Week #12 - Videos/YouTube

Well, this is it, we've reached the end. I'm glad we ended with this assignment. It was a lot of fun albiet time consuming as I was often drawn in by related videos and videos that looked like fun. I could see YouTube being a very useful tool for training and instructional purposes in a University setting.

Below are a few YouTube videos that I recommend watching. The first one, entitled "25 Things I Hate About Facebook" is a play on the "25 Random Facts About Me" that most FB users have been tagged with at one time or another. I thought that it would be a good one to end our RULA assignment with.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVA047JAQsk

The video below is of a more serious nature. It's a lecture that was given by Dr. Randy Pausch, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA who was dying of pancreatic cancer and wanted to give his young children something to remember him by. Just a warning that it is a real tear jerker, but at the same time very inspiring.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji5_MqicxSo

And finally...the story of Christian the pet lion - and his eventual release into the wild and his reunion with his former owners - it is as moving as it is incredible.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjWtRYaxmWM

Week #11 - Podcasts & Audio Files

This exercise has prompted me to utilize my iPod a bit more. I downloaded iTunes to my PC and subscribed to the podcast RSS feed for The Hour, a current affairs show on CBC, and watched/listened to the first 10 minutes of the show. For a change from listening to music, I'll now start listening to these podcasts on my iPod. It's as easy as plugging your iPod into your PC and voila, your podcasts are automatically synchronized onto your iPod - I like that.

I also checked out the audio books on Librivox. I listened to the first few minutes of "The Picture in the House", by H.P. Lovecraft and "The Black Cat", by Edgar Allan Poe. Work constraints did not allow me to listen for a longer period of time, but I really enjoyed listening to these audio files. I think I'll start listening to audio books while I'm cleaning the house or during a long walk!

Week #10 - Browser Tools: StumbleUpon

After experimenting with StumbleUpon for the past few days I have decided that I really like it. I like that users only have to tag specific personal interests and then "chanel surf" the web by simply clicking on a button on the StumbleUpon tool bar. Upon doing so, you are randomly directed to specific websites which adhere to your lists of interests. The "thumbs up"/"thumbs down" feature is a handy way to indicate if you want to see the webpage again. I also like the social bookmarking aspect of StumbleUpon. Each user can keep track of the websites they like and can share it with other users.

When I have a bit more free time I will definitely go back to this site and delve a little deeper!