I am a novice! I am a bit ashamed; I really thought myself more technically literate than that. After reading Kist's The Socially Networked Classroom (2010), I really thought I was ready to "walk the walk". With my feathers plumped, I dove into Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts (Richardson, 2010) even though I am so computer savvy I really didn't need to; wow...I can't even "talk the talk"!
Reading Richardson, made me realize that I truly am a beginner. I do not have the foundation I need to pull off a web enriched classroom. The list of things I don't have any idea how to do is so vast, it honestly gives me a bit of anxiety.
I was ready to embark on this amazing journey and I feel like I am on the train ready to go but, the wheels fell off and I am sitting in the mud (well, at least there are no other trains coming down my imaginary track, yet).
I realize now that I am computer literate, in that I can make programs work for me through trial and error, but I am not at all web literate. Creating my autobiography of a technology user started to put this in perspective for me, I truly have no basic knowledge of how to manipulate and use the amazing resources available to me in a powerful, meaningful way. I was able to create a movie which is exciting and I am proud of it, but I couldn't work the camera angle feature to maximize the visual effect.
When I viewed the prezis (and glogs) made by others and it knocked my socks off. It really highlighted for me my shortcomings. I couldn't even figure out how to make some of the features play, let alone create them. Yet, I purposely didn't choose this format because I had created one in the past. Now I see that what I made was a very basic sampling of what a prezi can do, not a showcase of the interactive, powerful presentation tool it truly is. I have a lot to learn!
So, I shall shed my sheep's clothing and show myself for who I really am; time to stop pretending I am an intermediate user and become one!
Sunday, January 29, 2012
In the Beginning
Well, I dusted off my old Blogger account (I haven't used it since my last course assignment requiring a blog) and it wasn't really as easy as I expected. The first problem was remembering which tool I had actually used to create my blog. After checking a few websites I decided that Blogger looked the most familiar and blogspot sounded right, I was off to the races...except I couldn't remember my user name, or password...
I think I would have called myself an intermediate web 2.0 user, if it weren't for these obviously novice mistakes. I guess that lands me somewhere in between novice and intermediate. I like technology and I love using it in my class but it is really my quest to become a Teacher Librarian that has propelled me to actually use it instead of just talking the talk.
On the personal side of my life, email, the odd skype with my Mom, and a bit of online shopping are the extent of my technology adventures oh and I love to text - only because it means I don't have to answer the phone. Professionally, I am somewhat more connected to this century. I have developed a website for my class and we are blogging about a book we are reading. This is a big step for me as I hadn't even read a blog until I began my diploma...it was a course requirement. My students are very starry eyed about this learning platform but, I need to pull up my socks a bit - I haven't even looked at the website this week!
I guess it would be fair to say that my course assignments spur my web 2.0 adventures. It is wonderful because I have successfully created a prezi, an animated movie, a wiki I just remembered (of course I don't remember where it is) and a few blogs but, I do not know how to use some of the most basic tools available.
I guess there is no time like the present to learn those tools; let the adventure begin!
I think I would have called myself an intermediate web 2.0 user, if it weren't for these obviously novice mistakes. I guess that lands me somewhere in between novice and intermediate. I like technology and I love using it in my class but it is really my quest to become a Teacher Librarian that has propelled me to actually use it instead of just talking the talk.
On the personal side of my life, email, the odd skype with my Mom, and a bit of online shopping are the extent of my technology adventures oh and I love to text - only because it means I don't have to answer the phone. Professionally, I am somewhat more connected to this century. I have developed a website for my class and we are blogging about a book we are reading. This is a big step for me as I hadn't even read a blog until I began my diploma...it was a course requirement. My students are very starry eyed about this learning platform but, I need to pull up my socks a bit - I haven't even looked at the website this week!
I guess it would be fair to say that my course assignments spur my web 2.0 adventures. It is wonderful because I have successfully created a prezi, an animated movie, a wiki I just remembered (of course I don't remember where it is) and a few blogs but, I do not know how to use some of the most basic tools available.
I guess there is no time like the present to learn those tools; let the adventure begin!
Inquiry Proposal
Originally, I had planned a combination of tools designed for advanced and intermediate users for my Web 2.0 Inquiry. Now, seeing myself for the novice I am, I stopped focusing on the cool tools I could use and looked instead to my goals for this adventure*.
#1 - I want to create a multimodal presentation.
I want it to have interactive images, video and my voice. My Dad always said "anything worth doing is worth doing well" and though annoying to hear as a child, it is really true. I realize now that some of my past creations were not this. I want to show myself that I can create a presentation to be proud of.
#2 - I want to be a more efficient user of the Web.
I want to be Web literate. To me, this means being able to access information easily and effectively; and then, to actually use the information.
#3 - I want to edit photos.
I love taking pictures but I have never used a photo editor it is something I really want to learn how to do.
#4 - I want to build a strong foundation of knowledge that I can use as a platform for learning and teaching Web 2.0 tools.
With my goals as the cornerstone, I looked for tools which would help me reach them.
#1 - Photoediting and Photosharing
#2 - Voicethread
#3 - Social Bookmarking
#4 - RSS and Blog Aggregators (i.e. Google Reader)
#5 - Blogging
#6 - Glogster
I tried to organize my time effectively, giving one to two weeks to explore a specific tool, especially during times where there is overlap or other commitments. During my set exploration weeks, my weekly blog postings will serve as evidence of the trials and triumphs of my adventures.
*Technically it is an assignment but, to have value to me, I consider it an adventure I am choosing to embark on.
#1 - I want to create a multimodal presentation.
I want it to have interactive images, video and my voice. My Dad always said "anything worth doing is worth doing well" and though annoying to hear as a child, it is really true. I realize now that some of my past creations were not this. I want to show myself that I can create a presentation to be proud of.
#2 - I want to be a more efficient user of the Web.
I want to be Web literate. To me, this means being able to access information easily and effectively; and then, to actually use the information.
#3 - I want to edit photos.
I love taking pictures but I have never used a photo editor it is something I really want to learn how to do.
#4 - I want to build a strong foundation of knowledge that I can use as a platform for learning and teaching Web 2.0 tools.
With my goals as the cornerstone, I looked for tools which would help me reach them.
#1 - Photoediting and Photosharing
#2 - Voicethread
#3 - Social Bookmarking
#4 - RSS and Blog Aggregators (i.e. Google Reader)
#5 - Blogging
#6 - Glogster
I tried to organize my time effectively, giving one to two weeks to explore a specific tool, especially during times where there is overlap or other commitments. During my set exploration weeks, my weekly blog postings will serve as evidence of the trials and triumphs of my adventures.
*Technically it is an assignment but, to have value to me, I consider it an adventure I am choosing to embark on.
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