Open Source Software

We discussed open source software during week 11. I was not aware that there were programs online that were the equivalent to many of the software programs that I have bought for my computer. I think that open source software is a very useful. One of the topics that surround open source software is the issue of stealing and it being legal for public use. The open source software programs are free and created publicly and collaboratively. The ideas for the software may have come from licensed programs, but I do not feel that it is stealing.

Open source software is beneficial to many people. Because it is free, people who do not have the funds to purchase expensive programs can still have the benefits of those programs by using the open source alternative. A teacher may need to use a program like Photoshop once, and Gimp, the online open source alternative, offers many of the same tools for free.

This image has the Open Source logo and the logos of some of the most popular open source software programs.

Tech Tools for Critical Thinking

In class we each took a learning styles quiz to determine the kind of learner that we are. It is important to know and understand the different learning styles, especially as a future teacher. Everyone learns best under certain circumstances and it is important to create lessons that incorporate different styles. Technology helps in creating lesson plans that suit more people. In class, we created a word cloud using the tool Wordle, and I thought it was a neat tool that could be used in many creative ways. As a part of our online homework, we were responsible for creating a concept map about folksonomies. A folksonomy is a social tool, and can be anything from social networking, like Facebook, to social bookmarking, like Delicious. All kinds of social tools are becoming increasingly popular, and can be very helpful in the educational field. Bookmarking sites can be useful among colleagues, tagging is useful to everyone when looking for information, and tools like Skype can connect people across the world.

Below is a word cloud about an rss fed site, or a blog, which is a folksonomy. This cloud was created by June Kaminski using the Wordle tool.

Social Tools and Cloud Computing

In week 9 we discussed social tools and cloud computing. Many people today are familiar with social sites like Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter. We also learned about social bookmarking sites like Delicious. All of these sites are meant to connect people and make communication easier. A part of our homework included learning about cloud computing and creating a Google Doc. Cloud computing is a new way of creating and saving documents. Like the video Google Docs in Plain English explains, documents can now be saved on the internet instead of a home computer. This makes it easier and still secure for people to share documents. It also allows people to not only view a document, but edit it too. And everyone can see the changes that were made.

Social networking sites can be used to connect classrooms to other classrooms from around the world. This form of learning is becoming increasingly popular. Social bookmarking sites would be good for educators to share the resources that they have found among their colleagues. In the same way that sharing bookmarks is convenient, sharing documents like lesson plans or spreadsheets with grades among colleagues is too.

This image is a cartoon that explains all the uses for cloud computing. It really is a very convenient tool to use.

Podcasting

In week 8 we discussed podcasting. Podcasting is an automated technology that allows listeners to subscribe and listen to digitally recorded audio shows. One of the online readings included an example of how Duke University is taking advantage of Podcasting. The students there receive iPods and use podcasts for listening to lectures, learning foreign languages, and listening to and creating new music. It has also become useful when conducting research. This example shows how beneficial this new technology can be in the educational field. The article also discussed Vodcasting, which is video podcasting.

Like the article on the Duke students discussed, podcasting and vodcasting can be very useful in the classroom. Podcasts can be used to supplement a missed class or for reinforcement of a difficult lesson. If students had the material to listen to at their convenience, perhaps they would pay more attention and retain more information.

This short video provides an example of how these people use podcasting and vodcasting to create things for their classrooms. Some of the people share the benefits that they have gained through learning how to create them, and how they plan on using them in the future.

Digital Storytelling

Week 7 was one of my favorite lessons. We discussed digital storytelling. Digital storytelling ties into the visual literacy theme. The online presentation included the difference between digital and analog technologies. Analog information can be electronic, chemically induced, magnetic, or vibration sensitive, and is a physical representation of the original source. Digital information is a conversion of the original source into numeric data. We learned about digital photography and the advantages that it offers. The use of digital videos was also discussed, as well as Personal Digital Assistants, or PDAs. For our homework we each made a digital story using an online resource and our photos. I enjoyed making this video and have continued to use the resources, such as Animoto, to create short videos.

Digital technologies such as photographs and videos are very important in the educational field. These are just other ways for educators to reach students. A video or picture can make a difference in a child understanding a lesson. These technologies are attention grabbing and can make a classroom more diverse and fun. There are lots of outside resources for teachers to take advantage of that help in creating digital stories for lessons. I found one resource that included examples and ideas for teachers. Digital Storytelling Resources for Teachers.

Visual Literacy

In week 6 we discussed visual literacy. Visual literacy is a term used to describe the process of learning something through seeing an image, rather than reading words. Early examples of visual literacy include hieroglyphics and cave drawings. These days, visual literacy is more technological. In class we began to learn how to use Photoshop. This program is really cool and could be extremely beneficial for future projects. Each student did a tutorial and a personal project using Photoshop. Personally, I learned a lot about the program and how an image can mean so much. There were a couple of online resources for digital storytelling, which is a part of visual literacy. The sources included the Center for Digital Storytelling, Educational Uses of Digital Storytelling, and Allen Levine's 50+ ways you can create web-based stories. The CDS is an organization that assists people in using digital media to tell meaningful stories. The Educational Uses of Digital Storytelling site has a history of digital storytelling, examples, software to use, and lots of advice on how to create your own. The 50+ ways you can create web-based stories site has websites that help you create a visual product like a video, map, or collage. I thought that site was very cool and useful!

Visual literacy is important in the educational field because children learn in different ways. People can be visual, auditory, or kinesthetic learners. Being able to create lessons that incorporate all 3 types of learning styles is very important, so that everyone receives the same opportunity to learn.

This picture is a chart with good examples of how visual literacy helps in the classroom. It can be used in so many different ways and be beneficial to everyone involved.

My Social Tools Webspiration.