Week 12

It's here!

It’s hard to believe that we are nearly done this course! To me it doesn’t feel like that long ago we actually just started! I have definitely learned lots about tools and my own learning habits throughout our exploration.

After receiving the rude awakening in week 1 that essentially everyone that uses the Internet has a digital footprint, I have been very conscious of the things I put online. I realize that we have to consider everything that we say and do, because once it is done, it can never truly be undone. While going through this course I have keep this important fact in mind, keeping my privacy settings as high as possible and being conscious of what I do say. That being said, I was still a little bit surprised when I Googled myself and didn’t find anything extra than what I had way back at the beginning, I guess it did work! As you can imagine, we have done lots of work online, so this shows that although my presence is high, I am still able to keep a positive digital footprint - victory!

I think that anyone that wants to use the Internet needs to be taught and be aware of what we have learned in this class! It would really be hard to sum it up quickly, as you can see we have taken a full semester to go through and absorb that course work and understandings. I ABSOLUTELY think that kids need to start learning this stuff as soon as they start school, in some form or another. I think many young people that have grown up with the Internet don’t understand how powerful it truly is! It can be a good or bad thing. Good because there are so many opportunities and tools at your fingers tips to utilize. But you can also do quite a bit of damage to your name if you don’t have the skills to be a good digital citizen. And once something goes online, even though you may remove or delete it, it is never really gone! This is something that needs to be emphasized so kids realize that the actions they take today can have an affect on their future! They problem is making them understand the implications of their actions while they are still so young.

We all need to work together to make sure “newbies” understand what being a good digital citizen means. There are lots of different articles and blogs with much of the information we have learned in this course. The obstacle is to have it all in one place so that others can learn from it as well. As informed individuals it is our responsibility to pass on the knowledge we now have to others that may not be as well informed. We have to work together to keep the Internet safe; safe from people, in all sense of the word. We have to take the necessary steps to mitigate these risks to be able to enjoy and reap the benefits that the online world has to offer.

TTFN

Week 11

Good day everyone!

Today on Feedly I saw something that I think would surprise most of you. In the title of the article I saw “mini hearts.” When was the last time you heard that term used, because I never had, unless we are referring to candy or something! But no, as you can see in this video, they are most definitely not referring to candy! The article explains the scenario in full detail but I will give you a general and concise overview J. With the progression of technology they have actually been able to make miniature hearts that go around veins to help people with bad circulation pump blood easier. I think that the most impressive part of this is that they are using stem cells to create new organs, instead of the old method of just fixing damaged organs. This could open up a whole world of possibilities for the future, and I have no doubt that with time, the technology will become even more advanced and change the world as we know it even further. Until then, I am going to change your world, by introducing the topic we covered this week, webcasting tools! 

Although I know how much you love reading my blog ;), don’t you just wish that sometimes I could ACTUALLY just say things to you, instead of having to go through all that effort of reading it on your own?? Turns out, there is a solution! One solution that I have often heard of is podcast, but to be truthful I was one of those people with the misconception that podcasts were meant for ipods. A video says it best, they are actually just audio files, “just like a song, it is no different.”  So essentially anywhere where you would store a song, such as an MP3 player, computer or tablet for example, you can have a podcast. The possibilities are truly endless. It can be personal, or educational, one person, or a group of people, whatever your little heart desires. I think that tools such as these could make online learning so much more enjoyable. It could really have an impact on people that don’t have the option to physically attended classes, but would like the course to be more interactive. These tools are just another way to contribute to my digital literacy. Now that I know something like this is an option, I am able to make the most suitable decision when presenting information.

Although I find these tools for recording webcasts fairly simple to use and understand, I will most likely not use them in my PLE. I personally like to put lots of thought into things I say, reading them over and over, especially those things that will be displayed for the world to see, such as this blog! Because of this, speaking via video or podcast does not sound all that appealing to me! To be honest, I really don’t do the type of work at school usually that would require such a tool, and now that I am nearly completed school, I imagine there will be even less of a chance soon!

Well everybody, 11 posts down and only 1 more to go! Hard to believe this journey is almost over!

TTFN