Synthesizing, Remixing, & Creating (Reflection #10)

In Week 10 of ADED 1P32 our primary focus was to understand Canada's Copyright Act, and how to cite images properly. Our project was to create a slideshow using copyright-friendly images found on various Web 2.0 tools such as Flickr, Creative Commons, and Advanced Google Search. These websites provide free copyright licenses for you to either share your work or use others for educational or reporting purposes.

 I noticed that with online tools such as Animoto with the combination of copyright-friendly images it can create not only educational pieces but more personal shows (be sure to properly reference each image!). Animoto is another online slideshow/movie generator so it is perfect for students creating presentations since they can access their project from any computer, an excellent PLE due to its portability. Students can work stress free knowing that their presentation is saved through the web and will not have to worry about where their USB key went. However, I would not use this tool for Collaborative work, unlike GoogleSlides or Evernote you cannot invite a partner via email to assist in the completion of the show. A group account would have to be created and there would be no history of who changed any content. By creating an image-based presentation I was able to practice citing images properly. I have always been a strong supporter of referencing other peoples work, especially images (since it is not something that is commonly done). Image based 2.0 websites such as Tumblr lack proper imagery citation, now that I know how to reference accurately this will be something that I always do - and hopefully other users will pick up the habit.

I came across an article on my Feedly titled Do Students Understand Plagiarism. At first I was shocked with the amount of students that were caught plagiarizing, but then it had me wondering out of the sum of students cheating, how many of them truly just did not know how to cite accurately. The article did not say, but I am aware of how often citation formats (APA, MLA) change, it makes me wonder if in some cases just a couple of students genuinely made an error. Let me know what you think :)

Dombers, Christopher. (9 June, 2011). The battle of copyright. [image]. http://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:THE_BATTLE_OF_COPYRIGHT.jpg

My Animoto Slideshow

My slideshow in regards to Digital Citizenship and understanding Copyright rules was created on Animoto, an online tool which allows you to create videos or slideshows with the option of adding audio. By using Animoto I have learned the importance of leaving a positive Footprint as a Digital Citizen. Through my exploration of various Web 2.0 tools such as Creative Commons (which provides users with images that the creators have allowed others to use without direct permission, or in other words Fair Dealing). Using an image is fine as long as you make reference to it's creator. This demonstrates online netiquette by respecting the digital rights of other users; the creator allowed their image or textual content to be used for educational purposes or news reporting.
If the creator has placed a license on their work, in Canada under the Copyrights Act, it is said that you need permission of use or duplication of work.

Enclosed is my presentation:

Collective Knowledge Building (Reflection #9)

The primary focus of Week 9 was engaging conversation in blogs to gain more experience in collective knowledge building. I had never heard of VoiceThread until this week, while exploring the site I couldn't help but notice how it shares similar qualities to GoogleDocs/ Slides. The primary difference is that with VoiceThread you are able to leave audio,video, and text responses whereas with GoogleDocs/Slides only has the texting feature. To be honest, I don't see VoiceThread being a tool that I would add to my PLN unless it was necessary, since I don't not like being recorded online (It is a little out of my comfort zone so I wouldn't want that to effect my Digital Footprint) I would choose GoogleDocs as my PLN as I am more familiar with it.

What's good about VoiceThread having the ability to post audio/video responses is that it can create a more intimate setting when it comes to education and collaborative work. It can give you the chance to "meet up" with partners online to work on a presentation if for any reason there is a conflict. Another bonus is that VoiceThread has an app so you can send audio clips from your phone if you have to. This grants you the ability to access your collaborative work almost anywhere providing you with new knowledge gained from your partners in your VoiceThread.

This week I learned something about my own Technological Rights as a digital citizen. I am uncomfortable video recording myself and having the video online, I guess you could say I'm shy and am also sensitive about my Digital Footprint. So when we were asked to explore VoiceThread It was a relief to see that a recording response was not necessary, I enjoyed how my rights were respected. If I had to post a video response of myself it would be interesting to watch because I would not feel comfortable and would not be my true myself, in turn effecting my Digital Footprint negatively.

So Spring is finally here! And do you know what that means? Spring allergies, and this season is going to be rough according to CBS Article: Sneeze, Wheeze, & Itch... Timing couldn't be better right? Especially with finals just around the corner, how inconvenient. So remember: wash your hands as often as you can, avoid touching your eyes, nose, wear sunglasses to protect your eyes and be sure to stock up on nasal spray.

Technology Use Scenario #11

Mrs Smith believes she is savvy on the computer, shes been using them for 5 years and regularly in class. Mrs. Smith receives an anonymous email but opens it anyways. Once opened, an advertisement appeared for a free gift, but Mrs. Smith ignores and deletes the email. Days past and Mrs. Smith notices her Internet browser is running a lot slower than normal so she scans the computer with an anti virus program. Mrs. Smith soon finds out that her computer has a virus and determines that it came from the anonymous email she opened. 

It is surprising that someone who had worked with computers for five years would be uneducated about viruses and how they spread. Mrs. Smith did not use her email appropriately, in fact what she did was rather risky. Depending on how much Mrs. Smith relied on her computer, she could have a lot of private information stored on the hard drive which could easily be invaded by a virus. Mrs. Smith, or any computer/Internet user needs to understand the importance of knowing who does and does not have your email address and be familiar with your contacts. Just like adding a number to a cellphone you can add an email address to your online address book and then edit the contacts information accordingly.

One thing Mrs. Smith had done correctly was recognizing that her computer was not running normally so she ran an anti virus scan. If you are going to be using the Internet it is highly recommended that you download a reliable anti virus program, this protects all your personal and valuable information from hackers.  Take for example this article from Newyork Times, a group of Cybercrimminals were able to hack into the bank's software using a virus  (or malware) and steal $300 million dollars. Computer users need to understand that there are such things as viruses and Cybercrimminals and it is very possible for someone to hack into your computer and obtain your bank information. Be aware of anonymous emails, especially if they are offering you something for free. If you keep on receiving spam either block that address or report them.

VoiceThread

VoiceThread is a collaborative creating website and can be viewed as a helpful educational tool amongst students and teachers. What makes this tool so excellent for group work is it's communication system; you are able to leave comments on slides through posting comments via text, webcam, and voice clip. People invited to the thread are also able to make alterations and these changes are stored in it's history. VoiceThread is perfect to add to ones PLE, it gives you the chance to learn new perspectives by reading other users posts, this also creates a bit of a more intimate setting which can allow people to generate connections which could be useful when it comes to starting your career.

Even though VoiceThread is a handy tool, I do not think it would be a tool that I would add to my PLE. Seeing as though it is quite similar to GoogleDocs I cant help but prefer it over VoiceThread. It is just easier to navigate through and with VoiceThread it doesn't have that holistic aspect like GoogleDocs.

Here is what my class and I came up with through our exploration of VoiceThread:
https://voicethread.com/share/4264778/

Exploring Wiki (Reflection # 8)

During week 8 of ADED 1P32 we were asked to explore a new collaborative tool called Wiki. Wiki is great for creating and sharing content on the web. Wiki's are easy to edit, free, and you do not have to be tech savvy to navigate through. I know it is starting to sound like Blogspot or any other blogging site but they are both very different.  Blogs are more about sharing personal information, writing and multimedia. The comment section is at the bottom and they cannot be altered by another. Wiki on the other hand allows you to see comments/alterations from others that you have shared your page with, there's even a history of all alterations made.

Wiki's are a lot like Google Docs in regards to efficient collaborative work. You are able to see alterations and who they were made by. However unlike Wiki's Google Docs, if you have a gmail account it is a lot easier to work with Google Docs/Slides because of how intertwined and connected google is with other websites. This makes learning a lot easier since Google is connected with many useful sites (YouTube, Blogspot). I personally prefer GoogleDocs, it reminds me of Microsoft Word so it is simple to use and I feel the aesthetics are more appealing to the eye. The only time I would suggest creating a Wiki is if you go not have a Google account, besides that they are similar.

My diagram of Digital Rights & Responsibilities: 

In my Feedly I found an amazing article on the importance of embracing creativeness in schools. With this being an educational class I couldn't help but recall this article as it is so appropriate for today's post. The article explains how we need to change traditional teaching methods and start teaching children how to think outside the box. I feel like GoogleDocs/Slides would be an excellent tool for teachers introduce to the class, this will allow students to be able to generate ideas and see how their creative side progresses. If you're interested: It’s Time to Unleash Creativity in our Schools

Collaborative Learning (Reflection #7)

During Week 7 of ADED 1P32 I was introduced to GoogleDocs(Drive), the ultimate online collaborating tool, whether you are working independently or more importantly in groups. I have enjoyed this weeks tasks involving GoogleDocs, especially creating sample slide presentations and this is a tool I definitely plan on using outside of this course.

What makes GoogleDoc's so great is that it allows you to share your work with others just by creating a gmail account and inviting other gmail users to your work. This is another tool I wish I had known about in the beginning of my university career, it is excellent for peer reviewing; such as adding comments and suggestions where there can be improvement. I cant think about all the times where I have been assigned to a group and it was nearly close to impossible to meet up and work together due to schedule differences, with GoogleDocs you make offline work online work making it viewable at anytime to any group member.

I cant believe the amount of online tools that are so accessible ever since taking this course. So far I would have to say, the tools that I will definitely be keeping are GoogleDocs, Evernote, and Feedly. As for the others I'm not quite sure yet, I guess I'll use this chance with the Collaborative Assignment to explore them further.

With exams just around the corner and the snow beginning to melt its important to keep a healthy balance of focusing on your school work, but also on yourself. We had a pretty harsh Winter this year, I know I had a lot of friends struggle with seasonal depression, but luckily it looks like Spring is almost here. So if you are still shaking out of hibernation mode here are Five Things Happy People Do Before Getting Out Of Bed. Here are a few little life hacks to start your day on the right foot!