http://elemons.umwblogs.org New Media Studies, etc. Tue, 29 Apr 2008 05:05:02 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Yes indeed. I actually won the Mischief Makers contest on Gaia Online! It feels a little odd, but it's pretty cool. Virtual fame and fortune! You can see the winning entries here: http://www.gaiaonline.com/mischiefmakers/?action=gallery . I chose an "Ancient Katana" item, which is worth hundreds of thousands of Gaia gold. I just ... http://elemons.umwblogs.org/2008/04/29/hey-i-won/ Reading these articles got me thinking about the capability of virtual reality. I think virtual reality is the next big leap in video games and it can use the web for interaction with other people, like MMORPGs. There is a book by Piers Anthony that is all about the dangers ... http://elemons.umwblogs.org/2008/04/10/video-games-and-the-world-wide-web/ I have to say that this reading was probably my favorite so far. It was interesting to thank about both sides of Selden's situation. On the one hand, he was the best of the best that Earth had to offer who was being given the opportunity to experience something very ... http://elemons.umwblogs.org/2008/03/31/imported-puppies/ Alright, I need help coming up with ideas for what to do with GaiaOnline for my project. I have the mastery part down, I just need to know what to make as the creative part. I have made an account for people in the class. Screen Name: UMWNMS, email me ... http://elemons.umwblogs.org/2008/03/25/need-help-brainstorming/ This article reminded me of a few songs: Little Boxes, by Malvina Reynolds; 21st Century Digital Boy, by Bad Religion; and Closer to Fine, by Dixie Chicks. It seems that the "deschooling" of America is a topic of great interest to those who feel slighted by "The Establishment". I think ... http://elemons.umwblogs.org/2008/03/25/little-boxes-of-disestablishment/ Reading this I was (of course) reminded of several memory-related items. The first being of the movie Johnny Mnemonic, made in 1995 starring Keanu Reeves. The second, and much more interesting I believe, is a mnemonic device which I don't remember where I learned (irony!). I googled relevant terms and ... http://elemons.umwblogs.org/2008/03/19/you-can-do-it-with-a-montage/ Breaking the Fourth Wall is another interesting aspect of comic spacetime that was not considered in the piece we read for class. Many comic (by which I mean graphic, by which I mean picture) settings are self-contained worlds. The audience is separate from and has no interaction with the characters. Sometimes however, the characters interact ... http://elemons.umwblogs.org/2008/03/12/hilarious-spacetime/ http://elemons.umwblogs.org/2008/03/12/silly-rabbit-forums-are-for-lolcats/ Reading this article put me in mind of the teaching strategy called "Constructivism". In a classroom using Constructivist techniques, students use what they already know to learn what they don't know yet. This not only helps the students to better understand what they are learning (much better than being told ... http://elemons.umwblogs.org/2008/03/11/mindclouds/ 02/27/2008 10:45:51AM Session Started with Agent (CSS_Kristin_465175) 02/27/2008 10:45:59AM Agent (CSS_Kristin_465175): "Thank you for patiently waiting. You have reached Dell Hardware Warranty Chat Support. My name is Kristin. How may I help you?" 02/27/2008 10:46:25AM Elizabeth Lemons: "My laptop is in peril." It's true. My laptop took a juice bath on Tuesday. It's ... http://elemons.umwblogs.org/2008/02/28/x_x-my-lappy/