BP14_2009113_Blog Comment 3

T.Roe said...

@ Janice - I think this site looks great! I loved the features that this site offers. It seems to offer both students and teachers a lot of options. Thanks for sharing!

November 15, 2009 2:02 PM 

BP13_2009113_Blog Comment 2

T.Roe said...

@Erin - I Love this idea! It is nice to see a Web 2.0 tool geared towards younger kids. Since I am primarily working with adults,I don't always get the opportunity to explore Web 2.0 tools for younger children.

November 15, 2009 12:30 PM 

BP12_2009113_Blog Comment 1

T.Roe said...

@Ben - This site looks very interesting! As I was playing around the site, I noticed it was very user friendly. The information on the site looks amazing. Give this site a few months and I am sure many more teachers will be hooked on it!

November 15, 2009 12:38 PM 

BP11_2009113_Reflective Video

BP10_2009113_Web 2.0 Woopid

Week 3 – Researching and Blogging about Web 2.0 Tools

 

Woopid

 

A common theme when I am conducting software training is the varying skill levels of the attendees. During any given class I may have some students who have just mastered the art of email, and others who are skilled Flash developers. As the instructor, it can be quite challenging to try and keep a good pace while both keeping students engaged and not left behind.

 

Over the past two years I have gotten in the habit of giving my students outside resources to use in conjunction with our software program. Essentially, our product allows users to create interactive and engaging elearning content. Throughout the training course, I provide students with websites for devel

oping storyboards, organizational charts, flash development, etc. The more comfortable the students feel on the computer, the better content they will be able to develop.

 

When I stumbled upon Woopid, a free online video tutorial site, I immediately thought it would be a great resource to share with my students. When students access the site, they are able to search among a series of tutorials aimed at teaching software and computer applications. The tutorials are divided into five main subject categories. These categories are: hardware, Inter

net, Mac, Ubuntu, and Windows. 

 

The Internet, for example, is in a constant state of change. For some of our older students, who may not necessarily have a choice in transitioning to elearning, these video tutorials can be a tremendous resource for them. From learning how to navigate Facebook for corporate networking, to creating a Google document, these tutorials can quickly bring students up to speed with some basic computer functionality. 

BP9_2009112_Web 2.0#3

Sketchfu

Today’s education system is made up of students who love math, language, phys ed, music and art. In most cases, wherever a students’ passion falls, they have an outlet available to them that allows them to express their interests. If you love phys ed you can join a sports team, if you love math you can become a mathlete, etc. 

Sketchfu is an online application that allows budding artists to express themselves. Providing an online outlet to share their work with others. Not only does this forum allow the students to practice their talents, but they also are able to put their work on display and vulnerable for critique. 

This tool could be used in a number of different ways in the classroom. Students could break into groups, and each group be assigned a different story to read. Once the story is read, each member of the group could be in charge of creating a picture that is associated with a part of the story. Groups will have to work together to make sure that all images associated with the story are cohesive, and match the overall theme of the story. 

Art teachers could utilize this tool to hold contests on which student can create the most unique and engaging picture. 

BP8_2009112_Web 2.0 #2

BusinessCard 2

When preparing students for life in the corporate world, there are so many small details that simply get overlooked. One of these details is the importance of networking and making strong and valid business connections. With only two years under my belt in the corporate world, I have learned that one of the greatest (and oldest) ways to make contacts is through the use of business cards. 

It is always a good idea to keep a few tastefully designed business cards on you at all times. You never know who you maymeet, and how they may be beneficial to your professional life. 

While having business cards readily available is the old fashioned way of networking, there is a new web 2.0 tool called BusinessCard 2 which allows you to create and share virtual business cards. 

This tool would be great to utilize at the high school or undergraduate levels to teach students how to market themselves in the best way possible. Each student in the class would be responsible for creating a business card, and sharing it with the rest of their classmates.  Once the virtual business cards had been shared, student would then critique one another on style, design, layout, etc. 

This lesson provides the opportunity to teach students that in business, reputation is everything. You have to know how to market yourself, in order to become successful.

Bp7_2009112_Web2.0 #1

The HotList

Part of my job requires that I travel 50% of the time. Every other week I am traveling to foreign cities both domestic and international.  In fact, right now I am blogging from an airport in Tokyo. A web-based application like The HotList allows me to see all of the events going on in a specific area, with just one glance. Traveling alone can sometimes make one feel a little shy and self conscious about trying new things and visiting new places. The HotList would alleviate some of these fears, and give me the option to connect with others. 

With The Hotlist you can have on the go access with your Blackberry or iPhone. For someone like me, who has to travel constantly for work, this anytime anywhere access is exactly what I need. 

This site is geared toward college students and alumni. I could see the advantages to using this site at the graduate level. Students can connect with one another to set up study groups, and even see who has already arrived before they get to the designated location. 

Using the EMDT course as an example, The HotList could be used to network with others, such as to find critical friends or colleagues who share similar interests and passions. 

BP7_20091102_Reflective Media Asset

I hope you enjoy my commercial for OnTheRoad, a great Web 2.0 tool that enables the creation and sharing of stories, photos, and video.

Enjoy!

BP6_20091102_Social Bookmarking

One could argue that links are the backbone of the web. They are part of the behind the scenes structure that we don’t see. The use of links started out as a rigid process for organizing information. It wasn’t until Microsoft, “finally catching the wave, was engineering a vigorous response to the new, upstart Netscape browser. This was to be called Internet Explorer and included a similar link manager that was dubbed Favorites” (Hammond, Hannay, Lund, & Scott, 2005). This idea of “favorites” is what most of us are familiar with. While browsing the web for research or recreational activity, you can save websites that are of interest to you, to come back to in the future.

When the use of bookmarking first came into play, it was geared more for personal use. Bookmarks are saved to an individual’s computer, and tied directly to a specific browser. If a student was doing research for example, and came across a site that might be of value or interest to others, the only way they could share the information would be to email or tell them the web address. If a student was doing research in a library computer lab, bookmarking sites there would not do them any good if they planned on continuing their work from home.

In recent years, a new phenomenon has emerged, in which we know as social bookmarking. Social bookmarking allows you to save websites that are of interest to you, share them with others, and also tag them with key words. Since these bookmarks are saved to a website, you can access them from any computer, any browser, and anywhere. “When you save a link to your collection, you tag it with one or more keywords to describe it. Multiple people can use the same words, so you can search for everything tagged with "distance education" or "RSS" and get the collected archive of everything that anyone using the service has found using that tag” (Hedreen, 2005).

This idea of collective information sharing is a great advantage to the education world. One of the concepts that is continually stressed at Full Sail University is the idea of networking. There is a tremendous wealth of knowledge available from your colleagues, co-workers, and peers. Social bookmarking allows us to tap into that pool.

One of the greatest advantages for education is the idea that social bookmarking significantly cuts down research time. Research on the web can sometimes be a painful and tedious process. Students have to sift through tons of websites to determine which ones are reliable and valid. The tagging feature with social bookmarking allows students to find reliable and relevant information right away, without having to sift through sources that are irrelevant or not up to par (Riddell, 2006).

References

Hammond, T., Hannay, T., Lund, B., and Scott, J. (2005, April). Social Bookmarking Tools. D-Lib Magazine, 11(4). Retrieved November 5, 2009, from http://dlib.org/dlib/april05/hammond/04hammond.html

Hedreen, R. Social Bookmarking in Education. Retrieved November 5, 2009, from http://frequanq.blogspot.com/2005/02/social-bookmarking-in-education.html

Riddell, R. (2006, December 29). Social Bookmarking makes its mark in Education. eSchoolNews. Retrieved November 4, 2009, from http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/top-news/index.cfm?i=42069&CFID=20209037&CFTOKEN=96904178

BP5_20091102_Flickr

There are so many terrific uses for Flickr in the classroom. As an educator, you can rest assured that all of the images you choose to use from Flickr are royalty free (one less thing to stress over). After reading several blog posts about how teachers are currently using Flickr with their students, there was one that really caught my eye.

This particular lesson is to be structured for use with elementary students. When children are young, so much of what they know is visual only. For example, they know what a ball or cup is long before they know the meaning associated with it. This activity would allow students to enter vocabulary words into the search field on Flickr and see what images are generated or associated with that particular definition. Once the students have a better understanding of the meaning, they may write their own definition based on how they perceived the meaning. Students could then share their interpretations with the class, and eventually compare their work with a dictionary definition.

This activity allows students to interpret and process information in their own unique way. Instead of being told the “correct” definitions from the start, students embark on a journey of discovery and enlightenment. They are able to use their own senses and personal experiences to lead them to better understanding. This journey allows for a more solid and personal connection to the material or assignment on hand. The more a student can relate, the better the chance of comprehension.

blogpost4_20091101_Researching and Blogging about Web 2.0 Tools

For this assignment, I chose to explore the Web 2.0 tool called “OnTheRoad”. This tool enables you to create an online travel journal so that you can create detailed accounts of all your experiences. Keeping all of your family and friends informed about your latest endeavors is now a walk in the park!

Chronicling the details of one’s life and travels is important to many people. This tool gives users the ability to upload videos, photos, and write stories about each event. Once a user has created a new article, it is published as a blog and can then be shared with others. What drew me to this tool was the fact that if this had been in existence when I had studied abroad back in 2005, I would have taken full advantage of it. Instead of writing countless emails home to family and friends to update them about my experiences, I could have started blogging about it, and simply shared the URLs.

While experimenting with this tool, I decided to create an article about my initial impressions of my trip to Ireland. I was able to set my location, write an entry, and upload media. The format and ease of use was amazing. This application would be very easy for students to take full advantage of in the classroom, and the best part is…it’s FREE!

This concept of a travel journal could easily be adapted into the classroom. As an English teacher, one of the first assignments of the year could be to chronicle one’s summer vacation. You could provide a rubric, or a list of objects that the student would have to meet. For example, you could set a minimum of at least three entry posts. If the student didn’t go on vacation, have them create articles about a place they would like to visit, and detail what they would do. Students can also be assigned to edit/peer review the articles of their classmates.

The education benefits of this tool are great. Students are directly involved in the writing process, and they are learning how to effectively communicate in an online format. As the educator in this situation you have the opportunity to teach them safe practices about posting content on the web.

The image that I have posted to this blog is a screenshot of the article I created using “OnTheRoad”.

Tara Roe

BP3_20091101_Setting up your Google Reader

As director of training for a software development company, the two most important aspects of my job are elearning and training. I have decided to choose five sites that will provide information on both.

elearning-reviews.org : This site aims to showcase the field of elearning in a scientific and more research based light. I am hoping the information found here would be useful in my ARP.

The rapid elearning blog: This site provides quick tips for elearning management. I like the initial set up of the site because it will allow me to access information quickly, without always having a lot to read.

Elearning technology: Focuses on creating successful elearning based on your audience.

Jane’s elearning tip of the day: Again, an easy-to-use resource in which I can quickly pick up relevant information to my everyday job.

ASTD: As a corporate trainer, it is important I am up to date on current training trends. The American Society for Training and Development provides a terrific resource.

BP2_20091101_Screenshots of igoogle

BP1_20091101_Getting Started with Blogger

In both traditional classroom settings and corporate environments, blogging is a great way to share and connect with people and groups over different geographical spaces and time. Whether you are an instructional designer looking to connect with others in your field to discuss new design principles, or, you are a high school English teacher looking for new projects to incorporate into your classroom, the chances are good that you will be able to find some great information, and network with other users when researching blogs.

There is no limit on the subjects that are currently being “blogged” about. As an educator looking to incorporate blogging into the classroom, I have compiled a list below of some great ideas and/or uses for blogging. Enjoy!

• Create ongoing portfolios of student writing samples
• Allow students to express opinions on topics being studied in class
• Have students describe classroom activities using vocabulary terms
• Use blogs as a forum for students to provide feedback on classroom activities and procedures
• Report on current events

By: Tara Roe