Wk 6- Acronym Dizzy

Is this normal?  I think so.... especially in our field between the  MOOC's and the CoP's, etc.  In fact, I wonder if they have a CoP on the dissection of acronyms? (O: The electronic dictionary of terms we were provided in class was awesome, just thought if there was a CoP that would be something dynamically different and fun to read.  I would definitely add it to my personal learning network!  I'm sure it would be as vast as the Grand Canyon, full of fun terms and letters! I think of all of the different careers that use jargon, the field of medicine perhaps, could definitely benefit from their own acronym CoP.  My little sister is in med school, she pretty much thinks that would be the best thing ever. (O:

Wk 6-How to be a Hippie in 2013 Podcast-For Fun Please Listen and Enjoy!

Wk 5- Pro -Ams -Oh Goodie, That's Us!

As I read about Pro-Ams I couldn't help but think, what a minute...that's what we are trying to do in this class, except maybe not as such amateurs, but yes as novices.

  The potential impact of Pro-Ams in our work as instructional designers is huge, as ones that have started off as amateurs and are becoming insiders and produsers very quickly.  In many ways, yes, the impact has already begun of Pro-Ams, but it continues to boom as new technologies are introduced.  The more credible the sources the better respected they are.  Pro-Ams are a big part of the economy as many of their platforms have changed society as we know it, the first individual that comes to mind is Steve Jobs (if I am visually this concept correctly?).  His product, Apple has changed the landscape of computers as we know them today.  I think sometimes Pro-Ams may alter social structures but I don't think they are are threat to our sense of ownership and authority as a society.  Sometimes the traditional way of doing things needs to be shaken up a bit.  Pro-Ams definitely have the ability to change things up on Wall Street that's for sure!

Wk 5-Expertise on the Web...Credible?

How do you judge the value of expertise on the Web? Does it differ from your notion of expertise in face-to-face settings? Why or why not?

I think the value of the expertise depends on the forum or given context of the discussion same as face-to-face settings.  For example, I would lend a lot of credit to a professor's point of view that he made in class on the educational system, much more than I would lend to someone just randomly discussing the subject at a crosswalk or coffee shop.  The same goes for online,  forums such as Quora where professionals lend their opinions, questions and answers, are going to hold much more weight than that of a random tirade that John Doe has posted on Facebook that day about the education system.  I think one has to judge the value of expertise on the web the same way they do face-to-face, by establishing if the source is credible or not.  This is not so easy to do online and sometimes people digest anything they see online as truth, which is very dangerous.  In fact, if anything, one should be more skeptical of Web sources, until proven a viable and reliable resource.  Face-to-face it is a little easier to see expertise first hand or discount it, face time does much to clarify.  www.quora.com

Wk 5-Pipes

Pipes seems very intricate to me.  I viewed the video on how to create a feed, but it just seems that it is very extensive and would be most effective for folks that spend a lot of time following a specific trend or interest on several websites continually.  I really don't spend that much time following a specific sport or trend online so for me, building such an extensive feed wouldn't be necessary.  If I am interested in a hobby,  I may just check one specific web page once in a while pertaining to that interest.  I do see the need for such a feed if you were a sports agent or a stock broker perhaps,  a merging site of this sort would be a tremendous asset to have an all trajectories that spike your curiosity in one place where everything that you are following online connects.  Pipes works like a large tree of information that is anchored in one solo place, like a bookmarker for feeds, definitely a very neat idea.

Week 5- A great start to the week

The webinar was great help, thanks Professor and thanks everyone; I learned so much.  Can't wait to tinker around with some of the new tools.  Gimmiebar and Quora I think are going to be my new favorites. (O: I'll touch base about what I find, good luck everyone in your exploring!

Wk 4- Intellectual Property

When viewing the Voicethread from Dr. Dennen I realized how interesting the concept of intellectual property truly was.  This is so different than submitting a paper in class let's say, as all that can view something online can virtually use the information.  If we are to share ideas online is it fair use, rather than copyright or public domain that would become the most applicable rule to mandate the regulation?   For an online re-post for example?  Don't we need to give credit where credit is due?  How do we cite ( good old APA thoughts are streaming in here (o: ) the information we've gathered?  In my mind, fair use seems to be the most logical, rule to follow in this sense, although I know some underlying copyright and public domain concerns are in there as well.

I really liked the idea of attribution that the VT mentioned, as I think this is vital for Web 2.0 tools to stay afloat and available to those that utilize them.  It is not that ideas cannot be shared, but that by posting a link from the original blog of where you found something may indeed remedy many of the copyright concerns, before they technically become concerns which keeps everything in the right vein for advancement.  Thank you Professor Dennen for the VT, it was very helpful!  

Wk 4- Are Insiders Gatekeepers?

In reading professor Dennen’s article, “Intersecting Communities of Practice” it mentioned how communities of practice are essential for those beginning in a career path to attempt to identify with others in the field in a sort of apprenticeship.  This is precisely how we learn.  Something that also struck me while reading, was that communities of practice are reciprocal and should follow the precedent set forth by the Golden rule.  This metaphor granted me a lot clearer of an understanding of how sharing in the Web 2.0 world should ideally take place.  I also enjoyed reading about the “insiders” and am excited about feeling like we as designers are well on our way to creating various trajectories for our students to follow.   “Gatekeepers” may be too strong of a word to use here but the feel is definitely similar, as the insiders or SME’s, set the bar for what is considered pertinent. Often times insiders regulate or strongly influence in a sense, what is taken into the minds of their learners and what is left out.  

What do you guys think? Are insiders gatekeepers? 

Wk 4 -Storybird Fan

I love this tool! Thanks professor for setting up accounts for us!  Hey guys check mine out my first internet experience at :http://storybird.com/books/the-first-delicious-bite-of-internet/?token=9qkf3ebpmm

What a user-friendly tool and for any kind of content.  Who doesn't love a fun storybook introduction with great digital graphics? Such an upgrade from a PowerPoint presentation!

 I feel accomplished today; what a fun way to introduce any kind of learning to any kind of audience, love this, will definitely use it in the future.  (O:

Week 4-Censorship?

How do issues such as authorship, copyright, and open access impact your desire, ability and willingness to engage in produsage, both personally and professionally?

I think the authorship part is easy as we as designers both create and utilize the product.  However, it is the call of "sharing" in the Web 2.0 world that some of us may not desire to answer, as we are used to "owning" our work per se.  I think in our personal worlds we are more lax and ready to share new strategies, but professionally often times, we want to hold fast to what we have held so dear, our own design.  I think open access is on it's way to being maintained on a tighter lease by the powers at be a tad more and I wouldn't doubt that there is to come a day when we may even be "charged a fee " for being online.   Copyrights seem to be not as brutally regulated when it comes to Web 2.0 tools at the moment, but this may change as well.    None of these factors change my willingness to engage in produsage though, it is the wave of the future, use it or get let behind.

Wk 3-Password Pandemonium

As I join more and more networks I am beginning to feel that I need a Delicious account to bookmark my passwords.  (o: I realize this is not safe but I am beginning to feel like a hubspot for my passwords would be quite convenient, a private little corner shelf on iCloud or something of the like I suppose. For now a trusty pen and paper will do...just a fun thought to share. (o:  I can't help but think though as I join all of these networks, what eyes in the sky see everything?  Maybe this is a fallacy to some degree but I can't help think that the acronym "www" for world wide web, definitely means someone is watching.

Wk 3- Online Communities -A Very Small World

When reading the Shirky chapters this week, one thought resonated, six degrees of separation.  This premise that we are somehow all interconnected and the more exposed to the world you are then grants you more exposure in social realms was really neat to read about.  The book spoke of recluses and how their circle would be relatively smaller of network.  This thought that girl next door vs. online vs. Facebook cousins vs. Meetups for kayaking, all in one fell swoop all had an underlying tie, I found fascinating.  On p. 215 Shirky mentions "that Small World networks have two characteristics that, when balanced properly, let messages move through the network effectively." This is what makes online classes so effective as you are one group for one singled out cause, and in the same vein makes a lot of what's on Facebook so ineffective, it almost seems as the number least involved in an activity lends that activity more credit.  For example a following of an art page of some of the top artists in the world and their opinions which may be a harsher critique of one's work may harbor less of a following than perhaps a free lance artist still in his undergrad program making judgement calls on works of art.  Not to say that the novice may not be right, however, his following may exhibit more tweets shall we say, as popularity plays a role in this sense in this type of fervor.  A college student's social network also may be more expansive than that a of an art museum genius, who does indeed share  a "small world" with like-minded individuals most likely.      

Wk 3- Wikis-The Good, the Bad, and Possible Ugly

A collaborative wiki in my work environment of a high school classroom would provide an informal communication network between the teacher and students to field any questions or concerns that they may have when face time is not available or perhaps for them to vocalize concerns that students may be too shy to say aloud.  This would support learning and performance in several ways as student's could learn from each other's feedback, I as their teacher could view what the majority of the concerns were and perhaps cater my curriculum in that vein the next time to avoid such speed bumps in learning.  The ease of accessibility makes a wiki a priceless commodity.  In a day and age of smartphones and laptops galore students can just log in to gain assignments and feedback, not too shabby.

In a managerial vein taking wikis out of the classroom, I think a manager would have to be careful not to get too informal with his employees, wikis tend to be a very relaxed form of social media, I think a blog that a the manager headlines in a sense, would be more effective as a certain line of respect is sort of drawn in the sand if you will, of the boundaries of what is accepted in a formal environment and what is not.

A user-initiated effort to build a wiki may tend to be too jaded to that one user's viewpoint, this may not always be the case, but I feel like it might be a tightrope of opinion that may always have to be teeter-tottered if you will, if a user-initiated effort is not supervised.  For example, say an employee decided to created his own blog directed toward other coworkers about their office and workspace, this may lend itself to a sort of gossip central if not closely managed.

Wk 3-Right on Bruns & Humphreys!

Upon reading this article, many points were brought to light that I could agree with more, and many of the terms were broken down into layman's terms which helped immensely.  In "Building Collaborative Capacities in Learners" the authors broke down the elements of produsage into four characteristics of it being community-based, it having fluid roles in learning, it having unfinished products, and how it's products are common property, are points that really stood out to me.  For design,  these elements also make it a whole different animal to address as well.  I like how it mentioned how the designer takes on different roles throughout the project and how the product continually evolves in attempting to meet the needs of the community one is addressing.

The definition of produsage in this article also made it very clear to understand, contending that all participants are users and producers of information and knowledge in a Web 2.0 world, where in the good old days everyone was one or the other.

EME6414 Web 2.0: anytime, anywhere ... not everytime, everywhere (s...

I love it; there is something remarkable about being out of touch that is amazingly freeing and gratifying.  It seems to re-center our perspective a lot of times, at least that's been my experience.

Social Media Sharing- A Difference in Kind

 In completing this week's reading I couldn't get past this line..."What we are witnessing today is a difference in the degree of sharing so large it becomes a difference in kind" (Shirky 149).

In the old days of just email and print media, information wasn't shared as readily nor as easily, so it was much easier to contain it's dispersal.  With social media these days, before anyone can even confirm or deny a claim it's already everywhere, good, bad or ugly.  This can cause quite an inflammatory situation, and it is important that we sift through and identify by what means the information is gained.  Configuration of that material is key for the information to be considered reputable.  I remember going to school for my undergrad and researching whether or not a source was trustworthy when writing a paper, in the same way should all of these social media forums be weighed.  

EME6414 Web 2.0: for the locals (event - July 14 - CampWiki)

That sounds neat! Wish I could be there...someone let me know how it goes.

Diigo Exposed

Diigo is an interesting tool that I have begun to use this week.  The layout seems very similar to that of Facebook however it seems to be an internal intranet for the few subscribed to the group.  I liked Diigo though as it seemed a little more intriguing in a small online group setting as opposed to Facebook.  I was able to respond to a classmate's post and check out a helpful website she suggested.  I did feel safer communicating on Diigo rather than Facebook as you have to enter a password, several times to navigate the page.

Week 2 Produsage

The concept of produsage helps us immensely in our everyday lives by helping us reflect on our lives perhaps through blogging means, educate ourselves on new verbiage through sites such as Wikipedia, and  Facebook or Twitter help people keep in touch, via photos and messaging, often times lending morale support to each other in times of need.  Some folks may even use such sites to reinvent themselves into presenting their best selves as they can be anyone they want to be online.

I am definitely already a produser, I am am an avid user of email (I know... stone ages), I own a smartphone which uses Skpye and other user-led apps, and I also take a look at Facebook from time to time to enjoy photos from family and friends. I am just learning to tweet, thanks to this course, and am having fun exploring all of the options available.

 I think Facebook and Twitter can be used in a negative way often times to feed egos as well.  If used incorrectly this harmless medium for people to share and enjoy, can become a platform for people that are narcissistic to attempt to soak up a little more sunlight.   Usually this is a small offense, but it can become a problem if people become a little to self-indulgent with their posts and sort of become their own Facebook celebrity of which they've designed.  The medium should be should be used to bring people together in a better light, not as one person's ego stroke.

   All in all, whether it's to shop for textbooks, look up an unfamiliar term,  join a webinar, or share on a discussion board all are mediums by which we utilize produsage in our everyday lives and very soon many of these mechanisms will become a part of our professional lives as instructional designers.    

Common Craft Breakdown-Approved!

In watching the Common Craft videos, "fandangled" social media elements were broken down into a most familiar model that convey simplicity and common sense to the task.  It was educational, entertaining, and extremely creative.  It makes me feel a tad less intimidated that I won't need to use all elements of social media that we review but some will be used on a daily basis.  More less, we will need to be familiar with all and truly "know" the ends and outs of a relative few in comparison.  This is how I'm receiving the info if that's correct...better to know a few of these mediums at mastery level than a bunch at level 1 status I would suppose.  Enclosed is a pic of the hope diamond... to give us hope for continued success in this course! Don't worry I was allowed to take the picture. (O:

Tweet-a-leet-a-leet

Welcome to the world of Twitter! I have now joined the ranks of such stars as Pink, Lebron James, and Taylor Swift.  Woohoo! Here goes...

Kendall Kardashian's post was the first one that populated under my first login...hillarious, clearly I have not followed this thread, I am happy to report that life has not become that boring...lol  In all honesty, I was a tad leary of Twitter as I tend to have a aversion to the word hashtag, seems a little superfluous. (o:  All joking aside, I am learning how the system works and trying to hang with the best of 'em in navigating the tweet-a-leet-a-leet!  Smooth sailing everyone, tweet on!

Week 1-Digital Natives

Digital Natives----This term I was completely enamored with and I found it an interesting way to associate the younger generation with technology.  I also appreciated the association made from the readings that not all youngsters understand the new medium at a mastery level.  I also enjoyed how the Henry Jenkins article addressed the difference between digital immigrants and digital natives, giving renewed hope to those folks who are foreign to the means of utilizing so many new forms of technology.  He also addresses that educators must stay up with technology or risk not educating at a maximized rate of return.  The avoidance of technology in education at times has hindered the advancement of learning he contends.

A Touch of Encouragement

As I begin my blogging adventure it is a completely safe assumption to say that I am intimidated by the process, until I met little Avery.  While in an airport the week I watched a little boy, about age five, exit a plane fearlessly on his first solo flight.  As flight attendants scrambled for a few minutes to find his family at the new destination, Avery walked out with a huge smile, teddy bear in hand,  and head held high.  As I looked up from my textbook, I smiled.  In the very same way, I am Avery in this course.  This is my first attempt at "flying alone" in Bloggsville, land of the modern and tech savvy.  I feel very much like Avery in this course, figuring out what to do as I go along, making the effort to jump right in and hoping to come out successful on the other side!  I am enjoying blogging and starting to get the hang of it.  Here's to a safe and successful flight!  Glad to know there are good pilots on board to steer my path, as I am anti-crash. Thanks for tuning in! (o: