"Hot Technologies"

The Orange Sign and other “Hot Technologies”

This is the last blog in my series of class blogs on using “hot technologies.” I use the web on a regular basis for work, school and entertainment but this assignment provided many new tools. I have found new ways to find information on the web. I now have a better understanding of RSS and know what the orange button means. I have found blogs that I probably would not have visited. This lesson was my first introduction to DRM and RFID. The explanations for Wikis and Podcasting were great. This was a very helpful exercise.

The source for this section of the blog is a posting from the Library Stuff feed. Jacket Copy posted the following on February 26, 2009, “Attend class, or just download it?” The entire post is in quotations. It discusses Hubert Dreyfus’, University of California Berkeley, experience with offering a class on iTunes U. According to the post, his attendance dropped and iTunes students received better test scores. The post further explained that research suggested that students who download do better on tests than those who attended traditional lectures.

As a returning student, I was very concerned about taking classes using the web. I really like the classroom discussion and being able to ask questions receiving an immediate response. Sometimes questions and concerns get lost in an e-mail. I am considering taking the cataloging class in the summer and shared this with a former SLIS student. She said I should take it but only if I did not plan on taking vacation. Another individual suggested that the best way to take cataloging was in class. However, I have a classmate who is taking the class on-line this semester and is having a great experience. I will make my decision after reviewing the summer and fall course schedules. I do like having options.