Week 13: Distance Education and Virtual Schooling

Distance education is a form of learning that incorporates technology to reach out to students anywhere. Distance education began in the 1700’s to reach out to others, especially in the military. Now it has evolved to incorporate technology in the education process. Many levels of schooling have begun distance education, from graduate and doctorate degrees to elementary school. There are combinations that incorporate technology and face-to-face interaction. The evolvement of technology has opened new opportunities to make education available virtually anywhere.

            Distance education is especially important in the accounting field in terms of CPE credits, which is the continuing education that is required of accountants who have earned their CPA license. In order to keep up with new developments and progress in the field, continuing education is vital to success. I think earning a major online would be difficult because so much professor interaction is necessary to ask questions, but it would be very helpful to learn new topics.

            Here is a video about the connection between distance education and special education. Many children with learning disabilities today can still be very successful on computers and this may be the perfect way to facilitate learning in a way easier to understand. In addition, computerized equipment and learning tools may assist in learning and help those that may not be able to get to a school every day.

Week 12: Professional Web Presence

A Web Professional Presence can be extremely helpful for students entering the workforce. It helps students display information about them, accomplishments, interests and more. Websites like Google Site is a great resource to do so. Different pages can be created with different links. It also has the ability to post documents, PowerPoint presentations and pictures. It’s a great way to connect with employers and display more information about you than a resume can.

            Learning this is extremely helpful as a student entering the workforce soon. Although not just for accounting, but also for any students, it’s a great way to display a profile that is not “Facebook” and fun things. Its much more professional and helpful. Although I do not necessarily have things to create a “portfolio” for accounting, it’s a great way to display my resume.

            Here is a site geared more towards companies who need a professional presence, both online and in print. Although this is different from what we learned  as students, it still incorporates the same concepts and principles of positively displaying information to sell ourselves. 

http://professionalpresencedesigns.com/main/

Week 11: Open Source Software

Open Source Software is opening up many opportunities to people who otherwise may not have access to such resources. Open source software is basically programs like Microsoft Word, Photoshop etc. that are available for free to download on the Internet. It provides access to programs that are normally extremely expensive. They are different versions of the main programs, and have a few differences, but are essentially the same thing (or sufficient enough) for free! This is especially helpful for students who may need certain programs for majors or jobs but cannot afford them.

Open source software would be helpful for any major, not just accounting. It provides the opportunity to use programs that may be too expensive to obtain by ourselves. It is especially helpful for school systems, but would be great for anyone to get these programs at no cost.

Here is a website that contains open source software for Macs. I thought this was especially appropriate for myself since I have a Mac and for this class. There are sometimes programs that only work on Macs or Pcs and it may be difficult to find certain programs, so this could be a helpful tool!

http://www.opensourcemac.org/

Week 10: Tech Tools for Critical Thinking

This week we discussed how technology can help develop the learning process. Learning theory attempts to explain how people and animals learn. It is based on different frameworks like behaviorism, cognitivism, constructivism.  There are also many different learning styles for different types of people and ages. Technology can help to develop this learning. Now there are sites that help to facilitate learning. Geotagging, concept maps and folksonomies are examples of these developments.

            In accounting, we can use these concepts to share information and help learn new techniques. Some things like the concept maps aren’t necessarily as easily used for accounting, and may be more helpful in other fields. Some of the networking sites however are very helpful. It is great to be able to connect with other professionals and make new contacts. Sharing information is vital to success in the accounting world because there are many beginnings to a transition to an international set of standards.

            Here is a video of a professor explaining folksonomies, flickr and tagging. It is a very creative way of explanation but provides a different perspective. 

Week 9: Social Bookmarking and Cloud Computing

Social Tools and Cloud Computing are topics very new to me, but seem to be extremely helpful. It helps with communication between people, groups and teams. Things like Google Docs make working on group projects much easier because people can be invited to view the document and even make changes to it. This helps avoid multiple copies of the same document float around and miss someone’s input. Social Bookmarking is another interesting topic that was introduced to me this week. It is a way to share sites with others as well as save your own without relying on one computer. You can search through different topics to see other sites that people have tagged about it. Social Bookmarking is a great way to communicate with others because it makes so many resources available on the Internet for everyone.

These resources can be extremely helpful in my field of accounting. It gives me the ability to connect with my peers on projects and share information and papers in group projects and presentations. In addition sharing resources through sites like Delicious can be helpful to learn new findings and developments in the international accounting world.

Here is an interesting site for social bookmarking. It is called eZdia. It is a site where people can share information, get expert advice, become an expert to give advise and go through the “knowledge bucket” where they can search tags.

Concept Map

Animator vs Animation

really cute and clever video!!

My Garageband Sample

Here is a sample of my work on Garageband. My sound is the cute poem about sea shells with seagulls and waves in the background to help accent it.  Sound can be very influential and helpful during presentations. It can help to emphasize certain points or just make the presentation more entertaining. Also, if it is necessary to interview for the presentation it is a sure way to present the information with direct quoting and not just summarizing what was said. 

My Podcast - Elise Gilpin

Week 8: The Sound Of... Podcasting

            We began this week by first learning about “Audio formats.” An audio format is a way of storing sound and music. It has evolved from phonographic cylinders in the 1800’s to vinyl records all the way to compact discs and Blu-Ray. There are innumerable types of audio formats as well. They are divided into three major groups of formats: uncompressed, formats with lossless compression, and lossy compression.  This segued into Podcasting. Podcasting is a way to watch or listen to media at any given time.  Podcasting is a type of broadcast that stands for “Personal On Demand.” There are many advantages to this but the three main reasons it has gained such popularity is (1) the ability for anyone to use it without extra technology needed, (2) subscribing allows people to retrieve future shows automatically and (3) the ability to download it to any device, not just computers.   Finally, we learned how to use Garage Band, a popular application on Mac computers.

            Podcasting is very useful in my field of Accounting because it is a simple way to spread new information to anyone interested. With the ever-changing trend to globalization, accounting standards are becoming more international as well. We are beginning a transformation from the US GAAP to the International Financial Reporting Standards. Through podcasting, authorities and large firms have the ability to present new information, standards, and other findings to all accountants and clients who would be interested in the information.

            Here is a video of a man’s opinion on possibly patenting podcasts. I thought this was interesting because it somewhat relates our lesson on Podcasting to our lesson on Copyright Law and ethical issues. 

Week 7: Digital Storytelling

In week 7, we learned about Digital Storytelling. This is the use of media and new computer-based tools to tell stories. It usually contains a combination of pictures, text, video, audio and music. This is used highly in education, by either recounting events in history or teaching new concepts. Outside of just educational stories it can be narratives, for workshops or participatory production. They are innumerable ways and resources to present digital storytelling. It can be slideshows, travels shown on Google Earth, timelines, comic strips, collages, videos and many more.

With an ever-changing environment and economy, it is imperative in the accounting world to constantly learn new rules, processes and events. Digital storytelling is one way to present this information to employees of firms in a more interesting way. Continuing education is a requirement for the CPA license and this could be one way they could incorporate facts in an entertaining way. It is important to incorporate the different types of media like video, audio and facts, and this is one successful way to encompass these.  When these accounting firms recruit students, it is important to appeal to them and display different aspects of the firm. Using Digital Storytelling to describe the company, show locations they can travel to with Google earth, and video/picture footage of their activities could be very successful in presenting the firm.

The following link is a website provided by the University of Virginia for teachers and students to create “narratives” (digital stories) in one easy site. They provide materials and images to use, as well as a location to actually make it with ease.

http://www.digitalstoryteller.org/

Digital Storytelling

Week 5: Media and Information Literacy

This week’s focus was on the presentation of information and guidelines for instructional media. There are four main aspects to focus on when presenting information. The first guideline is Contrast. This refers to how the foreground and background coordinate. It does not necessarily mean fun colors, but it is the contrast that makes it appealing to the eye and easy to see. Repetition is also very important when presenting information in this form. The consistency makes it easier to understand. Alignment is the third factor to consider. If the alignment does not have a proper format, the information trying to be portrayed could be confused or key concepts could be missed. Proximity, how everything is arranged next to each other is also key in presenting information. The discussion also mentioned appropriate size font, arrangement of graphics, and other guidelines about font, number of words, and amount of space. The next topic of the week was “Web Based Resources“,  an Internet accessible tool of instructional activities. We also compared multimedia to hypermedia. Multimedia consists of presentations with pictures, sound, text, video, etc. Hypermedia is media connected by links to navigate non-linearly. They both have strong attributes like flexibility, developing creative thinking, and improving skills.

In the corporate world, and especially when presenting information or dealing with clients, PowerPoint is highly incorporated. When presenting facts, plans, or ideas, professionals use this tool to present information in a clear and concise matter. To accomplish this, however, there are certain guidelines that are extremely important. The presentation will be ineffective if the contrast, repetition, alignment and proximity are not appropriate. The last thing the Board of Directors wants is to have a poorly made PowerPoint that distracts them from the topic on hand.

Here is a business training website that discusses the importance of PowerPoint skills. They give advice and guidelines for students, teachers and business professionals. 

Week 4: Copyright Law, Plagiarism & Ethical Issues

Copyright is a protection that applies to all tangible and creative works. Title 17 of the U.S. code provides protection for such copyrights. This assists the creators of such work to control how it is used. It helps prevent different unauthorized uses like reproduction, altering, or displaying. There are certain time limitations to works. If it was done before 1922, it is public domain. Between 1923 and 1978, works are copyrighted for 95 years. Another limitation is that it lasts 70 years after the death of the author. It is always necessary to ensure certain works are not protected, under copyright or others. In terms of education, the Fair Use Act allows schools and libraries to use works with certain restrictions like the percentage of the work used or how it would affect the work’s market. Technologically, almost all works on the web are protected in some way and software has no Fair Use concept.

In accounting, the importance of following rules, laws and guidelines is insurmountable. In 2002, the amount of expectations, tasks, rules and guidelines to follow increased drastically after the fall of Enron and the firm Arthur Andersen. While it did not occur because of copyright law, it is very similar in that protection and regulations are there for a reason. Also, in accounting, much research is done and past court rulings and instances help define our responses. It is important to not plagiarize but to use the resources in an appropriate manner. Ethics has become a major focus in the accounting profession and is something that every firm has high expectations for.

The following is a really cute video from YouTube done by a teacher displaying the Fair Use rule as well as explaining copyright law. It is done by taking approved-length clips from different Disney movies and piecing them together to form a presentation and speech about copyright. Clever!

Week 3: Web Technology

In week 3, we began our discussion on web technology. We started with an introduction to the basics of how the Internet has developed and how we have evolved in our uses. It began in the 70’s with ARPAnet with the military and transitioned to a similar program for universities. Tim Berners-Lee founded the World Wide Web in 1989. We learned about important technology, sizing, and different tools that are made available to us.  The basics of the Mac computer were also discussed, including important tools, shortcuts and how it can be used.

The Internet is an extremely important topic, not just to my major, but also to all majors. The accessibility to information that the Internet provides is imperative to being successful in the accounting profession. There are many different uses for accounting from researching facts or cases in tax issues to programs for performing audits. The ability to connect with other professionals, colleagues, and clients is made easy by the Internet.  Also, accounting firms have the ability to reach out and communicate information through videos and “webcasts” for employees to further their education and knowledge.

As a CPA, it is required to have continuing education entitled “CPE”. This can be done within a firm, at conferences or online. The following YouTube video is an example of a company who provides reviews for CPE online.

Creative Commons

Here is a video explaining creative commons. While they talk, it shows works that are licensed under creative commons!

x ray of foot in pointe shoe

Thought this was really cool. It shows the xray of a foot in a point shoe!

Funny puppy video

Check out these puppies dancing. It is so cute!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDWTjkHb9nY