Rewriting Textbooks – Literally

The idea of having digital textbooks is not new. Now one publisher has come up with software that will allow college instructors to edit digital editions of textbooks that they use in their classes. Go to the link below and read the article. Write a reflective comment that shows you have read the article, expresses your views, and addresses my questions.

What advantages do you see in having digital textbooks that the instructor can customize? What concerns would you have? Use your imagination and describe a couple changes that could be made to a digital textbook to make it more interesting. What do you think about the price difference between printed textbooks and the DynamicBooks version? If you were the publisher for DynamicBooks, how would you ensure that offensive things and plagiarism are kept out of your digital textbooks?

DynamicBooks Article

Happiest Online

Teenagers are referred to as digital natives. They spend a lot of time using digital communication. This week’s article looks at a study of how digital communication affects the psychological and neurological behavior of young people. Go to the link below and read the article. Write a reflective comment that shows you have read the article, expresses your views, and addresses my questions.

The study took place in the UK. Do you think that the results are representative of the rest of the world? Are you part of the 75% that cannot live without the Internet? When do you feel happiest, when you are online or at some other time? Do you agree that “In the future … the need and demand for advice through the internet will become even more critical.”? Were you surprised that 43% of the people being interviewed have known someone who has been a victim of an online scam? Do you know someone who has been the victim of an online scam? Are your visual-spatial skills highly developed? What should be done to provide guidance and support for the “in-between group?”

Survey Article

Walking with a Cell Phone

Using a cell phone is not difficult. Walking is not difficult. Combining the two should not be difficult. But apparently it is. This week’s article addresses the growing number of accidents that are caused by distracted walking. Go to the link below and read the article. Write a reflective comment that shows you have read the article, expresses your views, and addresses my questions.

What do you think about the number of pedestrians who go to emergency rooms each year because of accidents that they have while using a cell phone? What do you think about the percentage of people age 16 to 30 who injured themselves? How does this relate to their ability to multitask? What did you think about the study with the clown on a unicycle? Have you ever had an accident while walking and using a cell phone? If so, how did it happen? How did you feel?

Walking with a Cell Phone Article

Hacking for Fun and Profit

Previously, we read about problems that Google had with hackers that they thought originated in China. This week we look more closely at hackers in China and how they operate. Go to the link below and read the article. Write a reflective comment that shows you have read the article, expresses your views, and addresses my questions.

Is hacking ever justified? If so, under what conditions? What is your assessment of Majia? Is what he does justified in any way? Would you like to try hacking? What would you do? What would you do if you knew that a friend was hacking in a way that was obviously wrong in a serious way? What do you think the penalty should be for hacking on a level that does not cause major problems and does not involve stealing?

Hacking Article