Hello all.
This marks the last assignment I have to compete in order to wrap up this school year before exams begin. At the beginning of this course, we learned about creating a positive digital footprint and were instructed to Google ourselves. As the course wraps up, we were instructed to do so again to see what our digital footprint looks like now. Due to the fact that I have a very common last name (Brown), there were no changes since the first time I completed this exercise. However, I do think that I have been conscious of creating a positive digital footprint through the tasks completed in the course and despite the fact that there are a lot of other Megan Browns in the world, this one definitely has worked hard to become a digital citizen and create a positive digital footprint!
Throughout this course, I have learned that by remembering the 9 elements of digital citizenship and practicing them, one is able to create a positive digital footprint. Essentially these 2 things go hand in hand. I have also learned that in order to promote quality online interactions with others, that understanding how to use digital tools (digital literacy), how to communicate online (digital communication), and understanding your digital rights and responsibilities are all necessary. Collaboration is often thought of as being something to be done through an in-person meeting. However, in the process of becoming a digital citizen, several tools were explored and used to make collaborating online just as easy as meeting in person.
As a digital citizen, in order to promote appropriate behaviours in others, it is important to share the knowledge that I have with others to help them improve and learn about the 9 elements of digital citizenship. It is also important to continue to strive to create a positive digital footprint in order to be a positive role model for other digital citizens. Sometimes it is important to refer back to websites' appropriate use pages or terms and conditions to remind yourself and others what information is shared with the world and what is considered inappropriate.
In order to help others develop knowledge to work and live in the digital society appropriately, the online blogging community can be used to share information about digital citizenship. Posting in online digital citizenship forums and sharing information via social media can also reach a larger audience to share these messages.
I look forward to continuing my journey in the digital world. I have really enjoyed blogging each week and hope to continue to do so as a form of journaling to reflect on my life experiences.
All the best!
Megan
Friday 1 April 2016
Sunday 27 March 2016
Webcasting Tools
Hello readers.
This week marks the last week of formal content in ADED 1P32. Time sure has flown by! I am looking forward to completing final exams and wrapping up the semester so that summer can officially begin. Although my job this summer will entail a lot of planning, goal setting, and strategic planning, I look forward to the new projects that it will bring. I also cannot wait to enjoy the nice weather and to have more time to relax.
The final topic explored in this course was webcasting tools. In an online physiology course that I was enrolled in last year, screencasts were used in place of attending lecture. I found these to be very helpful, as the powerpoint with key points were the main focus of the screencast while the professor explained the content in detail. I ended up being more successful in this course compared to courses with traditional in class delivery. I believe that this was the case due to the fact that I could re-watch the screencasts and hear the professor's explanation again while studying.
I chose to make a screencast to give viewers a snapshot of some key aspects of being a digital citizen in the digital world. This can be found on the Screencast page on my blog. I downloaded the program Jing to my computer in order to create the actual screencast. It was very user friendly and after watching a couple of the Jing tutorials, I was able to successfully create my first screencast! I used screencast.com, which securely hosts the screencasts created through Jing. To find out more about how these 2 tools work together, check out this webpage by TechSmith. I especially liked these 2 tools because I was reassured that video quality would not be altered and that users had control over the privacy of the content created.
I will definitely be adding Jing and screencast.com to my PLE diagram under the create section. I found them to be very user friendly and look forward to using them again for some tasks this summer that pertain to my job. There are some new online tools that we recently started using for the honour societies that I work for. I think that Jing and screencast.com will be helpful in creating tutorials on how to navigate these new tools so that our members can have a better understanding of them and so that the features of the sites can be used optimally and efficiently by our students.
We also learned how to add creative commons licenses to our blog. I've been so focused on citing the work of other authors, and never really though of protecting my own work. After seeing how long it takes to create original content, I definitely appreciate the fact that creative commons allows other users to share and build upon work that has been created.
I came across this blog post called The Secrets to a Happy Life, From a Harvard Study. This study has been ongoing for 75 years and shows that a major contributor to long term health and well being is the strength of your relationships with family, friends and spouses. I have learned a bit about this topic in a health sociology course that I am currently in, and found it interesting to read about some of the people in different demographics and how these factors contributed to their overall health. I am grateful for the strong relationship I have with my family, and reading this post made me even more excited to spend Easter with them tomorrow!
Cheers!
Megan
This week marks the last week of formal content in ADED 1P32. Time sure has flown by! I am looking forward to completing final exams and wrapping up the semester so that summer can officially begin. Although my job this summer will entail a lot of planning, goal setting, and strategic planning, I look forward to the new projects that it will bring. I also cannot wait to enjoy the nice weather and to have more time to relax.
The final topic explored in this course was webcasting tools. In an online physiology course that I was enrolled in last year, screencasts were used in place of attending lecture. I found these to be very helpful, as the powerpoint with key points were the main focus of the screencast while the professor explained the content in detail. I ended up being more successful in this course compared to courses with traditional in class delivery. I believe that this was the case due to the fact that I could re-watch the screencasts and hear the professor's explanation again while studying.
I chose to make a screencast to give viewers a snapshot of some key aspects of being a digital citizen in the digital world. This can be found on the Screencast page on my blog. I downloaded the program Jing to my computer in order to create the actual screencast. It was very user friendly and after watching a couple of the Jing tutorials, I was able to successfully create my first screencast! I used screencast.com, which securely hosts the screencasts created through Jing. To find out more about how these 2 tools work together, check out this webpage by TechSmith. I especially liked these 2 tools because I was reassured that video quality would not be altered and that users had control over the privacy of the content created.
I will definitely be adding Jing and screencast.com to my PLE diagram under the create section. I found them to be very user friendly and look forward to using them again for some tasks this summer that pertain to my job. There are some new online tools that we recently started using for the honour societies that I work for. I think that Jing and screencast.com will be helpful in creating tutorials on how to navigate these new tools so that our members can have a better understanding of them and so that the features of the sites can be used optimally and efficiently by our students.
We also learned how to add creative commons licenses to our blog. I've been so focused on citing the work of other authors, and never really though of protecting my own work. After seeing how long it takes to create original content, I definitely appreciate the fact that creative commons allows other users to share and build upon work that has been created.
This Week's Feedly Reader Article
I came across this blog post called The Secrets to a Happy Life, From a Harvard Study. This study has been ongoing for 75 years and shows that a major contributor to long term health and well being is the strength of your relationships with family, friends and spouses. I have learned a bit about this topic in a health sociology course that I am currently in, and found it interesting to read about some of the people in different demographics and how these factors contributed to their overall health. I am grateful for the strong relationship I have with my family, and reading this post made me even more excited to spend Easter with them tomorrow!
Cheers!
Megan
Saturday 19 March 2016
Slideshow Tools, Copyrights and Creative Commons
Hello all!
The school year is quickly coming to an end, which also means that several deadlines and assignments are also coming due very quickly. I took a much needed break today to go to Beechwood doughnuts. For those who aren't familiar with St. Catharines, this is definitely a staple if you're heading downtown! Now that I'm feeling full and refreshed, I can reflect on the tools used this week in ADED 1P32.
This week, we explored a creative knowledge tool called Animoto. This tool allows the user to create videos using photos, or video clips and is cloud based. I enjoyed learning how to use this tool as it was one of my original goals to add more tools to the "create" section of my PLE diagram. Although Animoto was simple to use, it does require users to pay to have the watermark removed from the videos created. I will explore this tool further and will add it to my PLE, but will definitely need to gain some more experience on it before I would consider paying for a subscription. Check out the Animoto page on my blog to see the slideshow video I created about copyright and creative commons.
Slideshow tools are a unique way of presenting information. In terms of getting immediate audience attention, these tools allow for the information to be displayed in a clear and creative way that will keep the viewers engaged. Information presented in the form of an Animoto slideshow, or Prezi, is often organized in a concise way. Being a visual learner, these methods of displaying and presenting information are ideal.
This week, we we also had the opportunity to learn more about creative commons, copyright laws and how they relate to becoming a digital citizen. This website about the basics of copyright had clear and easy to understand answers to common questions regarding copyright in Canada. In terms of being a digital citizen, it is important to remember to always give credit where credit is due when using information or content from another author.
This week, it was interesting to see that in the Edudemic blog called The 10 Skills Modern Teachers Must Have that # 2 and 4 on the list were "understand how to use technology", and "participate in social media". This list demonstrates that becoming a digital citizen is becoming more important as technology advances, both in the teaching profession, and in several other professions as well. It would be interesting to compare job requirements now to those 30-40 years ago. I can almost guarantee that several jobs now require the employee to be fluent with some sort of technology, online tool, or computer program in order to be a successful applicant.
Until next time,
Megan
The school year is quickly coming to an end, which also means that several deadlines and assignments are also coming due very quickly. I took a much needed break today to go to Beechwood doughnuts. For those who aren't familiar with St. Catharines, this is definitely a staple if you're heading downtown! Now that I'm feeling full and refreshed, I can reflect on the tools used this week in ADED 1P32.
This week, we explored a creative knowledge tool called Animoto. This tool allows the user to create videos using photos, or video clips and is cloud based. I enjoyed learning how to use this tool as it was one of my original goals to add more tools to the "create" section of my PLE diagram. Although Animoto was simple to use, it does require users to pay to have the watermark removed from the videos created. I will explore this tool further and will add it to my PLE, but will definitely need to gain some more experience on it before I would consider paying for a subscription. Check out the Animoto page on my blog to see the slideshow video I created about copyright and creative commons.
Slideshow tools are a unique way of presenting information. In terms of getting immediate audience attention, these tools allow for the information to be displayed in a clear and creative way that will keep the viewers engaged. Information presented in the form of an Animoto slideshow, or Prezi, is often organized in a concise way. Being a visual learner, these methods of displaying and presenting information are ideal.
This week, we we also had the opportunity to learn more about creative commons, copyright laws and how they relate to becoming a digital citizen. This website about the basics of copyright had clear and easy to understand answers to common questions regarding copyright in Canada. In terms of being a digital citizen, it is important to remember to always give credit where credit is due when using information or content from another author.
This Week's Feedly Reader Article
This week, it was interesting to see that in the Edudemic blog called The 10 Skills Modern Teachers Must Have that # 2 and 4 on the list were "understand how to use technology", and "participate in social media". This list demonstrates that becoming a digital citizen is becoming more important as technology advances, both in the teaching profession, and in several other professions as well. It would be interesting to compare job requirements now to those 30-40 years ago. I can almost guarantee that several jobs now require the employee to be fluent with some sort of technology, online tool, or computer program in order to be a successful applicant.
Until next time,
Megan
Sunday 13 March 2016
VoiceThread, Digital Rights and Responsibilities
Hello all!
This week in ADED 1P32 we explored VoiceThread and shared our comments regarding the various questions related to Digital Rights and Responsibilities that were brought up in the presentation. Check out the VoiceThread page that I have added to my blog to see the presentation we engaged with! I thoroughly enjoyed this time to critically reflect on ethical questions related to the responsibilities of a digital citizen.
I think that VoiceThread is more beneficial for instructors or those who are sharing a presentation with a group of people. It seemed like a form of an online lecture. I will add this to my PLE under the create section if I find myself using it to create presentations for different clubs and classes that I may be required to present in. I find that it would probably be more beneficial for someone giving a lecture or presentation for an online class or if the presenter was not able to physically attend the event as voice recording can be attached to the slides.
VoiceThread allows various users to collaborate on the presentation via voice comments, video or text written comments. Therefore, this could contribute to one's PLN as users can learn from each other through the comments made on the slides. This is definitely a different form of learning, as I am used to raising a hand to share comments or ask questions in a lecture setting. It is interesting to see how this style of learning can manifest in an online format through tools such as VoiceThread.
The past few weeks have focused on Digital Rights & Responsibilities. I think that these 2 concepts are very important to keep in mind when discussing digital citizenship. Although one may be fluent with online tools and technology, it is important to remember that just like we have to follow rules and regulations in society, there are also rules and regulations to follow online and in the technological world. I think that people often take for granted the fact that technology is so readily accessible and therefore makes it easy to communicate behind an avatar or behind a screen. My rule of thumb is, if I wouldn't say it to someone face to face, I shouldn't say it online!
This Week's Feedly Reader Article
This week, I came across a very interesting article in the New York Times Well Blog regarding digital identity and children. I found this article to be very fitting with the course topic of Digital Rights and Responsibilities. In their discussion of how parents are sharing several moments of their children's lives, it made me think about how young kids, especially babies, are more than likely unaware of their rights as a digital citizen. In this day in age, it seems as though one's digital footprint is being established at birth, even before the child is able to use technology.
Until next time,
Megan
DISCUSSION: Technology Use Scenario- Passwords and Privacy
Scenario: Ms. Deal does not like having several passwords for all her accounts. Because she has so many she gets into the habit of writing the passwords on a sticky note on her monitor so she won't forget. While she is out of her office, John, a student who had been in trouble in her class earlier in the day, comes by her office. He sees the passwords and writes down the one for Ms. Deal's email account. John goes to another computer, logs in as Ms. Deal and sends several insulting emails to other staff members. How could this have been avoided?
It appears as though Ms. Deal is not making use of technology that can be used to store her passwords. Writing it down on a sticky note is not secure and very accessible to others. Thus, she has enabled a student to compromise her email account. There are softwares and free applications that store passwords, so all Ms. Deal would have to do in the future is remember 1 password to gain access to all of the others that she has stored in the app or on the password keeper software. Ms. Deal's right to digital privacy has now been compromised due to the fact that John has access to her email account. Therefore, John is also in the wrong and has inappropriately disrespected Ms. Deal's right to privacy and has proven that he is not a trustworthy digital citizen.
What are your thoughts?
It appears as though Ms. Deal is not making use of technology that can be used to store her passwords. Writing it down on a sticky note is not secure and very accessible to others. Thus, she has enabled a student to compromise her email account. There are softwares and free applications that store passwords, so all Ms. Deal would have to do in the future is remember 1 password to gain access to all of the others that she has stored in the app or on the password keeper software. Ms. Deal's right to digital privacy has now been compromised due to the fact that John has access to her email account. Therefore, John is also in the wrong and has inappropriately disrespected Ms. Deal's right to privacy and has proven that he is not a trustworthy digital citizen.
What are your thoughts?
Sunday 6 March 2016
The Wonderful World Of Wikis
Hello readers,
This week in ADED 1P32, we explored the world of Wikis and reflected on digital rights and responsibilities.
I was not very familiar with the editing capabilities of a wiki before I read about them on How Stuff Works. I think that wikis are a useful tool that support learning as they allow users to share their knowledge about various topics. In this regard, wikis are a great way to learn from one another and to collaborate with an unlimited number of different people. This collaboration allows for unique or new information to be shared, and in turn, can enrich one's knowledge and increase their ability to gather information about a given topic.
From my personal experience exploring Wikis, I found that the hyperlinks to journals are a great way to find peer reviewed information. Wikis are a great place to start when looking for general overviews of more complex topics. The fact that anyone can edit a wiki (such as Wikipedia), has its benefits and drawbacks. Although it is a great way to learn from others, due to the aforementioned statement, it is important to have peer reviewed references that support what was said, to ensure that the source was credible.
In comparing Wikis with Google Docs, I foresee Google Docs being of greater use for me, personally. Due to the nature of the work that I complete throughout my courses, it is beneficial to be able to see the information that is being shared synchronously via a google doc. I find that it is also more beneficial to have a suite where documents can be saved and edited in file formats, whereas a wiki tends to encompass several links to different pages, all accessible via a single webpage. In terms of the comparison between Wikis and Google Docs, I found this table to be very helpful in distinguishing between the two and to pinpoint the key pros and cons of each.
In my exploration of digital rights and responsibilities, I noted that citing resources, being respectful of other users, and privacy were my top 3 choices in this category. The diagram below is a mind map that briefly outlines each right and responsibility that digital citizens should have a general understanding of.
This week in ADED 1P32, we explored the world of Wikis and reflected on digital rights and responsibilities.
I was not very familiar with the editing capabilities of a wiki before I read about them on How Stuff Works. I think that wikis are a useful tool that support learning as they allow users to share their knowledge about various topics. In this regard, wikis are a great way to learn from one another and to collaborate with an unlimited number of different people. This collaboration allows for unique or new information to be shared, and in turn, can enrich one's knowledge and increase their ability to gather information about a given topic.
From my personal experience exploring Wikis, I found that the hyperlinks to journals are a great way to find peer reviewed information. Wikis are a great place to start when looking for general overviews of more complex topics. The fact that anyone can edit a wiki (such as Wikipedia), has its benefits and drawbacks. Although it is a great way to learn from others, due to the aforementioned statement, it is important to have peer reviewed references that support what was said, to ensure that the source was credible.
In comparing Wikis with Google Docs, I foresee Google Docs being of greater use for me, personally. Due to the nature of the work that I complete throughout my courses, it is beneficial to be able to see the information that is being shared synchronously via a google doc. I find that it is also more beneficial to have a suite where documents can be saved and edited in file formats, whereas a wiki tends to encompass several links to different pages, all accessible via a single webpage. In terms of the comparison between Wikis and Google Docs, I found this table to be very helpful in distinguishing between the two and to pinpoint the key pros and cons of each.
In my exploration of digital rights and responsibilities, I noted that citing resources, being respectful of other users, and privacy were my top 3 choices in this category. The diagram below is a mind map that briefly outlines each right and responsibility that digital citizens should have a general understanding of.
 |
| Brown, M. (CC) 2016 |
This Week's Feedly Reader Article
This week, I added a few new blogs to my Feedly reader that pertain more to digital citizenship. Since we have been studying collaboration tools, I decided to share this link that talks about OneDrive. It gives a general overview of OneDrive, which is very similar to Google Drive, but more specific to Microsoft devices. It is cloud based storage that allows for file sharing and collaboration.
Until next week,
Megan
Saturday 27 February 2016
Collaborative Work Using Google Drive
Hello readers!
Last week was reading week, which was much needed for the extra time to work on a few projects! Luckily, my group for the ADED 1P32 project was eager and prepared to get started early, so we were very productive during the break! Before this class, I was used to meeting up with group members in person to divide and conquer the tasks for group projects. This week, I learned that it is a lot easier to collaborate online than I initially thought!
I was already very familiar with Google Drive as I have ongoing projects in 3 of my other classes that I have been using it for. I find that Google Drive is the most user friendly collaborative tool and is very effective in keeping group projects organized. 3 uses for Google Docs/Google Drive that I find helpful are using it to share meeting minutes (especially for those unable to attend; they can keep track of what is going on in real time as the meeting is happening), brainstorming ideas for group projects, and using it to store files and documents that need to be accessed from other computers/locations. This youtube video by Google highlights the main reasons why I prefer Google Drive, especially for sharing documents. Rather than sending them via email, which creates a copy, storing them in the drive allows all collaborators to edit 1 document.
I will definitely be keeping this tool on my PLE diagram under the collaborate section. This week, my goal is to review the tools used so far, and evaluate how much I have been using them and whether or not they have been beneficial. We have explored so many new tools and there are a lot to keep track of. Initially, I was under the impression that I would have to use all of them for the duration of the course, but now knowing that we only have to keep the ones that help us the most creates more time to explore our favourite tools. Taking another look at all of the tools and ranking them in order of usefulness needs to be done in order to finalize my PLE by the end of the course.
This Week's Feedly Reader Article
This week, I came across an article that discussed a new online program called Open eBooks. This is a program where children and students in need can access free ebooks on android or IOS devices provided by public libraries, schools and educators serving children in need. Literacy skills are very important skills to learn in order to succeed in life, and digital literacy is becoming more relevant with advancements in technology. I believe that this initiative is a great way to increase fundamental literacy skills (i.e. reading and writing), and at the same time, digital literacy skills for those who may not otherwise have the means to do so.
Until next week,
Megan
Sunday 14 February 2016
Exploring Evernote
Hello readers!
After a long week of midterms, meetings and assignments, it is finally reading week! I am looking forward to spending time with family and plan to make the most of my time off by getting ahead on projects and readings for the remainder of the semester. Catching up on sleep is also on my list of things to do!
This week in ADED 1P32, we explored Evernote, which is essentially a cloud-based digital workspace. Being unfamiliar with this tool, I found this Introduction to Evernote SlideShare presentation helpful as it oriented me with the core features and functions. We are currently researching Digital Literacy for a collaborative group project in this class. I found that Evernote is a great way to collect and bookmark information that we may need in assembling our final presentation.
My favourite feature in Evernote is the tagging option. I like to keep everything in life, especially school work and notes, as organized as possible. I have gotten into the old-fashioned habit of organizing my notes using a binder and having dividers for each subject. Imagine doing this every year from grade 9 to 3rd year of university... Needless to say, I have a large collection of binders that I am running out of storage space for (and just cannot get rid of because I feel like there may be something that I can use later on!). The tags on Evernote are like a table-of-contents that guide you to the dividers in a binder. In the notebook that I created for Digital Literacy, I tagged each note or clipping with what type of material it was and included digital literacy, so that if I happen to create subsequent notebooks, I can easily search "Digital Literacy" to find all of the information categorized about that topic in a table-of-contents type format.
Evernote is a tool that I will add to the "Aggregate" section of my PLE diagram because it is a great way to collect information and have access to it all in one place. Being at the half-way point in this course, I have had the opportunity to enhance my digital literacy skills through exploring various online tools and reflecting upon them each week. Although some tools have been more useful than others, the new tools that I have added to my PLE have made a positive contribution to my education (i.e. being better able to collaborate with others online, keeping documents more centralized and organized, enhancing my networking skills, etc).
After a long week of midterms, meetings and assignments, it is finally reading week! I am looking forward to spending time with family and plan to make the most of my time off by getting ahead on projects and readings for the remainder of the semester. Catching up on sleep is also on my list of things to do!
This week in ADED 1P32, we explored Evernote, which is essentially a cloud-based digital workspace. Being unfamiliar with this tool, I found this Introduction to Evernote SlideShare presentation helpful as it oriented me with the core features and functions. We are currently researching Digital Literacy for a collaborative group project in this class. I found that Evernote is a great way to collect and bookmark information that we may need in assembling our final presentation.
 |
| Brown, M. (CC) 2016 |
Evernote is a tool that I will add to the "Aggregate" section of my PLE diagram because it is a great way to collect information and have access to it all in one place. Being at the half-way point in this course, I have had the opportunity to enhance my digital literacy skills through exploring various online tools and reflecting upon them each week. Although some tools have been more useful than others, the new tools that I have added to my PLE have made a positive contribution to my education (i.e. being better able to collaborate with others online, keeping documents more centralized and organized, enhancing my networking skills, etc).
This Week's Feedly Reader Article
Seeing that the focus of our course last week was Twitter, I found the article called Your hospital can and should harness the power of Twitter particularly interesting. I agree with the article in terms of using Twitter to connect with and obtain feedback from patients. Being heavily involved in hospital quality improvement projects, I think that using technology is an efficient and cost-effective way to engage patients and have them provide their feedback to guide patient-centered quality improvement interventions. Oftentimes, it is a challenge to obtain the feedback needed to guide QI projects. Our project is still in its early phases, and it will be interesting to see whether or not technology is a preferred method of collecting feedback in the Niagara Region, due to the aging population and whether or not this demographic has access to technology.
Saturday 6 February 2016
Creating my PLN
Hello all!
This week in ADED 1P32, I enjoyed getting to use Twitter to expand my PLN. Twitter is a tool that I am already familiar with, and that I use both personally and for both my job. I decided to create a new account for ADED 1P32 so that I could establish an education/online learning theme for this microblog, as my other twitter account is less structured and has more of a leisurely focus. Feel free to follow my ADED 1P32 twitter @mbrownADED or my personal twitter @ohheyitsmegs.
The Youtube video called How To Build Your PLN (Professional Learning Network) guided me to start thinking ahead about what I have to offer to my PLN and what will I learn from it. Students in ADED 1P32 are all unique and have different passions, perspectives and ideas about learning that can be shared with others in their PLN. Simply put, a PLN is a way to share knowledge and learn from others.
I initially included Twitter in my PLE under the connect and share heading. This week, I became more familiar with the "lists" function of twitter and found it helpful in locating my classmates. Lists are helpful if categorized by theme (i.e. students in ADED 1P32, news accounts, etc). If you are looking to find specific updates when checking your twitter feed, you can save time by scrolling through a list rather than the entire feed with all of your followers' updates.
I am interested in using Twitter for this class as I have yet to be able to use a form of microblogging/social media for educational purposes. I think it is a great way to network with others and can really affect the way people perceive you in a digital context. Through this course, I have been able to share my learning experiences with new online tools, and at the same time, have applied them to my medical sciences courses. Thus far, I have learned that becoming a digital citizen is applicable to all degrees and fields of work, and that becoming fluent with various online tools can contribute to increased efficiency, organization, and collaboration in any field.
Each week, I share an interesting article from my Feedly reader. From this week onward, I will create a separate subheading in my blogs for articles to keep things more organized.
This week, I read an article from the Hospital Impact blog that discussed good health being a societal issue rather than a medical issue. The following quote from the article resonated with me and got me thinking about health quality improvement in terms of what can be done to address the social determinants of health at the primary care level: "It is time we look beyond the four walls of our institutions and see how we can partner with those who have already mastered things like housing and employment". I have learned a lot about varying perspectives of the definition of health, and that it is more than just the absence of disease. As a student studying medical science and healthcare systems, I have come to learn that there are many underlying causes of ill health that can contribute to a patient's symptoms. I feel that it is necessary for medicine to be a multidisciplinary field, not only comprised of healthcare professionals, but also including professionals in housing, employment, etc., as these are major contributors to the overall health of a patient.
Until next week,
Megan
This week in ADED 1P32, I enjoyed getting to use Twitter to expand my PLN. Twitter is a tool that I am already familiar with, and that I use both personally and for both my job. I decided to create a new account for ADED 1P32 so that I could establish an education/online learning theme for this microblog, as my other twitter account is less structured and has more of a leisurely focus. Feel free to follow my ADED 1P32 twitter @mbrownADED or my personal twitter @ohheyitsmegs.
The Youtube video called How To Build Your PLN (Professional Learning Network) guided me to start thinking ahead about what I have to offer to my PLN and what will I learn from it. Students in ADED 1P32 are all unique and have different passions, perspectives and ideas about learning that can be shared with others in their PLN. Simply put, a PLN is a way to share knowledge and learn from others.
I initially included Twitter in my PLE under the connect and share heading. This week, I became more familiar with the "lists" function of twitter and found it helpful in locating my classmates. Lists are helpful if categorized by theme (i.e. students in ADED 1P32, news accounts, etc). If you are looking to find specific updates when checking your twitter feed, you can save time by scrolling through a list rather than the entire feed with all of your followers' updates.
I am interested in using Twitter for this class as I have yet to be able to use a form of microblogging/social media for educational purposes. I think it is a great way to network with others and can really affect the way people perceive you in a digital context. Through this course, I have been able to share my learning experiences with new online tools, and at the same time, have applied them to my medical sciences courses. Thus far, I have learned that becoming a digital citizen is applicable to all degrees and fields of work, and that becoming fluent with various online tools can contribute to increased efficiency, organization, and collaboration in any field.
Each week, I share an interesting article from my Feedly reader. From this week onward, I will create a separate subheading in my blogs for articles to keep things more organized.
This Week's Feedly Reader Article:
This week, I read an article from the Hospital Impact blog that discussed good health being a societal issue rather than a medical issue. The following quote from the article resonated with me and got me thinking about health quality improvement in terms of what can be done to address the social determinants of health at the primary care level: "It is time we look beyond the four walls of our institutions and see how we can partner with those who have already mastered things like housing and employment". I have learned a lot about varying perspectives of the definition of health, and that it is more than just the absence of disease. As a student studying medical science and healthcare systems, I have come to learn that there are many underlying causes of ill health that can contribute to a patient's symptoms. I feel that it is necessary for medicine to be a multidisciplinary field, not only comprised of healthcare professionals, but also including professionals in housing, employment, etc., as these are major contributors to the overall health of a patient.
Until next week,
Megan
Saturday 30 January 2016
Curate, Collaborate, and the Common Cold
Hello all,
This week in ADED 1P32, various web curation tools were explored. I found Diigo to be particularly useful because not only does it allow you to bookmark pages to go back to in the future, it also allows for annotation and highlighting of webpages. To familiarize myself with Diigo, I began by doing a search of pre-operative clinic assessments for my health quality improvement project. I hope to share this tool with the rest of my team so that we can collaborate when working on our literature review by annotating the articles and highlighting the key points from each. This way, everyone can get a general overview about the articles and not have to worry about spending countless hours reading through information that may not be relevant to our topic.
I think that Diigo will also be useful when studying for an infection control class that I am currently enrolled in. Each week, we are required to read a pre-selected article pertaining to infection control and safety topics. I uploaded this week's article to Diigo and was able to highlight the key points that show up in a list in the "My Library" section underneath the article title. I found this to be very beneficial because each week, we are quizzed on these articles. Being able to highlight and review a list of key points will save time while studying as I can review the list made, rather than re-reading the full article repeatedly. I will be adding this to the aggregate category of my PLE as it is a great way to collect information and store it in one spot for future reference.
Another curation tool that I discovered this week was Flipboard. It reminds me of Pinterest, but instead, is more specific and revolves around finding articles and recent news updates related to various topics. I enjoy the fact that my cover stories are tailored to my interests and it is convenient to be able to save specific articles by "flipping" them into your own digital magazine. This tool also fits well under the aggregate section of my PLE. I can see it being beneficial in the future for sharing common interests, or for sharing information regarding project topics and also to know why people "flipped" certain stories into the magazine (Flipboard provides a section when flipping to leave a comment so that others know why it was saved).
As a student, I often (actually, more like always) find myself spending far more time studying and completing school work than sleeping. Due to the fact that it is cold and flu season (and also midterm season), it seemed fitting to read an article in my Feedly reader that described the link between sleep and colds. One of the most interesting facts was that those who sleep less than 7 hours were 3 times more likely to catch a cold after exposure compared to those who sleep 8 hours or more. I tend to have good time management skills, so hopefully between that and relying on hand sanitizer, echinacea, and vitamin C, I can stay healthy enough to ace all of my exams!
Until next week,
Megan
This week in ADED 1P32, various web curation tools were explored. I found Diigo to be particularly useful because not only does it allow you to bookmark pages to go back to in the future, it also allows for annotation and highlighting of webpages. To familiarize myself with Diigo, I began by doing a search of pre-operative clinic assessments for my health quality improvement project. I hope to share this tool with the rest of my team so that we can collaborate when working on our literature review by annotating the articles and highlighting the key points from each. This way, everyone can get a general overview about the articles and not have to worry about spending countless hours reading through information that may not be relevant to our topic.
I think that Diigo will also be useful when studying for an infection control class that I am currently enrolled in. Each week, we are required to read a pre-selected article pertaining to infection control and safety topics. I uploaded this week's article to Diigo and was able to highlight the key points that show up in a list in the "My Library" section underneath the article title. I found this to be very beneficial because each week, we are quizzed on these articles. Being able to highlight and review a list of key points will save time while studying as I can review the list made, rather than re-reading the full article repeatedly. I will be adding this to the aggregate category of my PLE as it is a great way to collect information and store it in one spot for future reference.
Another curation tool that I discovered this week was Flipboard. It reminds me of Pinterest, but instead, is more specific and revolves around finding articles and recent news updates related to various topics. I enjoy the fact that my cover stories are tailored to my interests and it is convenient to be able to save specific articles by "flipping" them into your own digital magazine. This tool also fits well under the aggregate section of my PLE. I can see it being beneficial in the future for sharing common interests, or for sharing information regarding project topics and also to know why people "flipped" certain stories into the magazine (Flipboard provides a section when flipping to leave a comment so that others know why it was saved).
As a student, I often (actually, more like always) find myself spending far more time studying and completing school work than sleeping. Due to the fact that it is cold and flu season (and also midterm season), it seemed fitting to read an article in my Feedly reader that described the link between sleep and colds. One of the most interesting facts was that those who sleep less than 7 hours were 3 times more likely to catch a cold after exposure compared to those who sleep 8 hours or more. I tend to have good time management skills, so hopefully between that and relying on hand sanitizer, echinacea, and vitamin C, I can stay healthy enough to ace all of my exams!
Until next week,
Megan
Sunday 24 January 2016
Week 3 Report and Reflection
Hello all!
This week in ADED 1P32 focused on RSS feed readers and following blogs. I'm very excited to virtually get to know my classmates and engage in discussions with them. Educause described RSS feeds as customized, up-to-date resource for academic work. Due to the nature of my program in university, I definitely think that using an RSS feed reader, like Feedly, will help me to discover new medical studies and discoveries that will be useful for research papers and lab reports.
RSS feed readers allow for easier access to information in a digital environment. I think the best way to describe it is one central place for the broad scope of information that exists online. In terms of digital citizenship and digital literacy, tasks can be performed more efficiently on the web using RSS, especially when conducting research. These tools are beneficial for making the most out of the web. Instead of the user spending valuable time searching the internet for information, RSS feed readers are able to collect all of the information the user wants and presents it to them in one convenient location.
This week was my first time using a RSS feed reader and I have added it to the aggregate section of my PLE diagram. It is a useful way to organize information online by keeping it all in one convenient place. I would also consider it a good organization tool and could possibly include it in that section of my PLE diagram as well. This goes to show how diverse some tools are and that many digital tools serve more than one purpose for learning.
In my RSS feed this week, I came across another interesting medical article in the New York Times that discussed HPV vaccination rates being highest among Hispanic girls in poorer areas in the USA. Based on the social determinants of health, this article left me wondering what the cause of these different statistics was. The article mentioned that resistance to vaccines among richer people and promotion of programs that offer free vaccinations to poorer people may contribute to the differences. While reading a follow up article that was referenced regarding refusal of vaccination, I realized that health education is vitally important for all people with respect to the HPV vaccination (and not merely those in poorer communities who may not be able to afford the vaccine). In generating health education programs, statistics are crucial in determining where the need for more education lies within a country (in this case, it seems that richer communities need more education).
In the aforementioned case, it is important to debunk the myths surrounding the HPV vaccination. Due to the large amounts of (not always accurate) medical information that is readily accessible to people today, it is important to have health education programs that are both rooted in facts and research, and that also provide people with a better understanding of the benefits of vaccination. After taking courses in immunology and medical microbiology, I have definitely gained a better understanding of vaccinations, and always find myself doing research in this field to hopefully be able to pursue a career in which I am able to educate others to improve their overall health and reduce the risk of the spread of infectious diseases.
In no way am I trying to force anyone to go and get vaccinated; the aforementioned is simply just my opinion, and I hope that through my future studies in medicine, that I will become more knowledgeable in the field.
Thanks for reading my blog this week!
Megan
 |
| Brown, M. (CC) 2016 |
RSS feed readers allow for easier access to information in a digital environment. I think the best way to describe it is one central place for the broad scope of information that exists online. In terms of digital citizenship and digital literacy, tasks can be performed more efficiently on the web using RSS, especially when conducting research. These tools are beneficial for making the most out of the web. Instead of the user spending valuable time searching the internet for information, RSS feed readers are able to collect all of the information the user wants and presents it to them in one convenient location.
This week was my first time using a RSS feed reader and I have added it to the aggregate section of my PLE diagram. It is a useful way to organize information online by keeping it all in one convenient place. I would also consider it a good organization tool and could possibly include it in that section of my PLE diagram as well. This goes to show how diverse some tools are and that many digital tools serve more than one purpose for learning.
In my RSS feed this week, I came across another interesting medical article in the New York Times that discussed HPV vaccination rates being highest among Hispanic girls in poorer areas in the USA. Based on the social determinants of health, this article left me wondering what the cause of these different statistics was. The article mentioned that resistance to vaccines among richer people and promotion of programs that offer free vaccinations to poorer people may contribute to the differences. While reading a follow up article that was referenced regarding refusal of vaccination, I realized that health education is vitally important for all people with respect to the HPV vaccination (and not merely those in poorer communities who may not be able to afford the vaccine). In generating health education programs, statistics are crucial in determining where the need for more education lies within a country (in this case, it seems that richer communities need more education).
In the aforementioned case, it is important to debunk the myths surrounding the HPV vaccination. Due to the large amounts of (not always accurate) medical information that is readily accessible to people today, it is important to have health education programs that are both rooted in facts and research, and that also provide people with a better understanding of the benefits of vaccination. After taking courses in immunology and medical microbiology, I have definitely gained a better understanding of vaccinations, and always find myself doing research in this field to hopefully be able to pursue a career in which I am able to educate others to improve their overall health and reduce the risk of the spread of infectious diseases.
In no way am I trying to force anyone to go and get vaccinated; the aforementioned is simply just my opinion, and I hope that through my future studies in medicine, that I will become more knowledgeable in the field.
Thanks for reading my blog this week!
Megan
Friday 22 January 2016
My Experience with RSS Feeds
Happy Friday!
I had the day off today, so I though this would be a great opportunity to brew a cup of coffee and read through some of the new posts in my Feedly reader. Yesterday was my 1st time setting up an RSS feed, and after doing so, I think I'm really going to enjoy it! I love being organized and the fact that I can categorize, sort and read about topics that I am interested all in one place is very exciting for me.
One of the first things that I subscribed to was the New York Times Heath Research section. I came across an article in the "well" blog called Using Phones to Connect Children to Health Care. In my health promotion class last semester, we learned about how technology can shape the future of health promotion as a source of sharing health information, so when I came across this post in my reader, I immediately needed to read it in full.
It was interesting to read about how health care can be incorporated into technology, especially cell phones, that new generations are using on a daily basis. Although I do believe that it is necessary for face to face check ups and assessments, I also feel that technology can be very useful for ensuring that those living with chronic illness are following their health regimens. The blog post mentions that teenagers with chronic illnesses such as Type 1 diabetes may follow regimens better with text reminders. This is a very innovative way to reach patients, and in my opinion, more effective than providing them with pages of literature to read through.
In the future, I can see technology being more prominent within the health care field because we live in a digital world. Some of the important factors involved in achieving a high performing health system are patient centeredness, efficiency, and timeliness. Technology is readily accessible and something that is used by several patients today. Thus, in many ways it can be used to contribute to a high performing system.
I had the day off today, so I though this would be a great opportunity to brew a cup of coffee and read through some of the new posts in my Feedly reader. Yesterday was my 1st time setting up an RSS feed, and after doing so, I think I'm really going to enjoy it! I love being organized and the fact that I can categorize, sort and read about topics that I am interested all in one place is very exciting for me.
One of the first things that I subscribed to was the New York Times Heath Research section. I came across an article in the "well" blog called Using Phones to Connect Children to Health Care. In my health promotion class last semester, we learned about how technology can shape the future of health promotion as a source of sharing health information, so when I came across this post in my reader, I immediately needed to read it in full.
It was interesting to read about how health care can be incorporated into technology, especially cell phones, that new generations are using on a daily basis. Although I do believe that it is necessary for face to face check ups and assessments, I also feel that technology can be very useful for ensuring that those living with chronic illness are following their health regimens. The blog post mentions that teenagers with chronic illnesses such as Type 1 diabetes may follow regimens better with text reminders. This is a very innovative way to reach patients, and in my opinion, more effective than providing them with pages of literature to read through.
In the future, I can see technology being more prominent within the health care field because we live in a digital world. Some of the important factors involved in achieving a high performing health system are patient centeredness, efficiency, and timeliness. Technology is readily accessible and something that is used by several patients today. Thus, in many ways it can be used to contribute to a high performing system.
Saturday 16 January 2016
Week 2 Report and Reflection- PLE
Hi readers,
This week in ADED 1P32, I created a PLE (personal learning environment). After doing some reading, I found that a paper by Graham Attwell simply defined a PLE as different tools that we use in our everyday life for learning. This definition got me thinking about the various tools that I currently use in my day to day life.
When given the task to create a PLE, I found it necessary to read all of the background resources provided and took some time to reflect on my learning experiences. I realized that a PLE is more than just listing the tools that you use for learning; it is also a way to evaluate how the tools enhance your learning and can help you determine what you can add to your PLE in order to be more successful in the future. The questions throughout the prezi by Andre Malan helped to guide my reflection and allowed me to analyze my goals, who I am now, who I want to become in the future and how my current learning environment can help me to achieve these goals.
This is the first time I actually sat down for a long while and wrote out all of the things I hope to become in the future. Having never done this before, my list (or should I say pages) of notes provided me with some clarity and was an overwhelmingly positive experience to be able to critically assess my goals and to have an idea of what I will need to reach my future goals.
To summarize my notes from this personal reflection process, I found that currently, I am very career driven and still in the discovery phase of what it is that I wish to pursue in the future. I know that I want to pursue a career in healthcare, but still need to determine what I am truly passionate about so that I can narrow down the options to something that I will thoroughly enjoy.
After describing my future self, I noticed that the description expanded from being more career focused, to a more well rounded "lifestyle" focus. I think that this is due to the assumption that in the future, I will have chosen the ideal career, thus allowing me to move on to experience the many other aspects of life, such as marriage, travelling, and applying my career experiences to better the lives of others around the world.
In order to achieve my goals, I noted that having hands on experience through internships will be necessary, as well as being more fluent with online communication to convey scientific and medical messages. I realized that in order for me to achieve my goals, I need to be in an environment that supports lifelong learning, as the medical field is an ever changing world. I work best in an environment that is free of negativity, and that contains peers and a support system for me to share my ideas with. I realized that I need to have more faith in myself and to give myself more credit for the things that I do.
As per my last blog post, I am a medical sciences student and I also work for Brock University in the Student Life and Community Experience department. In creating my PLE, I found that many of the tools listed were the ones which have helped me with both my studies and my job. I am a student coordinator for the honour societies on campus, so I tend to use various organizational tools to schedule meetings, such as Doodle and Outlook calendar.
Collaboration is important in the Student Life department, and also for completing group assignments. Brock's online involvement portal called ExperienceBU, allows many student groups to collaborate, share and collect information, and to stay informed. It is a tool that probably falls under almost all of the categories in my PLE.
Being a science student who writes several lab reports and complies literature to complete assignments, I often need to aggregate the references I find for ease of access later on (before I started using Refworks and Zotero, I was keeping roughly 20-30 tabs open on my laptop until I finished the assignment... definitely not an efficient process!)
I haven't had much experience working with the tools in the create category of my PLE. It was through my job that I discovered Canva, when I had marketing tasks to complete and needed a simple and quick way to design appealing posters needed to promote an event. I definitely look forward to discovering more tools to add to this section of my PLE.
The connect and share category contains several social media tools, as well as the newest addition being Blogger. I use the majority of these tools to communicate and share messages with family and friends. I also find that in terms of learning, it is becoming more common to use social media such as Facebook to connect with group members for assignments. Apple Mail on my laptop enables me to check all of my email accounts to stay updated with what is going on at school, at work, and in my personal life.
The word cloud I created helped to visually highlight the key words relating to what ADED 1P32 is all about. It is a good reminder of the key concepts that will contribute to my learning in the future.
This week in ADED 1P32, I created a PLE (personal learning environment). After doing some reading, I found that a paper by Graham Attwell simply defined a PLE as different tools that we use in our everyday life for learning. This definition got me thinking about the various tools that I currently use in my day to day life.
When given the task to create a PLE, I found it necessary to read all of the background resources provided and took some time to reflect on my learning experiences. I realized that a PLE is more than just listing the tools that you use for learning; it is also a way to evaluate how the tools enhance your learning and can help you determine what you can add to your PLE in order to be more successful in the future. The questions throughout the prezi by Andre Malan helped to guide my reflection and allowed me to analyze my goals, who I am now, who I want to become in the future and how my current learning environment can help me to achieve these goals.
This is the first time I actually sat down for a long while and wrote out all of the things I hope to become in the future. Having never done this before, my list (or should I say pages) of notes provided me with some clarity and was an overwhelmingly positive experience to be able to critically assess my goals and to have an idea of what I will need to reach my future goals.
To summarize my notes from this personal reflection process, I found that currently, I am very career driven and still in the discovery phase of what it is that I wish to pursue in the future. I know that I want to pursue a career in healthcare, but still need to determine what I am truly passionate about so that I can narrow down the options to something that I will thoroughly enjoy.
After describing my future self, I noticed that the description expanded from being more career focused, to a more well rounded "lifestyle" focus. I think that this is due to the assumption that in the future, I will have chosen the ideal career, thus allowing me to move on to experience the many other aspects of life, such as marriage, travelling, and applying my career experiences to better the lives of others around the world.
In order to achieve my goals, I noted that having hands on experience through internships will be necessary, as well as being more fluent with online communication to convey scientific and medical messages. I realized that in order for me to achieve my goals, I need to be in an environment that supports lifelong learning, as the medical field is an ever changing world. I work best in an environment that is free of negativity, and that contains peers and a support system for me to share my ideas with. I realized that I need to have more faith in myself and to give myself more credit for the things that I do.
As per my last blog post, I am a medical sciences student and I also work for Brock University in the Student Life and Community Experience department. In creating my PLE, I found that many of the tools listed were the ones which have helped me with both my studies and my job. I am a student coordinator for the honour societies on campus, so I tend to use various organizational tools to schedule meetings, such as Doodle and Outlook calendar.
Collaboration is important in the Student Life department, and also for completing group assignments. Brock's online involvement portal called ExperienceBU, allows many student groups to collaborate, share and collect information, and to stay informed. It is a tool that probably falls under almost all of the categories in my PLE.
Being a science student who writes several lab reports and complies literature to complete assignments, I often need to aggregate the references I find for ease of access later on (before I started using Refworks and Zotero, I was keeping roughly 20-30 tabs open on my laptop until I finished the assignment... definitely not an efficient process!)
I haven't had much experience working with the tools in the create category of my PLE. It was through my job that I discovered Canva, when I had marketing tasks to complete and needed a simple and quick way to design appealing posters needed to promote an event. I definitely look forward to discovering more tools to add to this section of my PLE.
The connect and share category contains several social media tools, as well as the newest addition being Blogger. I use the majority of these tools to communicate and share messages with family and friends. I also find that in terms of learning, it is becoming more common to use social media such as Facebook to connect with group members for assignments. Apple Mail on my laptop enables me to check all of my email accounts to stay updated with what is going on at school, at work, and in my personal life.
 |
| Brown, M. (CC) 2016. |
The word cloud I created helped to visually highlight the key words relating to what ADED 1P32 is all about. It is a good reminder of the key concepts that will contribute to my learning in the future.
 |
| Brown, M. (CC) 2016. |
This week has been very positive and has left me excited to further this reflection process to shape my learning, such that it has the utmost positive influence on my future.
Until next week!
Megan
Sunday 10 January 2016
Week 1 Report and Reflection
Hello everyone,
This week in ADED 1P32 revolved around one's digital footprint and being a digital citizen. Being a science student, I have learned a lot about one's carbon footprint and how it can contribute to climate change and global warming. I learned that it was important to strive to reduce your carbon footprint to create more sustainable environments. Before I started this week's tasks, I associated the idea of a digital footprint with something that needed to be reduced in order to have a positive impact. However, after reading Dodie Ainslie's blog post called "yes you should have a digital footprint...and keep track of it", I got a better idea of what a digital footprint was and that it can be a positive thing if the user is mindful of what they are posting on the internet. Because we live in a digital world and are constantly surrounded by technology, it is inevitable that we have all have a digital footprint. I feel that it is important to have a positive digital footprint to portray a true representation of yourself to future employers, colleagues, educational institutions, etc. It is so easy to find information on the internet, and oftentimes, people do not think about how readily accessible this information is to virtually anyone who has access to technology.
In order to better define a positive digital footprint, I think it is necessary to tie in the concept of proper net etiquette. After reading about the term "netiquette" this week, I believe that the set of rules of how to properly conduct yourself online strongly contribute to whether or not one has a positive digital footprint. Rule #1 really resonated with me and was a good reminder to always think about what you would do or say in real life when posting comments, blogs, photos, etc online. I am a strong advocate for making positive change and strive to be a positive role model for all everyday. Reading the rules of proper netiquette reinforce that not only do I have the power to influence people through my actions, but also through how I am viewed online. It is important to post with caution and to make sure that you are portraying the same message in person as you are online. In my opinion, that is the definition of a positive digital footprint: having the information about you online be a reflection of the person you are everyday.
The Secondary Digital Driver's License exam helped me to understand that digital access is an important component of digital citizenship. My score of 19/20 made me realize that although technology is something that surrounds us daily, it is important to realize that full electronic participation may not be feasible for some people. In order for all to have the opportunity to be digital citizens and to create a positive digital footprint, providing adequate accommodations, such as allowing students to use school computers to complete assignments, public library access, etc, are necessary to ensure that access is somewhat equitable. In the future weeks of the course, I hope to brainstorm and become aware of more ways to provide all groups of people with access to the digital world.
I look forward to reflecting again next week!
Megan
This week in ADED 1P32 revolved around one's digital footprint and being a digital citizen. Being a science student, I have learned a lot about one's carbon footprint and how it can contribute to climate change and global warming. I learned that it was important to strive to reduce your carbon footprint to create more sustainable environments. Before I started this week's tasks, I associated the idea of a digital footprint with something that needed to be reduced in order to have a positive impact. However, after reading Dodie Ainslie's blog post called "yes you should have a digital footprint...and keep track of it", I got a better idea of what a digital footprint was and that it can be a positive thing if the user is mindful of what they are posting on the internet. Because we live in a digital world and are constantly surrounded by technology, it is inevitable that we have all have a digital footprint. I feel that it is important to have a positive digital footprint to portray a true representation of yourself to future employers, colleagues, educational institutions, etc. It is so easy to find information on the internet, and oftentimes, people do not think about how readily accessible this information is to virtually anyone who has access to technology.
In order to better define a positive digital footprint, I think it is necessary to tie in the concept of proper net etiquette. After reading about the term "netiquette" this week, I believe that the set of rules of how to properly conduct yourself online strongly contribute to whether or not one has a positive digital footprint. Rule #1 really resonated with me and was a good reminder to always think about what you would do or say in real life when posting comments, blogs, photos, etc online. I am a strong advocate for making positive change and strive to be a positive role model for all everyday. Reading the rules of proper netiquette reinforce that not only do I have the power to influence people through my actions, but also through how I am viewed online. It is important to post with caution and to make sure that you are portraying the same message in person as you are online. In my opinion, that is the definition of a positive digital footprint: having the information about you online be a reflection of the person you are everyday.
The Secondary Digital Driver's License exam helped me to understand that digital access is an important component of digital citizenship. My score of 19/20 made me realize that although technology is something that surrounds us daily, it is important to realize that full electronic participation may not be feasible for some people. In order for all to have the opportunity to be digital citizens and to create a positive digital footprint, providing adequate accommodations, such as allowing students to use school computers to complete assignments, public library access, etc, are necessary to ensure that access is somewhat equitable. In the future weeks of the course, I hope to brainstorm and become aware of more ways to provide all groups of people with access to the digital world.
I look forward to reflecting again next week!
Megan
Thursday 7 January 2016
1st Ever Blog Post: An Introduction
Hello readers!
After doing some extensive reading and research on the technical aspects of setting up a blog, I finally think I've started to figure it out. I am a perfectionist and tend to become stressed when I do not fully understand things right away! Expert bloggers reading this would probably laugh if they knew how long it took for me to set everything up properly... that is the perfectionist in me (Please note that I am used to writing scientific papers and lab reports; I am definitely a beginner in this digital learning process!) It will be a new learning experience and there will definitely be challenges to overcome along the way, but I look forward to reflecting on my experiences in the ADED 1P32 course. The purpose of this blog will be to document and reflect on what I've learned about the digital world.
I am a Medical Sciences student, so this course will be very different from the science based courses that I am used to taking. I believe that it is important to diversify the courses that are taken in post-secondary education in order to have a well rounded experience and to attain a multitude of different skill-sets. I am intrigued to learn about my digital footprint, and how to become more fluent with digital learning. There are transferrable skills that can be applied in every university course, and I am excited to be able to apply what I learn in this course to various other aspects of my degree and later on in my future career (in which I am still trying to determine...)
Thank you for reading! I look forward to improving my blogging skills throughout the semester.
Megan
After doing some extensive reading and research on the technical aspects of setting up a blog, I finally think I've started to figure it out. I am a perfectionist and tend to become stressed when I do not fully understand things right away! Expert bloggers reading this would probably laugh if they knew how long it took for me to set everything up properly... that is the perfectionist in me (Please note that I am used to writing scientific papers and lab reports; I am definitely a beginner in this digital learning process!) It will be a new learning experience and there will definitely be challenges to overcome along the way, but I look forward to reflecting on my experiences in the ADED 1P32 course. The purpose of this blog will be to document and reflect on what I've learned about the digital world.
I am a Medical Sciences student, so this course will be very different from the science based courses that I am used to taking. I believe that it is important to diversify the courses that are taken in post-secondary education in order to have a well rounded experience and to attain a multitude of different skill-sets. I am intrigued to learn about my digital footprint, and how to become more fluent with digital learning. There are transferrable skills that can be applied in every university course, and I am excited to be able to apply what I learn in this course to various other aspects of my degree and later on in my future career (in which I am still trying to determine...)
Thank you for reading! I look forward to improving my blogging skills throughout the semester.
Megan
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