Weekly Report and Reflection Post 12

Hey everyone,

            Thank you for following me on this journey the last twelve weeks. I cannot believe this course has already come to an end. This course was unlike any course I have ever taken before. It opened my eyes to the digital world and how beneficial these technologies can be to learning. I have come so far and learned so much about being a digital citizen from week 1. Today when I googled myself, there were many more matches than the first time I had done this activity. My Google search showed my Prezi, Pinterest, Twitter and Google+ account. At the beginning of this course all these matches would have made me nervous, as I did not want a digital footprint. However after completing this course I have realized that I have control over my digital footprint, and have created one that I can be proud of.

Birdsong, T. (2013) Helping Kids Understand Their Digital Footprint
Retrieved from: http://blogs.mcafee.com/consumer/helping-kids-understand-their-digital-footprint

 

            I came into this course knowing nothing about being a digital citizen, but have learned through this course how to use digital technology responsibly and appropriately.  Being a digital citizen requires you to interact with digital technologies appropriately and to realize that everyone has a part to play in order to keep the internet a safe place to learn. I have also learned that one of my biggest flaws was not always giving credit where it is due. However by learning about creative commons licensing I believe I have become much better at this.

            Since learning about digital citizenship and many different web 2.0 tools I have been able to share my knowledge with friends, family and fellow learners. I have been able to teach my younger cousins who are constantly using social media about their digital footprint and how to be responsible digizens. I have also been able to share my knowledge of tools such as Google Docs and Prezi with fellow classmates to allow us to collaborate with ease, or to help them make more dynamic presentations.

            This course opened my eyes to how much web 2.0 tools can do for our education when implemented properly. Over the last 12 weeks I have developed a PLE as well as a PLN and have been able to engage with learners who share similar interest as me. I have implemented digital tools into my daily routine such as Feedly and Evernote for organizing content. I have even begun to search new digital tools on my own to further my knowledge of digital citizenship. I have signed up for a MOOC in the new year through McGill called the “body matters” and am excited to continue to grow my PLN through learners I meet in my online courses.

Thank  you for reading,
Olivia Carovillano



This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Weekly Report and Reflection Post 11

Hey everyone,

This week we learned about podcasts, which are kind of like a radio shows except you can listen to them at a time that is best for you. With busy schedules this is a great feature because you never have to miss you favourite podcast. After exploring what podcasts are I had the chance to play around with SoundCloud and record my own. SoundCloud was a very easy tool to use; it allowed me to record and upload my podcast with ease. All you needed is an email to sign up, a microphone and a computer with flash player installed, best of all it was free to use. You can click here for my first podcast and digital technologies.

Bookry (2013) Connect your ebook with SoundCloud.
Retrieved from: http://blog.bookry.com/?cat=213

I was amazed at how many podcasts there are out there, there is a podcast for every topic you can think of. Podcasting along with vodcasting (podcast with static visuals, animation or video) give you a new creative way to collaborate. Although they may seem a little intimidating at first they are just a modification on a tool we are already familiar with. The Cochrane Library explains how podcasts are actually just Really Simple Syndications (or RSS) which we have all used extensively through our sites of choice, mine being Feedly. I think that podcasts can be very beneficial in educational setting for collaboration, and enhancing digital literacy. However personally this will not be a tool that I will be adding to my PLE. Although I do see the benefit in the tool, I feel that I have other tools that contribute to my learning and collaboration more effectively.

Martina, N. (2012) Three Ways to Feed Your Creative Brain
Retrieved from: http://blog.ketchum.com/three-podcasts-to-feed-your-creative-brain/

Since podcast are original creative works it is important that if you chose to use this tool, or any other creative tool (including blogging) you are aware of how to protect your own artistic rights. There is one really simple way to do this. Place a creative commons license on your work. In doing this you can let everyone in the digital world know the intended purpose of your creative works. You can choose if you want your work to be remixed, if it can be used in commercial settings. You can click here to make your own creative commons license, or here to learn more about what these licences do. With so many individuals having access to the internet you want to make sure that you are getting credit for the work you are producing and that it is being used in ways which you intended.

This week I chose to share a podcast from my Feedly reader about their rise in popularity, and how advertisers are taking advantage of it.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Report and Reflection Post 10

Hey everyone,

This week I was introduced to multiple slide show tools, I spent of time exploring Animoto but realized that Prezi was more compatible for my educational needs. Animoto’s main focus is allowing users to easily make professional quality videos. However in my opinion I found Animoto was more geared towards advertising and promotional videos. Wickens (2014) does however provide ways that teachers can incorporate Animoto into their lessons. One of my favourite suggestions that she made in her strategy guide was to have students use an Animoto to introduce themselves at the start of the year, I think this could be a great alternative to traditional icebreaker, or name games.  If this is something you may be interested in exploring click here for a tutorial on how to create your own Animoto video.   

After exploring Animoto I moved on to Prezi, this slideshow tool was much more compatible for my educational presentations which tend to be more information rich and based on text and diagrams. It is a great alternative to traditional powerpoint slide shows and can be much more esthetically pleasing. I also found that Prezi can be a great accessory to presenting information. With Animoto the video talks for itself, with Prezi there is room to explain topics which require more detail than can be put in the ‘circle’. However Prezi too can have its downfalls, it takes time and practice to get used to and to be used effectively. Potter(2013) provides a “how-to guide” for using Prezi in educational settings. This guide includes the Do’s and Don’ts as well as multiple tips for user, click here to get the full guide! -- It is definitely worth the read if you plan on using Prezi.

Using both of these tools require individuals to have a basic understanding of copyright laws and creative commons. This is necessary because it allows users to understand which pictures, videos, songs or other sources of media are okay to use in their slideshows. The video Get Creative by Creative Commons (2007) does a great job of explaining this potentially confusing topic in an easy to understand way, you can click here for the full video.

Forsythe, G. (2013, June 21) Using the Strength of Copyright to Share [Online Image]
Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/gforsythe/9102402492/

After completing this weeks session I realized that as digital citizen I needed to work on giving credit when it is due. I always thought this was something I was so good at. I also did not realize there were so many rules around using media found on the web. I always source my images, but often do not give the direct creator credit. Prior to this week I also have never checked to see what the creators intentions for sharing his/her work were, I always assumed if it was on the internet it was fair game.

This is not to discourage you from using and remixing media, but rather to teach them how to use it correctly. Many creators want to share their work, and encourage it, they just want to ensure they get credit. Every image you find belongs to someone, and every media file have a copyright. Copyrights require that you ask the creator directly for permission, while creative commons license tell you this media is okay to use. I know this may sound complicated, but I promise it is not that bad. This week I provided guides to finding images that are safe to use on two popular sites; Google and Youtube, click here for my step by step instruction slide show. For even more places to look for copyright friendly websites check out this wiki: Copyright friendly. Once you have found your copyright friendly click here to find out how to ‘cite it right’ and you one step closer to being a great digital citizen!

Brock University (2014, Novemeber18)
Isaac Brock Wants You. Retrieved from
http://www.brocku.ca/news/27778

This week I chose to share an Item I found on my Feedly reader that fit in nicely with this weeks topic of copyrights, creative commons and remixing media. The article in the Brock news talks about materials that have recently been donated to the Brock University archives. One image the article talks about that was particularly interesting was the 'Sir Isaac Brock Wants You" image. The article describes how the inspiration was stolen (or remixed):  “We stole it, really, from the ‘Uncle Sam Wants You’ and, of course, the Lord Kitchener campaigns,” Click here to read the full article.

Thanks for reading,

Olivia :)

Weekly Report and Reflection Post 9

Hey everyone, 

            This week we explored two new tools; VoiceTheard and PollDaddy. Each of these tools can be useful in situation where individuals need to collaborate or share information but cannot meet directly. VoiceThread allows users to create interactive slideshows which other learners comment on in a number of ways. VoiceThread provides a great alternative to flat text communication that usually occurs with distance collaboration. PollDaddy on the other hand works as an online polling station. The tool is incredibly easy to set up and provides learners with a simple way to see what their peers are thinking. PollDaddy can be useful in a number of educational activities. It can be used as we did in this week’s session to gather opinions on a given topic, and it can also be used for decision making activities, and gathering information for research projects.

VoiceThread (cc) 2014

            Both of these tools could fit into my PLE under the headings, socializing and collaboration, and research. Although I do not see myself using VoiceThread in the future I can see the value they have in e-learning and collaboration. I encourage those who are planning to go into the educational field click here for more information on what your need to know about using VoiceThread. As for PollDaddy, I am once again not sure that I will be adding this to my PLE, however if I chose to one interesting application mentioned on The Tech Zone blog was to add polls to your blog. This is a great idea because it allows even more feedback from your readers. This can be especially helpful for those who may not feel comfortable leaving a written comment, click here for the full post and a tutorial on how to add polls to your blog. 

            Each week as we explore new web 2.0 tools and have opportunities to use them my knowledge of becoming a digital citizen grows. This week and last week especially have worked together to fully understand the rights and responsibilities we have as digital citizens. Understanding and abiding by these rights and responsibilities in my opinion play the largest part in being a good digital citizen. I think currently the two largest violations of digital rights and responsibilities I have noticed are appropriate use, and cyberbullying. 

STOP Cyberbully (cc) 2014

            Now that digital communication is so readily accessible and widely accepted and even praised among society, the lines of when and where it is appropriate to use digital communication has been blurred. The 12 most inappropriate times and places to use your cell phone gives a clear list of time when you should just put away the phone. I know in the past I have been guilty of some of these but it is important to try to be conscious of others when using your cell phone.  The one inappropriate time mentioned in the blog is when you’re checking out, and after working years in retail I could not agree more. As a cashier, you feel uncomfortable if you have to ask the customer questions because you do not want to interrupt them, and at the same time you are annoyed because it is very rude.

            Another violation which is a major issue especially among school age children is cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is not something that is taken lightly, and can sometimes lead to the involvement of the authorities. The digital environment makes it easier than ever to bully individuals, as they have a computer screen to hide behind, and can literally occur around the clock and the bully can contact the victim at any time. STOPCyberbullying is a great site which provided detailed information on what cyberbullying is, how to prevent it, the laws etc. Another resource which provided a in depth understanding of the issue  is Cyberbullying,a real and growing threat. Although this is a  hard issue for anyone person to tackle on their own it is important as a responsible digital citizen to report any inappropriate and potentially harmful content. 

         This week the item of interest from my Feedly Reader I chose to share is a post titled :

Nationally-know speaker to give Madison County students lesson on 'digital citizenship'. I would suggest that you check out the video on this article to better understand the issues that can lie within digital communication. Click here for the full post. 

Thanks for reading, 

Olivia