Music vs You

I am sure that all of us we definitely listen to music all the time, some of us listen to the music when we are doing assignments, some of us even leave the music player on for 24 hours. For me, yes music is a must in my life. Even when I sleep, I will play the music as well. This is because music can let myself relax a lot and even can express my feeling by choosing different genre of music to listen. Sometimes I dance or play the keyboard along with the music. It helps me in releasing my stress with my assignments. It has become the basic need of my life that without music, I feel something missing in me.

Music colors my life.

What about you?

Improve English by listening to songs

I realize that there are many ways to improve our English ,one of them is by listening to english songs. I think this is a great way to learn as most people love songs,as for me,i cant live without music. Music is the best buddy ever that entertain me all the time.
Here is a site that actually stated that learning and improving English by watching music videos with lyrics.

http://www.helping-you-learn-english.com/learn-english-with-music.html

This is a fun way to learn.Don't you all think so?

by,

joey lim wei chie

Guys, are you a PhotograFreak?

As you can see in my title, my question is are you a photography lover? Do you love photography?

I love photography. I'm glad that MMU offer a photography subject. It's not because of the good and professional lecturer for sure, it's because that I got the chance to have my very first DSLR in my life.

DSLR - Digital single-lens reflex camera

I've never thought about that before. Seriously, never. Thus, I'm glad that I could own a DSLR. This machine is so awesome to be explored. You will love it when you start exploring it. Photography is a subjective thing. One might loves where things are captured by this magical machine, one might not loves it. In my words, doesn't matter it's a compact camera, a phone camera or a DSLR, camera is a machines that capture some awesome or lovely moment in your life. It is fun to have it on your hand. Whenever you go, whenever you travel, it always your best friend. I believe that everyone is a natural photography. Everyone has different point of view, has different vision. They see things in different way. This make us unique.

A picture tells a thousand words.

I agree with this statement. But yet, it can be a word for someone, it can be a thousands for someone. This depends on how one interpret the picture. Everyone thinks differently.

I'm a photografreak. Freak that like to play with its DSLR. Yet I'm still a beginner and a learner. You don't need to have a great tools to capture things as you've already have one, your eyes. I heard from someone, there is no good or bad photos. For me, a photo that makes one stop and ponder is a good photos.

Those are some thought I shared with you guys.

What about you?
Do you think you are a photograFreak?

p/s: photografreak is just a term I created for those who likes photography, again, no offence.

Cheers~

Do you play games?

I love gaming so much.
Usually when I have free time, I will play games and mostly online games.
I prefer online games than offline games and this is because I am not so interested on playing with the data of the computer system.
I prefer online gaming so that I can play with the real life players and they may not know my real characteristics and even who I am.
I love MMORPG. MMORPG stands for massively multiplayer online role-playing game. It is fun since everybody can choose their own characters with the freedom of setting the characteristics of the characters. For example, in game, I can choose to be a boy even thought in real life I am a girl.
I will play the offline games only if it is the virtual reality type of games. The Sims can category as a virtual reality game. It can create the character you want and start your life in the digital world. Now I am playing The Sims 3. Your character can eat, can cook, can sleep, can work and even can go for shopping.
Many of us are playing Facebook application games too. It does not spend much time and it is a good entertainment for us student when feeling stress on doing the assignments for whole day.
I play games, do you?

Food Magic

For me, food is like a magic and all the cook is a magician.

I do not know how to cook but I love to eat!

My mom seldom cook for us because she has a lot of works to do.

But my grandmother is a good magician.

She likes to cook everyday even though she's already very old to do the cookings.

She used her hands to bring magic to our family.

It's a wonderful magic that brings our family together. And we will have a happy conversation after the dinner.

I always heard people said that computer brings people together.

But I think that food can also bring people together.

When I try the Indian foods, I taste the spicy, I can share my thoughts with my Indian friends about their food.

It makes me feel closer to the other race.

Some people love to eat Japanese food; some people love to eat Thai food; some people love to eat European food; some people even go to a specific places just to taste their food.

The tasty food makes us want to know more about them, share it with our friends and the joy of it gave us even on the thought of them.

Everyone have different opinions about food.

So what do you think about food?

What is the interesting movie you have watched recently?

Dear friends,
I was thinking about a topic which it will be interesting for everyone in order to be able to talk about and exchange opinions, so I thought why not something from our common interest something like Cinema and movie, are u guys going to the cinema regularly? Are u guys interested in movies? If yes, what is the interesting movie you have watched recently?

Survey

Age:
Gender:
Major & Year:

1. How often are you using a computer?
Every day
A few times a week
Once a week
A few times a month

2. For what purposes do you usually use a computer? (Please rank your answer from 1 being the weakest to 5 being the strongest; please use each number once only)
Surfing
Social Networking
Doing your assignments
Gaming (including online games)
Checking your messages and chatting
If there is any other purpose other than the above, please name it and give it a rank:

3. When during the day do you usually use the Internet/Computer?
Morning
Afternoon
Evening
At night
Late night

4. Which one do you prefer?
Laptop
Desktop

5. Do you like to have access to the Internet on your mobile phone?
Yes
No
6. If you answered yes above, what is your preferred usage for mobile Internet?

7. Are you a member in any of these social networking websites? (You can choose more than one)
Face book
Friendster
MySpace
Twitter
Windows live
Yahoo360

8. What is your preferred method of socialization?
Online
Face to face

9. How do you usually spend your free time?
Exercise
Shopping
Using computer
Socializing with friends
Others please name:

10. What material do you use for gathering information for your assignments most of the time?
Online
Print

11. What do you prefer to read?
Books
Magazines
Newspapers
Online material

12. Do you think online information is reliable? Why?

Literature review-articles

here's the link for the article I have chosen:

http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/resources/research_documents/studies/video_games/video_game_culture.cfm

my part of literature reviews

http://www.wisdia.com/articles/how_computer_affects_children_lives.aspx

by Qi Mei

related articles

joey's here

This article is related to our title.It is about technology separate us from social life

http://findarticles.com/p/news-articles/patriot-ledger-the-quincy-mass/mi_8043/is_20100315/overkill-gadgets-term-benefit/ai_n52476333/

Reference 2

How Computers Affect Your Child's Health
Vibrant Life, Sept, 2001 by Barbara Anan Kogan

Today's 38.5 million kids in this country between the ages of 2 and 18 are of the digital generation at home, day- and child-care centers, and in schools. They play computer games for at least 20 minutes daily and spend 2.5 or more hours in front of another screen--the television. Kids play computer games at friends' and relatives' houses and in their own houses. Their computer playmates include friends, siblings, parents, and child-care providers. Visiting with grandparents has become a computer event too, as the senior generation is becoming computer-literate almost as fast as the digital generation.

The digital generation learns how to spell words by using spell check on the computer. Even the board game of Scrabble is now available in a computerized version, as are other board games and TV game shows. Every sport imaginable can be played by computer. For preschoolers and grades K-3, there are a series of educational toys and games.

Effects on Lifestyle and Health

When children spend hours playing computer games in solitude, they spend less time socializing with their family and peers. This solitude overrides development of other activities and skills and potentially creates difficulties getting along and socializing later in the workplace.

A child makes more than 4,000 eye movements in just one hour while playing computer games. Frequently they have difficulty tracking the movement in horizontal, vertical, and oblique directions. Playing computer games and staring at the computer screen for as little as 20 minutes causes the visual system to become locked into focus at the screen's distance. When a child tries to refocus in the distance, it is blurry.

Blinking is also reduced when a kid stares at a computer screen while playing computer games. Normally blinking occurs 15 times per minute and is a natural way of lubricating our eyes. Kids as young as 8 years old wear contact lenses, and reduced blinking causes their eyes to dry out and become irritated. Reduced blinking also causes redness with or without contact lenses.

Repetitive motion from typing at a computer keyboard and using a mouse can cause carpal tunnel syndrome. Awkward postures create neck and back problems in children, just as with adults. These problems can interfere with a child's sleep, performance in school, and the discomfort can create negative attitudes.

Kids often eat junk foods high in fats, sugars, and carbohydrates while playing computer games. Combined with a lack of physical activity, this is a contributing factor to the surge in obese children. This obesity adds to the rise of diabetes at increasingly younger ages.

Today's kids can retreat to their own room, which is media-complete with a computer, TV, and often a high-tech audio system. These activities encourage stationary positions, often with minimal physical exertion, such as clicking a computer mouse or a remote control, for many hours daily.

Solutions for Balance

Playing a musical instrument provides an alternative physical activity in which kids also use their hands and eyes and interact with other children. Kids tap their feet and often move the whole body while learning music's rhythm and timing. A musical keyboard stimulates close and large stretching hand movements as with a computer keyboard. String and woodwind instruments provide more fine muscle development.

Many kids become inspired to play instruments in the school orchestra or marching band. An additional benefit is the enrichment from the socialization and creativity. If other family members play instruments, music brings a family together.

Singing, from the CDs or cassettes, to participating in school and church choirs, provides a balance of their entire mind and body.

"It's great to come here, and I'm seeing things I don't see in school or when I'm playing games on my computer" is a common phrase heard by kids who are participating in outdoor education. Here children have an opportunity to learn about nature. A good bird book and a pair of binoculars teach children about colors, shapes, and sizes; all the types of seeds, nuts, and berries birds eat; the differences in their songs; how they move on the ground and fly; and whether they are water or land birds.

Walking in the outdoors teaches children about trees, plants, and flowers. Naturalists and many nature or outdoor-oriented retail stores provide organized walking tours for the whole family to enjoy, while expanding their world from playing the games on a computer at an arm's length away.

It is fun for children to watch their own vegetable, flower, or herb garden grow, whether it is a portion of the back or front yard or indoors on a windowsill. Developing this relationship with nature requires care and nurturing while providing physical activity with a mind-body connection.

Year-round gardening can become part of a kid's knowledge about food preparation. It can be fun for children to put some berries, nuts, seeds, or herbs in their food. This can be done on their own--even as early as 7 or 8 years old--or with siblings, parents, grandparents, and child-care providers. It can include anything from side dishes to main courses to snack foods, and the creative talents used while maintaining a garden can complement the creative talents of food preparation and presentation at the table. This is also a way to reduce and overcome obesity.

Children should also be encouraged to read books in their original printed format instead of e-books. Try encouraging your child to write a story about what happened in school. Ask your digital generation child to draw a picture, copying one, or creating an original.

Children who spend as little as 15 minutes doing stretching exercises of the arms, shoulders, legs, neck, and back relieve computer-induced stress on the body's muscles. Exercise aids in food digestion and in relieving depression.

Easing Computer Stress on the Body and Mind

A few easy adjustments in the initial setup of your child's computer can be accomplished with a minimal amount of time or cost, and have long-term stress-relieving effects on the body and mind. The monitor should be aimed approximately 20 degrees below eye level to simulate a more natural reading position and be placed at arm's length away from the child's view. A glare screen placed over the monitor will make viewing easier on the eyes. The screen should be dusted daily.

There are a number of ergonomically designed keyboards that can minimize sore wrists. Since keyboard and mouse comfort are individual, your child can often help in making the best selection of both.

Feet should be placed flat on the floor, and your child should be seated erect in a lumbar-supported chair that is at a comfortable height. This avoids back, neck, and shoulder pain. Accessory lighting should be less than three times brighter than the screen, non-glare-producing, and on the left side. Glare and shadows can be reduced by simply closing drapes, curtains, or blinds.

A stress-relieving pair of computer glasses makes a significant difference in performance, concentration, and clarity and avoids afterimages during and after computer game playing. Contact lens wearers use computer glasses over their contacts. The prescription is designed to provide clear focus at the keyboard, the monitor, and the desk, and for distances of up to approximately four feet away. They should be kept at the computer work station, and if there are multiple work stations, such as at home and at school, a pair should be kept at each location.

These specially designed prescriptions are extremely beneficial in preventing the onset and progression of nearsightedness. Following the 20/20 rule, in which your child takes a 20-second visual break after 20 minutes of staring at the computer monitor, prevents the visual system from "locking up."

Physical breaks provide keyboard relief. Start by gently rotating both hands in an extended-arm position, making large circles 10 times each clockwise and counterclockwise in the air. When the arms are extended, clench both fists and hold for five seconds. Then spread the fingers as far apart as possible and hold for five seconds. Repeat these hand clenches 10 times. Last, lift the shoulders as high as possible, hold for five seconds, and then release. After five repetitions, lift the shoulders and rotate five times in a circular direction.

Tossing a beach-size ball back and forth 10 times develops eye-hand coordination for the very young computer game player.

Today's computer games have replaced their predecessors, Mr. Potato Head, jacks, and reading. Parents from the 1950s and 1960s were challenged to balance a child's lifestyle, health, and development against numerous hours staring at the television screen. Today's parents face a double challenge with balancing the TV and computer monitor screens.

Dr. Barbara Anan Kogan, of Washington, D.C., began researching computers and vision functioning as an optometry student 20 years ago. She has published and lectured extensively on this subject and practiced preventive vision care for 13 years.

FindArticles.com. 18 Mar, 2010. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0826/is_5_17/ai_78785156/

Reference:

How computers affect student performance, the good and the bad.
29 Jan 2005


Regular use of computers can have an effect on student performance on standardized tests, according to a new study by researchers at Boston College and the University of Massachusetts at Lowell.

Analyzing test performance and computer uses of 986 fourth grade students from 55 classrooms in nine Massachusetts school districts, the study found that the more regularly students use computers to write papers for school, the better they performed on the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment Systems (MCAS) English/Language Arts exam. This positive effect occurred despite the fact that students were not allowed to use computers for the test.

Conversely, the study found that students' recreational use of computers to play games, explore the Internet for fun, or chat with friends at home had a negative effect on students' MCAS reading scores. Similarly, students' use of computers to create PowerPoint presentations was also negatively associated with MCAS writing scores.

This study of students' MCAS performance is part of the "Use, Support and Effect of Instructional Technology" (USEIT) study conducted by the Technology and Assessment Study Collaborative of the Lynch School of Education at Boston College. Funded by the US Department of Education, USEIT is a three-year assessment of educational technology that occurred across 22 Massachusetts districts.

The MCAS achievement component of USEIT is the most sophisticated analysis of the relationships between students' computer use and test performance conducted to date. Building on several shortcomings of past research on this topic, this study collected detailed measures of a variety of student uses of computers in and out of school, controlled for differences in home learning environments, separated effects of teachers' instructional practices, and controlled for differences in prior achievement by using third grade MCAS scores.

In addition to analyzing the effect of a variety of uses of computers on students' total MCAS scores, this study also examined the sub-scores provided by the MCAS test.

At a time when standardized testing is playing an increasingly important role in shaping the learning experiences of students and instructional practices of teachers, the researchers believe this study provides evidence that students' computer use does have an impact on student achievement as measured by tests like MCAS. More importantly, they say, the study demonstrates that different uses of computers have different effects on student learning.

"Specifically, this study finds that students' use of computers throughout the writing process had a statistically significant positive effect on MCAS writing scores," said the study's director, Michael Russell of BC's Lynch School of Education. "Using computers simply to type in final drafts of essays, however, had no effect on students' test performance. These findings are consistent with past research and demonstrate the importance of allowing students to use computers to produce rough drafts, edit their papers, and to produce final drafts."

This study also indicates that using computers for recreational purposes had a negative effect on test performance, particularly for reading scores. The authors speculate that this occurs because students who spend more time using computers for recreational purposes at home may spend less time reading at home.

Similarly, the study found that use of computers in school to create presentations was negatively associated with writing test scores. According to the researchers, this negative relationship may result from students spending less time writing during class time and more time creating and revising multimedia projects that contain relatively small amounts of written work. In essence, time spent creating presentations may detract from time available during class to develop students' writing skills.

"These findings are important for two reasons," said Russell. "First, at a time when schools are under increased pressure to raise test scores, yet are also facing budget shortfalls, this study provides evidence that investments in computers can have positive effects on student achievement. Second, it shows that teachers and students must be thoughtful about how computers are used and what types of learning they expect to impact."

"When examining the effect of computer use on student learning, it is important to consider how well a specific use is aligned with the measure of learning," added the study's lead author, Laura O'Dwyer of the Graduate School of Education at UMass Lowell, formerly a researcher at Boston College. "While this study found that use of computers to create presentations was negatively associated with writing scores, it does not mean that students should not be creating presentations with computers. Creating presentations may be a positive learning experience, but such effects are not captured by a test like MCAS that measures reading and writing skills."

Adds BC researcher Damian Bebell, the study's third author, "Although this study finds some interesting effects of students' use of computers, teachers in this study generally did not use technology to teach. As more and more schools, districts, and states provide teachers and students with their own laptops, it will be interesting to see if teachers are able to use technology more in the classroom and if these uses add to the effects of student technology use."


Michael Russell - russellmh@bc.edu
Boston College

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/19387.php

Questions:
1. Do you spend most of your time on computer for entertainment?
2. Do you spend more time on computer for recreational purposes than reading at home?
3. Do you prefer typing on computer than writing on paper?
4. Do you spend more time on creating presentations using computer than writing during class?
5. Do you think that using computer to create presentations will affect your writing scores?

By Yon Sin Yi 1081103974

Guideline for the introduction

This is a rough guideline for the introduction part, help me to improve it by leaving comments so I can refine it better.

Background information:
-situation discussed:

-the used of computer has become a major part of student's life,whether or not are they using for academic wise or entertainment wise,computer and internet has shaped a digital world in students and it affects students' lifestyle and health.
-the health of MMU tudents has been infected in serious condition as they use the computer day and night for 24 hours without rest.
-a researched about the hours students spent on computer is been done not long ago and it has proved the above saying.
-it also affect students' lifestyle in return.(students faces the computer more than doing other things like sports,etc)

-aim of the report:
*find out the reason that affect students to use computer daily without rest,to research on the advantages and disadvantages of using computer in all aspects.
*find out the health condition and reason why students like to do last minute work.

-terms of reference:
*who asked for the report:Mr Too Wei Keong
*date that the report was asked:(check calendar,not very sure about that)
"this report was requested by Mr Too wei Keong,the Creative Communication Lecturer in MMU on the (date)......"(to be continued)

content and scope:
-this report will responds to the outcome of the problem discussed and the method of solution for the problem,it will also discusses about the current situation of the students' health condition...

have a look at this and do leave a comment so I'll know my mistakes.

Methodology

Hi, I'm Qing.
Qi Mei and I will be doing the Methodology for the report.

The Concept of Methodology

Methodology includes a philosophically coherent collection of theories, concepts or ideas as they relate to a particular discipline or field of inquiry:[citation needed]

Methodology refers to more than a simple set of methods;[citation needed] rather it refers to the rationale and the philosophical assumptions that underlie a particular study relative to the scientific method. This is why scholarly literature often includes a section on the methodology of the researchers. This section does more than outline the researchers’ methods (as in, “We conducted a survey of 50 people over a two-week period and subjected the results to statistical analysis”, etc.); it might explain what the researchers’ ontological or epistemological views are.

Another key (though arguably imprecise) usage for methodology does not refer to research or to the specific analysis techniques. This often refers to anything and everything that can be encapsulated for a discipline or a series of processes, activities and tasks. Examples of this are found in software development, project management and business process fields. This use of the term is typified by the outline who, what, where, when, and why. In the documentation of the processes that make up the discipline, that is being supported by "this" methodology, that is where we would find the "methods" or processes. The processes themselves are only part of the methodology along with the identification and usage of the standards, policies, rules, etc.

Researchers acknowledge the need for rigor, logic, and coherence in their methodologies, which are subject to peer review.

-----taken from Wikipedia

We shall be doing the participants, materials and procedure as the subsections for the writing report.

I will comment on this post to show all of you what I have done for the methodology part.
If I do it wrong, please let me know.

Report writting

Hey people, don't know if you all are still remember about this or not. We have to do our report writting for our topic discussed and submit to class.

Report includes:

1. Introduction

2. Literature review

3. Methodology

4. Findings

5. Conclusion

We have to do first three sections first at about 4-5 pages.

Do take note about this.

Thanks~

Topic and Draft

First and foremost, thank you all of you for leaving comments on the brainstorming session.:)

As for the result of the previous session we carried out, we have decided to do a topic," The university lifestyle of MMU students and culture of using computer".

This is modified from the topic about the unhealty lifestyle of MMU students and culture of using computer. We will study in detail in future about this.

I shall write in brief about our research questions and problem discovered so that all of us can know about it as we will not be meeting up in class because of the one week holiday for Chinese New Year

Research Question:

1. What are the advantages and disadvantages of using computer for MMU students?(academic and entertainment wise).

2. How does the use of computer among the students changes the students' lifestyle in the four to five years of studying in MMU?

3. Will this affects student's health condition? How serious it will be?

*addition questions: Why students like to do last minute work?

problem(s):

1.using computer has become a major part of student's life,whether or not are they using for academic wise or entertainment wise,computer and internet has shaped a digital world in students and it affects students' lifestyle and health.

Have a look at this ya...:)

Happy Chinese New Year and happy holiday..:)

Brainstorming Session on The Topic

Here's the brainstorming session, feel free to leave comment by giving topics with research questions and so on and we'll see which topic is suitable and decide from the list...

Welcome welcome

Feel free to post anything related to our topic.