The Internet is truly revolutionizing education, and I can attest, that I am taking full advantage of it through the on-line program at Fresno Pacific, at work, and at home. To think that the on-line education system is a 34 billion dollar industry and that by 2019 it's estimated that 50% of all classes taught will be delivered on-line is truly mind-boggling. Web 2.0 has made this possible. To be honest I had never realized there was a Web 1.0.
As I noted in my Productivity Tools post, the programs and services that the Internet (Web 2.0) offers are limitless. It seems that there is a program/service for every one of your work, school, or home needs. If it's a professional presentation you're looking for there's Prezi. If you're looking to make a comic strip there's Make Beliefs Comix. If you're looking to get voicemail to email or text there's Jott. The list goes on and on. The only requirement is an Internet connection, and off you go! Have fun surfing the wave of Web 2.0. Wow! I didn't realize there were so many productivity tools available, and some that I already use at work and home. Some of the programs that we currently use at work are the Google calendar, Google docs, and Go To Meeting. Just as the material and web sites state, these programs allow for real-time work without the hassle of having to send documents back and forth, wait for replies regarding calendar dates/appointments/availability, and having to be physically in the same room for a meeting.
The programs that I've already used in the past at home, but didn't know them as productivity tools, are Map My Run and Pandora. The applications for these productivity tools seem endless, for business and pleasure. Some of the tools that I had a chance to look into that seem very interesting are the Nozbe organizing tool, Gliffy and Bubbl.us diagram tool, MyStickies - web based bookmarking, and the Bla bla list task organizer. As the "green" trend of going paperless continues, it seems that these tools as well as other programs such as Kingsoft Office suite are making this more of a reality. The creation, storage, and sharing of any type of document is becoming more of a reality and mainstream through the Internet. For me, a majority of the technology content explored so far is new to me. For the longest time I've been trying to stay off of the social media radar. My tech/social media prior to this class consisted of 2 email accounts and Shutterfly. And now, I have accounts for a website/blog, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pearltrees, and SoundCloud.
Of all of these, I think I'll be able to take advantage of the Facebook fan page. A fan page is a great way to communicate with our students and student-athletes. Setting up the account was fairly easy, and you can edit the settings/preferences as you see fit. Nearly everyone I know has a Facebook account, and so a fan page is a great way to get the word out about anything and everything such as topics, announcements, important dates, events, deadlines, etc. My Facebook fan page is a simple one right now, but with my new found knowledge I have the ability to create so much more. Wow! I didn't realize Podcasting, otherwise know as audiocasting, as Audio Learning Objects could be so technical. A Podcast can only become a learning object if it has A learning object, when created, can only have educational value when it has characteristics such as sequence, scope, and structure.
With the advancements in information and communication technologies, and e-learning, Podcasting as an educational tool is proving to be worthwhile in mobile education. Cebei and Tekdal (2006) list several advantages of Podcasting. Some of which are very appealing such as the ability to listen anytime and anywhere, cheaper compared Web-based mobile learning, increased motivation for those that perform better through listening rather than reading, and improved communication between administrators, educators, and learners. The article by Buzzetto-More (2012) hit it right on the head when it stated that with regard to social networking the lines between our professional, personal, and academic lives are becoming more and more blurred. It's not surprising that the social networking technology they chose to study was Facebook, the number one market share holder as of March 2012. Prior to our KIN 710 course, I haven't had much of a social media presence, aside from my email accounts (work and personal) and my Shutterfly account. My familiarity and knowledge of social media came from being around friends, family, and student-athletes. Thanks to them I have at least somewhat of a decent knowledge base for the different technologies that are available. It seems that more an more students are combining their learning management systems (LMS) with their social media technologies, using the social media outlets for discussions boards, communications, and community support. I've already benefited from the community support within this graduate program.
It's not surprising that the results of the study found that, "Participants considered Facebook a valuable tool that helps to strengthen interpersonal relationships, build learning communities, and engage students." And based on these results, they go on to suggest to college faculty that they adopt the use of social networking services as part of the teaching and learning process. For added credibility, the U.S. Department of Education to support the application of advanced technologies used in our daily personal and professional lives to our entire education system to improve student learning. A very interesting read about "Generation Always-On." As I read this piece I couldn't help but wonder what affects this new generation, Gen AO, will have on my two daughters, in their personal lives as well as in their education. It seems that Gen AO has already made its way into the education system, kindergarten through doctorate levels. There is no way around it, the Internet/World Wide Web fad is here to stay.
I understand and can relate to both the positives and negatives of Gen AO. As a parent I see the effects firsthand and it plays a part in the upbringing of our children. For them, as students, and the student-athletes that I interact with at work on a daily basis, it's a constant struggle to have them disconnect and stay focused on the task at hand. At home it's easier just because of the fact that Mom and Dad can easily step in and demand it. At work it's a little different, bad habits are harder to break. In education, I see the positives as a great platform for fast, quick communication and information gathering from multiple sources. I also the see some of the negatives as decreased human interaction and distractions such as "mind-numbing" chatter for the task at hand. It was stated that humans are experiencing a revolutionary era, and that many experts are calling for a reinvention of public education to teach those skills and help learners avoid some of the obvious pitfalls of a hyperconnected lifestyle. In order for Gen AO to be successful, the lessons of the positives and negatives/pitfalls need to taught. These lessons need to begin at home and reinforced in the classroom. To reference the TV show, "Revolution", what will happen when the power goes out? This is a photo I had a little photo fun with using Pho.to. I Google searched "ESPN Summer X games" and came across this photo of the pro skateboarder Bucky Lasek. As you can see from the photo, I added a black frame, used tilt-shift to blur the background, and added some upside-down text. There are a million different ways someone can edit their photos using this site, and best of all, Pho.to is free!
The photo I chose to photo share is of me and a good friend of mine from years ago when we were at Disneyland. We worked together in athletics and since that time he has moved on to a more "professional" career. It reminds me of the good times we had together and how much of a nice guy he was. I embedded the photo from my Shutterfly account.
In just the span of a few days, my social media knowledge and use has grown exponentially, with the latest being that of curation. Curation seems to be the ideal solution for streamlining information gathering and sharing. This process is advantageous when you're looking to save time. For me, the Pearltree site is the best place to begin my curating. It offers the most time effective way to collect information from the web or other Pearltree users, organize it, and potentially share my topics with others in the Pearltree community. As an allied health professional I have the ability to choose topics such as functional rehabilitation and exercise, medicine, team building/leadership, technology in athletic medicine, etc. Any Pearltree user can search for just about any topic, ranging from business to pleasure. I'm excited to see my Pearltree grow and to share my "Pearls" with others. I hope I've linked my PLN correctly using the RSS button. If you'd like to add some pearls of wisdom to my tree you can find me at: http://www.pearltrees.com/paulrdiaz |
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