and businesses having access to the internet it is very important that we keep a serious web presence. At any point a company we are applying could Google us or look at our Facebook, it is important to keep a serious presence so that anyone scouting us will only see positive things.

From this point on I will always have a web presence and it will only continue to grow. It is very important to keep it up because it will be a primary way of clients to see who I am and how to go about contacting me. More and more people are skipping the Yellow Pages and hopping right on there computers and clicking on the first link that comes from Google when they are looking to get stuff done. It is important that when people are searching I come up so people can see me for who I am and give me potential new business.

This is a link to an article on ESPN.com. It tells the story of a man who work at a stadium for a pro sports team. After learning his favorite player was not retained through free agency he bashed the team on his facebook for letting the player go. The team saw this and because he did not keep his presence professional he was fired. It shows the importance of how everything you do online can always be seen by someone and it is important to not show yourself in the wrong light.

Cloud Computing

Cloud computing is way for businesses and people to work together more efficiently when working in a group setting. Cloud computing allows for people to join a group, one person upload a writing or idea, while everyone else can see the document and edit it without hundreds of emails being sent. It allow for quick easy access to the work with a few clicks of the mouse key. Google Doc and Delicious are examples of cloud computing.

I will one hundred percent use cloud computing in my future. Say I am working on big project with multiple athletes and their clients. I could use cloud computing to tie them all together so they are all on the same page and that I am transparent in my business. I could all use Delicious to share websites with my colleagues that pertain to rules and regulation so that no body ever misses a beat.

I think that cloud computing is something that is very hard to explain in words. The best way to see how it works is to try it out. Once you give it a shot I am confident that you will find it very useful. Embedded is a YouTube which helps put cloud computing in perspective and hopefully will give you the motivation to try it yourself.

Week 8 Song I Made

I made this song using GarageBand on the Mac. I played around for hours, it isn't too complicated but I really like the way it sounds. It is a series of custom beats lapped over each other. I could definitely see a band using it. I don't see myself using Garageband that much in my profession. It could be helpful with making songs for video montages but other than that I do not see where I would use it. I couldn't figure out how to use imeem so instead I just loaded it to filefront. Enjoy!!

MY SONG

The Sound of...Podcasting

This week we learned how to make podcasts and utilize garageband on the Mac. I learned this week that podcasts are really easy to make. I also finally opened up Garage Band for the first time and it is really cool. Garage Band is a program that comes on all Macs and allows the user to easily make songs and beats. I have been playing with it all day and can not stop, making beats is so much fun.

Every day thousands of new podcasts are added to iTunes. Many athletes, sports broadcasters, and athletic figureheads such as Athletic Directors have podcasts these days. Being a sports management major I will be dealing with these players and since they are trying to get involved with this new type of media it is important for me to be savvy with it. Learning this will actually benefit me in my future.

The video I chose shows the possibilities of Garage Band. It is some talentless guy trying to sing but he is able to sound half decent because of Garage Band. Podcasts are so easy to make and something like this can easily be turned into a podcast.

Web Technology (Mac OS X)

During this class we learned the basics of the Mac operating system. I have had a Mac for five years now and they are by far more superior to personal computers. In the future it is important to be able to use both types of computers. This class helped teach the basics of the Mac (i.e. the dock, finder, spotlight). These basics are the foundation for opening the capabilities of the far superior computer (my opinion). The tutorials we read showed us everything we needed to get started.

Apple is making a strong push in the technology world right now. Everything seems to have the prefix "i" in front of it these days. PC is still the leader in computers but Macs are slowly starting to gain momentum. 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. I can definitely see myself in the future continuing to use macs because of how user friendly they are and their ability to avoid common viruses.

The video I chose is hilarious. It compares a 1987 Mac with a 2007 PC running Windows Vista. They set up a competition between the two computers to see which one can start up, open a word document, and then shut down the fastest. Lets see what happens!!!

I Also added this video, it does not have anything really educational but I found it pretty cool.

Digital Storytelling

Digital storytelling is the use of images or video to tell a story. Music is usually also incorporated to help add to the overall effectiveness of the video. Powerpoint is a very basic example of Digital Storytelling. One can compile these images together using a program like iMovie or Animoto. These programs allow for the user to easily create a type of media which allows for storytelling. Digital Storytelling is a new and simple way for someone to learn and teach information.

In my future as a sport management major I see myself using Digital Storytelling a lot. Besides copyright infringement lesson it is by far the most useful thing I have learned. It can be used in my profession to make montages or videos for anyone ranging from a professional sports team to a little league baseball club. These edited videos can be used as a presentation to acquire sponsorships which can lead to real big money.

The video I pulled is from YouTube and it is of Tim Tebow. This video can used as a way to sell potential sponsors on the services of Mr. Tebow. Digital Storytelling can be used in numerous ways and this way is the most practical for my major. The YouTube video helps capture the emotion of Tim, way better than any video could.

Copyright Law, Plagiarism, & Ethical Issues

Copyright is protection offered to creators of original works. Copyright protects the originators from letting other people come and steal their idea or concept. I had already known much of what we went over in class but it doesn't change the fact of how important it is. Copyright and plagiarism can lead to the downfall of any single person because once somebody loses their creditability it is almost impossible to get it back.

In my profession as a sports manager I see myself encountering copyright and plagiarism issues everyday. Working at the high school or college level the most obvious thing I foresee happening is students cheating. Proper education on this topic can be better prepare me to teach students on how to avoid the issue of plagiarism. On the pro level I envision myself dealing with companies and brands for major sports teams copying common ideas and themes.

For my outside source I chose a New York Times article about the New York Jets. The Jets came across a unique program much like Facebook that makes plays for football players easier to learn. This program called Hudl Pro is unique and provides an advantage to the Jets. Since the program worked so well the New York Jets signed an exclusive deal so that they are the only team allowed to use it in the AFC. This is a perfect example of Copyright being used in the professional world.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/28/sports/football/28jets.html?_r=2&ref=sports&oref=slogin

Photoshop

Photoshop is program designed to let users upload pictures and then alter them in a myriad of ways. Photoshop gives users the chance to let their imagination run wild allowing people to do anything from a simple touchup of picture to a complete transformation. Photoshop allows you to do these changes using layers; the layers are the foundation for your project and can be edited individually. The Internet offers many free tutorials of Photoshop, which allows the user to explore the program.

Being a Sport Management major Photoshop can be used in many circumstances. It would most likely be used in the advertising and marketing side of the degree. I could potentially put together an ad for a sports team or high school. I also would be able to edit team photos that could later be published for game day programs or playbills. Photoshop is a great resource to have in my field of study.

I chose a YouTube video on how to create a sports backdrop using Photoshop as my extra resource. The video shows how its possible to take an action shot of an athlete and turn it into a sports card. This video is connected to Photoshop as it shows the powers of the program and how it could potentially help me in my future as a sport manager. It is the perfect example of how the program could help me in my future.

Copyright Infringement

I pulled this video off youtube. It uses Disney characters to help explain copyright.