Week 12 Report

Hey everyone,

this is my final blog post for the course! I can't believe how quickly the semester went by. At the beginning of the course I was a bit hesitant, not sure how well I would do. I've never been a tech savy person and was concerned I wouldn't be able to keep up or understand the course. I can now say that I am so happy I stuck with it until the end. I have learnt so much information about new technological tools, as well as how to use the internet safely and effectively. Some of the tools that i've learnt about through the course, i've already started using in other courses. Google documents has really improved my ability to work on group projects. I've also learnt a great deal of what it means to be a digital citizen. I now know that their is a digital etiquette that should be followed when online.

At the beginning of the course, when I typed my name into Google, the only thing that came up was my Facebook account. Now, multiple accounts come up such as my Twitter, Pinterest, and even a picture of myself! It truly is amazing how much information i've learnt in the span of 12 weeks. I was really nervous about having to keep a blog for this course, however I have really home to love the whole blogging experience. There is a whole blogging community in which people can connect with one another. It is a great way to express yourself and your opinions. You can share your knowledge with such a wide range of Internet users. I plan to continue blogging after the course concludes, however I might i'll probably blog about things that i'm personally interested in.

I'm going to end my last blog post by showing you my final PLE diagram. In the beginning of the course I was required to create my own PLE. My initial one had very few and very basic technological tools. Over the past 12 weeks I have been continually adding to my PLE. It has grown so much, and i'm proud of my ability to now use so many different tools online. Thank you to everyone who has read my blog the past 12 weeks and went on the journey with me!

 Emily

Source: Fabiano, E. (CC) 2014.

Week 11 Report

Hey everyone,

this session we continued learning about tools that can help us synthesize, remix and create material. The major focus was on webcasting. Webcasting allows Internet users to create an audio file that can then be shared online with other users. A number of people take part in podcasting as it’s a useful tool to get your opinion out and heard on the Internet. Podcasts can also be an affective tool for presenting lectures to students in the university setting, especially in online courses. I had the opportunity to create my own podcast this week using Garageband. The process of actually recording the podcast was quite simple, however I had some difficulties adding it to my blog. You can check out the podcast I created here.

Though podcasting is still an interactive and collaborative tool, it is a bit different from some of the others we have learnt about. Users can’t directly change the content of your podcast. However, what makes it unique is that people can respond by creating a podcast of their own, essentially you can go back and forth with one another. I think this is a really neat tool as it can allow you to carry out a conversation with someone who may live thousands of miles away from you. This tool is also different in the way it can assist in education. Many of the other tools we have discussed assist us with creating presentations, or keeping this organized. Podcasting assists by offering a new learning method for students. I think this is something we will continue to see more of.

Retrieved from: http://www.calgarymoms.ca/multitasking-moms-are-smarter/#.UzcNX81UXgI

Education systems are starting to make use of podcasts by presenting MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) to all web users. MOOC is a model for delivering content online to pretty much anyone that is interested in taking the course. You don’t have to be an enrolled student to participate; however you wont receive any type of credit or direct feedback from the instructor (Educause, 2011). Though you don’t get graded, it’s still a great way to learn about different topics and collaborate with others. MOOCs are typically run on sites that are easily accessible to all users such as wikis and blogs (Educause, 2011). MOOC is such an amazing tool that allows for people to interact with users from all over the web learning from one another and helping each other. Kids, adults, students, and workers have such busy schedules, MOOC allows for people to learn information at their own pace and work around busy schedules.

I would definitely add podcasting (Garageband) to my PLE. I think it is a great tool to have experience with. When looking at my PLE, I would place this tool in the production category as I’m using it to produce my own work. Each week my PLE continues to grow with new tools and categories. It truly shows the many benefits that technology has for students and workers today.

To conclude I’d like to share something I found on my Feedly this week. The article is titled 5 Steps to Determine the Right Social Media Content for You. I thought this might be useful as we have been exposed to so many tools throughout this course. I also think this article demonstrates important characteristics of what it means to be a good digital citizen. Enjoy!

Emily

Reference:

Educase (2011). Retrieved from: http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7078.pdf

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Week 10 Report

Hey everyone,

as week 10 comes to an end, I can once again say that I’ve learnt about new tools that will be valuable to me. Week 10 was all about synthesizing, remixing, and creating on the web. I learnt how to use online tools to create my own slideshows and presentations. In creating our own slideshows we make use of, and modify other people’s work, this is why the topic of copyright was so important this session. For those of you who don’t know, copyright was created to protect the creators of original material. Almost all-original material such as literacy work, music, performer’s performance, and artistic work can be copyrighted (Educational Society, 2011-2012).

I also learnt about creative commons, something I wasn’t previously familiar with. Creative commons (CC) allows the creators of original work to specify how others can use their work (Sites2See, 2012). Creative commons works with copyright to give people the opportunity to use their work, while still following certain conditions (CreativeCommons, 2007). Copyright alone doesn’t allow for someone to come in and use or modify the work that has been created, while creative commons allows for flexibility. Creative commons allows you to collaborate with other authors to build on the work they have already created.

Retrieved from:
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2013/10/creative-commons-policy-statement-supports-real-copyright-reform

I had the opportunity to remix material by using a tool called Animoto. As you can see on the Animoto page of my blog, I created my own short presentation explaining copyright and it’s importance. I found Animoto extremely easy to use and signing up for an account was straightforward. I was able to personalize my presentation by uploading my own photos, selecting my own music, and adding text wherever I saw fit. I could definitely see this as being a useful tool when having to create presentations for classes, or even in the workplace. One downside to this tool was that you could only make 30 second presentations for free. If you wanted to make a longer presentation you’d have to pay. For the purpose of this Session I was only required to make a 30 second slideshow so it worked out well, however in most cases presentations would be required to be longer than 30 seconds. This may influence one’s decision in deciding to use this tool.

Retrieved from: http://thephotographeracademy.com/page/view/animoto.html 

In terms of where I would fit this tool into my PLE, I would likely classify it as a production tool. It would best fit into this category, as I’d be using it to produce my own personalized presentations. I’m not sure if I will actually add this tool to my PLE as I don’t think I will use it again. I do think that it is a useful tool and can be used by a number of people in various settings, I just don’t see myself paying for this service. I would definitely use it again in the future if I had to make another short presentation.

To conclude this weeks post I will leave you with an article I found from my Feedly. The article is titled Simple and Effective Ways on how to be Productive Bloggers. Today people are always multitasking, trying to do a number of things at once and being short on time. Learning tips to help you make the most of your time are always useful! Enjoy

References:

CreativeCommons. (2007). Get Creative. If you cannot view the video, go to: http://mirrors.creativecommons.org/getcreative/Creative_Commons_-_Get_Creative.swf

The 2Learn.ca Educational Society. (2011-2012 ). Your Digital Presence. Available at http://www.2learn.ca/ydp/copyrightabout.aspx

Sites2See. (2012). Copyright for Students (resource page). Available at http://lrrpublic.cli.det.nsw.edu.au/lrrSecure/Sites/LRRView/8587/

Week 9 Report

Hey everyone,

Week 9 was a busy one with lots of activities to complete. Through the numerous activities I have learned a lot about some new technological tools. One of the major tools I learned about was VoiceThread. This tool is one I have never heard of so I was excited to explore it. VoiceThread is yet another collaborative tool that can be used for multiple purposes. It allows users to upload various documents and for others to comment their thoughts and opinions. Similar to other cloud tools we have learnt about you can make your presentation visible to only a select few or the general public. I can see this tool being used in both a classroom and work place setting. This would be a great tool to present presentations to an entire class and generate discussion. This would be beneficial in a work place too. I’m not sure I would personally use this tool when creating a presentation, but rather as a place to upload it so group members could view the final product. When thinking about where this tool could fit into my PLE I would likely group it with other tools such as Google Docs. I would classify this as a “production” tool as it will help me produce a final product I’m satisfied with. I can also see this being a social tool as it allows you to interact and collaborate with other users.

Retrieved from: http://synergiseducation.com/blog/voicethread-interactive-presentations-made-easy/

Another big component of this session was to expand our knowledge on Digital Rights and Responsibilities. We began exploring this topic in Week 8, and carried it over into Week 9 as it is such an important topic to be familiar with, especially if you use the Internet regularly. When you’re online you should behave in the same manner, and follow the same rules that you would in real life (Rudebusters, 2000). You want to treat others with respect to prevent cyberbullying, which is a growing concern. You must credit others work, which I discuss briefly in my previous post “Technology Use Scenario”. Lastly, one of the most important things is to protect you. There are so many Internet users, and unfortunately not everyone uses it for the right reasons. Do not give out personal information, or post things that you might later on regret. It’s easy for people to easily get ahold of this information, but it is impossible for you to remove once it’s up. Be mindful of the many uses of the Internet, good and bad.

As always, I’d like to conclude this post with something I found on my Feedly this week. The post is titled "Goggles Bring Virtual Reality Closer To Your Living Room".”. The article suggests that the Goggles allow you to live experiences you might not be able to in real life. I’m interested to know how people feel about this advancement in technology. Enjoy!

Emily

References: 

Rudebusters! Etiquette resources for high-tech and net rudeness. (2000-2012).

Technology Use Scenario

Scenario 12: Matt enjoys taking picture with his digital camera. His pictures are quite unusual and can be easily identified as his work. He wants to let other people see his pictures so he posts them on his website. A couple of months later he is surfing the Internet and sees some of his pictures on someone else’s website. At first he is flattered that someone enjoyed his pictures, but on closer inspection he sees that he is not credited anywhere on the site as the person who took the photos. The way the images are posted make it seem as if the site owner had taken the pictures.

From the scenario described above, it is clear that this unknown individual is using technology inappropriately. We’ve talked about digital rights and responsibilities quite a bit through this course; a major part of being a responsible digital citizen is crediting other people’s work. When we make use of or mention other people work in our own posts or papers it is crucial that we give credit to the person who created it. It seems as though Matt takes great pride in his work, and for him or any individual to not get credit for their work can be devastating. This is such a huge problem when so much information is readily available to the public. People often forget to give credit when it’s due. The consequences of plagiarism can be severe; it can result in failing grades, course dismissal, and financial loss among others (Emma, 2014). The individual using Matt’s work should have properly cited the image, so viewers could be linked back to his page. This issue needs to be taken seriously and people should be educated on this topic early on to avoid plagiarism.

References:
Emma, L. (2014). Consequences of Plagiarism and Cheating. Available at
http://everydaylife.globalpost.com/consequences-plagiarism-cheating-6118.html

Ribble, M. (2011). Digital citizenship in schools. (2nd ed.). International Society for Technology in Education

Week 8 Report

Hey everyone,

wrapping up week 8, I’ve learned a lot about the use of Wikis and the importance of digital rights and responsibilities. The past few weeks we’ve learnt about tools in which you can collaborate with others. Wiki is a similar tool that allows you to work with other people to create a webpage. Almost everyone has been on a Wikipedia webpage, but some might not realize that anyone can edit the page and add content. Something that I did not know what that a wiki page may be set to public, protected, or private. In a public setting anyone can view and edit the pages, in protected, anyone can view the page but only approved members can edit it, and in a private setting only approved members can view or edit the pages (K12Learning20.com, 2013). This allows for some control over what content is being posted to the page.

When first learning about Wiki pages I wondered how they exactly differed from a blog. They are similar in the sense that you can share your knowledge with the public (TeachersFirst, 2013). What sets these two tools apart is that nobody else can edit your blog except you. Blogs offer a way to express your personal opinion to the masses, while Wikis you can post what you want however others can come in and change it. I think both offer a great way for individuals to share their knowledge on various topics.

I can see Wiki pages being useful in the education system. It is a great way to work with other people to develop a webpage that can be seen by such a large audience. It could teach students how to work collaboratively and edit each others work. It might be a great way to show a teacher what you have learnt over the span of a semester.  I think Wiki pages could be useful for some types of learning and collaborative projects. For me personally I do not see myself using this as much for academic purposes. For working with others on projects I would likely lean towards using Google documents.

Retrieved from: http://www.worldlawdirect.com/forum/law-wiki/5951-law-wiki.html

Lastly, we learned a lot about the digital rights and responsibilities for Internet users. Digital rights and responsibilities can be described as the requirements and freedoms extended to everyone in a digital world (Ribble, 2011). The three rules that I find to be most important are report/deal with cyberbullying, the responsibility to cite other people’s work, and the right to privacy.

To end this post I’l leave you with an article I found on my Feedly. The article asked veteran bloggers to reflect on mistakes they made in their early days. I thought this article was important to read as I’m new to this blogging world myself.

Enjoy!

References:

K12Learning20.com (2013). It's a wiki wiki world. Available at http://k12learning20.wikispaces.com/8-wiki1

Ribble, M. (2011). Digital citizenship in schools. (2nd ed.). International Society for Technology in Education

TeachersFirst. (2008-2013). Wiki Walkthrough Step-by-Step. Available at http://www.teachersfirst.com/content/wiki/

Week 7 Report

Hey everyone,

after a week off for reading week it’s difficult to get back into the swing of things. I find March to be a particularly stressful month, when all of my assignments seem to be due around the same time. This week we got to practice our digital literacy while exploring Google Drive. Once again this tool was new to me, however I’m surprised I haven’t heard of it before. Google Drive allows you to create documents in which you can allow others to view and work collaboratively with you. Google Docs can turn off-line articles into online versions making them readily available to the general public, or the select few you want (Lefever, 2007).

Retrieved from:
https://educatorsweb2-0.wikispaces.com/3+Collaboration

While exploring this tool I found it extremely easy to use. It resembles the Microsoft document layout that many of us use on a daily basis. It also saves your work automatically. This feature is useful for forgetful people (like me). For those of you wondering how this tool might be useful to you, I thought of a number of ways in which this tool could be used in various settings. For starters this tool will be especially useful for educational activities. How many times have you had to work on a group project and continually send group members an updated version? With Google Documents you can create one file and collaborate with all member on your project in one spot. It gives you the option to add comments in which you could make suggestions to other group members without actually changing their work. You’re able to see your project come together right before your eyes. You can also use this tool professionally for whatever field of work you’re in. You and colleagues could develop a list of topics you’d like to address at the next work meeting. This would ensure everyone’s voices are heard during the meeting. Often in the workforce you work in teams, so once again this is a great tool to collaborate ideas and work on presentations. Lastly you can use this tool for personal use. One of the immediate things I thought of is using this tool to organize dinners with family members; this would help keep track of who wants to bring what. You can also use it to keep track of personal to-do lists. No matter how you plan on using this tool one common theme can be seen- collaboration.

Retrieved from: http://www.droid-life.com/tag/google-drive/

This is yet another tool that I can add to my PLE. As I mentioned in my last post I thought of adding a new “production” category. I think this tool would fit in nicely to this category. I can see myself using this tool to create various documents and keeping track of my work. However because this is a collaborative tool I think you could also place it under the social category. This tool allows you the chance to interact with other people and work together to produce a final product. I’m very happy that I got to learn about and explore this tool this week, I only wish I had learnt about it sooner.

As always, I’d like to conclude by sharing a post I found on Feedly. As I mentioned earlier, March is a particularly busy month for me, so how can I keep up with my blog while I’m feeling overwhelmed with school work? This blog post by Stacey Roberts gives pointers on how to blog effectively when feeling overwhelmed.

Enjoy!

Reference:
Lefever, Lee. (2007). Google Docs in Plain English. http://youtu.be/eRqUE6IHTEA