evernote

I used Evernote in creating a research file for my lit review for an upcoming assignment in this course.  Cyberbullying was my chosen topic and this tool proved to be an effective way to bank the articles I chose and work through the research elements.

As I have several other research projects in process I am now using this storage system as a method of gathering/keeping useful info.  I believe it will prove more helpful to me as I learn to use the tools more effectively.

The web clipper was a bit difficult for me to maneuver...  I need to force myself to use that feature so I can become more confidant in the application.  I'm thinking that it could prove to be one of the most useful features once I become more comfortable with it!

cyberbullying

This week's assignment was on the topic of cyberbullying.  I personally enjoyed this topic as it is an
area of interest for me.  I chose the same area for my literature review for an upcoming assignment for this course as this is an area I am currently considering for my dissertation.

While the term bully has been around for many years, the advent of technology allowed this to change forums to the virtual world.  The reality that most young children have access to smart phones and other tools which will access the Internet made for a landscape where children and adolescents can interact in a forum that requires no face to face interactions and therefore denies the aggressor from seeing the victim.  These factors coupled with little to no supervision have created a dangerous situation for today's young person.

Schools are behind the learning curve on this issue. The students who we are attempting to discipline for inappropriate actions are much more versed on the apps and therefore capable of staying not one but several steps ahead of those of us in the older generation.

Education is required...  for students, parents and yes, for educators.

week 5

This week was the assignment concerning Chrome extensions, special needs or ELL/ESL apps and PicMonkey.

The Chrome extension portion was helpful to me because this is not an area where I have invested time.  I discovered an extension which is capable of grabbing and storing quotes.  I'm excited about this tool as it is helping me in my research process.  I'm on the front end of choosing reference materials which align to my kid empowerment piece and need all the help I can get in organizing existing information so as to determine my path of action.

Voxy was my ELL/ESL app of choice and that was because of the live help feature.  I am a firm believer that the human element is critical for success in education.  I also explored features such as text enlargement and contrast changes in order to provide assistance to students needing these accommodations.

PicMonkey is a user friendly tool which allows the user to add filters, frames, etc. in order to edit photos and graphics.  I generally use Picasa (Google) but, will certianly remember this one as it is free and easily accessible.

week 4

This week's assignment centered around Symbaloo.  This was a new platform/app/experience for me
and in that I discovered a tool that I will certainly employ in my current and future teaching settings.

As a current adjunct instructor for Early Childhood courses at a small junior college I needed a place to consolidate resources for my students.  Symbaloo groupings were the answer to this dilemma.  I enjoyed gathering these links for tiles and my students have enjoyed exploring these riches.  They assisted me in choosing groupings and categories.  They have expressed appreciation for the info but more importantly were motivated to create their own versions.  Since my courses are for new students I am encouraging them to use it as a live portfolio.  They can save resources as they are accumulated but, also create links to their own work samples.

Further, I appreciate the flexibility that this tool offers in creating student work areas, professional development areas, research banks, etc.