Week Five: Photoshop

Photoshop is a tool that almost everyone in the 21st century is familiar. Whether they have used it or have just heard the term, Photoshop is growing in popularity. The term has actually transformed into a verb where pictures are "photoshopped" or people are "photoshopped" into pictures. In class, we discussed how photoshop can be used by advertisements to manipulate customers. A tool like Photoshop holds the power to convey any message the advertiser wants to send and is used everyday.

A tool like Photoshop is invaluable in a field like Sports Management because it's a resource that allows to show what the imagination can only express. When giving a presentation or idea, Photoshop allows for the visualization and representation of ideas. Given this information, it's important to understand how data and information can be misrepresented by using Photoshop. I know that when using Photoshop I have to be careful to not use totally manipulative images and rather use logic and fact as well to support an idea.

This video shows the power of Photoshop in "enhancing" beauty. Not only does Photoshop alter an image it shapes society's ideal of beauty by putting standards and specifications of computer settings on it, Photoshop allows an artist to change the true identity of a photo with a few clicks of a mouse.

Week Three: Web 2.0

The third week of class addressed the functions of Web 2.0. We were assigned an activity to explore the tools and applications of Web 2.o and how useful these resources are. The primary function of Web 2.o is not to create a new World Wide Web but rather give a centralized home to the interactive information sharing applications from wikis to blogs to video-sharing websites.

Web 2.o is a unique tool that can be useful in a Sports Management major for many different reasons. The applications featured on Web 2.o allows users to connect to others online by publishing information and pictures and expressing opinions. Being able to connect to and use these social-networking applications will help me in my career by allowing me to establish connections with possible co-workers, bosses, and clients. The applications on Web 2.o are resources that can help to improve the communication of ideas in the workforce.

This is a link to a page that provides quick links to some of the social-networking applications available on Web 2.o. Exploring the different capabilities of these applications shows how useful the tools available on Web 2.o can be to anyone in a career involving working with others.

Week Two: MacOSX

The second week's primary focus was on a Macintosh Operating System. Being familiar with a Macintosh is important in this course especially because I am most familiar with a PC and the switch to a Mac is important in being successful in the course and possibly later in my career. We spent a good amount of time becoming accustomed to the processes and getting a better understanding of how to create projects and complete assignments on the Mac. The Mac shows an example of how far technology has come in the past couple years.

Due to the growing popularity of Macintosh computers, there is high likelihood that I will come across work in my career that involves being able to understand and work efficiently on a Mac. Sports Management is a field that requires me to be able to work quickly and effectively with other people. Often, time is of the essence in a sports management and being able to adapt my knowledge and work to another type of operating system will make me more invaluable. The Macintosh Corporation is increasing it's technological hold on the new millennium and it's important to keep ahead of the curve.

This brief commercial clip shows the revolutionary, cutting edge technology that Macintosh continues to compel the technological industry with it's newest invention, the Apple Ipad.

Week One: Educational Technology

Everyday, the world becomes more interconnected thanks to the tools technology gives society. We learned that education technology is the employment of different types of technological tools and resources, such as computers or digital media, to help develop and shape learning in the classroom or online. Education technology benefits both students and teachers alike by allowing them to enhance their educational experiences by using the technologies available to them. The more that technology expands, the greater number of opportunities students and teachers have to use technology to benefit the learning experience.

Although my major being Sports Management, I wouldn't be using the education technology tools in a classroom setting or helping students use these resources for learning, the education technology resources would allow me to better understand the constantly changing world of technology. The technologies I learn can be used to help me one day be better in my career by using them to give a more meaningful presentation or create a better work environment. By understanding the newest trends in technology it will allow me to keep up with other organizations in a field that is extremely competitive.

This next clip of a Panasonic VCR commercial from 1983 shows a glimpse of how technology has advanced so far in the past decades and how far we are likely to go in the next few. With the rapid change of technology in society, everyday technologies get lighter, faster, smaller, and increasingly simple to use. Today, VCR's are practically non-existent but in this commercial, these technologies were cutting edge.