https://www.facebook.com/SonomaCountyRebels13uBaseballTeam?skip_nax_wizard=true
 
 
I have decided to go with the Storify.com website for my personal learning website. I really don't know much about this kind of technology but I am interested in finding out more.  I am looking forward to being able to access news from sites like yahoo on a much more direct basis. 

http://storify.com/Coach_Babin
 
 
The idea of being linked in or plugged into the world of technology is concerning to me. I see the many benefits of having technology and infinite information at our fingertips with just a click of a button but I also see some of the negative effects. Speaking on behalf of personal experience I have noticed a change in the way kids and young adults act. I see more and more people in social settings grabbing a bite to eat or drinking coffee at the local starbucks and they are not engaged in conversation with eachother but rather plugged into their iphone or android device tweeting and text to someone else. I find this act highly offensive and think it is rude when you are with someone who is more interested in facebook than the person right in front of them. 

Personally I feel like I am caught in the middle of this cultural shift. I myself have an iphone and would consider myself plugged in to a certain extent but I still feel like a throwback in  a sense. I do not find technological devices particularly relaxing interactions. Maybe its because I am behind in this whole technology thing but I don't mind not being cutting edge. I think being able to carry on conversations with others face to face and having the ability to focus on the task at hand makes me more human.......... Being more human doesn't make me a better person than others who are consistently plugged in but I think there is something to be said about sticking to your roots and not being consumed by social media and technology.

Another reservation I have about this whole notion of "generation always on" is the fact that computer software companies have so much invested in this new generation. Many of the comments from these organizations focus on the future and the possibilities for the human brain to be linked in to such a vast array of knowledge. All I am saying is these companies see dollar signs and don't necessarily care about what is best for the people (that's just my opinion).
 
The use of social networking sites in the world of academia has been very beneficial not only to students but also to educators. Social networking has allowed teachers to reach their students in ways never before possible. There is no denying the fact that this generation as well as future generations will continue to be heavily involved in the social networking arena. The transfer of information has exponetially exploded since the development of sites like facebook and twitter. Kids and adults use these social networking sites with high frequency on a daily basis. The future will most certianly be heavily involved with social networking sites. Here are my pros and cons of social networking in Undergraduate Education:

Pros: 
- Easy transfer of information amongst teachers and students 
- Questions and concerns can be addressed not only by teachers but also fellow students through the use of blogs or class discussion forums
- Paper waste can be cut down from and environmental stand point

Cons: 
- One on one in person interactions will be significantly reduced amongst teachers and student
- Relationships amongst classmates and teachers will be based primarily on electronic correspondence and not actual physical communication
- The ability to express ones emotions will be altered in a sense that students will have to explore new ways of expressing themselves physically and emotionally
- WIthout regular physical interaction amongst peers and teachers an individuals ability to communicate or interact in a social setting might be diminished so much that holding a conversation might be more difficult than in previous generations 
 
I enjoyed the way DeAnna Butler organized her website. I felt it was very organized and easy to use as well as informative. The fact that she puts tabs on the left side of her screen indicating where to find information makes her website easy to navigate. The home page is simple and allows for the reader to find information without having to scroll up and down page after page. I do not think there is anything wrong with her website but to be picky I would like to know more about what sport she coaches. It does not seem apparently clear what sport she is a coach for. DeAnna appears to represent here Personal Web Presence in a professional manner but also displays some real life pictures that might represent or say something about who she is a person. I would definitely like to have a webpage similar to DeAnna Butlers especially the use of tabs on the left side of the screen. Also I will be sure 
 
The ability to efficiently communicate using social media outlets such as twitter and facebook allows peers and professionals to exchange ideas at a much quicker pace than ever before. Prior to beggining this class I was not involved in the social media world. My personal beliefs are if you want to talk to someone or get in touch, make a call......... Perhaps my attitude towards the use of social media outlets will change by the end of this class. I feel like a bit of a throw back in a sense that I prefer talking to someone either in person or over the phone as opposed to tweeting back and forth or having a conversation over text message.
 
Situations where I feel I am in the sweet spot... Well before I get to into this topic I first want to acknowledge the fact that there is comfort in what you know. What I mean by that is if you are trying something new or something your not familiar with and you struggle then you are less likely to be positive about that particular activity. Being in the sweet spot is all about comfort and being confident in what your doing. I have felt this sweet spot before in sports as well as the work place but its definitely a more familiar concept in the sports arena for myself. As a player being in the sweet spot, dialed in, locked in whatever you want to call it is a tremendous feeling. Being in the sweet spot is purely instinctual and does not require extra effort by any means. When you are in the sweet spot things come easy. 

Situations where I am not in the sweet spot...  Coordinating a group of young people in a classroom setting is not one of my strengths. I have learned this through experience and rather than focus on trying to get better at controlling a classroom of young people I just wont do it. I love kids especially the interactions you have with them on the ball field but when it comes to classroom/day care stuff I am just not built for that. 

As far as being in the sweet spot in the workplace that is another ball game as far as I am concerned. I am just now learning what it is to be in the sweet spot career wise. Prior to getting into coaching baseball I worked a full time job that I did not love. Terrible hours, long commutes and only some satisfaction at the end of the day. It was a typical gotta work to pay the bills situation. There were not too many sweet spot days in that job, but there were a few.  Now being involved in coaching baseball I feel I am finding a more consistent sweet spot and I feel a lot of that has to do with the whole notion that there is comfort in what you know. I played ball from the time I was 5 years old till I was 23 Years old, I have a grasp of what the game of baseball is about.  Being a student of the game was always one of my strengths and for that I owe a lot of my current knowledge. There is a saying in the game of baseball "let the game come to you".I think this quote is relevent in the sense that if you seek the sweet spot and thats what all your focus is on good luck doing the small things in order to put yourself in the sweet spot. Don't overlook the obstacles that are right in front of you. Baseball will humble you in a hurry, the best baseball players in the history of the game failed 7 out of 10 times at the plate. 
 
Hello social media world Tbabs has arrived. Not a huge fan of all this social media stuff, if you want to get in touch with someone just call. I currently live in Sebastopol, Ca with my girlfriend Megan and I coach baseball. I love the outdoors and fish as much as possible.