I also learned that I don't know how to do APA citation.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Donut Hunt Experience (Web Quest)
During this activity we learned that there are many uses to applications that we had not used before or that we believed to use for certain purposes only only. The i-nigma QR scanner was applied to take us from one clue to another by directing us to different web images. Before this activity I had only seen the codes on different magazines and just wondered without really looking int what they were, mush less with out even considering if they could be of any use in my life. Once I was instructed to download the application barely looked into what they were, but now thanks to this activity I actually learned hands on to different uses of the QR codes. Basically I learned that there are many more uses to our mobile devices, and library resources than those most of us even imagine, wether they are to conduct a treasure hunt or inside a classroom.
Google vs. Databases
Google vs. Databases.
We typed the exact same key words on Google and on Ebsco database in order to evaluate the top five hits on each one.
From our research we conclude that both databases and Google offer informative and useful results. However, both have positive and negative characteristics when using them as research tools.
The positive characteristics in using Google are:
- Internet sites offer attractive layout and color, which if used properly can make the user feel motivated to keep on reading.
- Many sites offer useful links that may enhance your search while making it interactive.
- It is fast and simple to use.
Some negative aspects of Google could include:
- Large amount of unreliable or unaccountable sources.
- Different layouts may confuse navigators. (Too many ads, crowded information, too many colors, popups.)
Databases pros:
- Information is reliable and accountable.
- Results may be more specific for certain topics.
Databases cons:
- Results are very limited to specific areas and may not necessarily cover what we are searching for.
- Databases are not very attractive to read and may discourage users from even reading the article.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Response to Figure 1: Key Outcomes/Elements of Media and Information Literacy
It is important to realize the connection between information literacy and media literacy as they go hand by hand. The processes are similar, the purposes of both are not, and yet the final outcome of both, which is to promote effective information seeking is the same. Information literacy’s focus is on accessing information and making good and efficient use of it, while media literacy focuses on the idea of understanding how the media works and how to use it to your best interest.
The primary concern for us as teachers is to get our student body to be information literate. To create a strong frame of thinking critically about the information they are looking at, and the information they are applying. Once this step is achieved you can move on to media literacy. At the same time, it is becoming harder to separate one from the other. It is important to consider both literacies, as evaluating information can no longer be separated from the source it comes from. The more information and sources are available the more obvious the need for these competencies is.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Friday, February 24, 2012
ADE 634: Assignment 7
I strongly believe that being information literate is of upmost importance not only for the future of our students but also for OUR present. It is a skill that everybody who wants to succeed must master in order to be a successful lifelong learner. More than ever there is an increasing amount of information available to us. One could argue that this fact makes our lives easier, when in fact it is now on our hands to be more cautious and conscious to what information we are looking for, looking at, and its true value and reliability. There are so many basic level resources that may fulfill basic needs, but when an issue of importance or life changing matter arises, we cannot base ourselves on any information that is merely presented to us by the top ten hits in Google or Wikipedia.
The “new” social networks and tools available to us are another example of a sea of information. Some may be insightful while most may derail you from your original search or purpose. This is why having a clear idea of what you want is vital. What do you need? Where could this information come from that is of academic value? Who (out there) is typing about these issues on blogs or social media that you respect and follow?
Education institutions should focus their attention on training their faculty on information technology. As most of faculty and staff are technology immigrants they may be having a harder time adjusting to this BLAST of new information, yet WE are the ones teaching tomorrows generations.
As long as information literacy skills are introduced from an early age, be it kindergarten or elementary school years, it will come as second nature to students in the future. We must model and set the basis for our students to make their decisions on what sources will be applicable to their specific person (be it a project or in their onw life).
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
ADE 634: Assignment 4
1. I am focusing my PLN on blogs with creative ideas for teaching. It is easy to identify who is similar in interests as you are so those are the kind of blogs I naturally enjoy reading. I am also into social media, primarily following people on Facebook and just recently have decided to give Twitter a try.
2. As Facebook and blogs come natural to me, I will now try to focus my attention more on specific subjects or themes to stay on task on my PLN. This would be MY baby step: narrowing down my attention to specific targets on social media sites and blog pages I already enjoy.
3. The tools I will be exploring in the following weeks will definitely be the ones we have installed in our Google Chrome browser. I can imagine there are many out there but having these at hand gives me somewhere to start, specially since they are all VERY new to me.
4. The best time of the day for me to focus on building my PLN would be in the evenings after my work day has finally finished, after I have eaten and when I finally have a chance to sit back, relax and reflect.
5. The best advice I can give (myself) is to start slow and as the author says “take baby steps” until you (I) feel comfortable with the tool or source you are exploring. It is also important to love what you do or else it will feel as work and perhaps a burden. So find a subject you are very interested in and go for it!
Monday, February 6, 2012
ADE 634: Assignment 3
Google Chrome
- TweetDeck
- Diigo Web
- Diigo Web Highlighter
- Shareaholic
- Awesome Screenshot
- Google Reader
- Google Reader Notifier
ADE 634: Assignment 2
- What have you learned with creating your PLN that you wish that someone had told you before and what tips do you have to share?
- What do you hope to learn more about with respect to your PLN in the coming weeks?
- What connections can you make with the two challenges?
While creating my PLN the one thing I with someone had told me earlier is that there is an immense pool of professional information out there. It is relieving to know that there are people like me all over the world, who seek to collaborate and who seek to find a way to use their time more effectively. Instead of having everybody working on their own ideas and trying to reinvent the wheel in education, time can be saved and better ideas can come up when colleagues collaborate. Hence the idea that two heads are better than one right? And when those two minds are multiplied by the Nth power the possibilities are endless.
What I would like to do during the following weeks is to put my PLN into practice. I wish to learn how to be information literate and be able to make good judgment on the information I read and the time I dedicate in order for it to be productive. I hope to bookmark interesting people, blogs and sites in order to go back to them often. I am still quite skeptical on how MY blogging or tweeting could benefit anyone at this point but I will keep an open mind so I can learn as much from this experience as I possibly can.
The connection? There is a great gap between people who know what a PLN is and utilize it and the amount of information available on the net. As the use of technology increases, information literacy is a must to keep our students (and ourselves) on task, and make the most of our educational-learning experience.
ADE 634: Assignment 1
“How do we educate our children to take their place in the economies of the 21st century?”
The challenge that resonates the most with me is “how we can educate our children to take their place in the economies of the 21st century, given that we can’t anticipate what the economy will look like by the end of next week”. 
It is a fact that the world is changing continuously, and with it our mindset, trends and economies. It is difficult to predict what something as complex and uncertain as the economy can be in twenty years. As Sir Ken Robinson mentions we are trying to meet the needs of todays students with a 19th century education system. So WHAT is it that we can do? I believe that the best skill that we can instill in our students is the ability to think for themselves, inculcate from an early age the need for caring not only for themselves but to care for the community and teach them that they all belong to a system. 
Our students should be prepared to evolve, and to adapt to these changes. That is why as teachers we must not treat students as a “batch of 2012” students but as individuals, fostering their personalities, abilities, creative ideas, learning styles, and uniqueness. The use (or overload) of technology may seem as a challenge for students to find traditional teaching environments “fun” or “amusing”.
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