Week 4 Report

Hello everyone,

this week I had the opportunity to learn about another useful technological tool- curating the web! Once again, this was a brand new tool for me, as I’ve never heard about it before. For those of you who are also unfamiliar with this tool I’ll provide a bit of background information. Ahuja (2012) describes the process of content curation as “finding the most relevant content about a topic online and listing all the relevant links found on that topic after a thorough research on the web.”  So why is this such a valuable tool for people today? Now more then ever people are sharing information via the web, everyone second new content is added. A content curator offers value to anyone looking for good content (Kantor, 2011). Finding accurate and reliable information requires more time and attention, as there is just so much to look at. This offers a high level of convenience to Internet users.

One of the curation tools that I explored was Google Alerts. Google alert allows you to be aware of the newest content that’s added to the web. I found this tool fairly easy to use as you simply type in what your interested in monitoring. It also allows you to make your search more specific asking how often you want it updated and how many results you want to access. It allows you the opportunity to hear about events that may not have even gone through other media outlets yet.

Retrieved from: http://websuccessteam.com/WSTblog/2011/09/content-curation-market-brand/   

Another tool I was able to explore this week was Diigo. Diigo is a bookmarking tool that allows you to store and keep track of websites you want to revisit. The thing that makes Diigo better than a regular bookmarking tool in our browser is that it allows you to access your bookmarks from any device. Users have to option to add sticky notes and highlights to pages your reading, when you re-visit the site on another device you’ll be able to pick up right where you left off.

How will Diigo be useful in my educational activities?

I’m so glad I had the opportunity to learn about Diigo. I guarantee that this is a tool I will continually use throughout the duration of my education. Today a lot of students use multiple devices to do their readings and school work. I personally use my laptop and tablet on a regular basis. However sometimes when I’m not at home and using a friend’s computer I feel as though I can’t do work because I don’t have access to my notes. Diigo allows students to work from any device and access their material. This provides a high level of convenience not only to students but people in the workforce as well. If your travelling and want to take a moment to do some work you have the option without having to bring all your devices.

Retrieved from: https://www.diigo.com/about

What type of tools are these? How would you categorize these tools as part of your PLE?

As we are continually adding to our PLE in this course it is important to consider how each of these tools would fit in. Based on my own PLE I would categorize both Google Alerts and Diigo as research tools. Google Alerts allows me to learn about new knowledge on whatever topic I wish to learn about. The fact that I can get the most recent news updates on a particular topic makes me feel confident that I can write an accurate paper. Diigo will help me improve on my educational and research skills as it will keep my resources organized.

I’m continually learning about new tools that will help me become a better digital citizen. Both these tools are new to me but I’m able to realize how they will be useful to me in my future studies and career.

Before concluding this post I’d like to share a link from my Feedly reader. I’m sure everyone is busy getting ready for the super bowl today and I’m sure many of us are trying to come up with some last minute snack ideas. I found a link to you can make 8 Awesomley Healthy Game Day Dips you can make! Super bowl food can be both healthy and delicious! Enjoy the game everyone!

Emily

Resources:

Ahuja, B. (2012, October). If you can't be a creator, then be a curator. Retrieved from http://searchenginewatch.com/article/2221068/If-You-Cant-Be-a-Creator-Then-Be-a-Curator

Kantor, B. (2011, October). Content Curation Primer. Retrieved from http://www.bethkanter.org/content-curation-101/