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