Week 3 Report

Hello again everyone,

This is my second blog post this week in which I’ll go in greater detail of what I learnt. Session 3 was all about RSS feeds, a tool I was completely unfamiliar with. RSS is simply the new fast way to get information from the Internet. Rowse (2010) defines RSS as a technology that is being used by millions to keep track of their favorite websites. This new technology saves users time and allows you to get the information your truly interested in. I signed up with a site called Feedly to take part in this latest trend.

After spending time familiarizing myself with RSS Feed Readers such as Feedly I realized it contributes significantly to my digital literacy, responsibility, and citizenship.  The term digital literacy is referred to as "the process of teaching and learning about technology and the use of technology" (Ribble, 2011, p. 26). As I previously mentioned I had no knowledge of what RSS Feeds were prior to this session. This has shown me another tool I can use to get the most out of the Internet. I believe this is a tool that will come in handy as I can focus on reading and learning about what truly interests me. Through having access to all this knowledge I can share what I’ve learnt while acting responsibly. I have learnt the importance of giving credit to other people when you use their work. As I continue to work through the sessions I hope to improve on each one of these skills.

If you have been following my blog you’ll know that last week I learnt all about PLEs. During Session 2 I had to opportunity to create my own PLE, which can be viewed in my Week 2 report. What’s great about the course is that as I learn new things I can continue to add onto my PLE. Feedly is a new tool that I can add. I would likely categorize Feedly as a research tool. My RSS feed will give me access to the latest articles and blog updates. I can take the material I read and use that knowledge in my everyday life. This can also be beneficial if I’m looking to do research on a particular topic such as psychology or health.

I’ll end this blog post by sharing a post that popped up recently on my Feedly.

The post is titled My Three Words for 2014. It can be viewed here. The author Stefan reports of an exercise in which you choose three words that will act somewhat as your motto for the rest of the year. Though January has quickly come and gone it’s never too late to set goals for yourself. My three words for 2014 will be relaxation, health, and positivity. It is so easy in life to stop and dwell on all of the bad things. Everyone has such busy schedules but it’s so important to stop, relax, and be thankful for all good things you have. Focus on the positive and let go of the negative.

Emily

Sources
Image retrieved from: http://www.blogmarketingbook.com/getting-people-to-sign-up-to-your-rss-feed/

http://www.problogger.net/what-is-rss/

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

My Experience with RSS Feeds

Hello everyone,

this week I was required to set up my own RSS Feed Reader which I will explain in more detail in my next blog post. In short RSS feeds bring all of the most recent website posts you subscribe too in one place, it truly offers a convenience that no other site does! I signed up for my own account at http://cloud.feedly.com

I subscribed to a number of different websites, as I was browsing through my feed one article in particular caught my attention. The article was titled "Brock University a top choice with Ontario high school students". You can access the article here. As many of you know I attend Brock University, which is why this caught my attention. The article reported that Brock received 16,000 applications from students in Ontario and that there was an increase in students selecting Brock as their first choice school.

I've spent my entire life living in the Niagara region. So many of my friends that I've grown up with always talk about how they can't wait to move out of the area. From constantly hearing these comments I was surprised, yet pleased that more students were selecting Brock as their first choice university. I personally have enjoyed my time at Brock, meeting new people yet still having the convenience of being close to my family. I often forget how much the Niagara Region has to offer as i've lived here my entire life. We have beautiful scenery surrounding us, and the Niagara Falls just 20 minutes away. I truly believe that Brock will only continue to grow, and I would not hesitate to recommend this school to future students!

Emily

Retrieved from: http://brockbadgersbaseball.com/Recruitment%20Page.html

Week 2 Report

Hello everyone,

Week 2 of my ADED 1P32 course has come to an end. I’m finding that it’s getting easier to navigate through the various sites (like blogger) that we are required to use. The major theme of session two dealt with personal learning environments and the importance of having one.  PLE is not a term I was familiar with prior to this session so I was excited to learn more about the topic.

I watched a YouTube video called "What is a PLE & Why do you need one?". From this I learnt that a PLE is a set of digital tools that we use to support our own learning. Others have defined it as a system that helps learners take control of their own learning (Wikipedia, 2012). PLE’s put an emphasis on a self-directed learning approach. This type of learning can be desirable for students today as it allows for more flexibility. We know that not everybody learns best by sitting in a classroom and listening to a professor lecture. This allows students to take control of their learning and really focus on their own personal goals.

Through developing our own PLE we in turn create a Personal Learning Network (PLN), which can be thought of as a network of people you connect with for the specific purpose of learning (Tobin, 1998). Social media tools such as Facebook and twitter allow us to interact with people from all around the world.

In this session we were asked to create a diagram of our own PLE. I learnt that there is no right or wrong way to do this, as it is unique and different for each individual. To create an effective PLE it should be personal as well as considering your learning, environment and habits.

Source: Fabiano, E. (CC) 2014.

In 5-10 years time I hope to have a successful career as some sort of counselor. In order to reach this goal I need to stay on top of my learning and schoolwork. Some of the tools that will help me be successful are the database PsycINFO as well as Google. This will help me continually learn about new research and accomplishments in the field of Psychology. Learning does not stop when you graduate; it is a life long process. Through social media tools I can shape my online environment in a way that I can interact with others who are in the same line of work. It is a great way to stay connected and share ideas. I also added a health category, as I believe fitness is a great way to relieve stress. You always need to take time out of your day to focus on yourself. It is important to develop good habits while your young as they will likely stick with you later on in life! I look forward to expanding my PLE.

Lastly we were asked to make a word cloud, which is a tool that allows you to represent text visually. My word cloud involves text from my first blog post. I made mine on a website called Wordle. It’s free to use and I thought it was a pretty neat idea! One of the most important things I learnt from session one was about digital footprints and that seems to be the biggest text in my own word cloud!

Source: Fabiano, E. (CC) 2014. 

This concludes what I’ve learnt this week. Bye for now!

Emily

Week 1 Report

Hi everyone,

I’ve officially made it through week 1 of ADED 1P32! I was initially nervous about setting up my first blog but with the information I gained from session 1 I feel more confident that I’ll be a successful blogger. In just this first week I’ve learnt new things, which I consider to be valuable.

I’ll begin by reflecting on what I’ve learnt about digital footprints. Prior to this course I’ve never even heard of this term! A person’s digital footprint can be described as the tracks someone leaves behind on the Internet.

Link: http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2013/04/a-great-guide-on-teaching-students.html

After watching a YouTube video on Digital Dossier in Week 1 I was shocked to find out that a persons digital footprint begins before they are even born. When we share a baby’s sonogram picture with family and friends via the Internet their digital footprint begins.  As we get older our tracks continue to grow. As I was learning about this topic I began to think how big my own digital footprint must be. I can’t even count how many websites I’ve signed up for growing up. These thoughts lead me to think about another thing, do you want to have a digital footprint?

Today I think it’s nearly impossible to avoid having a digital footprint so I was pleased to learn that yes you should have a digital footprint, but you should strive to make it a positive one. In order to stay on top of what’s current you need to use one of the greatest tools we have- the Internet. To keep your own digital footprint as positive as possible try only to post things you won’t regret later on. Before posting anything online ask yourself would a future employer or your parents approve of this? I became aware that you could improve and track your own social profile by using various web applications such as Socioclean. This site will scan through all your current social media accounts for things that are considered inappropriate and potentially damaging to your image.

Image retrieved from: http://drsaraheaton.wordpress.com/2010/07/

This week I was required to complete a Digital Driver’s License exam. The completion of the exam gave me an idea of how much knowledge I currently have on the nine elements of Digital Citizenship. From the results of the exam I learnt I should focus my attention on Digital Communication and Digital Commerce. Digital communication can be described as the electronic exchange of information (Ribble, 2011). This ties into another topic discussed this week; appropriate digital etiquette. Everyone communicates digitally through his or her cell phones and emails, it’s crucial to learn how to communicate with others respectfully online.

Digital Commerce can be described as the electronic buying and selling of goods (Ribble, 2011). Online shopping has become increasingly popular over the past few years, it’s an activity I engage in regularly myself. Online shopping requires you to share personal information so it is essential to know how to protect your identity.

While Week 1 comes to an end I’m eager to learn more about the digital world. I anticipate I’ll continue to learn valuable information, which will allow me to use the Internet safely and effectively.

Emily

Sources:

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

Welcome to my Blog!

Hello everyone,

welcome to my first blog!  My name is Emily and I’m currently a 3^rd year psychology student attending Brock University. My time at Brock has been nothing but a positive experience. I’ve met great people and have had the privilege to learn from excellent professors. I only have one year left before I complete my undergraduate degree. At the end of my schooling I hope to obtain a job doing some sort of counseling work. When I’m not at school or working, I love to go to the gym especially spinning classes as well as bake delicious desserts.

I have to be honest; I don’t know a lot about blogging, I do know that it’s an excellent way for people to share their experiences, opinions, and knowledge. I actually created this blog for a course that I am currently enrolled in at Brock. The course is all about learning in digital contexts. I decided to take this course, as it is a topic I don’t know a lot about. We see technology-advancing everyday and I think it’s important to be aware of how we can use technology to enhance our learning. Another main reason I chose to take this course as one of my electives is because it is an online course. Throughout my years at Brock I’ve taken a number of online courses. I’ve really come to enjoy the online learning experience as it allows for more flexibility in my schedule. Students often juggle hectic schedules; online learning is becoming more and more desirable for students today. One piece of advice I would offer to students considering online courses is to stay organized and on top of due dates. This will ensure you don’t fall behind on the weekly sessions and activities!

As the main purpose of my blog is for educational purposes, a majority of my blog posts will consist of weekly reflections outlining valuable information I have learned throughout the duration of the course. I’m looking forward to gain more knowledge that will increase my online skills as well as learning about how technology can benefit me as a student. Creating a blog is something I probably would never have done if it weren’t for this course. I hope that as I continue to write blog posts it will enhance my written communication skills. This is a skill that is not only important to be successful in school, but for future job opportunities as well. For those of you who will be following my blog, I hope you’re able to learn something you consider valuable as well!

I look forward to the next 12 weeks in this course, and am excited to finally be apart of the blogging community!

Emily 

Source:

http://www.webaholic.co.in/blog/the-ultimate-guide-to-get-more-blog-subscribers/