After Googling myself, I was pleasantly surprised that the number two item under "Scarlet Stark" on Google is this very blog I write in! In first place was my Facebook profile! In addition, the images which came up that are associated with my name are mostly of me and none are inappropriate! My LinkedIn profile also came up which made me happy as I continuously work on it to boost my views and network! I also think LinkedIn is a great way to build a positive digital footprint as it is professional in nature. The biggest change in my foot print was the addition of this blog. Prior to this, I had no writing samples when my name was googled. Now I do! This will help me to expand my personal learning network and environment while also building a positive online presence for myself.
Creating and maintaining a positive digital footprint has been a major theme for me throughout this course. When I graduate next year, I know employers may want to look me up before they hire me. By having and maintaining a positive digital footprint, I can ensure that anything related to myself online is appropriate and un-offensive. In addition, I know that as a student it is also important to maintain a positive digital footprint. If grad school is of interest, it is critical to ensure that anything you post online is a positive, not negative, reflection of yourself. Having a positive digital footprint is important when it comes to responsible digital citizen in this digital world because many people will and can judge you based on your online presence. It's important to view online presence as an extension of yourself to help maintain a positive digital presence!
One of the key lessons I learned about digital citizenship that can be used to promote quality online interactions with others is to use tools that work for you and your digital needs while also remembering your responsibility as a digital citizen to respect the rights, views and content of others through digital interactions. Using tools that are frustrating will show in your communication with others! I found chatting in Google Docs a great way to communicate whereas others may not prefer it. Whatever your preferred method, use it to make interactions a higher quality experience!
As Mark Ribble states in his textbook "Digital Citizenship in Schools":
"As members of this digital society, it is our responsibility to provide all users the opportunity to work, interact and use technology without interference, destruction or obstruction by the actions of others not appropriately using technology" (Ribble, 2015). It's important to remember the rights of others when interacting and utilizing information online and to let this guide your interactions and research to uphold a positive digital community! To check out this great textbook click HERE.
To promote appropriate behaviors to other digital citizens, I will promote the 9 Elements of Digital Citizenship. Prior to learning more about this through the course, I had no idea all the factors that are involved in individual digital citizenship. The Digital Citizenship website helped me (in combination with the text!) and is easily sharable. Click HERE to view it. To me, this website was the most valuable in establishing the pillars of digital citizenship, allowing me to understand my obligations as a digital citizen in the digital world!
I think another way I can help others build upon their knowledge of digital citizenship in order to help them thrive in digital society appropriately is through my position at Career Services at Brock. I think too many students forget that what they post online can hurt ones reputation when it comes to employment. Through working at Career Services I've learned that more and more employers look to the internet to assess candidates prior to hiring them. Through letting students who come to Career Services know how important their online reputation is, I can begin to explain the benefits of being a leader in the digital world by keeping up with the elements of digital citizenship! I can also aid them with creating LinkedIn profiles so they can join professional online communities and expand their professional network prior to graduating. I hope this helps give me the edge I need when it comes time to job hunt as well!
Thanks for joining me on my journey! I appreciate everyone who has read and contributed comments to this blog!
Scarlet
Thursday, March 17, 2016
Weekly Report & Reflection #11
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| Stark, S. (CC) 2016 |
I think using podcasting tools like SoundCloud will enhance my personal learning environment and my personal learning network immensely! Not only did I learn a new tool which I can now utilize for future academic projects or presentations, but I also found another way to create my own content which I thoroughly enjoy doing! I can also connect with other content creators, learn from their content and share this knowledge with others which allows me to continue to expand my personal learning environment. One thing I especially enjoyed was the ability to create content with audio. So much of my exploration has involved text reading and using chat functions which I enjoy. However, it is nice to have a way to be able to express ideas and information verbally. I also liked how easily it is to share the links of audio content with others!
I also created my own Creative Commons license for my blog. After discovering I couldn't add a header or footer, I added the code for my CC licence to my HTML code and I still don't see the icon! I decided to screenshot part of my license from when I created it to show that I am serious about Digital Responsibilities. We as digital citizens and content creators can protect our content! Adding a Creative Commons license to original content is an easy way to protect oneself and gain credit from others use of our personal creative content!
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| Stark, S. (CC) 2016 |
Thanks for reading!
Saturday, March 12, 2016
Weekly Report & Reflection #10
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| Stark, S. (CC) 2016 |
I must say that using Prezi did cause me some headaches. I had difficulty editing text at some points, could not figure out how to properly embed even after consulting the "Help" page on Prezi and found that some of the formats were extremely restricting when it came to adding content. Although some might be more fluent with Prezi which would make this a great educational tool, I found it to be difficult to navigate. I did attempt to explore other platforms and found similar problems. For example, the character count restrictions on Animoto were super frustrating! It was like creating a presentation using Twitter! Tools like Prezi and Animoto could easily be added to anyone's PLE as a great curation, organization and creation tool. You can easily curate content into one creative presentation making it easy to add many different pieces of information to share with others. I don't think I will be adding Prezi to my PLE due to my difficulty with navigating and embedding with this online tool but I do see the benefits if one is able to conquer the nuances of this tool! If you'd like to view my slideshow to learn more about copyrights and how they relate to you, click the "My Slideshow" page at the top of my blog!
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| Stark, S. (CC) 2016 |
One item of interest from my Feedly reader is a blog by Edutopia on curation tools and how they can support learning initiatives. Given this weeks exploration of presentation tools, I thought this was relevant! Read it by clicking HERE!
Thanks for reading everyone!
Wednesday, March 9, 2016
Weekly Report & Reflection # 9
This week I got to explore Voicethread for the first time and I have to say I was very impressed! Although it took me some reading and exploration to learn how to use the tool (click HERE to learn more about VoiceThread - this PDF helped me immensely!), once I was able to add comments and view the slideshow and read other comments, I was very impressed with the tool! I like how verbal communication and visual media are combined in this tool. Many of the other tools we have explored do not involve any verbal communication whatsoever. I think it is still important in our digital age to utilize our voices because it is the core of our communication! Having a tool that combines comments, visual input AND auditory input all in one is truly amazing and I can see myself adding it to my PLE to collaborate and idea share with other students in the future. I also think VoiceThread is a great networking tool. It allows students to learn from other students quickly and easily and can be a great way to grow your network.
The scenario blog I posted before this one also enhanced my knowledge of digital rights and responsibilities. I think it is important to recognize that we as students have obligations to others in our use of technology and should not impede the rights of others through our own use of digital technology tools. Through the scenario, I learned more about the rights we have when it comes to others taking photographs without consent and how this can impede on the privacy rights of others. I also learned that defaming others (especially teachers!) can lead to major consequences for us as students. I would encourage my readers to check out my scenario blog and click the links there to learn more about digital rights and responsibilities. To read it, click HERE.
Although a bit off topic, one item I found interesting on my Feedly reader was a Brock University Student Blog post on Experience BU. As a Sr. Career Assistant at Career Services at Brock, I constantly get questions on how to get more involved on campus. Experience BU is a great way to find out about upcoming events and ways to get involved! And since the year is coming to end rather quickly, there are many students wishing they had become more involved. I encourage these students to check out ExperienceBU and all the great events still happening! It is not too late to get involved! Click HERE to read this interesting blog and start getting involved today!
Thanks for reading!
Scarlet
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| Stark, S. (CC) 2016 |
The scenario blog I posted before this one also enhanced my knowledge of digital rights and responsibilities. I think it is important to recognize that we as students have obligations to others in our use of technology and should not impede the rights of others through our own use of digital technology tools. Through the scenario, I learned more about the rights we have when it comes to others taking photographs without consent and how this can impede on the privacy rights of others. I also learned that defaming others (especially teachers!) can lead to major consequences for us as students. I would encourage my readers to check out my scenario blog and click the links there to learn more about digital rights and responsibilities. To read it, click HERE.
Although a bit off topic, one item I found interesting on my Feedly reader was a Brock University Student Blog post on Experience BU. As a Sr. Career Assistant at Career Services at Brock, I constantly get questions on how to get more involved on campus. Experience BU is a great way to find out about upcoming events and ways to get involved! And since the year is coming to end rather quickly, there are many students wishing they had become more involved. I encourage these students to check out ExperienceBU and all the great events still happening! It is not too late to get involved! Click HERE to read this interesting blog and start getting involved today!
Thanks for reading!
Scarlet
Technology Use Scenario #3
The scenario I chose goes as follows: Sarah received a smartphone for her birthday. As with most smartphones, hers has the ability to take photos and video. During algebra class, she decides to take a picture of MS. Everett, the substitute, while her back is turned to the whiteboard. She uploads it to her Facebook account and talks about how boring class was. What are the issues?
In this scenario, Sarah is using technology inappropriately. Firstly, during an algebra lesson is not the appropriate time to be using your cell phone as most schools have policies on this. I know this from being a student in such a school. Secondly, taking pictures of people and posting them online without their consent violates their rights and freedoms (to learn more about these rules, click HERE). Thirdly, insulting someone or posting an image of someone on-line and adding inappropriate comments is not only negative use of technology but inappropriate use and could be considered "defamation of character" which can actually lead to legal trouble for the person doing the posting (to learn more about character defamation and the cyberbullying of teachers, click HERE).
Although Sarah's use of her phone in class is inappropriate, I would have to argue that Sarah taking pictures and speaking inappropriately about the substitute teacher are much more inappropriate and hold greater repercussions. After reading an article on teacher's dealing with cyberbullying from students (read the article by clicking HERE), I learned a lot more about how common the bullying of teacher's on behalf of students is. I also learned that typically, students do not get into much trouble for doing this unless what is posted has been considered "defamation of character". In many cases, mere insults are not considered defamation of character. However, most teachers are protected under policies regarding use of information technology by students which impact teachers. It's good that teachers are protected by inappropriate, insulting and sometimes untrue comments and photos that are posted by students. Additionally, teachers (and anyone else for that matter!) are also protected by privacy laws when it comes to photos being taken of them and posted online without their consent. This is another area where Sarah inappropriately used her technology. If Sarah wanted to take a photo of her substitute teacher and post it on-line with comments, the correct way to go about this would've been to ask her substitute teacher for permission. Given the teacher had her back turned, Sarah likely would not have taken the picture to begin with if her teacher had been informed of the photo being posted, and her teacher likely would've said "no" to Sarah's request.
So what could Sarah have done differently? Sarah could have left the cell phone in her backpack or bag where it belongs during a classroom lesson. If she had done so, no picture would have ever been taken in the first place. Also, if she has an issue with algebra and how boring it is, Sarah could have easily discussed this with classmates outside of school without bringing the substitute teacher into it in an inappropriate way.
What are your thoughts? Please comment below! Thanks!
Scarlet
In this scenario, Sarah is using technology inappropriately. Firstly, during an algebra lesson is not the appropriate time to be using your cell phone as most schools have policies on this. I know this from being a student in such a school. Secondly, taking pictures of people and posting them online without their consent violates their rights and freedoms (to learn more about these rules, click HERE). Thirdly, insulting someone or posting an image of someone on-line and adding inappropriate comments is not only negative use of technology but inappropriate use and could be considered "defamation of character" which can actually lead to legal trouble for the person doing the posting (to learn more about character defamation and the cyberbullying of teachers, click HERE).
Although Sarah's use of her phone in class is inappropriate, I would have to argue that Sarah taking pictures and speaking inappropriately about the substitute teacher are much more inappropriate and hold greater repercussions. After reading an article on teacher's dealing with cyberbullying from students (read the article by clicking HERE), I learned a lot more about how common the bullying of teacher's on behalf of students is. I also learned that typically, students do not get into much trouble for doing this unless what is posted has been considered "defamation of character". In many cases, mere insults are not considered defamation of character. However, most teachers are protected under policies regarding use of information technology by students which impact teachers. It's good that teachers are protected by inappropriate, insulting and sometimes untrue comments and photos that are posted by students. Additionally, teachers (and anyone else for that matter!) are also protected by privacy laws when it comes to photos being taken of them and posted online without their consent. This is another area where Sarah inappropriately used her technology. If Sarah wanted to take a photo of her substitute teacher and post it on-line with comments, the correct way to go about this would've been to ask her substitute teacher for permission. Given the teacher had her back turned, Sarah likely would not have taken the picture to begin with if her teacher had been informed of the photo being posted, and her teacher likely would've said "no" to Sarah's request.
So what could Sarah have done differently? Sarah could have left the cell phone in her backpack or bag where it belongs during a classroom lesson. If she had done so, no picture would have ever been taken in the first place. Also, if she has an issue with algebra and how boring it is, Sarah could have easily discussed this with classmates outside of school without bringing the substitute teacher into it in an inappropriate way.
What are your thoughts? Please comment below! Thanks!
Scarlet
Saturday, March 5, 2016
Weekly Report & Reflection #8
This week was huge in the way of exploring digital tools and rights! Not only did I learn more about wikis and how they can support learning, but I also gained more knowledge on the importance of being a digital citizen that knows and understands the rights and responsibilities that come with being an upstanding digital citizen!
My wiki exploration was much needed as I was slightly unclear about the use of wiki's and how they could aid in my learning. I discovered this week that wiki's allow not only for collaboration, but can actually also aid in peer reviewing, a very important aspect for me personally as a psychology student! Since many psychology studies need to be peer reviewed, it was interesting to learn about how wiki can function as a more informal peer review process to gain further understanding of how to effectively collaborate and idea share to make great content that has been approved by others. Check out this great blog post which helped aid in my understanding of wikis by clicking HERE.
Week after week I am also finding myself learning more and more about becoming a responsible digital citizen within the digital world! I created the diagram below after my exploration of the three most important digital rights and responsibilities I feel need to be better understood! Privacy, content ownership and free speech are the three which stood out to me most for the reasons listed below!
A great resource which aided in my understanding of digital rights and responsibilities is the textbook for this course called "Digital Citizenship in Schools" by Mark Ribble. I found a great online resource which covers his discussion of the Nine Elements of Digital Citizenship for my readers to check out (click HERE to view it). I highly recommend knowing and understanding how to appropriately utilize online tools in a way which doesn't jeopardize yourself and others and am glad that this is an area I have been able to develop over the last seven weeks of this course!
Since the emphasis in this course has been on digital collaboration and communication the past two weeks, I wanted to share this video about how communication can go wrong in person and how we can become better communicators. Through collaborating online and finding it more effective than in person, I found myself wondering why group projects seem to be that much more complicated face to face. Thanks to my tracking TedED on Feedly, I found a great video on how miscommunications happen face to face, why this occurs and ways to overcome it to successfully communicate with others. To check out this great video, click HERE.
Thanks for reading!
My wiki exploration was much needed as I was slightly unclear about the use of wiki's and how they could aid in my learning. I discovered this week that wiki's allow not only for collaboration, but can actually also aid in peer reviewing, a very important aspect for me personally as a psychology student! Since many psychology studies need to be peer reviewed, it was interesting to learn about how wiki can function as a more informal peer review process to gain further understanding of how to effectively collaborate and idea share to make great content that has been approved by others. Check out this great blog post which helped aid in my understanding of wikis by clicking HERE.
Week after week I am also finding myself learning more and more about becoming a responsible digital citizen within the digital world! I created the diagram below after my exploration of the three most important digital rights and responsibilities I feel need to be better understood! Privacy, content ownership and free speech are the three which stood out to me most for the reasons listed below!
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| Stark, S. (CC) 2016 |
A great resource which aided in my understanding of digital rights and responsibilities is the textbook for this course called "Digital Citizenship in Schools" by Mark Ribble. I found a great online resource which covers his discussion of the Nine Elements of Digital Citizenship for my readers to check out (click HERE to view it). I highly recommend knowing and understanding how to appropriately utilize online tools in a way which doesn't jeopardize yourself and others and am glad that this is an area I have been able to develop over the last seven weeks of this course!
Since the emphasis in this course has been on digital collaboration and communication the past two weeks, I wanted to share this video about how communication can go wrong in person and how we can become better communicators. Through collaborating online and finding it more effective than in person, I found myself wondering why group projects seem to be that much more complicated face to face. Thanks to my tracking TedED on Feedly, I found a great video on how miscommunications happen face to face, why this occurs and ways to overcome it to successfully communicate with others. To check out this great video, click HERE.
Thanks for reading!
Wednesday, February 24, 2016
Weekly Report & Reflection #7
Exploring Google Docs this week was very eye-opening for me. I have limited experience working within Google Docs but have been told to explore this tool by fellow co-workers for quite some time so we can collaborate virtually. Using it to collaborate on my upcoming group presentation on Digital Communication really showed me how beneficial this digital tool can be as far as aiding in education activities. Also, watching the Google Docs in Plain English YouTube video (click HERE to watch it) helped me build my knowledge and understanding of using Google Docs, making my exploration much more seamless and user friendly!
Using Google Docs to chat and edit documents with others will not only be a handy way to approach group projects in the future but is also something I hope to utilize professionally when I am not at work but wish to edit or relay information to one of my coworkers. I also think having the ability to look at the revision history of the document or slideshow is brilliant! If a group member accidentally deletes something or wishes to add something to the document that was previously deleted, it is quite simple to do so! I think this aspect of Google Docs is the most beneficial so progress can be tracked and deletions can be added if need be. In addition, the accessibility of Google Docs makes virtual collaboration an easy way to come together and idea share. With the craziness of most student schedules, Google Docs makes presentations and group projects much easier to complete in an efficient manner. I also hope to utilize Google Docs to collaborate more with my co-workers from home when I am not on shift.
Working collaboratively on the group presentation has contributed immensely to building my knowledge of both Google Docs and effective collaboration strategies which do not require face to face meeting. With tools like Google Docs and TodaysMeet, it almost seems entirely unnecessary in many instances to meet face to face with group members with so many great digital tools at our finger tips which allow us to collaborate from anywhere!
One item of interest found through my Feedly reader this week is a blog post through Edutopia on using brain breaks during learning to think more clearly when engaging with content and to stay more focused on the task at hand. The article describes several ways you can take a quick brain break, some of which I would love to utilize! For example, stop your work for brief periods of focused and intentional breathing to center your focus for a few minutes. Even though this article is geared towards younger children taking brain breaks in the classroom, I think many of the techniques are beneficial for university students as well in order to maintain mental stamina. Sometimes when exploring new online tools, I find myself feeling overwhelmed. Stopping to take a brain break may be just the help I need to stay on track! Check out this great article by clicking HERE!
Thanks for reading!
Scarlet Stark
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| Stark, S. (CC) 2016 |
Working collaboratively on the group presentation has contributed immensely to building my knowledge of both Google Docs and effective collaboration strategies which do not require face to face meeting. With tools like Google Docs and TodaysMeet, it almost seems entirely unnecessary in many instances to meet face to face with group members with so many great digital tools at our finger tips which allow us to collaborate from anywhere!
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| Stark, S. (CC) 2016 |
One item of interest found through my Feedly reader this week is a blog post through Edutopia on using brain breaks during learning to think more clearly when engaging with content and to stay more focused on the task at hand. The article describes several ways you can take a quick brain break, some of which I would love to utilize! For example, stop your work for brief periods of focused and intentional breathing to center your focus for a few minutes. Even though this article is geared towards younger children taking brain breaks in the classroom, I think many of the techniques are beneficial for university students as well in order to maintain mental stamina. Sometimes when exploring new online tools, I find myself feeling overwhelmed. Stopping to take a brain break may be just the help I need to stay on track! Check out this great article by clicking HERE!
Thanks for reading!
Scarlet Stark
Monday, February 15, 2016
Weekly Report & Reflection # 6
Through my exploration of Evernote, I noticed two key things. Firstly, I think I might throw out my traditional notebooks and binders in replace of virtual ones! With so much research I do needing citations, writing down website URL's is much more time consuming than simply creating a note and adding them to Evernote, or even clipping a screenshot of the information I need into my notes. Secondly, Evernote notebooks and notes can be shared. More and more my classes involve group projects and presentations. With school schedules being so crazy, it is often difficult to meet with group members and collaborate face to face on upcoming projects. Having the ability to share curated content with other group members is great because if you can't meet face to face, you can still share all the content quickly and easily. I am happy that I get to use it in a group project format so for future group projects, I can suggest Evernote as an easy way to idea share!
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| Stark, S. (CC) 2016 |
Adding Evernote to my PLE is a must for me. I see benefits for its use not only with school, but also in my future. Most employers appreciate employees who know, understand and can utilize web tools to simplify projects. I think Evernote will not only be beneficial in the workplace, but will allow communications and idea sharing with employees at other locations or areas, especially if I end up working for a large company. Knowing how to use Evernote will allow me to incorporate it into both my school and work, making it a multi-faceted tool with many purposes which is something I appreciate!
This week I was also able to make a connection to my Feedly reader which I would like to share with all of you! After exploring Digital Communication this week for an upcoming group project, I stumbled upon an interesting Ted Talk about Digital Etiquette and Digital Communication. Evan Selinger points out that our digital communication can sometimes take away from our face to face communication. If you are engaging at a dinner table and than suddenly get caught up on your phone talking to other people, your missing the conversation happening around you! Digital Communication can both be good and bad and Evan Selinger really points out ways in which our connections virtually can take away from our physical connections. I thought this was interesting to keep in mind before going into the formal stages of my group project on Digital Communication! To check this out, click here!
Thanks for reading!
Thursday, February 11, 2016
Weekly Report & Reflection #5
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| Stark, S. (CC) 2016 |
One way in which I think I will utilize Twitter to enhance my education and knowledge is to track trends. After exploring Google Alerts, I was a bit disappointed in the lack of immediacy of tracking trends. In contrast, Twitter seems to be a pretty efficient trend tracking platform! I followed other students and educators and the posts are much more frequent than with Google Alerts which I was impressed with. The "Twitter Handbook for Teachers" (click HERE to check it out) also suggested using Twitter as a trend tracking tool which made me think I was on the right track with how I could utilize Twitter and add it to my PLE! I will be adding Twitter to me PLE for trend tracking purposes and will also continue using it to build my PLN (Personal Learning Network) in order to engage and idea share with like minded peers and educators.
Speaking of PLN, this week it was optional to explore LinkedIn. I absolutely adore LinkedIn and already have a great profile which I frequently update (to check it out click HERE)! I think LinkedIn is extremely important in building a PLN because it allows you to network with professionals in your field. As students, we will all need to eventually find a job! For this reason, I think LinkedIn is vital. Not only is it an online resume, but it is also a portfolio where you can highlight work samples and accomplishments. What better way to network and build your PLN than to share all of your skills and accomplishments with other professionals in your desired field?
In addition to Twitter and LinkedIn, I also explored the Brock University Student Blog on studying with friends (something which I never do!) which I found via Feedly. A great point was made in this blog (and the use of entertaining GIFs within the blog was also just what I needed after a long week of essays and assignments)! The blog made the point that studying with others can actually act as a great motivator to continue studying. I often find myself frustrated when I'm alone and studying and may try this approach with my next midterm to help keep me motivated and focused! It will also help in building my PLN by exchanging ideas with my peers! If you'd like to check it out, click HERE.
Thanks for reading!
Tuesday, February 2, 2016
Weekly Report & Reflection Blog Post #4
After exploring bookmarking and tagging tools this week through my exploration of Diigo, I was able to grasp a better understanding of why tagging information and adding descriptions to what I am bookmarking is super important! Not only did tagging allow me to organize what I was bookmarking in a way which will allow me to go back to the information and know the content of my bookmark, but writing small descriptions also allowed me to organize the content I was curating. Descriptions will also help me when I go back to Diigo to begin using the information I have curated for various courses I am currently enrolled in.
As you can see from the screenshot, much of what I curated and tagged had to do with papers I am currently in the process of writing. As an educational tool, Diigo is a great way for me to not only curate good content for my assignments, but the tagging and descriptions also allow me to organize the content based on the assignment each static bookmark is for. I can see myself continuing to use Diigo as a way to compile information which I can not only use for my courses, but also in a way which is accessible to me from any computer on days I forget to charge my laptop (which is more often than not!).
I think the best use of curation tools is for working on papers, simply because compiling research can be an expensive and not a very eco-friendly process! I dislike printing every article I find interesting as it not only wastes precious ink but also wastes paper and contributes to environmental issues. Curation tools like Diigo will not only allow me to be more eco-friendly when it comes to researching articles for papers, but will also allow me to put all of the information I need in one place, making it an efficient tool which I most certainly will be adding to my Personal Learning Environment (PLE). In addition to Diigo, I also found myself using the TRASH method to make sure the articles I was curating were helpful, current, reliable and credible with no biases. The TRASH method is a great way to make sure what is being curated is actually usable in a university learning environment and is a method I will continue to use!
My Feedly reader did bring my attention to an intriguing blog post on Educhatter about school buses and rural transit in Muskoka and how school buses should be used to provide other residents transit as well. As a Niagara Falls resident without a vehicle, I constantly battle with making it to Brock on a city bus. Expanding our fleet to include school buses not being used would make the commute much easier while utilizing a means of transportation that is readily available. Although Niagara Falls is not considered rural, I do think that many cities need to work on making education and resources more accessible to students and residents who do not live in the same city of the school they attend or work for. To check out this interesting read, click HERE!
Thanks for reading!
As you can see from the screenshot, much of what I curated and tagged had to do with papers I am currently in the process of writing. As an educational tool, Diigo is a great way for me to not only curate good content for my assignments, but the tagging and descriptions also allow me to organize the content based on the assignment each static bookmark is for. I can see myself continuing to use Diigo as a way to compile information which I can not only use for my courses, but also in a way which is accessible to me from any computer on days I forget to charge my laptop (which is more often than not!).
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| Stark, S. (CC) 2016 |
I think the best use of curation tools is for working on papers, simply because compiling research can be an expensive and not a very eco-friendly process! I dislike printing every article I find interesting as it not only wastes precious ink but also wastes paper and contributes to environmental issues. Curation tools like Diigo will not only allow me to be more eco-friendly when it comes to researching articles for papers, but will also allow me to put all of the information I need in one place, making it an efficient tool which I most certainly will be adding to my Personal Learning Environment (PLE). In addition to Diigo, I also found myself using the TRASH method to make sure the articles I was curating were helpful, current, reliable and credible with no biases. The TRASH method is a great way to make sure what is being curated is actually usable in a university learning environment and is a method I will continue to use!
My Feedly reader did bring my attention to an intriguing blog post on Educhatter about school buses and rural transit in Muskoka and how school buses should be used to provide other residents transit as well. As a Niagara Falls resident without a vehicle, I constantly battle with making it to Brock on a city bus. Expanding our fleet to include school buses not being used would make the commute much easier while utilizing a means of transportation that is readily available. Although Niagara Falls is not considered rural, I do think that many cities need to work on making education and resources more accessible to students and residents who do not live in the same city of the school they attend or work for. To check out this interesting read, click HERE!
Thanks for reading!
Sunday, January 24, 2016
Weekly Report & Reflection Post #3
Exploring Feedly and RSS this week was really eye-opening (to sign up to Feedly, click HERE)! As a user of bookmarking, I had no idea there was a way to compile all the sites I visit on a daily and weekly basis into one tool that allows me to view new content quickly and easily, rather than combing through my endless amounts of bookmarks! If any of you would like to know more about adding RSS/Feedly to your Personal Learning Environment (PLE), click HERE for a great video called "RSS in Plain English" which helped increase my understanding of this amazing tool!
As mentioned in my previous blog, exploring TED-Ed (click HERE to check it out!) was the most influential part of my exploration this week. I adore TED talks but often find many are too long to view on a daily or weekly basis and many are irrelevant to me as a learner. Finding the video on statistics through exploring Feedly not only allowed me to learn about something which is important to me as a learner (and important to my field!), but also opened up a world of brief yet informative videos which help me to understand new concepts quickly and efficiently. I encouraged others in my last blog to add TED-Ed to their Feedly reader, and will do so again here as I truly think everyone will find a video of interest that is related to their educational interests or university program! Also, the short video format makes the content easily digestible and perfect for every busy student!
RSS Feed Readers contribute immensely to building my knowledge about digital literacy, the process of informing others and learning about technology and how it is utilized. My exploration of Feedly and RSS Feed Readers and my discovery of TED-Ed not only allowed me to learn more about internet compilation tools and how to properly use them, it also allowed me to discover information I could share with others in hopes of informing them of a new online information outlet to utilize!
RSS Feed Readers and Feedly also allowed me to build upon my knowledge of digital responsibility, the rules and freedoms extended to everyone in a digital world. Feedly is an excellent way to ensure that we as students are sharing and utilizing digital information responsibly by tracking the information we find interesting so we can provide others links to the information we are using, as well as give credit to the individuals or groups who created the information we are sharing. Taking the ideas of others is not cool! Adding Feedly to my Personal Learning Environment (PLE) allows me to track my compilation of resources, allowing me to give credit to other blog writers and content creators easily. This is helping me to become a responsible digital citizen, a goal which I think is necessary in getting the most out of ADED 1P32!
Thanks for reading!
RSS in Plain English Video: http://www.commoncraft.com/rss_plain_english
TED-Ed: https://www.youtube.com/user/TEDEducation
Get started on Feedly by clicking the link & signing up: http://feedly.com/i/welcome
As mentioned in my previous blog, exploring TED-Ed (click HERE to check it out!) was the most influential part of my exploration this week. I adore TED talks but often find many are too long to view on a daily or weekly basis and many are irrelevant to me as a learner. Finding the video on statistics through exploring Feedly not only allowed me to learn about something which is important to me as a learner (and important to my field!), but also opened up a world of brief yet informative videos which help me to understand new concepts quickly and efficiently. I encouraged others in my last blog to add TED-Ed to their Feedly reader, and will do so again here as I truly think everyone will find a video of interest that is related to their educational interests or university program! Also, the short video format makes the content easily digestible and perfect for every busy student!
 |
| Stark, S. (CC) 2016 |
RSS Feed Readers contribute immensely to building my knowledge about digital literacy, the process of informing others and learning about technology and how it is utilized. My exploration of Feedly and RSS Feed Readers and my discovery of TED-Ed not only allowed me to learn more about internet compilation tools and how to properly use them, it also allowed me to discover information I could share with others in hopes of informing them of a new online information outlet to utilize!
RSS Feed Readers and Feedly also allowed me to build upon my knowledge of digital responsibility, the rules and freedoms extended to everyone in a digital world. Feedly is an excellent way to ensure that we as students are sharing and utilizing digital information responsibly by tracking the information we find interesting so we can provide others links to the information we are using, as well as give credit to the individuals or groups who created the information we are sharing. Taking the ideas of others is not cool! Adding Feedly to my Personal Learning Environment (PLE) allows me to track my compilation of resources, allowing me to give credit to other blog writers and content creators easily. This is helping me to become a responsible digital citizen, a goal which I think is necessary in getting the most out of ADED 1P32!
Thanks for reading!
RSS in Plain English Video: http://www.commoncraft.com/rss_plain_english
TED-Ed: https://www.youtube.com/user/TEDEducation
Get started on Feedly by clicking the link & signing up: http://feedly.com/i/welcome
Thursday, January 21, 2016
My Experience with RSS Feeds
After setting up my RSS Feed using Feedly, I stumbled across the TED-Ed video channel on YouTube which I added to my RSS Feed. The video which intrigued me the most is entitled "How Statistics Can Be Misleading".
As a psychology major, I am a HUGE consumer of statistical information. In fact, every paper I write for a psychology class is densely filled with statistics from various studies and academic journals. Through learning about statistics at Brock, I know that statistics can be misleading. However, I had no idea there was a name for this until I watched the TED-Ed video which brought the term "Simpson's Paradox" to my attention.
"Simpson's Paradox" highlights the fact that many studies which use statistics have "lurking" variables, or confounding variables. These variables are influencing the statistics at every turn, making the data which we view sometimes untrustworthy. The video highlights several examples of this, all of which shed light on the importance of understanding that "lurking" variables have a huge overarching influence on the statistics we hold to be true.
As I am no Statistician by any means, trying to explain the video in meaningful words might not relay the importance of the issue. For this reason, I encourage my readers to not only check out the video by clicking HERE, but to also check out the entire TED-Ed video channel and add it to their RSS Feed by clicking HERE. The channel has a wide array of videos which I'm sure will pique any interest!
Thanks for reading!
As a psychology major, I am a HUGE consumer of statistical information. In fact, every paper I write for a psychology class is densely filled with statistics from various studies and academic journals. Through learning about statistics at Brock, I know that statistics can be misleading. However, I had no idea there was a name for this until I watched the TED-Ed video which brought the term "Simpson's Paradox" to my attention.
"Simpson's Paradox" highlights the fact that many studies which use statistics have "lurking" variables, or confounding variables. These variables are influencing the statistics at every turn, making the data which we view sometimes untrustworthy. The video highlights several examples of this, all of which shed light on the importance of understanding that "lurking" variables have a huge overarching influence on the statistics we hold to be true.
As I am no Statistician by any means, trying to explain the video in meaningful words might not relay the importance of the issue. For this reason, I encourage my readers to not only check out the video by clicking HERE, but to also check out the entire TED-Ed video channel and add it to their RSS Feed by clicking HERE. The channel has a wide array of videos which I'm sure will pique any interest!
Thanks for reading!
Saturday, January 16, 2016
Week 2 Report & Reflection
Before creating my Personal Learning Environment (PLE) Mind Map, I was wondering what that even was! A definition of PLE which helped me navigate the creation process of my own was the "A Bridge in the Cloud?" Slideshare presentation (to view it, click HERE). A PLE is a system that helps learners have autonomy, allowing the learner to set goals, manage learning and idea share with others!
I created a Personal Learning Environment (PLE) Mind Map of the different tools I am currently utilizing to support my own personal learning goals using Bubble.us (check out this cool tool by clicking HERE). It took me creating a mind map to truly realize how many tools I use to support my own understanding! I based my PLE model off the Malan model (to check this out, click HERE) but I also added a "Review" category since I find myself using online tools and computer programs to help me perfect my writing.
The best way to critically assess whether my PLE is effective is by reviewing individual "personal learning environment habits". The personal component of this involves some envisioning. In 5-10 years, I see myself with a successful career within a post-secondary institution in a role which allows me to support student success. In order to excel in this field, there is still some exploration of online tools to do in the future!
Learning more about various Photoshop tools will help me increase my knowledge in the "Create" section of my PLE and allow me to add to my knowledge of Adobe InDesign, while also being able to use photos I have edited within my own graphic design work. I know through working with Career Services that knowledge of creating marketing content is very important in many post-secondary positions and is an area I would love to work on. Although this addition between my current PLE and my future PLE seem small, it is indicative of the vast array of resources and tools that can be incorporated into my existing PLE!
This week, I also explored another neat tool called Wordle (to explore this site, click HERE). I was able to see the top words used in my last blog post, with the most used words being positive, digital and footprint. Since having a positive digital footprint was the focus of my last blog post, it was nice to see I was using buzzwords effectively so readers understood the main idea of my post.
Overall, I learned a lot about myself through all of this online exploration. I learned about the tools I use to help me become a better learner through the creation of a PLE Mind Map. I learned about the quality of my writing through the Wordle activity. Finally, I also discovered areas of improvement I can work on in the future by reflecting on my personal learning environment and identifying tools I should incorporate into my PLE toolbox!
Thanks for reading!
"A Bridge in the Cloud?" Presentation: http://www.slideshare.net/timbuckteeth/a-bridge-in-the-cloud/20-The_one_and_onlyhttpchrissaadwordpresscomSteveWheelerUniversityofPlymouth2010
Growing Your Personal Learning Environment Slideshow: https://prezi.com/-xhpuupxgjin/growing-your-personal-learning-environment/
I created a Personal Learning Environment (PLE) Mind Map of the different tools I am currently utilizing to support my own personal learning goals using Bubble.us (check out this cool tool by clicking HERE). It took me creating a mind map to truly realize how many tools I use to support my own understanding! I based my PLE model off the Malan model (to check this out, click HERE) but I also added a "Review" category since I find myself using online tools and computer programs to help me perfect my writing.
 |
| Stark, S. (CC) 2016. |
The best way to critically assess whether my PLE is effective is by reviewing individual "personal learning environment habits". The personal component of this involves some envisioning. In 5-10 years, I see myself with a successful career within a post-secondary institution in a role which allows me to support student success. In order to excel in this field, there is still some exploration of online tools to do in the future!
Learning more about various Photoshop tools will help me increase my knowledge in the "Create" section of my PLE and allow me to add to my knowledge of Adobe InDesign, while also being able to use photos I have edited within my own graphic design work. I know through working with Career Services that knowledge of creating marketing content is very important in many post-secondary positions and is an area I would love to work on. Although this addition between my current PLE and my future PLE seem small, it is indicative of the vast array of resources and tools that can be incorporated into my existing PLE!
 |
| Stark, S. (CC) 2016. |
Overall, I learned a lot about myself through all of this online exploration. I learned about the tools I use to help me become a better learner through the creation of a PLE Mind Map. I learned about the quality of my writing through the Wordle activity. Finally, I also discovered areas of improvement I can work on in the future by reflecting on my personal learning environment and identifying tools I should incorporate into my PLE toolbox!
Thanks for reading!
"A Bridge in the Cloud?" Presentation: http://www.slideshare.net/timbuckteeth/a-bridge-in-the-cloud/20-The_one_and_onlyhttpchrissaadwordpresscomSteveWheelerUniversityofPlymouth2010
Growing Your Personal Learning Environment Slideshow: https://prezi.com/-xhpuupxgjin/growing-your-personal-learning-environment/
Sunday, January 10, 2016
Week 1 Report & Reflection
After going through all of the content on digital footprints, I have to say that I'm extremely intrigued by my own digital footprint that I have built and that others have helped me build! Watching the Digital Dossier video (to watch the video click HERE) really sparked my intrigue because the video really lays out the path of your digital footprint from birth to death. One thing which I didn't get to experience that was outlined in the Digital Dossier video was how social media and digital footprints connect for young infants. "Andy", the character we are following in the video, has pictures posted of him on social media as a small infant, pictures shared on behalf of his parents and family members. Because social media didn't exist when I was an infant, this was not a part of my digital footprint or my digital dossier. However, I found it interesting just how much technology and social media has changed the digital footprint of children born today.Thinking of my digital footprint prompted me to wonder if I was leaving a positive digital footprint. I had gone through my social media posts and content before and also googled myself several times to ensure my name and my reputation was positive. But in the past, I had never found anything to be worried about. I think a big part of my positive digital footprint is my job at Career Services at Brock as a Sr. Career Assistant. Many students come in to the Career Resource Centre wondering how important online reputation is when it comes to the job market and I always tell them it is crucial! Employers can easily type your name in to Google and find out about you through your digital footprint so it is vital to make sure you are making a positive imprint.
Creating a positive digital footprint isn't as difficult is many think it is! I think a good resource which outlined simple rules or netiquette to follow to make sure you are leaving a positive digital trail is the Core Rules of Netiquette (to read these, click HERE). One example of leaving a positive digital footprint presented is the quality of writing in your online content. It is important to note grammar and punctuation to present yourself as an intelligent and conscientious individual even though it is tempting to avoid doing this online!
Another great resource which has to do with identifying what a positive digital footprint is and how to go about building a positive digital footprint which I discovered this week was the CHARACTER COUNTS program created by the Josephson Institute highlighted in the textbook (to check it out, click HERE). Trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship are all pillars which are described as the basis for working effectively with others. In digital contexts, and in order to maintain a positive digital footprint, these pillars are important to remember! What we post online about others reflects us just as much as what we post about ourselves!
After doing the Secondary Digital Citizenship Quiz in the textbook, the areas I should explore to further my knowledge of digital citizenship in the coming weeks are digital right and responsibilities and digital health and wellness. Both of these areas of digital citizenship interest me. Digital rights and responsibilities is particularly interesting for me because of my newfound interest in knowing more about my digital footprint. It's important to remember that there are expectations that need to be upheld by us as users of technology and I'd like to explore these expectations more to improve upon my digital dossier. Digital health and wellness interests me because I never really considered the health factors of using technology, like not using the right computer chair as an example. I'm also very interested in my own health and wellness and want to learn more on how to use technology safely.
I'm excited to learn more through my online exploration and can't wait to post again next week!
Photo: http://dpollina22625.blogspot.ca/
Digital Dossier Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79IYZVYIVLA&noredirect=1
Josephson Institute: www.josephsoninstitute.org
Core Rules of Netiquette: http://www.albion.com/netiquette/corerules.html
Textbook: Ribble, M. (2015). Digital Citizenship in Schools. International Society for Technology in Education.
Wednesday, January 6, 2016
Welcome!
Welcome to my blog!My name is Scarlet Stark and I will be the sole writer of this blog (which just happens to be my first personal blog ever!). As a psychology student at Brock University, I'm obviously very busy with classes, homework, essays and readings. But I also like to get involved! I work on campus at Career Services as a Sr. Career Assistant where I help other students find work, update and improve their career documents, show them new ways to job search, help them figure out what they will do with their degree, and assist with graduate school applications. And that's just a handful of things I do in my role!
Aside from this, I am also a Research Assistant in the Forensic Psychology Lab and a Sr. Mentor for the Mentorship Plus Program at Brock - a program which provides senior guidance for incoming first year students. I have also volunteered with the Brock University Student Union as an Advocacy Volunteer, with The Brock Press as a Contributing Writer, and with the promotions section of Career Services as a Graphic Design and Events Assistant (for more information about my involvement click HERE to view my Linkedin profile). And when I'm not busy with all of this, I enjoy yoga, meditation, exercise, playing with my dog, movies, music and just about anything that gets me moving!
What initially sparked the creation of this blog is my enrollment in a course called Learning in Digital Contexts (ADED 1P32), a course which I am taking as part of gaining my degree. I chose to sign up for this course because I am very interested in understanding the various digital platforms used to support traditional education and why these platforms succeed in enhancing learning. But only a small part of my blog will be about exploring these tools. The focus will be on how students can get more involved in post-secondary education in order to get the most out of their university experience!
I wasn't always an involved student. In fact, in first year, I wasn't involved in anything! I didn't volunteer, was not employed in a field that made me feel empowered and was restless to make a change. This restlessness I felt pushed me into getting more involved at Brock which lead to enormous gains in my confidence, my experience, my knowledge, my network and even my grades!
The goal of this blog will be to show other post-secondary students the importance of getting involved outside the classroom and the skills that practical experience can add to classroom knowledge from a newly involved student's perspective. After all, you can only learn so much from books! The rest comes from volunteering, working and getting involved in activities that you are passionate about. I also encounter many students who are struggling with balancing school and involvement. I think this blog will help shed some light on good time management and organization techniques which can help students get the most out of their post-secondary experience without getting overwhelmed. I encourage my readers to view this blog as a "How-to" for making the most out of your university experience outside the classroom!
I can't wait to share more of my experiences, thoughts, and tips for other students to utilize and look forward to future posts!
Scarlet Stark
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