Task 3 Milestone 2 Reflection

This week I was task leader. After receiving everyone's input, Vanessa and Aaron answered question 1, while Natalie and Shyann answered question 2. I contributed to the group by keeping an open line of communication with my group members (i.e. emailing resources, seeking votes & opinions, clarifying this week's task), editing this week's doc, and by contributing a bit to both questions. Keeping an open line of communication with my group members (via email or text message) worked well. I was able to get feedback and make sure everyone agreed with what was going on. I think to make communication even better our group should exchange numbers just so there's always another way of communicating that way when someone's opinion or whatever it is, is missing they could be contacted. Overall, interesting week.

Task 3 Milestone 1 Reflection

The task leader for our group was Natalie. She created our Google Docs and shared it with us so we can input our findings, where she would later edit and compile the information into the Greenfoot Newsletter. I believe she also worked on the benefits of Problem Based Learning along side Vanessa. The student concerns was tackled by Aaron and myself.

Prior to starting the task I emailed my group in an attempt to initiate the group work, from there my fellow group members selected the tasks they wanted to complete. My role in the task was to find how PBL tackled the concerns of the Ala Ike students. I contributed to my group by researching what PBL was, how it was used, its benefits, and the student concerns it addressed. The source I used to compile my portion of the newsletter was www.personal.psu.edu , with this information I was able to explain how PBL addresses the student concerns of feeling unengaged, unmotivated, unchallenged, bored with stale textbook information, and educators not communicating with students on all levels of learning. 

Emailing the group to discuss the roles of each person for the task and having a Google Doc that was already open for input and later for editing to produce the final product, worked well. Mostly everyone was able to contribute their findings and the task leader was able to look over the information to create a our one page newsletter.

Everything worked out really well, almost everyone was able to communicate and respond to their roles in a timely fashion. Though communication was well, it can be improved. I know everyone has a busy schedule and working on our own time is beneficial and convenient. However, to make group work possible, especially over an online course, regular email checks should be done. This might be difficult because of conflicting situations but email checks are necessary to maintain group participation and keep updated with the information that each person is inputting.

Overall, good job fellow Greenfoots!!!

Week 10 Group 2 Current Event

Today advancing technologies make information so much more accessible; upcoming generations are going to be immersed into the Information age and  as educators we should facilitate their development for this lifestyle. This week's current event focuses on which three computer/internet skills we think children should develop in order to prepare for life in the Information Age. The Greenfoots believe the following three skills are the most important:

1. Netiquette and Internet Safety Skills

The internet is a very resourceful tool that can be used for leisure or work; what we do and how we communicate with others on the internet can effect us. We think children should be taught how to safely navigate through the internet world as children are utilizing the inter web in school, after school at home, with their friends, and practically everywhere with cell phones. We should be educating them about precautions to take while on the web, how they should interact with strangers, how to identify scams, etc. Safety is the most important skill to know because any harmful thing could happen with misuse of the internet. 

2. Research/Browsing Skills

With so much information at our fingertips its can be challenging to know what sources are reliable. We believe that conducting a basic search through an effective search engine is one of the basic tools to being technologically literate. By developing these skills children will be able to select sources that are credible for their work,gain knowledge, and develop one of the Global Learner Outcomes, which is to become a "self-directed learner".

3. Emailing Skills

Emailing is a popular tool and is often used for communicating with colleagues, professors, friends, and family, near and far. We believe students should have a firm grasp on how to compose, send, add attachments, and organize emails as this is something they will be doing for the rest of their lives. On top of the general use of emailing there is much more to than what meets the eye. Through emails you can create documents, search and organize information, blog, personalize your calendar, etc. There are so many tools that go unnoticed via email, by developing these skills children will be able to make use of the tools email has to offer and communicate effectively with others.

Task 2 Deliverable-Web 2.0 Tool, Thinglink.com

Hey everyone!

So the web 2.0 tool that I selected was Thinglink, which is a site that allows users to create interactive images through the use of tagging various medias like videos, podcasts, websites, articles, other images, songs, recordings, and etc. I really enjoyed this tool because its free, easy to use, and adds a unique perspective on presentations.

When I first saw this site I was instantly attracted to it, that I created an account and made a few interactive images myself. After using this tool, I've decided I could see myself using this with my future students. As in writing you need to include your sources as well your own thoughts to blend the information; with Thinglink you can do just that. With the description box and the tagging aspect of Thinglink students will be able to include their sources as well as their own take on the information and share it as marker on an image that symbolizes the topic. But as you already know tagging isnt limited to websites or articles, but allows room for a wide spectrum of medias.

Prior to this activity, Google was my go to search engine...basically for everything. I would usually google phrases like "a list of web 2.0 tools" or "web 2.0 tools for the classroom", most of the time they would lead me to articles or websites that had a list of 2.0 tools to select from. My search actually lead me to a website that centered on web 2.0 tools according to skills, at the time I wasnt searching for a specific tool but I did bookmark the site to come back too. Bookmarking the site was a good idea as I actually went back to browse the entire website thus stumbling onto Thinglink.

If you're using Google in your selection process of  any web 2.0 tool, I'd use phrases  like "web 2.0 tool reviews for __(insert specific skill; i.e. creativity)__", "best of 2012 web 2.0 tools", or "web 2.0 tools for ___(insert specific skill; i.e. interactive presentations)", I think these would help narrow down your search. However, there are so many sources at our finger tips it will still take time to sort through the options, especially if you're like me and like to test the site out for yourself.

Overall this assignment was really fun and I'm glad I found a tool that puts a unique twist on creativity and presentations.

Task 1 Debrief

Before beginning this course I had no experience using personal learning networks whatsoever. As we signed up for various personal learning networks, such Google Reader, Twitter, iGoogle, and Diigo, I learned to engage with and manage my resources. Between all of the networks we signed up for I used Diigo and Google Reader the most. Both personal learning networks were really simply to use, easily accessible (I'm always bookmarking or checking my gmail account), and helped me to arrange my resources in away that has changed my view on online organization.

I really enjoy Google Reader and Diigo, these are filters that I plan to keep on using in order to maintain my current and manage my new resources. I'll admit I probably won't use iGoogle after the course is complete (I also read that iGoogle will no longer be available later on this year); as for Twitter I'll keep it around just to get a better feel for it, I definitely see the potential it has in finding reliable resources.

After experiencing personal learning networks, I definitely see these as tools that are really valuable to prospective, new, and veteran teachers. There is just so much information at our fingertips that is begging to be used, so why not use them to spruce up your career as an educator. Technology is seriously changing the way we live and learn, with all this information at hand teachers should take advantage of these sources to better assist them in reaching and touching the lives of their students.

Here is my screencast made from screenr on the personal learning network, Diigo: http://screenr.com/nmq7