Googlrific

I can't help but to use this weeks blog post to reflect on what I think to be one of the most creative and brilliant ideas yet mentioned in class, Google kids. Ruthann last class asked whether or not there was such a thing as Google Kids. This got me thinking. What a brilliant idea. We have at our disposal the ability to foster immediate change for kids through perhaps the worlds most effective medium, the internet. We have spoken about the pro's and con's of internet search engines and how they filter and decide what results we receive. This of course being important to us Google fanatics but what about kids?
What an incredible way to educate children on various topics in the world in a manner that is not offensive but also accurate. Google kids would be an optimal way for children of various ages to look up things that they want, security protected of course, and find the results that best suit their intellectual capacities. If I were a child, which some would argue I am, I would think that Google would be much more convenient and easy to use if it had larger, colorful buttons. If it had easier to understand and read links. Along with big headings that discussed important global and local issues in a way that I could understand. This is not even mentioning the Google books section. This separate section could be titled Google Books Kids which would filter all relevant search results for particular children's books.
There may also be a grade or age tab which changes the age and reading ability of each child to accomodate their own particular comprehendability. A child may be able to learn anything ranging from the anatomy of the body to the scary Bush government in a non-offensive yet educationally beneficial manner. Just imagine the possibilities.
Ruthann I salute you! What a great suggestion. I want in!
There is something somewhat similar to it now but it is so limited and Ruthann's suggestion sounds so much more appealing.

On programming...

I would like to take the time this week to share with you some interesting things about programming. I am currently registered for the group project as a programmer and as such I, along with several others, am responsible for creating the working program for our presentation. The program we have decided to use is processing and, once some rudimentary level of understanding is achieved, it should provide the class with a working and functional computer program for our display.
Programming, from what it appears to be at this point, is not difficult. Computer programming has come a long way in recent years and, with programs such as python and processing, now it is possible to learn commands through language as opposed to code. This transition, although perhaps difficult for seasoned programmers, has proven to be quite successful for one trying to learn from scratch. The new language allows users to program with little or no difficulty because the commands are often simple prompt words such as size, ellipse and line. These words, when they are followed by a numerical formula of some sort, appear on the screen as working graphs, charts and visual displays.
Our Harvey project will benefit greatly thanks to our, (mainly Bill at this point), abilities to program. If, for example, we are to show a blockage of some sort it may be possible to program the project to show, on screen, what is actually happening in the heart with respect to heart rate, pressure and so on. This will be able to give us a hands-on, visual representation which can be very appealing for our particular target audience. The difficulty for me at this point is learning all the particular prompts in the programming language. It is however something that takes time. I hope the rest of you guys are coming along nicely with your contributions and it should be quite interesting to see how everything will come together.

The Hearts Beat...

This year our class has undertaken quite an interesting group project. We have tackled the task of presenting William Harvey's translation of the circulation of the blood. In this task we shall attempt to create a working model of what it is that transpires when the heart beats. This may seem to be a straightforward task but by having done some surface level research it is beginning to appear increasingly difficult.
How is it possible for us to create a working model of the heart considering how complex the human heart is. Composed of Arteries, Capillaries, Ventricles, Veins and even the lungs the heart is one of natures most fascinating organs and as such, one of the most difficult to depict. If I may go out there and make a suggestion I would say the following:

The human heart, when functioning properly, serves to circulate blood through our system. It carries proteins and nutrients and provides the body with oxygen. It is a vital organ and is crucial in the proper functioning of our body. Would it then not be beneficial to depict what happens when the heart is NOT working properly? What if, as a part of our experiment, we showed things such as hypertension. This type of issue which affects a huge percentage of the population would lend itself in assisting us with our task. By a process of deduction we can see how essential the proper functioning of the heart is. We can display systolic and diastolic pressure and as each one fluctuates we can see the visual effects of them on the heart.

This project appears to be very promising. Though it is, and will continue to be, a group effort each individual must continue to contribute a share in order for us to properly achieve our goal. This project, when completed, will reflect on our ability to work together (while simultaneously independently) and come to understand one of natures greatest marvels.