Hey everyone!
So we are getting so close to the end of our semester and the end of this course! Its crazy how fast the semesters fly by! It has been such a great experience learning about new digital programs, and digital literacy and responsibility! Alright, enough with the sentimental stuff.. On to week 11!!
So this week was focused on podcasts and screencasts!
While before this week I had hear of podcasts, and had a general idea of what they were all about, 'screencast' was a new term to me! So lets break it down!
Podcasts: A podcast is considered any audio file that is embedded on a website!
Screencasts: A screencast is a short video that shows what is happening on your computer screen.
After reading the definition of screencast, I realized I have indeed used them before! While I have never made a screen cast (until this week anyways), I have seen some! I have viewed and used many people screencasts via youtube to learn how to do things, or fix things.
This is what is great about screen casts, it is a great teaching tool when you cant have the person right beside you following along with the steps!
Podcasts can also be extremely useful tools! What I love about podcasts, is that the author can portray things, like emotion, or sarcasm that wouldn't be possible (or very challenging) to portray within online text! The idea that you can portray to your audience how you feel, while still being able to reach a large audience is such a great opportunity!
This week I used a tool called SoundCloud,
a podcast creation tool! It's great because it allows you not only to
upload already recorded items, but also record directly on your
computer, right onto SoundCloud! I highly recommend checking it out!
So how can these fit into my PLE?
Well, for me the screencasts will be super helpful for me with future students. The idea that I could create a screencast talking about a lesson a student missed, or for online resources they are learning, will allow me to help students on a larger scale, as well as encourage self directed learning! This is also a great way to tech others how to use programs, or teach them about a specific online tool. I hope that I can use screencasts for group projects when a group member is confused or stuck on a specific task, or step!
In regards to podcasts, I think that the same idea of future use with students applies. Creating a short podcast to go along with a slideshow can greatly improve the understanding of a student, and I look forward to using this strategy! While I don't intend to keep blogging after this course, I think that a podcast can greatly add to a blog, and perhaps this can fit into your PLE if you have a blog!
Is there a space for podcasts and screencasts on your PLE? Let me know in the comments!
That's all for this week!
Thanks for learning with me... digitally!
~ Hannah
Sunday, 30 November 2014
Sunday, 23 November 2014
Hey guys!
Hope everyone got a chance to look at the Prezi I posted earlier!
This week we learned about many different tools, but I am going to focus mostly on Prezi! This week was not my first time using Prezi, and it certainly will not be my last! I LOVE this online program! In a nutshell, Prezi is an online slideshow creator, on steroids. It uses a 'pathway' navigation system, that zooms in and out of slides as you click through a presentation. Here is a quick video describing the basic concept of Prezi!
What I love about Prezi, is that it is very user friendly! The first time I used it, I had not idea how to do anything, but found myself figuring out things with ease, and being able to put together a fantastic presentation for a class! I have a difficult time embedding a video into a power point presentation, but with Prezi, you can easily embed a video of your own, or search a video on youtube to put in your presentation. In addition to it being user friendly, Prezi is a nice way to change up your presentations, and I find will often hold peoples attention for longer than other presentation programs! Prezi also gives you the option to share and embed your presentation so you can share it with whoever you want!
Another great feature of Prezi is the ability to collaborate. You have the option to add or invite others who you want to be able to access and edit your Prezi. I find this very useful when I am doing group presentations, and other forms of collaborative work!
Prezi was in my original PLE diagram, under my educational section, and I am so glad it is! I think that when I update my PLE I will include a collaboration section, as I keep finding, and using more programs that are great for collaborating with others.
That's all for now!
Thanks for learning with me.. Digitally!!
~ Hannah
Hope everyone got a chance to look at the Prezi I posted earlier!
This week we learned about many different tools, but I am going to focus mostly on Prezi! This week was not my first time using Prezi, and it certainly will not be my last! I LOVE this online program! In a nutshell, Prezi is an online slideshow creator, on steroids. It uses a 'pathway' navigation system, that zooms in and out of slides as you click through a presentation. Here is a quick video describing the basic concept of Prezi!
What I love about Prezi, is that it is very user friendly! The first time I used it, I had not idea how to do anything, but found myself figuring out things with ease, and being able to put together a fantastic presentation for a class! I have a difficult time embedding a video into a power point presentation, but with Prezi, you can easily embed a video of your own, or search a video on youtube to put in your presentation. In addition to it being user friendly, Prezi is a nice way to change up your presentations, and I find will often hold peoples attention for longer than other presentation programs! Prezi also gives you the option to share and embed your presentation so you can share it with whoever you want!
Another great feature of Prezi is the ability to collaborate. You have the option to add or invite others who you want to be able to access and edit your Prezi. I find this very useful when I am doing group presentations, and other forms of collaborative work!
Prezi was in my original PLE diagram, under my educational section, and I am so glad it is! I think that when I update my PLE I will include a collaboration section, as I keep finding, and using more programs that are great for collaborating with others.
That's all for now!
Thanks for learning with me.. Digitally!!
~ Hannah
Sunday, 16 November 2014
Week 9!
Hey guys!
So this week we learned about Voicethread, as well as safe and appropriate technology use.
Lets start with a quick overview of Voicethread, and how it might fit into your PLE!
Voice thread is essentially an online slideshow creator. You may be thinking "Hannah, enough with the online slideshows, we JUST learned about Google Presentations in post 7". But! This program goes far beyond your typical online slideshow creator. Voicethread allows you to create and share slideshow presentations, but it also allows you to add in voice recordings, and videos to better assist anyone who is learning from the presentation. It is the ultimate tool for teachers, professors, or anyone trying to teach a subject, when they cannot meet face-to-face. I have a few online classes, and a few hybrid classes (half online and half in 'real life'), and their power point presentations often fall flat as a result of lack of transferable information that one would receive from person talking. Voicethread bridges that gap, and not only allows the person who created the presentation to add audio, text, or video, but it also allows those following it to do so as well.
For me, this will fit wonderfully into my PLE for school. The use of Voicethread can assist in group projects, and presentations as well. I am hoping that I may be able to use it in the future as a teaching tool for my classes!
Alright, now lets switch gears hear. Part of our assignment was to pick a scenario out of our text book and talk about the appropriate and inappropriate use of technology. So here is the scenario I picked!
'Jamie has persuaded her parents to let her talk to her friends in an online chat room. Many of the people in the chat room are Jamie's friends, but there are some people she does not know. For several days, she has noticed one of these individuals talking to some of her friends. Now, this person is starting to ask Jamie about herself, and what she looks like. Jamie becomes uncomfortable and logs off the chat room. Later that evening she talks to her parents and mentions the person in the chat room and how it made her feel.' (Ribble, 2011)
This scenario is quite realistic, and often students are faced with similar predicaments. I would like to start out by saying that, while Jamie was not outright using technology in an inappropriate manner, there are things that she and her parents could have done to make it safer for her!
Jamie's Parents
Descy (2006) suggests that is is vital for parents to talk with their children about their online activities, and this means the parents need to be informed. This scenario seems to elude that by being 'convinced' by their daughter, Jamie's parents sis not know too much about the chat room she was a part of. The second point I'm going to talk about, is not actually a bad one. The scenario said that Jamie went to talk to her parents about how she felt in that situation. This is actually a great example of using technology appropriately! When something goes wrong, its important for children and students to know who to talk to! Descy (2006) suggests that it is important to have regular communication between parents and children regarding online activities, and what has been going on in their digital world! This open communication fosters a safe environment if a negative online experience should ever occur!
Jamie
Now let's talk about Jamie, and what she did well, and what she could have done better! Logging off when she felt uncomfortable, and talking about it with her parents were great choices! Jamie did not give out any personal information, which is very important (Descy, 2006)! While she did these things well, there are some other things she could have done better. First of all, she was in a chat room with people she did not know. This is generally not a great idea for children. There are many places where you can chat only with friends (ie MSN), by adjusting the settings. This eleminates the potential issues that could arise when talking to people you do not know on the internet. Secondly, while Jamie went to her parents when she felt uncomfortable, it would have been more beneficial if she went to them as soon as people she did not know started talking to her friends. Respect is important in the digital world, and Jamie and her friends should respect one another, and keep each other safe!
What do you guys think!? What else could Jamie and her parents do differently to insure appropriate use of technology, and safe use of technology? Is there something else they did well? Let me know in by commenting below, and lets get the conversation going! These topics are very important in an ever changing digital world!
Thanks for learning with me... Digitally!
~ Hannah
References:
Descy, D. E. (2006). Keeping Kids Safe Online. Techtrends: Linking Research & Practice To Improve Learning, 50(5), 3-4.
Ribble, M. (2011). Digital Citizenship In Schools. Second Edition, International Society for Technology in Education.
So this week we learned about Voicethread, as well as safe and appropriate technology use.
Lets start with a quick overview of Voicethread, and how it might fit into your PLE!
 |
| Taken From: http://ww1.prweb.com/prfiles/2007/03/06/509870/VoicethreadLogo.jpg |
Voice thread is essentially an online slideshow creator. You may be thinking "Hannah, enough with the online slideshows, we JUST learned about Google Presentations in post 7". But! This program goes far beyond your typical online slideshow creator. Voicethread allows you to create and share slideshow presentations, but it also allows you to add in voice recordings, and videos to better assist anyone who is learning from the presentation. It is the ultimate tool for teachers, professors, or anyone trying to teach a subject, when they cannot meet face-to-face. I have a few online classes, and a few hybrid classes (half online and half in 'real life'), and their power point presentations often fall flat as a result of lack of transferable information that one would receive from person talking. Voicethread bridges that gap, and not only allows the person who created the presentation to add audio, text, or video, but it also allows those following it to do so as well.
For me, this will fit wonderfully into my PLE for school. The use of Voicethread can assist in group projects, and presentations as well. I am hoping that I may be able to use it in the future as a teaching tool for my classes!
Alright, now lets switch gears hear. Part of our assignment was to pick a scenario out of our text book and talk about the appropriate and inappropriate use of technology. So here is the scenario I picked!
'Jamie has persuaded her parents to let her talk to her friends in an online chat room. Many of the people in the chat room are Jamie's friends, but there are some people she does not know. For several days, she has noticed one of these individuals talking to some of her friends. Now, this person is starting to ask Jamie about herself, and what she looks like. Jamie becomes uncomfortable and logs off the chat room. Later that evening she talks to her parents and mentions the person in the chat room and how it made her feel.' (Ribble, 2011)
This scenario is quite realistic, and often students are faced with similar predicaments. I would like to start out by saying that, while Jamie was not outright using technology in an inappropriate manner, there are things that she and her parents could have done to make it safer for her!
Jamie's Parents
Descy (2006) suggests that is is vital for parents to talk with their children about their online activities, and this means the parents need to be informed. This scenario seems to elude that by being 'convinced' by their daughter, Jamie's parents sis not know too much about the chat room she was a part of. The second point I'm going to talk about, is not actually a bad one. The scenario said that Jamie went to talk to her parents about how she felt in that situation. This is actually a great example of using technology appropriately! When something goes wrong, its important for children and students to know who to talk to! Descy (2006) suggests that it is important to have regular communication between parents and children regarding online activities, and what has been going on in their digital world! This open communication fosters a safe environment if a negative online experience should ever occur!
Jamie
Now let's talk about Jamie, and what she did well, and what she could have done better! Logging off when she felt uncomfortable, and talking about it with her parents were great choices! Jamie did not give out any personal information, which is very important (Descy, 2006)! While she did these things well, there are some other things she could have done better. First of all, she was in a chat room with people she did not know. This is generally not a great idea for children. There are many places where you can chat only with friends (ie MSN), by adjusting the settings. This eleminates the potential issues that could arise when talking to people you do not know on the internet. Secondly, while Jamie went to her parents when she felt uncomfortable, it would have been more beneficial if she went to them as soon as people she did not know started talking to her friends. Respect is important in the digital world, and Jamie and her friends should respect one another, and keep each other safe!
What do you guys think!? What else could Jamie and her parents do differently to insure appropriate use of technology, and safe use of technology? Is there something else they did well? Let me know in by commenting below, and lets get the conversation going! These topics are very important in an ever changing digital world!
Thanks for learning with me... Digitally!
~ Hannah
References:
Descy, D. E. (2006). Keeping Kids Safe Online. Techtrends: Linking Research & Practice To Improve Learning, 50(5), 3-4.
Ribble, M. (2011). Digital Citizenship In Schools. Second Edition, International Society for Technology in Education.
Sunday, 9 November 2014
Week 8 - Wikis and Digital Responsabilities
Hey Guys!
So this week was all about Wikis and digital responsibilities!
Lets start with Wikis. Up until this week I have had very little experience with Wikis, and wasn't even sure I knew how it could be helpful. Well after this session I have discovered how useful they can be.
Wikis are essentially websites that allow users to add, edit and change the webpage. This can be great for collaborative learning, and in general, learning about the different perspectives of others. While one person may define something a certain way, others may have a slightly different definition of the same thing. That's the beauty of a Wiki! Many different thoughts and ideas can be brought together in a collaborative learning environment! Here is a quick video that may help your understanding! Although it was originally posted for teachers, I think that there is some great little bits of information in the video, and that it gives a good overview of Wikis!
This one is equally as important. People should be able to post their thoughts and ideas etc. in digital contexts without the fear of someone using it as their own work. The responsibility for others to ask permission to use others work, or citing is very important, and should be upheld by all digital learners/participants!
Lastly...
The Right and Responsibility to Give and Receive Respect
This one, I think, kind of over-arches all digital responsibilities. Without respect for one another, we will get nowhere. Respect is needed to be able to have active and effective participation online. It is needed to create safe, and useful digital spaces and contexts. And it is necessary for positive digital learning experiences.
What are some of your top 3 topics surrounding digital responsibility?
Thats all for now!
Thanks for learning with me... digitally!
~Hannah
So this week was all about Wikis and digital responsibilities!
Lets start with Wikis. Up until this week I have had very little experience with Wikis, and wasn't even sure I knew how it could be helpful. Well after this session I have discovered how useful they can be.
Wikis are essentially websites that allow users to add, edit and change the webpage. This can be great for collaborative learning, and in general, learning about the different perspectives of others. While one person may define something a certain way, others may have a slightly different definition of the same thing. That's the beauty of a Wiki! Many different thoughts and ideas can be brought together in a collaborative learning environment! Here is a quick video that may help your understanding! Although it was originally posted for teachers, I think that there is some great little bits of information in the video, and that it gives a good overview of Wikis!
While I don't think I will use Wikis too much during my current academic activities, I look forward to using it in the future for teaching purposes! I could prove to be a great tool for using colaborative learning online!
Moving right along... lets talk about digital responsibilities. This was one of the main focuses this week, and I think it is such an important topic!
Part of this week's activities, we had to choose our top 3 topics that surround digital responsibilities, and these are the three I chose:
Right to Not Be Cyber-bullied
No matter what activities we do, we should feel safe. This includes online activities. It is a right for people to feel safe, and not be cyber-bullied when online, or in digital contexts. This requires people to respect each other, and take the responsibility of not cyber-bullying others!
Responsibility to Ask Permission, and CiteThis one is equally as important. People should be able to post their thoughts and ideas etc. in digital contexts without the fear of someone using it as their own work. The responsibility for others to ask permission to use others work, or citing is very important, and should be upheld by all digital learners/participants!
Lastly...
The Right and Responsibility to Give and Receive Respect
This one, I think, kind of over-arches all digital responsibilities. Without respect for one another, we will get nowhere. Respect is needed to be able to have active and effective participation online. It is needed to create safe, and useful digital spaces and contexts. And it is necessary for positive digital learning experiences.
What are some of your top 3 topics surrounding digital responsibility?
Thats all for now!
Thanks for learning with me... digitally!
~Hannah
Sunday, 2 November 2014
Week 7
Hey guys!
So this week was all about Google Docs. Here is a quick video with a little bit of an overview of Google Docs!
So this week was all about Google Docs. Here is a quick video with a little bit of an overview of Google Docs!
I would like to start off by saying, that I LOVE Google Docs. I have been using it for about 5 years now, and I find it so helpful within my education! Google Docs allows you to create various kinds of documents online, and share them with other people. It also allows you to invite other people to edit, and add to your documents. What this means for me (and students in general) is that if I have a group project, I can create a document, invite all of my group members, and we can all edit and write within the document at the same time. Not only can we all be on the same document at once, but we are able to see all of the changes in real time, and who is making them. There is also a 'chat' feature, where you can talk to your collaborators, and you have the option of making highlights and adding notes, if other members of the group are not online. I have recently found Google Docs to be very helpful in doing brainstorming activities with groups. Everyone can write down whatever they think of without interrupting others, or having to wait for someone to write ideas down, but you can also bounce ideas of of others, and be inspired by others ideas!
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| Taken From: http://edudemic.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/googledocs-tips-379x243.jpg |
Google Docs has three main uses; Google Docs (word documents), Google Sheets (Spread Sheets), and Google Slides (Slide Show creator).
While I have never used Google Sheets, it seems relatively simple and user friendly. This week I was able to use Google Slides for the first time, and it was great. It was very user friendly, and very similar to common power-point creators such as Open Office, and Microsoft Powerpoint. It was great to be able to work with a group to create a slide show, completely online! We were able to talk to each other via a chat option, and suggest changes and add to each other sections!
When it comes to Google Docs, I love that I am able to access my documents, and slideshows from just about anywhere, and I can share it with whoever I want. I also like that I can invite people, and control whether or not they have the ability to edit, or make changes.
Another great thing about Google Docs is that it is free! And let me tell you, when you say free University students come running..
But in all seriousness it is a fantastic program, that I am happy to add to my PLE (I can't believe that I forgot to add it originally!). Overall it is great for many academic purposes, but could also prove to be helpful within various aspects of your work life, and any other situations where you need an easy way to share documents. I hope it is just as useful for you as it is for me, and that you add it to your PLE as well!
That's all for now, but I will be back next week!
Thanks for learning with me... digitally!
~ Hannah