Tech Tools Review

Before beginning my web 2.0 journey, I did not define myself as someone who was very much into a digital presence, in fact, my digital footprint is quite small. As I progress in my journey, I am finding and learning so many tools that I would have never found or used before!

These tech tools are among those that I never really used or heard of (aside from YouTube) and here is what I have learned so far, the likes and the dislikes...

Blogger 

• Diverse settings and design choices
• User friendly and FREE!
• Availability of ideologies

I have also found that I enjoy blogging...who would've thought?? I enjoy the ability to jot down my thoughts and ideas and share them with different communities or networks (depending on the context)! I have always enjoyed writing, even academic papers, so blogging is a good outlet to utilize.

Feeder 

• User friendly and FREE!
• One stop shop

This tool allows you to add as many blogs as you can read into one easy to follow stream. You can sort through which ones to read or continue to the bloggers page to read more. It is pretty ingenious and makes it easy to keep up with your favorite blogs!

YouTube 

• Millions of videos and channels to follow
• Free unless you want to have no ads
• Unlimited knowledge....I used a YouTube video to fix my garage door!

YouTube is a streaming service where you can look up almost any video imaginable. You can learn to cook, exercise, watch music videos, or even fix your car! I use YouTube everyday for workouts, it is really insightful to see the different communities and networks that can be built through this service. 

LinkedIn

• Offerings of professional development
• Professional networking
• Easy to use

LinkedIn is a great tool to use to develop in your professional field. You can link with others in the profession, share ideas and collaborate. This tool is also used in many companies human resources department to find qualified candidates. I especially enjoy the professional development videos that are offered...for free! 

The next tools I will be taking a look at will be Reddit and Instagram...Let's see how this goes!

Reflection - Digital Natives & Produsage

This weeks readings, discussions, and other components on this topic have really opened my eyes to world of social median and the digital age. As someone in their 30's, I have watched the evolution of the internet, cell phones to smart phones, and everything in between, but had never really given it much thought because for the majority of my life, the internet and technology have been there.

Referring to Prensky (2001) and Sorrentino (2018), there is quite a lot to be said about the generations and their technological abilities. The younger generations have either grown with it, or have had it from the beginning, while the older generations (baby boomers for example) have had to learn it. In this weeks discussion, Jean mentions a valid point that age or generational stereotypes can lead to misconceptions about those who are tech savvy. 

After reviewing all of this information, my opinion has shifted on the concept of digital natives and digital immigrants. I think that if someone puts forth the time and effort to learn the digital lifestyle. Although some generations have an advantage, I think it is up to the user and their skills and drive. 

Produsage was a concept I was unfamiliar with until this week, but it makes sense! I became more aware of this concept when I compared it to my students and how our classroom structure works. I require my students to take a great deal of responsibility and accountability in their own learning, especially since they are a bit more tech savvy than myself. They are creators of reviews and presentations and other components for our course, but at the same time they are the learners, so it has been interesting to add that concept into a practice that I already have established in my professional world. 

Are in person conversations a thing of the past??

Society today has the world at its fingertips...literally. Our culture had become so immersed in technology, that it seems that all direct human interaction is declining. After perusing several articles on the concept of Digital Natives vs. Digital immigrants, I began to question my own abilities and my own perceptions on the definitions. 

Digital Natives are those generations who were born in the era of technology. Who have always had the internet and other digital media. Digital Immigrants are those generations who have had to extend through the learning curves of ever changing technology. 

I myself grew up when dial up internet was the trend and you could not be on the phone and the internet at the same time. I had the first original iPhone, and was questioning "what the heck is this??" Thinking about where I have come on my digital journey, the big question I am asking myself now is how much of this technology has taken away from actual human interaction?

I teach high school and the students today are those Digital Natives. I have seen them struggle to work collaboratively, have real meaningful conversations, and seen the nerves and anxiety they have when having to stand up and give a presentation. Now, this is not all of this generation, but from my experiences in the classroom, it is a good majority. They would much rather send a text or an email or some form of digital communication. 

So, is this the "new normal" of this generation? As technology progresses even further, will the current and upcoming Digital Natives lose that need for real time conversations?

Branching Out

Hi there!

For the purpose of the blog, I go by Frankie.
I am immersing myself in new technologies and social media components for a course that I am taking...I am not, nor have I ever thought of myself as someone who would immerse themselves into the world of online communities or networks...But here I am!! 

I will be learning and trying new ideas and sharing my thoughts on social media networks and all things Web 2.0!

Stepping way out of my comfort zone here...even created a twitter! What's next? Instagram?