Circuits? Seems Simple Enough.

This week in class, we spoke with Robyn Hrivnatz, who is the Marketing and Educator Programs Manager of United States Education at Microsoft. She offered us some insightful experience of using social media in today's world. After teaching in Texas public schools for just under eight years, she transitioned back to computer science, which she studied in college, as a program specialist for Microsoft. Hrivnatz reminded our class on the importance of a strong social media presence; as well as, creating learning communities with professionals and peers on platforms such as Twitter and LinkedIn. Overall, she made it clear for our class that connecting with professionals and having a strong presence on social media will benefit us greatly in our futures, as long as we act appropriately.

After our chat with Hrivnatz, we shifted into a new direction for our class; we attempted to make a simple circuit to power a game of Frogger on a laptop. We had just a few tools to accomplish our goal: a Makey Makey kit, play doh, a banana, tin foil, cardboard, and celery. The concept seemed simple enough; I had some knowledge of electric circuits before class, but not enough to fully understand what to do when I needed to make one for myself. I thought I might have been able to figure it out pretty quickly, but we struggled quite a bit in the beginning. We originally tried to use the cardboard but soon realized we weren’t making any headway; we switched to tin foil and were able to get the frog to move, but we weren’t able to control it. After a while, we gave up with the tin foil and moved to play doh. We made four little buttons, and put the clamps in and connected the clamps to the circuit board. At first we thought we were still stumped but realized we needed the person holding the ground wire to be the one controlling the game. We learned that different materials work better than others to conduct electricity; also, we learned that simple circuits can control a lot of different things.

Chapter nine of "The Connected Educator" focuses on 'What the Future Holds'. This chapter wraps up everything that was covered and aims to get teachers to use all the skills and tools they have acquired. They broke it up into four components, known as Learning 2.0, which are: knowledge, pedagogy, connections, and capacity. It is stressed that teachers need to strive to switch the way they reach their learners; they need their students to take responsibility and pursue to improve themselves, while the teachers create dynamic learning environments built to help students reach these goals. It is a tough time to be an educator; change is not going to be easy, but educators need to work through the toughness and get the learning environment to be as successful as possible. The chapter ends with a great sentence that should be followed by everyone: "Choose to be powerful."

The Importance of Personal Websites

This past week in class we discussed tools to create our own personal website. We looked at sites like Weebly, Wix, and Google Sites to help us see how easy we can make a professional website for our career. These sites make it simple to make a professional website by adding pictures, social media links, and many other tools.

We also looked at some professionals and their websites; we went through and noted some of the good and bad qualities of each website to help us understand how to make the best website for ourselves. In our groups, we looked at a professional, and my group focused on Sir Ken Robinson. He had a great website, but it was sometimes easy to get lost with all the information he had on some pages. We made a list of the pros and cons of his website, found here.

We also looked at some ways to integrate websites with social media. We looked at IFTTT (if this then that), and one article talked about five recipes to share your Instagram photos like a boss. These recipes included: posting your picture to twitter but not as a link, saving your photos in Google Drive, sending your tagged photos to Tumblr, making a Facebook album from your pictures, and sending your pictures to people via Gmail. 

Another article that focused on IFTTT but integrated it with Evernote was Five IFTTT Recipes to Power Your Day. This article talked about different ways to add your every day activities into your notes, like: making a journal of your tweets and save them to Evernote, adding your Gmail purchases directly to Evernote, moving articles you've tagged for research into Evernote, sending a text to add notes to Evernote, and journal your Fitbit activities into Evernote.

Sticking with IFTTT, there are a few different recipes you can use if your a forgetful person. If you lose your phone often, but keep it off of silent mode, you can make a recipe to have IFTTT call your phone by sending an email with a certain hashtag, If you don't want to use your data and want to make sure you're on WiFi when you get home, you can set up a recipe to ensure you don't run out of data when you could have been using WiFi. A lot of people are saved by the fact that their bills can be paid automatically; however, not all bills can be paid automatically and with a simple recipe, you can remind yourself to pay all of your bills on time to avoid pointless penalties.

We finish this week talking about chapter four of "Untagling the Web." This chapter focused on social networking tools; it focused on tools such as TodaysMeet, Skype, Kidblog, Edmodo, and Twitter. The most fascinating tool, in my opinion, is Skype. In class, we've used Google Hangouts on multiple occasions to talk to different professionals. Skype allows you to talk to anyone around the world, and it can be an extremely helpful tool in the classroom. You can use Skype to collaborate with different classes about similar topics; classes can present their findings on a project to the others and collaborate to come to a consensus for the results. Overall, with social networking evolving, classes are going to be able to collaborate easier and easier from all over the world.

Connecting Online and the Importance of Your Online Reputation

This past week our class presented our Social Media Etiquette projects, where we discussed an individual, in our field of study, who ran into trouble in their career due to something he or she had said on social media. My individual was Pax Dickinson; he was formerly the Chief Technology Officer at Business Insider, but he was forced to resign after several of his tweets surfaced. Many of his tweets can be seen as offensive as some were racist, sexist, and anti-feminist, among other reasons. Dickinson claimed the tweets were just comical and that there was nobody that had ever said he was unprofessional professionally or personally. Dickinson says he regrets some of his tweets because they were old and taken out of context; however, he does not regret tweeting it because he feels it was a funny joke. Currently, Dickinson is the CTO for Wesearchr, and he does not plan to change the way he uses social media. Those who know Dickinson understand the kind of person he is, and those who don't know him as well do not matter. 

One of Dickinson most infamous tweets
Click HERE to view my Prezi presentation on the downfall of Pax Dickinson

Chapter five of "The Connected Educator" deals with using tools to support connected learning. With the World Wide Web being so extensive, containing more than fifteen billion webpages, it becomes extremely difficult to know where everything is on its own. Social bookmarking, or tagging, has become an efficient way of categorizing useful information into organized sections that are easy for you to find when you need it. Delicious has become one of the most popular websites for social bookmarking; Google can sometimes too much information, so Delicious has made it possible for you to filter your search by finding webpages other users have categorized with your similar interest. Diigo is another tool similar to Delicious but with enhanced features. Diigo allows you to mkae annotations directly on a webpage, adding sticky notes and highlighting important information; also, Diigo allows you to work in collaborative groups. 

Another tool often used to connect are blogs; they allow you post short entries about your ideas, information, and experiences. Finding blogs again and again can be tedious, RSS Readers, like Google Reader, allow you to follow different blogs and have the content come to you, instead of having to search for it on your own. 

If you do not want read full blogs and prefer more condensed information, then maybe you would benefit from following some microblogs, which allow you to share information quickly and easily. Twitter is a great website to find microblogs; if you're able to find the right microblogs, you can easily follow and keep track of everything you need to by making lists.

Wikis are another way to connect and collaborate; they allow groups to work together to compile many documents and information in one place. Wikipedia is the most well known wiki, as its the largest encyclopedia in the world with thousands of volunteers who collaborate to create all its information. Google Docs are another popular form of a wiki, where students can collaborate on projects with their classmates.

With the importance of an online presence, you need to manage your online reputation; you're defined by what the first few search results that come up are on Google, Yahoo, and Bing. Some tips to manage your online reputation are:

• Build you  own professional webpage or blog
• Stack the deck in your favor
• Share your insights
• Be professional at all times
• Track yourself

Basically, just make your online presence something you would be proud to show a potential employee. Your personal life online reflects the type of worker you are, so be careful with what you post at all times.

Your Phone Isn't a Distraction Anymore

No phones in class? Not anymore!

It was't long ago when if you had your phone out in class, you would get in trouble and possibly have it taken away. As technology has advanced over the past few years, we have come to actually start having kids use their phones in class for activities. Many different apps have been developed to have students get engaged in class by using their phones. Apps like Kahoot! encourage students to use their phones for in class quizzes that don't require paper or pens. We have advanced so much in the past several years with our smartphones; it's interesting to think how much further we'll progress in the next few years. 

Last week in class, we had our second app smacking, where we each show off an app and how it can relate to our major. My app was Fiverr, which is a global online marketplace that offers tasks and services, starting at just $5 per job, which is where Fiverr gets its name. Fiverr is mainly used by freelancers, but really anyone can offer jobs to make some quick, easy money. There are dozens of different categories, so you'll be able to find just about anything you could be looking for.

One of the biggest trends in the education world recently is augmented reality, which is an enhanced image or environment as viewed on a screen or other display, produced by overlaying computer-generated images, sounds, or other data on a real-world environment. Augmented reality allows us to take something from right in front of us and enhance it. Augmented reality has been implemented in many different setting other than schools, such as supermarkets, museums, zoos, and NASA.

As augmented reality begins to be used in classrooms and continues to grow, there have been a few apps that have gained popularity:

• Elements 4D
• ZooKazam
• NASA Spacecraft 3D
• Anatomy 4D

Elements 4D provides a fun, new way to look at various chemical reactions using blocks to  combine different elements.

ZooKazam brings animals into the classroom without the actual mess of a real animal.

NASA Spacecraft 3D lets you learn about and explore different spacecraft used by NASA to explore our solar system, Earth, and the rest of the univese.

Anatomy 4D allows you to explore the human body, removing different layers to get a better look at others.

One specific example of augmented reality, in the few mentioned above, that has caught my attention is ZooKazam, and it's the first augmented reality educational app that doesn’t require a printed marker. ZooKazam allows you to bring animals to life right in front of your eyes as a 3-D image. There are over 45 animals offered by ZooKazam, such as birds, fish, mammals, insects, reptiles, among others. You are able learn about the size, weight, habitat, diet, lifespan, and population of all the different species.

PowerPoint? Let's be a little more creative.

Everyone has seen a PowerPoint presentation at some point in their academic career, and by the time you get to college, you've probably seen hundreds. Because PowerPoint is so easy to use, it's the go-to tool for teachers to use to present the topic at hand, but PowerPoint is extremely boring for those watching; there's no flair in the presentation, nothing to keep students interested. The past several years have brought many new presentation tools for students and teachers to use, but if you don't want to to use a tool much different than PowerPoint, you should be using Google Slides, and here's why:

• Google Slides is built for you to collaborate with others.
• Google Slides is even simpler to use than PowerPoint, but it is so much more advanced.
• You can use Google Slides while offline (when set up correctly) and everything will sync back up when you're connected again.
• You can access Google Slides from any device: any computer or your smartphone or tablet with the Slides app.
• You can easily share your presentation online and have anyone comment or make edits to it.
• IT'S FREE

Another tool that has become popular recently is Prezi. Prezi is a zooming presentation tool that is an alternative to PowerPoint. Here's a guide on the basics of Prezi that can show you the ropes of how to get started and begin to master Prezi. Basically, with Prezi, you start with a blank canvas or a template that is provided, then you add text, pictures, or videos, and plot the order you want everything to be shown; your Prezi zooms from each point for you to deliver your presentation. There are strengths and weaknesses to Prezi, but one of the best features is that your presentation does not have to be linear; you can branch off differently for each presentation or your audience can zoom to wherever they want at any point. Ned Porter even added a Prezi with tips and information about how to make a great Prezi.

When it comes to student presentations, you don't want too much information on your slides; you should try to limit your slide to brief notes and use that as a guide to what you should be talking about. A great tool to help limit yourself is Haiku Deck, which focuses on simple and fun presentations. You simply type a few words and the program finds matching photos where you can choose which one fits best, or you can import your own photos for a more personalized presentation. Haiku Deck is perfect for being short, sweet, and to the point, which is great when your trying to convey a message as simple as possible.

This past week we spoke with Abigail Harrison, better known as Astronaut Abby, through Google Hangouts. Abby is an aspiring astronaut and wishes to be the first astronaut to land on Mars. She speaks frequently about The Mars Generation, which she refers to those under the age of 25. The Mars Generation has had access to technology like no other generation and with our new tools, we strive to grow and learn to be able to land on Mars. Abby spoke to us about The Mars Generation as well as how she was able to build herself on social media. She told us not to get caught up in all the different forms of social media; we should only focus on the platforms that will benefit us in our career path. Also, she made it clear that our personal social media accounts are not as private as we think; anything you say on social media can be seen by potential employers, so everyone needs to be cautious of that. She finished by explaining that volunteering is one of the most effective way to build your LinkedIn profile or résumé, especially when you don't have much work experience to use as a building block.

Schools Want You To Be Creative... Or Do They?

Education is a fascinating topic. Everyone gets one, and each one is different for an individual, but is it different enough? Sir Ken Robinson spoke about this in February 2006; he wonders if schools kill creativity in young people. Ken told a story about a young girl who was drawing; her teacher came over and asked what she was drawing. The girl told her she was drawing God. The teacher responded that no one knows what God looks like. This is one example of how schools do not encourage children to express themselves and be as creative as possible. Children tend to believe what they are told; they are not afraid to be wrong because they don't really know any better yet anyway. However, because kids are being told they are wrong so much as children, they are afraid to be wrong as an adult. Being wrong is not the same as being creative, but if you are afraid to be wrong, you cannot be original. Kids are punished for making mistakes, and they are taught that mistakes are the worst thing you can do. This ideology is educating people out of their creative capacities. Ken stated in his talk, "We don't grow into creativity, we grow out of it. Or rather, we get educated out of it." Ken was able to see, after he moved from England to the United States, that every education system on Earth has the same hierarchy of subjects: at the top is math and language, then humanities, and finally the arts. But the arts have a hierarchy of their own, where art and music are above drama and dance. All kids have tremendous talents, but they are squandered ruthlessly in school. Students that show gifts in the arts that they shouldn't bother with it because you will not be bale to find a job as an artist or a dancer. Education is meant to prepare you for your future, but we aren't able to dictate our own future. Our educations focus on the mathematics and the languages, instead of letting children find their true calling. Our education system has mined our minds in the way that we strip-mine the earth: for a particular commodity. We are not letting people be creative and it's causing people to not be able to find their true potential in life. Overall, we need to reevaluate the fundamental principles of education for children and change them to protect the future of the planet.

In class last week, we spoke to Adam Taylor, a high school science teacher in Tennessee. Adam is the creator of #scistuchat, which is a monthly Twitter Chat where students and scientists discuss general science topics. Adam told us that Twitter Lists are an essential part of keeping up with everything; also, he recommends using hashtags to stay connected with people and topics. Lastly, he said the best way to connect with professionals in your field is to simply search on Google. Many professionals use some form of social media, and searching on Google is the most effective way to find them.

Chapter three of "Untangling the Web" focuses on presentation tools, mainly those other than Microsoft PowerPoint. PowerPoint has always been an effective tool for presenters to use to convey their information; however, throughout high school and into college, I have seen hundreds of PowerPoint presentations, and it just becomes boring. It's extremely easy to use, but it's much more boring at this point than ever before. Many presentations are made for one assignment and then aren't seen again after; SlideShare changes that. 

SlideShare is a social hub that allows you to upload and share your presentation with educators around the globe; it contains a library of shared presentations, and it allows to  share PDFs, Word documents, and more. SlideShare also allows integration with sites like Facebook and LinkedIn to show off your presentation to even more people.

Poll Everywhere is the next tool that can be used to make the classroom experience less monotonous. It can be as simple as making a question and providing answers then seeing what everybody thinks by sending a text. However, it has so many more features than what's on the surface. If you are willing to upgrade to a paid plan, you'll unlock many new feature that you can take advantage of in the classroom; such as, importing names, providing correct answers, and using specific keywords, among many others.

Another tool that is similar to PowerPoint, but also much more detailed, this tool is Prezi. Prezi is like PowerPoint as it conveys information similarly, but instead of multiple slides, you zoom in and out of different parts of the original document to show exactly how everything is connected to each other. Prezi allows for many things to come alive in the classroom: for example, a Venn Diagram. With a PowerPoint presentation, you would list one side of the diagram, then the other, followed by the similarities; however, with a Prezi, you can show the Venn Diagram and zoom to different parts to show off the different sides of the argument.

Presentations have drastically evolved from bullet points over several slides. New tools have made classrooms much less boring for the students, as it is much easier to follow along and get involved with class discussions. 

Note Taking Has Evolved From Just Pen on Paper

Dyslexia is a disorder that affects nearly one in every ten people in the world. For those that are unaware, dyslexia makes it difficult for people to read and write letters and words and sometimes numbers. Pocket recently released an update to their app that allows users support for the font Dyslexie. This font makes subtle changes to letters and numbers to make it easier for those who suffer from dyslexia to be able to differentiate between them and prevent confusion.

Characters in the Dyslexie font are different than normal characters because some have slanted parts, some are slanted entirely, there is more spacing, letters have different heights, among other changes.

Many students today have used Google Docs at one point in their educational career. It is set up very similar to Microsoft Word, and many have used it to work on group projects or just to take notes. Microsoft also offers OneNote, which is similar to Google Docs, but also very different. For one, Google Docs, as previously stated, is set up similarly to Microsoft Word; it sets up like a piece of paper, it has edges and limits until you start a new page. However, OneNote has an infinite canvas that expands more and more as you use it. OneNote is like a notebook, and less like a file; however it can be a file. Also, OneNote does not require internet access, where Google Docs does, unless steps are taken beforehand. Finally, OneNote is not limited to typed text; you can use a stylus to write within the document.

Address books save the people you've met in alphabetical order, but that isn't a natural way to remember people. Your brain doesn't remember things alphabetically and neither should your software. Evernote Hello is a new way to store and remember people you've met. Instead of saving someone's name, it saves the time you met them. You can get a picture of the person and store their information; then, everyone is shown in a digital mosaic of their image arranged by when you met them, where you were, and what you were doing. This new way of organization will help remember people you've, who you were with and what you were talking about. It's a more natural and easier way of remembering that will benefit all.

Chapter two of "The Connected Educator" focuses on developing a connected learning model. These connected learning communities consist of Professional Learning Communities (PLC), Personal Learning Networks (PLN), and Communities of Practice (CoP). A professional learning community for a school would consist of the teachers, administrators, students, and parents; these communities are all about continuous improvement, shared leadership, and reform. Everything is interconnected and everyone works together. The next step is a community of practice, which would consist of other teachers not at the school and special interest groups; these communities have a common interest and strive to achieve their goal together. Finally, a personal learning network connects you to the rest of the world; users share their thoughts and experiences to get feedback from everyone around the world who share an interest in the same topic. In all, connected learning communities are the new model of 21st century professional development, and they enable individual educators to create their own online learning networks of local and global colleagues.