We also discussed Fakebook which is a site that looks and acts like Facebook and allows students to create imaginary profile pages for use with research, content, teaching, etc. Some of the pros I see with Fakebook are it can be a great way to encourage students to research, write, and engage in class projects and presentations. Also, students really want to be a part of social media and so this can be a great way to get them excited about learning and biography writing. Some of the cons can be that many parents feel nervous about things related to Facebook even though there is no actual social media elements involved. Class notes can be found here. |
In class this week we did an activity retweeting history. This is an engaging, interactive way for students to simulate a historical event. We simulated the bombing of Pearl Harbor and it was the most engaged I have been in class. I really felt it necessary to do my part to contribute and create a good final product. My group was in charge of tweeting what President Rosevelt would have said in this situation. The one thing I found difficult about this task was that the President of the United States probably wouldn't have been tweeting the details that we were discussing because of safety reasons and as not to give away what America's plan for retaliation was. However, in order to adequately represent the historical facts we had to kind of disregard that fact. Reading the tweets on Sunday and following the reenactment was exciting and I believe this could really excite and allow students to take responsibility for their learning.
0 Comments
Tonight we went into greater detail about more apps and websites that can help build a PLN. Many of the apps and websites taught I already use and have accounts with. However, there were a few new apps that I was introduced to with one specifically exciting me and sparking my interest. The apps we discussed in class include Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, TweetDeck, Flipboard, Feedly, and Subtext. Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and TweetDeck are the apps I am already familiar with and use to build my PLN. These tools have been a great way in the past few years for me to build my PLN specifically regarding education technology. As I changed my position, it was nice to collaborate with new colleagues and learn more about this educational field. As previously mentioned, there were a few apps taught that I have not previously used including FlipBoard, Feedly, and SubText. Flipboard - Is another article, web information app where you can find articles through interest and subject searches. It seems like a good app but I didn't feel it was as user friendly as Zite and Feedly. I probably will not use Flipboard in developing my PLN however, it does have the option for creating your own magazines to save articles which could be beneficial at some point. Feedly - This app is an RSS feed where you search blogs and websites to follow, like blogger RSS feeds. This feedly app has gotten me excited! It seems very easy to use and I often enjoy searching and following ed tech blogs. You can search by blog name, topic, category. I will definitely be using Feedly and have taken time during this week to explore it further. Subtext - This is a classroom reader. It is a collaboration tool that allows classroom groups to share online texts and articles. Students can be assigned quizzes, assignments, discussions, etc. I'm interested to spend some time with this app and see how I feel about it. I haven't had any experience with it up to this point but I can see the potential in the classroom setting for collaboration and online text sharing.
Notes taken during class can be found here. This week was the first night of our new course: Modeling Digital Age Work and Learning in a Global and Digital Society which focuses on Web 2.0 skills. We began discussing Professional Learning Networks (PLNs) which are networks of professionals with which you gain and share knowledge. Most PLNs are created through a variety of social networking sites including Twitter, Facebook, Zite, Instagram, etc. This week we focused on Twitter, Zite, and TweetDeck. We started with Zite which helps you find articles about topics you are interested. Zite has become one of my favorite tools and apps because I want to stay current on articles and news but don't find I have the time. With this site I can save the articles to EverNote and then go back and read them later. I also can access them later even if the article is not longer listed at the original location. I've been really happy with Zite and continue to use it alongside Twitter in my building my PLN.
Last, we moved onto TweetDeck which is an organizational tool for using Twitter. I've always used TweetDeck alongside Twitter because I am able to create columns with hashtags of my interest. I also like to be able to have a column for what I have tweeted, my friends have tweeted, hashtags, etc. It's a tool that makes Twitter a little more accessible for me.
Notes taken during class can be found here. |