What’s All the Fuss About Google’s New Privacy Policy?

Posted on February 10, 2012 by Editor

On March 1, 2012, Google intends to update their privacy policy, which was last revised back in 2009. To call it an “update” is misleading, because what the search behemoth is actually creating is a single unified policy that spans all of its 60+ services. [1] The very fact that you’re reading this is cause enough for me to assume that you are a computer user with, shall we say, an above average level of interest in matters of a social-technical-digital nature, so I won’t waste your time detailing all the ways that Google’s services permeate your life. Let’s just agree that these days, it’s hard to click a mouse (or touch the screen of a mobile device) without hitting a Google service — branded or not. What you may not know is that if you’re a regular user of Google services, such as the popular Gmail or the burgeoning Google+ social network, Google is keeping tabs on most of your Web surfing habits, if not all of them — especially if you are using the company’s Chrome browser — all in the name of improving your Web experience through the optimization and personalization of Google’s services.

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Blackboard, Podcasting, and SKYPE, Oh My! Navigating Digital Tools in Teacher Preparation

Posted on August 22, 2011 by Editor

By Christine Macfarlane

Just as Dorothy found herself in the strange world of OZ where things did not appear or work like they did in Kansas, teacher preparation candidates enrolled in distance learning, and technology-rich course environments often find themselves lost on the information highway and wondering what to make of OS (operating system). Candidates need a roadmap to facilitate acquisition of course content while utilizing a range of technology tools they may or may not be familiar and/or fluent in using. Similarly, university faculty members need expertise and options for implementing alternative course delivery methods. Distance learning is a necessary part of learning in today’s society. Continue reading →

Internet 2.0 and the Learning Sciences: The Untold Story of a Timely Historical Meeting

Posted on August 21, 2011 by Editor

By Mark Szymanski

“Explore museums from around the world, discover and view hundreds of artworks at incredible zoom levels, and even create and share your own collection of masterpieces.” declares Google. Do this all; right now, for free, on any mobile device, from anywhere in the world at The Google Art Project [1]. How can this be possible? That is a fair question and a multifaceted answer. Continue reading →

Studying China Online: Editorial Review

Posted on May 15, 2011 by Editor

Review By Jeffrey Barlow

Introduction

The amount of information discussing China now found online has grown considerably over the last several decades. While we hope that this growth is creating a proportionately greater understanding of China, this does not necessarily follow. Understanding China has long been a serious challenge for Westerners in general and for Americans in particular. Continue reading →

Google’s Ngram Viewer

Posted on March 17, 2011 by Editor

By Jeffrey Barlow

Google has brought out applications and various cloud-related services so very quickly that it is sometimes quite easy to miss them. Google’s Ngram Viewer is such an application from late 2010.

Ngram is simultaneously a service, a site, an application, and a search device—all summed up in the name “Viewer”. It surveys the many millions of books in the humanities scanned and indexed to date by Google. The Viewer permits the user to scan for strings of up to five words found in any or all of the works in a search process largely defined by the user, and in a variety of languages, too.