Internet and Technology

The value of technology in the classroom

Many people warn of the possible harmful effects of using technology in the classroom. Will children lose their ability to relate to other human beings? Will they become dependent on technology to learn? Will they find inappropriate materials? The same was probably said with the invention of the printing press, radio, and television. All of these can be used inappropriately, but all of them have given humanity unbounded access to information which can be turned into knowledge. Appropriately used– interactively and with guidance– they have become tools for the development of higher order thinking skills.

Inappropriately used in the classroom, technology can be used to perpetuate old models of teaching and learning. Students can be “plugged into computers” to do drill and practice that is not so different from workbooks. Teachers can use multimedia technology to give more colorful, stimulating lectures. Both of these have their place, but such use does not begin to tap the power of these new tools.

In this area, you will find descriptions of how computers can be used to stimulate and develop writing skills, collaborate with peers in foreign countries, do authentic kinds of research that is valuable to the adult world, and do complex kinds of problem solving that would otherwise be impossible.

The old school style of education is now totally out of date. Today with the technology explosion that’s presently taking place everywhere around the world, schoolroom instruction has also come a long way and many schools, colleges, and universities are progressively incorporating more technology into common classrooms to facilitate the teaching process.

After all in this 21st century, in this age of podcasts, ipods, blogs and internet sites and blackberries, the education strategy

also has a lot of catching up to do via visuals and wires to appeal to school students. When bringing technology into the classroom or your lesson plans, your purpose is to enhance your lessons to make them as fascinating to students as possible while finding them thought provoking and challenging.

Using Computer

Present some kind of computer based teaching into your class, and research pronounces that your students will learn more. They are able to advance through lessons faster and have a higher rate of retention. Allowing your students to conduct their own research online using the internet can be very beneficial. Most students are on the internet every day browsing websites and searching for things that interest them. As long as you show your students the correct way to search and verify references, the internet can be a great classroom resource that will allow students to discover information and answers on their own.

Use Multimedia

Presentation computer programs such as power point gives instructors the ability to make lesson plans that blend both the visual and auditory styles of learning. Almost all computers have some kind of multimedia platform installed. You can allow students to take advantage of these programs to create projects and demonstrations that contain both visual aids and text.
Integrating multimedia also produces a change of pace of the old chalk board and overhead projector, which ordinarily goes over very well with the students. It can bring about increased student interaction and interest in the content and lesson being taught.

Interactive Multimedia EBooks

EBooks are electronic copies of books that be downloaded to your computer and read online.

E books are far more visually attractive than their printed boring old counterparts as e books are created combining videos, images, audio and texts. For example, suppose you are a biology educator and want your students to complete a project. Students love to use technology to create things. You can have them create their own ebooks. Have them research a topic online, download a few ebooks for example and reference, then create their own using images, video, audio, and text if possible.

Videos

Making use of videos cameras can also be a great way to integrate technology in your classroom. Many students have video capability in their phones already and love making videos. Have them create short movies or presentations on topics for the class. They’ll have fun and it will be a great learning experience.

Other ideas include student podcasts, classroom blogs, or interactive classroom forums or websites.

We should always be looking at ways to update and change the way we teach as the ways students learn changes over time. My making use of various forms of technology, you can do everything you can to make sure every student has an equal chance to learn and retain knowledge.

Information technology (IT) is the branch of engineering dealing with the use of computers and telecommunications, developing and maintaining systems as well as retrieving, storing and transmitting information. Therefore, any person wanting to develop a career in IT should be aware of the value of IT certifications.

Through education and certification, professionals gain the skills, knowledge, and validation needed to be recognized as an expert in diverse products or technologies. MCSE Certification, CCNA Certification, A+ Certification, and SAP Certification are just a few of the many credentials an IT professional may achieve.

Microsoft certification programs are considered to be the major advancement to gain both professional and education background. There are several Microsoft certifications currently available for both onsite or offsite training; being MCSE Certification, one of the most frequently requested certifications.

The Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) certification prove an individual’s expertise in designing and implementing the required infrastructure for any type of business solutions based on the Microsoft Windows 2000 platform and Microsoft Windows Server System.

Demand for the network administration job function is another branch of IT, which has grown significantly, the same as candidates applying for this certification, particularly CCNA Certification.

The CCNA certification (Cisco Certified Network Associate) indicates a foundation in apprentice knowledge of networking with certified professionals able to install, configure, and operate WAN, LAN, and dial access services for small networks with 100 nodes or fewer

Operation and configuration services also includes but are not limited to use one but several of the following protocols: Serial, Frame Relay, IP RIP, IP, IGRP, VLANs, RIP, and Ethernet, Access Lists. 

IT Certifications in career development add valuable credentials for IT professionals in a competitive industry where a certification for jobs like these is needed at the same time that learning is necessary due to the constant changing business environments

A+ Certification prove the competency of entry-level service technicians in the computer industry and it is an internationally recognized testing program sponsored by the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA)

This certification is different from the others because it is not promoted by one company only, but by a whole group of PC manufacturers and other companies in the hardware market and its acceptance as an industry-wide credential offers additional benefits.

The ultimate goal of all IT certifications is in the development of your professional career is validating a specific experience required by the network and systems administrator job role for any small, middle or large company. 

SAP Certification is one of the few credentials in the world of business with additional value only issued to those professionals who demonstrated their abilities by passing demanding, process-oriented exams through rigorous study or direct experience

Introduction

Strategic Fit is what businesses use to combine resources together in order to lower cost. There are a various number of ways that businesses do this and it takes a lot of collaboration among many different areas of the business. The different ways that businesses do this will be discussed more in detail in this article.

The Idea in a Nutshell

Strategic Fit is when the value chains of different businesses present opportunities for cross-business resource transfer, lower costs through combining the performance of related value chain activities, cross-business use of a potent brand name, and cross-business collaboration to build new or stronger competitive capabilities.

The Top Ten Things You Need to Know About Strategic Fit

1.            Strategic Fit in R&D and technology activities: Businesses with technology sharing benefits can perform better together than apart because of potential cost saving in R&D and potentially shorter times in getting new products to market. Also technological advances in one business can lead to increased sales for both.

2.            Strategic Fit in supply chain activities: Businesses that have supply chain strategic fits can perform better together because of the potential for skills transfer in procuring materials, the benefits of added collaboration with common supply chain partners, greater bargaining power, and added leverage with shippers. This also helps with securing volume discounts on shipments that get ordered.

3.            Manufacturing-Related Strategic Fits: Strategic Fits in manufacturing-related activities can represent an important source of competitive advantage in situations where a diversifier’s expertise in quality manufacturer and cost efficient production methods can be transferred to another business. Another benefit from doing this is the ability to consolidate production into a smaller number of plants and significantly reduce overall production costs.

4.            Distribution-Related Strategic Fits: Businesses that have closely related distribution activities can perform better together than apart because of cost savings in sharing the same distribution facilities or using many of the same wholesale distributors and retail dealers to access customers. For example when Conair Corporation acquired Allegro Manufacturing’s travel bag and accessory business in 2007, it was able to consolidate its own distribution centers for hair dryers and curling irons with those of Allegro, which saved money for both businesses.

5.            Strategic Fits in Sales and Marketing Activities: By doing this the business save money because the same distribution centers can be utilized for warehousing and shipping the products of different businesses. Also there may be other competitively valuable opportunities because businesses can transfer selling, merchandising, advertising, and product differentiation skills from one business to another.   

6.            Strategic fits in Managerial and Administrative Support Activities: At General Electric the managers that were involved in GE’s expansion into Russia were able to expedite entry because of information gained from GE managers involved in expansions into other emerging markets. The lessons GE managers learned in China were passed along to GE managers in Russia, allowing them to anticipate that the Russian government would demand that GE build production capacity in the country rather than enter the market through exporting or licensing.

7.            Strategic Fit in Economies of Scope: In economies of scope costs reductions come from operating in multiple businesses; such economies stem directly from strategic fit efficiencies along the value chains of related businesses. The greater the cross-business economies associated with cost saving strategic fits, the greater the potential for a related diversification strategy to yield a competitive advantage based on lower costs that rivals.

8.             Strategic Fit adds Profitability and Gains Shareholder Value: Capturing cross-business strategic fits via a strategy of related diversification builds shareholder value in ways that shareholders cannot undertake by simply owning a portfolio of stocks of companies in different industries. Also companies pursuing diversification can achieve 1+1=3 financial performance and be more profitable.

9.            Strategic Fit in Companies Diversifying into Unrelated businesses: any company or business that can be acquired on good financial terms and that has satisfactory growth and earnings potential represents a good acquisition and a good business opportunity. Businesses do this in order to expand themselves by getting a company that is already established and joining them to increase the customer base.

10.            Strategic Fit presents opportunities for transferring competitively valuable expertise, technological know-how, or other capabilities from one business to another. It also combines resources to create new strengths and capabilities thereby lowering costs for the business.

The Video Lounge

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zc467tDNqA8 In this video clip he explains how he strategically fit attributes from another well established company into his in order to help his business. He made sure that the business he chose was exactly what his company needed in order to lower costs.

My Take

Strategic fit is still relative today, especially since our economy is the way it is right now. Now more that ever businesses are finding was to save money by joining forces with other businesses, by combining the performance of related value chain activities and other cross-business related activities. For example Dell’s strategic partnerships with leading suppliers of microprocessors, circuit boards, disk drives, memory chips and other PC-related components have been an important element of the company’s strategy to diversify into servers, data storage devices and LCD TVs. These are products that include many components common to PCs and that can be sourced from the same strategic partners that provide Dell with PC components.

References

J.E., Strickland, A.J., Thompson, A.A. (2010). Crafting and Executing Strategy: The Quest for Competitive

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Contact Info: To contact the author of “Top Ten Management on Strategic Fit,” please email Aaron J. Lodge at Aaron.Lodge@selu.edu or Alodge100@gmail.com.

Biography

David C. Wyld (dwyld.kwu@gmail.com) is the Robert Maurin Professor of Management at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, Louisiana. He is a management consultant, researcher/writer, and executive educator. His blog, Wyld About Business, can be viewed at http://wyld-business.blogspot.com/. He also serves as the Director of the Reverse Auction Research Center (http://reverseauctionresearch.blogspot.com/), a hub of research and news in the expanding world of competitive bidding. Dr. Wyld also maintains compilations of works he has helped his students to turn into editorially-reviewed publications at the following sites:

Management Concepts (http://toptenmanagement.blogspot.com/)

Book Reviews (http://wyld-about-books.blogspot.com/) and

Travel and International Foods (http://wyld-about-food.blogspot.com/).                

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All the hype about the sale of Weblogs Inc. to America Online (AOL) has given rise to the now famous question – How much is your blog worth? In acquiring Weblogs Inc., AOL has provided some concrete metrics to future valuation of blogs. How much will traditional media be willing to pay for a blog? Conversely, how much would you sell your blog for?
AOL-Weblogs Inc. Deal – Benchmark for Future Blog Valuation
Weblogs Inc was established by Jason Calacanis and Brian Alvey in 2003. It is a network of blogs which includes under its wings successful blogs such as Engadget and Autoblog. Jason Calacanis pointed out that Weblogs Inc. earns in excess of $1 million yearly in Google Adsense revenues alone.
AOL purchased Weblogs Inc. for a confidential sum assessed at somewhere between $25 – $40 million. After said purchase, Tristan Louis came up with a blog valuation scheme based on the deal. He created a chart of blog value using the value of each inbound link to Weblogs Inc. as the basis. It is common knowledge that blog readers follow links. Search engines also act as users and primarily determine blog quality rankings based on linkage data thus direct and indirect value links are a great proxy for value measurement. In the blogosphere, conversations that nurture connectivity represented by links and indexes like Technorati give a vantage view of the value of a blog.
Tristan Louis itemized the publicly available data (list of blogs indexed) at Weblogs Inc. network including the number of inbound links (Technorati blog numbers) per blog divided by the purchase price to determine the value of an inbound link to a blog. At the rumored price of $25 million, the estimated value is $ 564 per link. At $30 million, it is $677.57 per link and $903.42 at an acquisition price of $40 million. Interestingly, the consumer segment chalks up the biggest percentage of linkage. Engadget represents over a third of the overall network traffic.
Applying Tristan Louis’s Weblogs Inc, sale, Dave Winer has also sold http://Weblogs.com to Verisign for a rumored price of around $2 million. Blog entrepreneur Nick Denton, founder of Gawker Media has signed a deal with VNU Media to publish Gizmodo (gadget blog) across Europe in six languages. VNU Media is a leading worldwide information and media company which owns ACNielsen, Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter, among others. With this deal, blog publishing has hit big time.
However, the value of a blog is not calculated based solely on links using AOL’s purchase of Weblogs Inc. Jason Calacanis, the man behind Weblogs Inc., disputed using links alone as proxy for the value of the blog network. He reiterated that the acquisition price was based also on the ever reliable revenue, earnings, management and other metrics.
Tristan Louis based his valuation scheme on links to a blog but he also acknowledged the significance of technology, talented management team, financial performance and growth. There is direct correlation between links, traffic, revenue and earnings capacity of a blog or blog network but it takes sound management to maximize all these potentials.
Value of a Blog – Some Metrics to Consider
How much is your blog worth? There is no one standard gauge yet. But one way to measure the value is to look at certain factors to gain a better perspective on how to measure the future value of a blog.
Aside from number of links as mentioned earlier, traffic level is a key factor in determining blog value. Highly trafficked blogs definitely have a bigger potential for earning compared with those blogs with few readership. A blog’s success is highly dependent on visitors/readers. However, ascertaining the value of traffic is a thorny issue. Some bloggers value traffic anywhere from $3 to $10 per hit a day. From this data, a blog with 2000 unique visitors (page views) would be worth between $6000 to $20,000. The downside to this valuation approach is that some traffic is more valuable than others. A personal blog might have 1000 unique visitors but more difficult to convert to revenue than a blog with 1000 readers that blogs on the topic of digital cameras.
Aside from diverse traffic streams that come from bookmarks, direct links or RSS subscribers will make risk of losing traffic low. Social bookmarking sites are inching their way to becoming prime sources of traffic, with peer referral at times carrying more weight than search results. There are a number of well known bookmarking sites you should link to. Top bookmarking sites include Furl, http://del.icio.us, Diggs, to name a few. By leaving an RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feed, you can feed you readers’ desire for information. Visitors can get automatic updates whenever you provide new content. Having a fairly good base of bookmarkers and subscribers ensure a steady flow of fans and repeat readers – the all-important traffic.
In the blogosphere as in any other field, revenue or earnings is a major focus. a logical approach to blog valuation would be to base its worth upon current and projected earnings, assuming that your blog is earning something to start with. Again, there are varying views on how to use current earnings to measure a blog’s value.
Some bloggers opine you should expect six to eight months earnings as your blog value. A blog with a daily income of $150 would be worth between $27,000 – $36,000. Still, others determine a blog’s value as being two years of current earnings. A blog earning $150 a day would be worth $108,000. Again, there is a huge disparity between these methods of assessing value. Having diverse streams in the form of multiple affiliate programs also increases blog revenue. An affiliate program is an advertising model in which a blog owner markets via his blog a given product, on behalf of another company. The blog owner is reimbursed a percentage of all sales sold thru his affiliate link. Reimbursement rates can vary from 1% and upwards. Google Adsense is a prime example.
Visitors access blogs throughout the Internet primarily through search engines. If your blog does not have a post appearing in the top ten search engine rankings, the chances of visitors reaching your blog is low. A blog’s presence on relevant search engines is a significant medium for maintaining a blog’s success. Search engine ranking and pages indexed in search engines is critical for generating traffic to a blog. Having your blog among the top results of a search or receiving a high Google PageRank (a system for ranking blog posts) would increase your blog’s overall value.
High quality content will always be a key factor for determining a blog’s value. As has been said time and time again – Content is King. Moreover, search engines can only “read” a blog. What attracts a search engine are the words, the content of a blog that explains, informs, shares and educates readers. Good content increases blog value.
All these aforementioned objective metrics can be considered in assessing the value of a blog. Added to all these, a talented management team behind a blog, its underlying tools and blog technology in use can further help to estimate the future value of a blog.