First Amendment Awareness Month at UNA Spring 2011

ALABAMA TORNADO's

This week has been the most emotional week of my college life. Not only I have lost friends my hometown and near by areas where I grew up was destroyed. On April 27, 2011 a deadly twister took the lives of many and still counting. People lost everything. This weekend I saw things similar to these pictures with my own eyes. The President came down to visit the state after he declared a State of emergency. I have shed tears of sadness for those who have lost everything and love ones and I have shed tears of how blessed I am to have my family alive because this could have very well been me. Take a look at the images and just please Pray for Alabama.

Aftan Merrida Media Influenced on Reading

Archie Hubbard Singing River Recording Artist of The Year

Aftan Merrida News PKG and Video Project

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCS5kxiCfUI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkQDLtZ-vQI

These two links are my news package story and my video production project. I produce and edit both of these stories at the University of North Alabama.

Norio Ohga, Who Led Sony Beyond Electronics, Dies at 81

Norio Ohga, one of the leaders of Sony has died. He joined Sony as a full-time employee in 1959.
The cause was multiple organ failure, the company said in a statement.
“Mr. Ohga was the principal architect of Sony’s move beyond its stronghold of sleek consumer electronics gear and into music and movies. The biggest steps came when Sony bought CBS Records for $2 billion in 1988 and, a year later, Columbia Pictures for $3.4 billion.”

At the time, when Japan Inc. seemed unstoppable, those acquisitions — along with a Japanese real estate company’s purchase of most of Rockefeller Center — were symbols of Japan’s rising economic power and wealth. There was worried talk of the Japanese commercial “invasion” and the loss of American “cultural assets.”


Mr. Ohga’s vision that drove “Sony’s evolution beyond audio and video products into music, movies and game, and subsequent transformation into a global entertainment leader.” Still, Mr. Ohga wanted to do more than expand Sony’s corporate empire. Linking electronics and entertainment, in his view, would increase the value of each and secure a lucrative future for Sony.



There were good years in Sony’s media because of him. “Sony was a great product company, and Ohga made it better,” said Michael A. Cusumano, a professor at the Sloan School of Management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

This is important because without this man and his hard work to Sony many of our modern technologies would not be possible today.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/25/technology/25ohga.html?_r=1&ref=technology

IPHONE Keeps Track of Everywhere You Go

Washington DC to New York from Alasdair Allan on Vimeo.

IPAD 2 in Hands of Kindergarten Classrooms

Maine’ s school district recently approved a $200,000 initiative that would give each of its 285 kindergarten students a new hands-on to their very own iPad 2. The Auburn, Maine, school district will be bringing Apple tablet devices into kindergarten classrooms in the fall. Their goal is to achieve literacy rates from 62 percent to 90 percent.

Maine became the first state to give out laptop computers to its middle school students and later expanded the program to high school students in 2002. This was a part of a move to boost literacy. Some critics have blasted the iPad plan saying the school district should not putting high-tech hardware in the hands of kindergartners and that they shouldn't be investing a large sum of money, especially amid budget cuts that could take away teacher instruction
"If you start them young with innovative technology and keep them engaged, it's the way to go. There will be some changes in how teachers will go about incorporating these new platforms, but overall, it will be a very profound tool if used properly,” says Calvert.

Some challenges that teachers are facing are catering content to each student in a classroom filled with different skill levels. With the help of educational software on the iPad 2, teachers will be able to pick programs and levels based on the skills a student needs.
"The iPad 2 can cater specifically to each child's needs, strengths and weaknesses, and that has tremendous potential for improving the overall learning experience," Calvert said.

However, Calvert stressed that technology like this should not replace or undermine the importance of a good teacher." Kindergarten is the grade where students fall in love with their teachers. Calvert does not want ipads to replace that bond but enhance it.

I think it is great, but I think it also should be time limit. Kids are already going to know how to use the ipad. I think they should do small activities and learn a few things with it but I still think they need to be engaged with books, crayons etc. My mom used to love it when I would come home with drawings and stuff I made in class. If students make and do everything on an ipad what will they be able to show their parents when they come home? This study should be done because I would like to see students reading levels get higher but ipads should not replace the teachers.

Students Salute First Amendment Rights

The month of April has been dedicated to learning and embracing the First Amendment Rights. At the University of North Alabama we have been giving great insight to our students to show them just how important the First Amendment Rights. UNA has done scholarships, planted a First Amendment Tree, hung award-winning artwork from students, and made all the communication students be a part of this event by passing out 1st Amendment Cards to the students.

Times Daily did a short story about how students felt about this topic. One student mentioned that if it was not for these Amendments she might not have a job. Times Daily also interview Lisa Darnell assistant professor of speech and communication here at UNA. She stated, “ We want everybody to know just how important this is.”

I think this is a great story to showcase UNA and all that we do. If these rights did not exist UNA would not be able to be taught to work in the field of media. We are so blessed to have these rights because some countries do not.

Katie Couric Leaving CBS?

Katie Couric of CBS Evening news is rumored to be leaving. According to Associated Press her contract will expire on June 4. The network has some other people in mind for replacements such as Harry Smith, Russ Mitchell and Scott Pelley. In less than five years Couric became the first sole women to anchor a network evening newscast.

Reports are also saying that Couric will be doing a syndicated talk show in 2012 and that she would continue as temporary host or an evening host while CBS searches for a new one.

CNN reported “Other companies seeking to secure her for the syndicated show include NBC, her former home while she worked on "Today," and Telepictures, which is the producer of "Ellen" and a new program from Anderson Cooper, slated for a fall debut”.

This is important to anybody who reads or watches the news. Katie Couric has accomplished so much in her career I am wondering what women or other anchor would be replacing her. If she does have an syndicated talk show I also and excited to hear what topics she will discuss and how many listens will she pull.