Final Blog

Well Ed, it has been fun hasn't it? Blogging was a good way for us to stay connected and to share our information and advice with each other. It can be used as a great learning tool in many classrooms. I like it because it is like a diary entry or a journal entry. You can say anything you would like to share with others and just vent sometimes. My advice to future bloggers would be to only share what they wouldn't mind everyone knowing. Random people can look at your blogs and add comments to them. Also using the proper 'netiquette' is definitely a good idea. I am not sure what else to say about blogging because we have talked about it all semester long. Overall, I did not mind it, I would like it better if I could just do it on my own time instead of having to share my mind by a certain time I guess, but there isn't a much better way of assessing it, so it works for me. Thanks for everything, Ed! (And for coming to our games!!)

Cell Phones

Two things for this post. First of all, I just found out how to Bluetooth my cell phone to my computer and transfer music and pictures and videos through both. It was totally cool. I used pictures that I edited on my computer and made them the background on my phone. I can't believe that took me so long to realize how to do though, I guess I just never tried before. Secondly, Jordan and I were talking today and her family got rid of their landline phone. She says that no one ever calls them on it. Maybe this will help us save money and...go green possibly? My family has considered the idea many times and have yet to make the switch. I do not doubt that we will in the future though.

Next Blog...

Well I just skimmed Alexis' blog about online courses and I also have mixed feelings about them. I have taken two already since being in college and will be taking one more this summer. I have always done fairly well in them, but I feel that it is not nearly as interactive as I prefer my classes to be. I don't think I learn as much because I feel the need to teach myself the material (which is not a bad thing and should be done, but I think there needs to be some instruction too.) I like the convenience of the online classes and the fact that we are able to do them on the road and we never miss class. Its hard to keep up with I guess though sometimes too, because I always put that class on the back burner and forget about it. I did hear recently about an online course cheating scandal throughout the athletic program of a Florida university, so that is also always an issue. There is no proof that students aren't using their book to take exams or using students who have already taken the course, it is based on an honor system. That, I believe, is one of the biggest downfalls of online courses...as for this class, since it is half in class, I feel that I do the work, but then I get to class and realize that I have forgotten to do the online portion. So Ed, if you could shoot me an email letting me know of things that I have not done, that would be greatly appreciated =] Thanks!!

Scared of Technology

Jordan recently sent me an email trying to get me to join Twitter, and I have yet to click the link. I don't know why, I feel like it is another Facebook type of a site. While I was just talking with her about it, I realized that it is because I am scared to do so. Clearly, I am not shaking in my boots, but I just feel like it would be difficult to learn a new thing and have to figure a new one all over again. She assured me that it was easier than facebook, but I just don't know if I want to move into it yet. I am sure I will at some point, but not quite yet. I feel like someone from my mom's generation when I talk like this. My mom refuses to get a facebook because she says she is too busy and already has enough sites to check online because of online banking and emailing. I guess there are getting to be too many things online for us to handle these days.

College Visits

I was listening to the radio on the way home from campus today and heard that less and less high school students are visiting colleges across the country. Researchers say this is due to the higher oil prices and the expenses of traveling. To get students to check out campuses, some schools are doing video interviews and tours of schools through the use of cameras. I thought this was really cool, especially for people who are tight on money. When I really got to thinking about it though, it really takes away the personal aspects of it. I know I came here because of how it felt to be on campus, this feeling is completely lost when tours are done online. 

More from FLA

One of the fathers on our team (Kali's dad) loves taking pictures of us when we are playing. He must take about 500 pictures a game, no joke. The pictures are posted to one of our team websites within days of the games being played. What is so cool about it, is that parents who are unable to travel get to check out the pictures and see their children without even being there. It is so awesome. These pictures also help us see how our mechanics are with our swings or with our fielding. I have noticed a few things that I need to change with my swing just from looking at these pictures. Digital cameras have become more and more useful through time and are definitely a positive advancement in technology. In the mean time, thanks for keeping your eye on us Ed, we appreciate your support!! (9 game winning streak and keepin' it going!!)

Technology on Trips

This past week we have been traveling all over the state of Florida. Without our GPS navigator, we probably would have never made it to any of our games. It has always got us to our locations, thankkkk god. Anyway, Kali probably already mentioned it, because she said she would, but in any case, the GPS took us in some crazy direction and took us on a dirt road. It may have gotten us to our destination, but this proves that there can be glitches in technology. Another thing I would like to point out is that wireless internet is a lifesaver. Without it, I would not be able to send this post. As a side note, we are currently on a seven game winning streak, so thats good! We watched the baseball team play down here today and there is a thing on our athletics website that allows us to see the game happen on our computers from home. This is ideal for parents who live too far away or can not travel to see their children play. Definitely a good thing to have.