A Quick 6 Weeks!

I can’t believe this course is already over- time flies! When I was looking at all the possible courses I could take, I was really excited about this course. Mainly, I needed some insight on all the different Web2.0 tools out there. The information I have gained is very useful to my current position, but it is also helpful to my personal education goals. I really feel like I have entered a world I just didn’t realize was there- like Narnia.

My PLN grew exponentially the past 6 weeks and I found a focus for it as well, eLearning. I think the two tools I utilized the most are SlideShare and Scoop.it. I plan to continue growing my PLN because the information I can obtain is way more than I could just using a Google search.

What tools have you found to be of the greatest use to you?

Students and Facebook

We use Facebook to reach out to our student population and remind them of free services we offer. For the workshops we offer we ask students to reserve their seat in the session by following a link from our Facebook page. The link goes to a 3rd party site called SlyReply. Students provide their name and their email address so we know how many to expect.

I have noticed some of the students become upset when I tell them they can reserve their seat through our Facebook page. They might not have a Facebook or they do not want us to have access to their Facebook world. I have to reassure that they do not even need to have a Facebook account to click on the link. They don’t have to sign in to use access the page. However, some still do not like the idea. Now I tend to provide the link directly to the third party site so students do not feel like we are forcing them to follow us.

What would be a better way link the sign-up for students to see and access?

BYOD

Most of us are aware of the booming presence of personal devices- everywhere. Where I work we rent out laptops and iPads. For the first time, last spring,  we saw a major dip in the amount of people checking out these items. More and more students have access to their own devices. If they only have a smartphone then they sit at one of our desktops to work.

When we have meetings at work everyone tends to pull up information from their phones. BYOD is becoming more and more common. They are convenient and allow for better organization. I also have mine set to alert me to new work emails while at work. I move from different stations throughout the day so this keeps me connected.

Has your workplace adopted the BYOD?

Check out the article below

Why Mobile Learning Is The Future Of Workplace Learning (Infographic) from Upside Learning

The New Classwork Platform

http://www.classkick.com/students/ 

I came across Classkick and am very intrigued by the possibilities of the software. Essentially the program allows for virtual homework space by using an iPad. A teacher can upload worksheets, for example, for the students to work on. If the student needs help they can request the teacher to help or request help from other classmates all within the app. Teachers and students could be across the country and as long as they were working on the assignment at the same time they could help each other out. I am continually amazed by the future of the classroom. We have come a long way since I was in school and thought technology was so futuristic then. I can see this being a very useful program for keeping students on track and organized. The app can also keep teachers organized as well and cut down on paper being printed and stored.

I'll Pay For the Apple With My Apple

Apple is creating “Apple Bank” which, from my understanding, will allow users to make wireless payments from their phone to whomever has the ability to receive payment from- being a person to person paying app. I don’t know a lot about it, but it seems like google wallet and paypal, but they are putting a patent on it so I don’t know what is different about their app.I am sure we are moving more towards the wireless paying feature especially from our phones so we don’t have to carry our cards.

I have heard rumors that Apple will use the payment history of the app to market towards the individual. I imagine my information is already being used without my knowledge of it. However, hearing that such an app would dig into your payment history to personalize marketing is (a) great plan for them and (b) a plan I don’t really like. I am not an Apple user, but if they get the ball rolling then it will just be the norm. Facebook already knows what I google search for and market towards those searches. How do you all feel about it?

Got a Question- I mean Quora?

Quora seems to be the new age Yahoo Answers with specific topics streamed for you. People make an account and then click several interests. The next step is setting categories you are an expert at, or at least the categories you believe you are an expert in. I posted a simple question- waiting to see if anyone responds. The questions I have been reading are…… interesting. Usually with Yahoo Answers I only come across questions people, who are wondering the same thing as I, post and thus I do not find their question odd. However, on Quora you see many questions you would have never asked before. The top question on my homepage is “How can I be as great as Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, and Richard Branson?” with various answers from humorous to serious. I came across one that was very angry towards snobby teens. I feel like many of the questions are about venting and finding people to collaborate with them. All in all it is an interesting site to browse and you never know what someone might ask.

Visual Directions

Have you ever wondered how you could make a video or make a screenshot of what you are working on? This would be helpful for training videos in many different circumstances. I know it would be a useful program for training videos at my work. The program I was introduced to, through my other summer class, is called Jing.! I haven’t used the program yet, but I did watch a video made by the program. It was so simple and really helped direct us students to where we needed to go. I plan to utilize the software for my current work. How else could someone utilize Jing?
https://www.techsmith.com/jing.html

theSkimm

 

http://www.theskimm.com/'

 

The other day, while attending pub trivia, a friend mentioned she knew an answer to the question because she read her daily “theSkimm” which is a free service. They send you a condensed version of the top news stories from the day before. My email today contained:

 

"A quote of the day" from Tom Brady about why he changed his cell phone.

A story about the Cincinnati police officer incident.

theSkimm exclusive interview with Hillary Clinton

A brief list of trendy topics

The debris from a missing airline

How well Facebook is doing financially

The popular word for the day “Groufit”

It only took me a few minutes to read  the email to see what is going on in the world. Now I wouldn’t say someone should only use theSkimm as their only news source, but it is a nice recap! Do you use a similar service to condense all the information coming your way?

Throwback to myspace

I was thinking of my first experience with social media- myspace. I obsessed over my myspace page and what song I should play, background I should use, and the pictures I should post. I treated it like a piece of my artwork that would never be complete because there would always be something I could improve. Now myspace is more of a music venue, a place for artists to share their music.

Social Media tools have grown and expanded since the rise of myspace. Facebook took over and now a flood of information streams across my device when I check Facebook. Different ads for different things, news articles, friend updates, and so on. I no longer worry about making my page “fancy” with the best backgrounds and worrying about what music should play when someone goes to my page. The setup of Facebook is simple, but the information is expansive and almost never ending.

How have you seen social media change and how have you changed the way you interact with social media?

eLearning

http://elearningindustry.com/build-active-collaborative-elearning-space#

This is an interesting article about blended learning and what passive vs. active learning looks like in the eLearning environment. The basic point of collaborative and individual eLearning students are asked to participate in are reviewed. How does an instructor cater to their students many different ways of learning while keeping their interest? Get your students involved and allow them to be active learners rather than passive learners! This article does a nice brief overview of the difference between having students do passive or active activities in the eLearning class structure. What are your thoughts? Would you be confident in implementing eLearning techniques in a class?


More eLearning articles can be found here

I Have an Account to What?

I am really enjoying all the new accounts I have created so I can utilize all of the new tools we are learning about. However, I am starting to realize I have more accounts than I can keep up with. This social media stuff can become rather time consuming. As the class moves on there are a few tools that are being left behind. Twitter was going to be my voice and now I hardly remember to even check it. I have it linked to my Scoop.it account so at least it is seeing some action. I was active in my woodworking community for our last project but haven’t been back since I turned the project in. I really enjoyed being part of the community, but there is just not enough time in a day to keep up with it all. How are you all keeping up with your new and old online accounts?

 

I started thinking of all the old accounts I have forgotten about, mostly various email accounts from my youth. I must have a dozen accounts I no longer utilize and I will never remember all of them from different online communities.

p.s. Check out my curated articles on Scoop.it- http://www.scoop.it/t/elearning-by-samantha-kolan

Oh, The Tools You'll Know

Since EME6414 started a few short weeks ago I have been introduced to many new online tools. Some of them I have found great value and some I struggle using. After attempting to do my Knowledge Sharing/Tracking with (a) Pinterest and (b) Evernote, I was feeling like I was missing out on the full experience. Perhaps I have used the above tools mentioned in other formats and am “stuck” in that type of mindset while using them. I started a Scoop.it account and have found unbelievable amounts of information people have shared. I am a Scoop.it machine- collecting all the information I can on eLearning along with the flipped classroom model. I created a Diigo account, but have not found a passion for it yet. I think once I have a topic I want to search for, I will find it to be more valuable to me. I will continue exploring the tools mentioned in the classroom because a whole new world is opening up to me.
Check out my Scoop.it- http://www.scoop.it/t/elearning-by-samantha-kolan

Pinterest is Expanding

I’ve been part of the Pinterest bandwagon for a few years now. When Pinterest first came to light I didn’t see a reason for me to use it. At first it seemed it had one purpose and that was for women to plan their wedding. I’ll admit, I eventually used pinterest to gather ideas for my wedding as well. However, I started using pinterest because I wanted to find creative ideas for my woodworking/ craft projects. I decided I needed to create a new account for professional purposes which I posted the link to off to the right of this blog. It was a different scenario signing up for my new Pinterest account- first I had technical issues: the password box wouldn’t allow me to type. The second interesting difference was this time I didn’t have to be “approved/ invited” to access my Pinterest account. When I created my first account they said they would send me an email within a few days inviting me to complete my account. It made it seem like I was entering an exclusive club. Now they just let anyone get an account :)

While exploring I came across the new feature of Pinterest- Buyable Pins, which I think is currently for iOS users only. Now you can look at everything Pinterest has to offer and if there is a blue pin associated with the item then you will be given the option to purchase. Look out world- a new way to shop is coming to a device near you.

How We Participate

When EME6414 started I felt a little lost regarding the participation section. We were given the expectation of participation and an example. It was hard for me at first to wrap my head around the freedom behind how I participated. In most online courses the teacher tells you how you will participate. Usually this is a discussion post requirement, first making an initial discussion post regarding a topic and then following up by making a required number of comments on other classmates. Most of the time I follow the checklist and never return to see what my classmates have said.

 

In EME6414 the freedom to create discussion threads regarding topics I am interested in (pertaining to the class of course) and commenting on classmates discussions and blogs requires me to be present in this online class in a more meaningful way. I feel it is a more organic process. I come across all sorts of ideas, personalities, topics, and so forth. In a nutshell I feel like I am part of this class, not just another name making the basic required comments.

Why do you think this model of participation works so well for EME6414 and do you think it can be applied to other courses? If so, how would you apply it to an English, math, or science course?

Lynda.com

Need help with learning a new computer program, management skills, or marketing concept? Lynda.com has a plethora of learning videos on various subjects. I started using Lynda.com when I started my job- we get access for FREE! I’ve been brushing up on my SharePoint skills by watching the videos which has been very helpful to my job.

While exploring the education and technology videos available I have discovered a few programs available for support of online learning. I haven’t used the programs, but I’ve at least been exposed to them and know what they can help achieve.

Lectora Online http://trivantis.com/products/lectora-online-authoring/

Articulate Storyline 2 https://www.articulate.com/products/storyline-why.php

Captivate Projects http://www.adobe.com/products/captivate/features.html

My New Best Friend

I didn’t know that fateful afternoon I would find my new best friend………SlideShare! I didn’t know SlideShare existed before taking Web2.0 and now I am so happy I found it. I love having new and fresh concepts readily available. I just scroll through the topic I am interested in and view the accompanying slides. I don’t have to spend a large amount of time and if I come across something I want to know more about then I can do a more extensive search. A new world has opened to me with ideas I didn’t know were floating around out there. Of course with anything floating around on the internet, you will need to think for yourself. Some of the slides are misleading, some present a bias, and so forth.

Here is a slide containing quotes about education, what is your favorite?

35 Inspirational Quotes on Learning from Upside Learning

http://www.slideshare.net/UpsideLearning/35-inspirational-quotes-on-learning



By the way it took me a few frustrating minutes to figure out how to embed the above SlideShare. You must click on the HTML button before pasting the code!

My First Step to a PLN

Learning about Personal Learning Networks (PLN) made me realize that social media does not have to pull from my personal life. I can use social media in a way that would benefit my education and career goals. When I first created a Twitter account I followed local events and businesses. The Twitter account I update for my work follows FSU University happenings. It took me awhile to realize what an awesome community the work Twitter account focussed on because I never browsed the work Twitter community. Perhaps it is because the work account is more directly related to my everyday and contains more meaning than my personal account. Growing a PLN will be an interesting process and I look forward to discovering the different ways I can connect to other people who share similar education and career goals.

I decided to find some Twitter users I could benefit from in a career or education aspect. I came across the following:

Teaching Tolerance @Tolerance_org

Martin Burrett @ICTmagic

Tony Vincent @tonyvincent

Erin Olson @eolsonteacher

TeachThough @TeachThough

Break Free!

My previous post “How is Your Technology Diet?” inspired me to download an app to track my phone usage. Break Free is an app that tracks and monitors your apps usage time. Providing me with feedback regarding how many times I unlocke my screen for the day; how long in (minutes/hours) I've used my phone; and will send me an alert if I am using my phone excessively. I can even use the program to prevent my phone from disturbing me during certain times of the day. Yesterday I received a 51 out of 160 for my phone “addiction score”. Today I have unlocked my screen 39 times and have used my phone for and hour and seven minutes- current “addiction score” of 34.

I will have to check the difference between a work day and a non-work day. I predict that I use my phone more on a work day than I do on a non-work day. I use my phone as a portable desk when I am away from my station. Not that my position is one of great importance, but I like to know if something comes up. When I am home I tend to leave my phone lying around somewhere. Tomorrow I shall see if my hypothesis is correct or not.

My Money is NO Good There!

 

 

Hey! Do you want some money? The money would, of course, be for the use of your services. In Fact you’ve bombarded me with so many mailers, I have decided to seek out your service. Isn’t it great that all the money you spent on advertising is working! Wait, what do you mean I now have to beg you to take my money?
 

Is customer service a dying art? Why does it seem like people are completely clueless when it comes to keeping a customer happy, or at very least put on a show for a potential new customer.
 

I decided to take my poor customer service issue to social media. I usually let issues roll off my back, but I decided to post the experience to Facebook and tweet a simple disappointment on twitter. It was an interesting community that I instantly was part of. My Facebook friends shared similar stories, creating a camaraderie regarding the issue at hand. I felt like I wasn’t alone, there were others who shared in my terrible experience. It wasn’t just that I had an off day or the company had an off day, they are just an off company in general.

When I made my simple tweet on twitter, two things happened. First, a company called GripeO instantly retweeted letting me know that their company can be my representative with the issue or they could suggest successful similar companies. What a successful way to make your business known. The second thing that happened was I was added to a group of people who have had similar issues- I think?

I do not expect to change the practices of the company, but I do hope I can warn others of the drama I experienced. Having the camaraderie of people who have been where I had, was very grounding.

How is Your Technology Diet?

 

In my EDP5216 class, my teacher had us read this article http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129384107. I believe technology, especially social media, can have positive and negative effects. I think the author of this article puts the issue in terms we can ponder. The author suggest that technology is like food, some food is good for you and some food is bad for you. Specifically the author calls the bad food Twinkies and the good food Brussels sprouts. What would you consider to be the Twinkies and the Brussels sprouts of your technology diet?

I also found the article to be interesting regarding the “three-day effect”, which was termed because after 3 days without the use of technology  people seemed to mellow out and slow down- relax a little. I have noticed this as well when I go camping, no service and no worries. When I travelled to New Zealand we did not have working cell phones, just Wi-Fi when we could find it and that was minimal. Do any of you experience a relaxed state without technology or do you find yourself panicked?

Quizlet

A very useful app I discovered a few years ago is called Quizlet. The app allows you to use the concept of flashcards, but make them digital. I originally used a different website that was very basic. It literally only allowed for digital flashcards. Quizlet allows for different learning games to help create a connection between concepts you’ve created flashcards for. Quizlet also facilitates an online community of learners. You can search for other people’s cards to study from. This can be beneficial because they may have come across information you may not have. With the positive side there is a negative side as well. Users should be wary of using other people’s cards without first reviewing and fact checking the information. As with all online communities, social media, and news sources don’t just follow blindly.
https://quizlet.com/

Social Media Calendar

One day while posting something on my work Twitter account I came across a tweet from Hootsuite discussing the importance of a social media calendar. I really liked the idea, but I missed the point by a long shot. I made my calendar and used it to remind me of what service posts I needed to make. Boring and routine and ultimately I did not use my calendar because it didn’t provide me anything. I’ve recently revisited the idea of a social media calendar and have realized there is so much information I can add to it other than just making the boring service announcements. I can reach the students we work with and present them information they may have not realized we have on our website. By taking content from our website I have bulked up my calendar with some interesting information that students can use on their own and provide them with some direction. Other than what tutoring sessions we have going on or workshops available for the week.
http://blog.hootsuite.com/how-to-create-a-social-media-content-calendar/

Maybe Twitter is for Me?

The Videos from week 1 in Web 2.0 were very interesting, although they are from 2007 they are still very informative for a quick overview of blogs, twitter, and RSS feeds. Besides the content of the videos, I found how the videos were made to be very interesting. If I were to make a video from cut outs I would have felt the result was very unprofessional. However, they make the cut-outs a key component to go along with what they are saying. I found the Twitter video to provide me with the most ah-ha moment. For a long time I never really cared to do anything with twitter. In fact if you look at my twitter now you would see one tweet for the class. I couldn't wrap my head around why anyone would want to read my tweets. I was taking the assumption road and assuming people would not want to read my tweets, but if you follow me then I guess you want to know the little things going on in my life. I wish my family (mostly parents could figure out twitter because I think it would be a good way to keep up on one another since none of us enjoy talking on the phone.

Expert or Just Delusional

I’ve always seen myself as being up to date on technology, but I’ve really been kidding myself. For a long time I thought technology was just how to operate computers and phones, but I've learned there is a sub category called social media. Almost a year ago I started a new job and in my new job I have to post to Facebook and Twitter. Since the beginning it has always just been reminders about services we have. Now I am learning that our Facebook and Twitter needs to be so much more than just reminders. My work social media needs to  draw people to the page so then our message will actually reach them. I am looking forward to learning how I can recreate our current social media presence. Perhaps along the way I will feel inspired to have a stronger personal social media presence as well.