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Sunday, 31 March 2013
Week 11 - 10th Reflection, Slideshow and What do you do when life if handing you lemons and your too tired to make anything?
This week has been busy... Starting to sound like a normal beginning to my posts.. Both my kids finished their travel hockey seasons, with a 3/3 tournament and two out of town tournaments it kept us running. On top of that, I was on the road for three days for work, speaking of technology this week, I had the pleasure of visiting all of our co-op students working at Blackberry in Waterloo and Cambridge. I also had a lovely telephone conference with a Student working for Blackberry in Texas. It’s a bit of a ghost town in some of the Blackberry buildings, but exciting to see things still moving on at their newer campuses. The launch of the Blackberry 10 has left many wondering what will come next for the company... As someone new to Technology this term to build my PLN I bought myself a Blackberry Playbook. These small inexpensive tablets have been sold out across the country. I have enjoyed having this small form of technology with me wherever I go and WHEN I can get an internet signal and have time to sit and wait for it to load I happily have used it.
Okay lady, where are you going with all of this... Well this week as I built my PLN I also learned about screencasts and podcasts. I have zero interest in watching myself tape and talk, I don’t even like to skype and see myself, but I do like to hear myself... You can listen to my Podcast in my Pages of Blog..
Enjoy! The Avatar looks just like me, here I discuss the importance of not spending too much time online. I have been trying to figure out where screencasts and podcasts will fit into my life, and thus far here is what I have. I think that podcasts will fit nicely into my continued PLN and will aid in my digital literacy, maybe not so much as myself as the presenter, but more from a learning perspective. With over 3,000 podcasts and counting I can easily go online and listen or watch people talk about given topics. I use you tube regularly for so many things, the ability other podcasts into life will help me greatly. From a digital responsibility, I also have learned that now that I am outputting into the digital world, I need to protect myself and from that perspective learning to protect my creative work is very important to me. It would be sad to see work or my thoughts end up being credited by someone else. I would never take someone else’s work and claim it as my own, but interestingly enough through Twitter as you retweet things I have wondered if I am copying someone’s ideas as I retweet them out... It all leads me to keep in mind everyday that I need to remember where the idea came from and be smart to remember that as someone developing my knowledge of the digital world it is important to remember my values and manners as I participate in this digital age.
My google reader is gone and I cannot find it... So, now I must go searching for new items to link to and try to figure where o' where it has gone...
Sunday, 24 March 2013
Week 10 - 9th Post - Are we addicted to technology like the generations before were addicted to Rock n' Roll?
This week has been so busy, I am sad to say that I can barely fit anything into my schedule... Saw some awesome Brock students this week and hosted a lovely happy hour for many of them who are away from the University on Co-op, it's those things that make me realize how great our students really are...
Learning about Copyright this week has been really important for me, I often second guess myself if I am citing things right and the last thing I want to do is improperly use someone else's property...
One of the great things about being on a journey and learning about web 2.0 tools is that you can use the ones you have learned about in your future lessons. I found myself going back to a few this week and storing things there, or searching.. Ah ha moment, when I said "well that made things easier." This is the realization that things I didn't know how to do 10 weeks ago have helped me today.
Learning about Copyright Commons, I developed this Slide Rocket Presentation which outlines the simple, yet important things to consider when copying content online, this week was a good lesson to me on what needs to be said when giving credit where credit is due...
Interesting read this week, where an argument in taking place on whether today's technology users are addicted to the web, technology and whether it will rewire our brains... The comparison that took place compares today's tech users to people of the past being addicted to drugs or a generation addicted to rock n' roll. The article writer has limited to no credible sources to back up his argument, but Steve Wheeler makes a great point in saying that "It is a great error to assume that technology is addictive or has the power to addict. Any addiction, as many psychiatrists will agree, has its explanation more in the personality of the individual than it is to any inherent quality of the substance or item they are interacting with."
I for one can agree that I can be neurotic about the amount of time I spend online, my family sits with laptops on each of our laps and watches tv at night, perhaps we are on to something in saying we like technology. However, I must wonder if it wasn't the internet that was created, it would be something else and this article might just talk about people being addicted to being outside and the downfalls etc...
Learning about Copyright this week has been really important for me, I often second guess myself if I am citing things right and the last thing I want to do is improperly use someone else's property...
One of the great things about being on a journey and learning about web 2.0 tools is that you can use the ones you have learned about in your future lessons. I found myself going back to a few this week and storing things there, or searching.. Ah ha moment, when I said "well that made things easier." This is the realization that things I didn't know how to do 10 weeks ago have helped me today.
Learning about Copyright Commons, I developed this Slide Rocket Presentation which outlines the simple, yet important things to consider when copying content online, this week was a good lesson to me on what needs to be said when giving credit where credit is due...
Interesting read this week, where an argument in taking place on whether today's technology users are addicted to the web, technology and whether it will rewire our brains... The comparison that took place compares today's tech users to people of the past being addicted to drugs or a generation addicted to rock n' roll. The article writer has limited to no credible sources to back up his argument, but Steve Wheeler makes a great point in saying that "It is a great error to assume that technology is addictive or has the power to addict. Any addiction, as many psychiatrists will agree, has its explanation more in the personality of the individual than it is to any inherent quality of the substance or item they are interacting with."
I for one can agree that I can be neurotic about the amount of time I spend online, my family sits with laptops on each of our laps and watches tv at night, perhaps we are on to something in saying we like technology. However, I must wonder if it wasn't the internet that was created, it would be something else and this article might just talk about people being addicted to being outside and the downfalls etc...
Sunday, 17 March 2013
Week 9 - Who Needs LMS Systems anymore???
This week, I have given alot of thought to the creation of an ideal online classroom and whether you would truly need a main Learning Management System to house all the students etc. In the end, I guess I have to say yes, you do. For an on-line classroom you still need a main platform, however I struggle with what the inside course content should look like.
As we looked at Voice Thread this week, it opened my eyes to a great content site that would allow students to share thoughts and information. My worry however in using sites like this has been raised this week by the fact that while great products like this exist, they can just as easily disapear. Let's take Google Reader, the annoucement this week that the product will cease to exist, you can never plan ahead on when an outside source will pull the plug on something you rely on.
This week brought back some memories as I remembered situations when I started to use techonology where I too waivered into uncharted territory providing way too much information in a chat room in 1996. Given the difference in education about what is right and wrong in technology, I can imagine that my Daugher would now know better then to follow in my Digital Footprints...
A funny read this week, one of the bloggers I follow visited a University where students power their technical devices my pedaling bikes... What an interesting, but great idea.. Green to the max, healthy, fitness and technology. It will be interesting to see if this catches on... COMING TO YOU SOON AT BROCK UNIVERSITY YOU CAN ONLY USE YOUR LAPTOP IF YOU ARE ON A SPIN BIKE... he he.. We will see...
As we looked at Voice Thread this week, it opened my eyes to a great content site that would allow students to share thoughts and information. My worry however in using sites like this has been raised this week by the fact that while great products like this exist, they can just as easily disapear. Let's take Google Reader, the annoucement this week that the product will cease to exist, you can never plan ahead on when an outside source will pull the plug on something you rely on.
This week brought back some memories as I remembered situations when I started to use techonology where I too waivered into uncharted territory providing way too much information in a chat room in 1996. Given the difference in education about what is right and wrong in technology, I can imagine that my Daugher would now know better then to follow in my Digital Footprints...
A funny read this week, one of the bloggers I follow visited a University where students power their technical devices my pedaling bikes... What an interesting, but great idea.. Green to the max, healthy, fitness and technology. It will be interesting to see if this catches on... COMING TO YOU SOON AT BROCK UNIVERSITY YOU CAN ONLY USE YOUR LAPTOP IF YOU ARE ON A SPIN BIKE... he he.. We will see...
To buy or not to buy.. Could their be an educational reason that students are buying music online on School computers???
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| Copied from http://pinterest.com/pin/243827767297135822/ |
I chose scenario Number 8 that addressess students buying music online through School computers.
"Mr. Scott, Principal of Rural High School is walking through the library and sees a student working on a computer. Strolling by, he sees that the student on a music site that requires a credit card to purchase music. Mr. Scott informs the students that the district's acceptable use policy does not allow buying items online using school computers.
Monitoring open computer spaces in an education setting is difficult. Depending on the number of teachers it can be hard to see what students are visiting and doing. This student is doing something inappropriate in the sense that School computers should be used for conducting School based work, research etc. However, the Principal should have asked the student before quoting the district policy whether the Music they are downloading is part of a School assigment, eg. Music to be added to a presentation, for a music class or drama skit. If it was, then the student should have been commended for "buying" the music and not pirating the music, but then informed that while it is school based they are still now allowed to buy items online and even though it is for a School assignment they still need to download it at home.
Sunday, 10 March 2013
Weekly Reflection 7 -- Life, fresh starts and using wikkis to help new staff!
A long long time ago in a galaxy far far away... On Day 1 at my new job a year ago, I was told that I could use the wikki to learn about my job. I immediately thought that this was a Star Wars term and maybe I needed to channel George Lucas to figure out how to use this term.
Alas, I realized the benefit and why wikkis are important... So, though not a Star Wars term, but still a cool to way to keep track of information in the great beyond we have used this to track information on the organization, things to know and important facts. For security reasons we have one person add to it so things aren't typed over and it is a great way to look at little bits of information. This week would have been a good week to learn last year so that I didn't give a blank stare to the person who gave me the wikki suggestion on Day 1. My main take away is the value of wikkis as a source for people to add information, useful in workplaces and many organizations.
Learning lots, this week was so busy. Kids returned from vacation, however it was so busy I barely had time to miss them. My fresh start begins this week, not only did I paint many things white this week in our house, but it's March Break, a chance to use this mid-way point to improve on things that I want to do for the next quarter of this year.
Pinterest... If your not on it your missing out. I like this picture this week it was on my reader.. "You mean to tell me their are people who do not know about Pinterest?" My fresh start also included Pinterest this week as I used this amazing technology site to look for suggestions of white paint colours, linked to sites that sold paint. I like the fact that Pinterest allows me to openly search others ideas, I have learned alot from other people who like me used to tear 100's of pages out of magazines in hopes of one day making that recipe. Now, I can be sustainable and just see what others are pinning.
Alas, I realized the benefit and why wikkis are important... So, though not a Star Wars term, but still a cool to way to keep track of information in the great beyond we have used this to track information on the organization, things to know and important facts. For security reasons we have one person add to it so things aren't typed over and it is a great way to look at little bits of information. This week would have been a good week to learn last year so that I didn't give a blank stare to the person who gave me the wikki suggestion on Day 1. My main take away is the value of wikkis as a source for people to add information, useful in workplaces and many organizations.
Learning lots, this week was so busy. Kids returned from vacation, however it was so busy I barely had time to miss them. My fresh start begins this week, not only did I paint many things white this week in our house, but it's March Break, a chance to use this mid-way point to improve on things that I want to do for the next quarter of this year.
Pinterest... If your not on it your missing out. I like this picture this week it was on my reader.. "You mean to tell me their are people who do not know about Pinterest?" My fresh start also included Pinterest this week as I used this amazing technology site to look for suggestions of white paint colours, linked to sites that sold paint. I like the fact that Pinterest allows me to openly search others ideas, I have learned alot from other people who like me used to tear 100's of pages out of magazines in hopes of one day making that recipe. Now, I can be sustainable and just see what others are pinning.
Sunday, 3 March 2013
Week 6 - Collaborative Groups, The Bahamas and Why the Internet Signal Sucks in the Country!
This is me and my view this week, I blog to you from Sunny Bahamas! I wish! My kids deserted me this week for one week of fun in the sun... So, for one week I will not need to fight anyone to use the computer... I have officially decided that living way out in the country, a whole 5 minute drive means that your internet signal can severely struggle. I experienced this challenge so many times this week that at one point I was ready to climb on the roof with tinfoil... This frustration affected using today'smeet and drove me insane as I constantly lost my internet signal while chatting er... Reflecting, this taught me something that can create chaos in online group collaboration.
Great group effort from my partners, we navigated through evernote, and today's meet chat sessions, and google docs to create a well rounded 10 slide presentation. Working on-line collaboratively was fantastic, our group was dedicated, everyone contributed and google docs allowed us to meet together and develop a presentation at the same time. Take that, PowerPoint, even if we all worked on the same PowerPoint at the same time we couldn't chat and work together and we would be stuck with only one person able to update it.
Over the past two weeks I have been using my twitter sparingly, call it the time constraints, or lack of things to come up with. I like the tips that have come up from Social Media today teaching you ways to smartly navigate Twitter, develop how you will use it and how to make the most. I like the last point, be patient... That's hard for me, but learning to use Twitter properly will be more effective in the end then following a zillion people now and try to keep up with them. So for this week, I will find 5 new people and do my best to retweet and comment on interesting this they say...
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