This week I did my tool time presentation on Padlet, an interactive virtual wall that allows multiple people to edit and add material.  It is basically a blank canvas where you can free type, upload documents or videos, and gather information.  It is ideal for brainstorming or pulling information together on a common topic and each padlet has an associated web link for users to access it.  I found it to be a very versatile and easy to use tool, great for all ages and work fields. 

I think this might be a more organized place to jot my reminders rather than the plethora of post-it notes I have around my workspace!

3 weeks to go!

There are only 3 more weeks of class until the end of the semester!  I feel relief as I type that, fortunately not panic!  I am at a good place right now with work completion for both of my classes so while it all seemed overwhelming in the beginning, I think it was because I was overloading myself to get the projects done but I had a little more time than I thought.  Well now I can say I am glad I managed my time the way I did and took everyone's advice to not procrastinate!  Ahhh- we are almost there classmates, keep up the good work and let's finish this semester strong!

This past week I spent some time making an online video for one of my IT21wildcard activities, creating a digital story.  I have had zero experience with video making but have heard sites like Animoto make it pretty simple.  I wanted something that you could easily upload photos from your computer, add soundtrack and text, and provide a visually appealing display of the photos.  I also wanted this for FREE!  I ended up creating the video twice, that's right, twice!  To keep the story short, read the fine print on some of these web 2.0 tools people!  I was just too excited logging into Animoto and playing around with it, that while I saw "free version", I failed to see that all videos created with the free version will display the "Animoto" watermark over the video the entire time! Whoops!  I also figured ok, how much could it possibly be for membership, maybe it will be worth it.  Well it's $39 per month and $299 yearly.  I found this to be waaaay too high for a tool that I will not use frequently enough to be worth it, so on with my search I went.

After google-searching free programs similar to Animoto, I came across Stupeflix.  While the name wasn't exactly enticing, the simple options the free version offered was very attractive and just enough for what I needed.

As we have wildcard activities for both Adult Learning and IT21, it is worth checking out.  Click on the image below!

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween everyone! While it's not my favorite holiday, I do enjoy seeing pictures on social media of everyone's costumes.  I love the homemade costumes for adults and kids alike rather than the store bought ones; how about a little creativity people!? Thanks to sites like Pinterest, it's easy to get inspired.

Anyway, it's November tomorrow and the Christmas season will be sneaking up- as if it hasn't already. I found a really great list of tech tools that make holiday shopping easier.  I definitely plan to use some of these this year!

Organization

This week was all about organization, which is a beautiful, beautiful thing!

For Adult Learning, I created my E-Portfolio using Weebly.  Creating a portfolio online keeps things very neat and organized and it's been fun compiling all my projects onto one site.  Here, check it out!  I will be updating as the semester progresses.

I created my PLN (personal learning network) for IT21 using Pearltrees.  Also a first for me, a PLN is an awesome way to catalog your favorite web tools and resources.  I feel like I have one go-to place now instead of a million bookmarks.  Here, see what you think!

I even finished the week on this beautiful Friday, cleaning out and completely reorganizing my desk at work! Woohoo! Hey, I get excited over these things.  That is until I come back on Monday and forget where I moved everything to, ha!

Ohh, we're halfway there!

My theme song for this week is Bon Jovi's "Livin' on a Prayer" as we are "halfway there" to the end of the semester!

No f2f in either class this week but I've been chipping away at contract work and staying busy!  I've found a couple great articles that I wanted to share with you all.

Adult Learning #ALMastermind friends:
check out these 17 Tips to Motivate Adult Learners

Instructional Technology 21st Century #MAIT21 friends:
Very interesting read on how Google Glass showcases the potential of wearable educational technology.  That's right, Google glasses on all your students!  Read more here.

Collaborative Learning

Last week I took the plunge and attended both of my classes synchronously online!  My Monday AL class I usually attend online but between all the other work I had to do and just being busy in life, I decided to check out IT21st from the comfort of my home.  I must say it is SO nice to be able to have multiple options for participating in class!  I would not say I will always continue to attend online because going in person certainly has its value but it's also convenient when needed.

I found a great article on collaborative learning that offers 20 free collaborative web tools to use in the classroom.  Check out this awesome resource here!

     

Tool Time.. and no, not the Tim Allen/Al Borland show...

I got to see some eye-opening Web 2.0 tools demonstrated in both classes this week.  In AL, we presented our root-tracing exhibits and I saw some really creative projects!  From different avatars that were created with Morpho, Powtoons, and Voki ( prior to this assignment I didn't even know where to begin creating an avatar) to some really neat powerpoint and prezi tricks, I saw a lot of new things!

The tools didn't stop there,  in IT 21st Century we have an assignment called "Tool Time" in which we have to select a web 2.0 tool to present to the class.  The name Tool Time makes me reminiscent of that 90's sitcom "Home Improvement" and well, my childhood crush of JTT! lol
Anyway, back to tool time, Rachel shared "Quizlet" which is essentially an online index card study tool.  Very cool!! It seemed easy to use and a great way to learn vocabulary.  It also incorporated a few game-style ways of studying, which to me personally sounds way more fun than plain-old flashcards.

I am already noticing a trend in that I will be learning a LOT of new tools each week!

Throwback: AOL Dial-up

So this week both classes had no f2f meeting and therefore I made good use of my time getting together with my partners for group assignments.  Both assignments have a good bit of research involved and naturally I used the Internet.  Whether I was "googling" or using the Stockton library resources- which offers a plethora of online access, everything was right at my fingertips in a matter of seconds.  So often we forget how advanced technology is today and how easily accessible the Internet is. And so, I'd like to dedicate this weekly post to reflect to the not-so-far-back 90's, and the breakthrough of AOL dial-up internet.


It's amazing how fresh that awesome AOL sound still plays in my head; the magical connection to the world wide web.  I came across this article (a.must.read.) which encompasses so many of the reminiscent emotions toward AOL that I am sure you too feel about that phenomenom.  I was laughing out loud at how accurate the article is, I assure you will enjoy.

Fun fact:  I also found out that AOL is still racking up subscribers for dial-up!  This amazed me even more, here, take a look.

Virtual Learning and Group Work

So on Monday I took the plunge and attended my Adult Learning class online or synchronously.  I was a bit anxious about trying to get out of work and home with enough time to spare for the anticipated technical difficulties I was sure to experience.  Thankfully I had a good 20 minutes before the 6pm start and I was sure glad to have it as it really did take about that long to make sure Collaborate was working properly.  For some reason every time I would try to "launch the room" it would revert to Adobe which of course was not the compatible program to run it.  After a few panic attacks I got in and was able to breath a sigh of relief!

I'd say my overall experience attending remotely was positive and quite convenient.  Amy engages all of us by name and with interactive tasks (we did a few quizzes) so it is less easy to get distracted.  There was a malfunction of Amy's headset- the mic wasn't working, which is definitely a disadvantage of not being in the classroom.  I was thankful for the chat feature and my kind classmates who utilized it to keep me updated.

Other than class, this week I met with my group project partners for both classes.  Which reminds me, I need to get going to do some research.  Have a great week everyone! 

 

Week Two

This week I got to experience my first Adult Learning class on Monday night which takes place in Stockton's satellite campus in Hammonton, Kramer Hall.  Two of my classmates were attending virtually which made for my first full experience with Blackboard Collaborate.  It was neat  communicating through our headsets but a little weird working on group tasks as I am so accustomed to f2f settings.  At any rate, it was a good first experience and I will only get more used to it, as I too will attend synchronously at times during the semester.

In IT 21st Century last night, we also had some more hands on practice with Collaborate.  Both worksheet assignments- the checklist, and practice sheet were very useful in learning the parts of Collaborate and navigating through each area.  Here's a link for best practices.

Classmate Monica stepped up to the plate by giving the first presentation for Tool Time using Kahoot, a game-based educational platform.  I enjoyed the simplicity of the tool, which allows you to create quizzes and have your audience answer with a mobile device, which we got to do- very cool.

Well that's all for now, till next week!

The Start of Grad School

I made it through the first week of my first grad school classes! woohoo! hey- gotta celebrate the small stuff right?

I am starting my journey in the Fall 2014 semester with two courses: Instructional Technology & 21st Century Learning and Adult Learning both instructed by thee Dr. Amy Ackerman.  I am also working full-time so I am hoping to discover the right balance to be successful!

I must say my first class- 21st Century Learning flew by- for a 3 hour class!  I had no idea what to expect but was pleasantly surprised.  It was nice that the whole class showed up so that we could interact f2f and I could sense Amy's enthusiasm and expertise in the field right away!  The icebreaker assignments and working together was an interactive, hands on experience and was much more entertaining than majority of my undergrad classes- with the prof reading out of a text book the whole time :-)

Looking forward to what's in store!! Here are some great inspirational quotes for grad students to motivate us along the way.

Wordle created with my classmates during first class