Digital Single-Lens Reflex Cameras

I am a complete digital camera novice, so when I read a response to another post on my blog mentioning “digital SLR,” I had to do a big long search to find out what that is! Now, thanks to Wikipedia, I know that digital SLR is a digital single-lens reflex camera. My understanding of this is that digital SLRs use a mirror to direct light upwards where it bounces off of a pentaprism to the photographer’s eye in the viewfinder. When the photograph is actually taken, the mirror goes up and the shutter opens so that the light is projected onto the image sensor (Wikipedia).

That is a major difference between regular point and shoot digital cameras and digital single-lens reflex cameras. While the light is only reflected on the image sensor when the picture is taken with a digital SLR, the light is always reflected on the sensor when the picture is taken with a point and shoot digital camera. This is the reason why people can see the picture on an LCD screen when using a point and shoot, and why they cannot and must look through the viewfinder when using a digital SLR. These are two links to websites with more information about digital single-lens reflex cameras.

Digital Single-Lens Reflex Cameras

Digicams vs. DSLRs

What is a Digital Camera?

Webopedia Computer Dictionary defines “digital camera” as “a camera that stores images digitally rather than recording them on film.” Digital cameras usually have limited memories and you have to transfer the pictures to your computer, where you can store them, share them, or print them. A more complete definition is available from Webopedia at:
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/d/digital_camera.html

Fun AND educational games?

This past week, I ate, slept and breathed game-based learning. I never really thought about the idea of games being so educational. As I mentioned in one of my discussion posts, the only games I ever played in school were Jeopardy, Mario Teaches Typing and Lemmings. Of those games, the most educational one (Mario) was also the most horrendous, and the best game was watching little lemmings walk off cliffs and kill themselves. Where’s the educational value in that?? I guess things have come a long way since I last played Lemmings in the eighth grade --- ten years passes, and all of a sudden, video and computer games are educational. Games like Civilization and Age of Empires are being used in my old middle school, and very enthusiastically. It amazes me to think that the same librarian who was there when I was (and who I always considered to be an absolute battle-ax), who always extolled the virtues of Mario and declared that there was no better way for us to become computer-literate and prepared for the rigors of high school and college but to practice with Mario for the first fifteen minutes of each computer class, is now using these games as actual class work. Anyways, I’ve included links to information about Lemmings and Mario Teaches Typing, just for a walk down memory lane:)

http://www.lemmingsuniverse.net/downloads.html

http://www.superkids.com/aweb/pages/reviews/typing/2/mario2/merge.shtml

Hi!

Well, this is my first foray into the blogosphere (hope that's the correct terminology!), so I hope I don't sound too awkward.

My name is Christy and I am a second semester grad student at Syracuse University in the Library and Information Science Program. I'm creating this blog as part of an assignment for my IST 611 Information Technologies in Educational Organizations class. I don't know exactly what I want to do when I get out of this program, but I do know that I want to be in an academic setting where I can keep learning about new things.

I was born in Hanover, New Hampshire, grew up in Bennington, Vermont and Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, lived in Hull, Massachusetts for  a few years, and now I am living here in Syracuse. I got my undergrad degree in Spanish Language and Literature, with a minor in English Literature. I like reading, writing, watching old movies, skiing and shopping (probably a little too much!)

Well, I guess that's all the introduction I can do for now. My next post will be about something class-related and digital cameras.