Growing Up With Games

Growing up with games was always exciting, while i thought we were having free time, teachers were really testing our knowledge. Advergaming allows students to play virtually online fun but educational games. I remember in elementary school we played this game Oregon Trail where we were able to learn about U.S. History but actually interact and enjoy what we were learning. You would cross valleys and trails learning about different places while riding on a wagon collecting food and supplies with fellow friends. Not only did it help in history but also mathematics when it came to cost of goods. I found that using educational games in school, students were wanted to play and wanting to learn since they were involved. The history game I learned some information but nothing that I will recall of now but games that I played on computers related to math or spelling really helped me excel in my work. I assistant teach kindergarten and majority of the classes have reading or mathematics there students complete daily and it records their growth throughout the year.

In advertising, advergaming is a great tool to promote a product. For instance, if you go to McDonalds.com there is a person in a chicken suit that will do whatever you tell it to. If you typed in dance, then the chicken would dance. If you typed in sleep, the chicken would go to sleep. While some may thought it was all fun and games, throughout the whole game it was a ad to reel you in to go to McDonalds. Advertising can be sneaky but very affective! So by the use of advergaming it will be a great way to reach specific target markets.


This video is a great example of advergaming where young children are able to play online video games while learning how to write, read, spell, and use pronunciation. It is a very fun and has so many learning choices. Along with enhancing to next level by keeping track of your scores. Take a look!

Tech Tools: Webspiration and Gliffy

Webspiration and Gliffy are two very useful sites that allows you to design concept maps, flow charts, diagrams and even floor plans. You start with a single idea and expand that idea into multiple ideas while collaborating with your fellow peers and employees. Whether its for a marketing map, designing a video game, or just a plain simple idea mapping, it can do it all. The fun thing about these tech tools is they allow you to make them unique by adding color, fun text, and photos to the charts. The shapes are very helpful if you have and idea (grocery list) with lets say four categories (dinner food, beverages, snacks, toiletries) and then items connecting the four categories. The shapes will allow you to distinguish the differences amongst the idea, categories, and items by applying different shapes to each. I have found concept maps to be very useful and make a wonderful presentation. Using Webspiration and Gliffy on the web sharing your ideas with others whether they are in the same room or in another state these tools allow you to open your exact work onto another persons computer to build ideas together.

I can see myself certainly using Webspiration and Gliffy as tech tools in the advertising field. It is a great way to come up with an idea with an ad, for example an ad or marketing plan will be able to section of into how i can connect with the consumers, where to locate, find a pricing strategy. Allowing me and my co-workers to jot down some ideas and mix-and-match what would work best for our promotional efforts. Also, its a great way to finish my work outside of my office and in my home and still be able to collaborate with others. These concept maps will do great for presenting a new product into a market.

The video below was choosing do to the specified directions it gives on how to create a concept map using Webspiration. I know when i first designing concept maps i did not know to do everything and couldn't find where thing were located. This video will certainly have you fully prepared to build a concept map no matter what your usage is for.

Web Presence

When Professor Cameron first asked the class “Who has a professional web presence?” There were blank stares across the room and no hands were raised, but then she asked “Well how many of you have a Facebook?” Hands shot up in the air and she “Congratulations, you have a web presence.” A web presence is a collection of files starting with a home page targeting specific goals and concepts. It shares personal information about you or a market, the location, the history, accomplishments, portfolios, and more. Examples are Facebook and Myspace, which are web presences that allow you to interact with others. Just about everyone in the world has a web presence now-a-days and doesn’t even know it! You can easily find someone by typing in their name on a search and it will pull up information about you. That’s why it is very important to keep web presences professional because you never know who is looking. You may be applying for a job but the manager comes across your web presence, finds something unprofessional, and you loose that job opportunity. By setting your web presence on private you are able to limit the amount of people who can see it and keep it amongst people you know.

Using a web presence in Advertising is very essential because it allows you to share your accomplishments and samples of your works. I can also present advertisements on my web presence and get the word out to people on the product I am trying to promote. The internet reaches out to everyone and is a great way to promote you and your business.





The video above demonstrates how to create a powerful web presence. Its important for you to stand out in front of others, especially in the work force. This video i found great and very detailed explains the steps and the value of having a web presence. Explaining the differences among with social network you choice to share your web presence and the financial outcomes. It even states having a small business can be easily expanded by having a completed web presence about their business. You should find great tips and tools that will help you create or edit your web presence.

Virtual Schooling

The idea of having your whole education K-12 and/or college degree online and never once stepping foot into a classroom caused me to have a lot of concerns but came to realize how beneficial it can be. Virtual schooling allows students to gain in education while being anywhere, at any time, and any path, just like Janice Barweld from our in-class video. Highly educated teachers are assigned to students to teach them their online curriculum and have constant interaction with the students regularly through phone, e-mails, or video. There are two different types of virtual school: virtual school and virtual homeschooling. Virtual school although it is taught online, the students are still enrolled at a public school. Allowing them to be taught by an outside educator but having the fees as if it was a student that came to class at a public school. Virtual homeschooling tends to be a little more beneficial due to the fact that it involves free, public school at home programs. Students are provided with books, computers, science and art supplies free of charge. Being very beneficial for low income families or families who live on the road. However, I was very concerned on how students learned how to communicate with others if they were trapped in their own homes. But, I learned that virtual schools set up field trips and outgoings so all students and can have social interaction. Virtual schooling does have its pros and cons but having a diploma of completion is the same no matter how you achieve it!

Being an advertising major I don’t find much use of virtual schooling for my field. Although, if I had to use virtual schooling for my field I would use it for a way to prepare myself for communication strategies, promotional, and leadership positions. Taking courses so I can advance in promotional ads, viewing steps on how to be the best and grasp the audience attention. Visually viewing ads and constantly communicating with people through the web will allow my social interactions grow professionally.

This Florida Virtual School provides students with an online education from grades K-12. Your able to contact highly trained teachers twenty-four seven and have classes regularly. It relates to this weeks assignment on virtual school because it is an actual Florida virtual school that students are able to attend, watch live, take online test,
and gain in education. I find this site great for parents you have jobs and are constantly having to travel but still what their children to have a proper education.