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!
 |
| Stark, S. (CC) 2016 |
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!
 |
| 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
This week I explored Evernote, a virtual binder for collecting clippings, pictures and links from all over the web into one place. I had never worked with a virtual binder before and began my exploration combing through "How To" resources which helped build my understanding immensely! The "How to Use Evernote to Manage Research Articles" YouTube video is one in particular that helped me on my journey to understanding. To check it out, click HERE!
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!
 |
| 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!
 |
| Stark, S. (CC) 2016 |
This week I explored Twitter and it's uses as an educational tool. What I noticed initially was how little I knew about Twitter! The interface was simple, but when it came to lists I was clueless. Thankfully, Twitter has an excellent help center for this (if you don't know how to make a list either, click HERE to access the Help Centre!).
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!
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!).
 |
| 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!
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!
 |
| 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_englishTED-Ed: https://www.youtube.com/user/TEDEducationGet started on Feedly by clicking the link & signing up: http://feedly.com/i/welcome
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!
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.
 |
| 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. |
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/
