GE Whiteboard

One of the best tools I have reviewed in a long time GE Whiteboard. The only flaw this program has is the availability to live share. I think with how fast connection speeds are this can be accomplished.

Mogulus

Mogulus is pretty cool for those who need face time.  I like the concept I mean think about it the day has come that un censored news can come into action. I do not mean that we need nudity and vulgarity but we as humans need to be able to cut through the crap and have a non media influenced news channel. Imagine if some million/billionaire decided to fund reporters that truly reported on what is out there. Let the viewer determine if it is crap or not.

Twitter

Pretty cool concept but I think I'm busy enough and honestly I do not care if someone is eating, heading to a meeting or the bathroom for that matter. 

I checked out toanswer as well and I think I would rather take less steps and look it up on google on my own.

Ning and Pownce

Seriously do we need another social network system facebook and myspace not good enough for you you really want to manage your own. Well for those of you that do go for it not for me though.

Ning and Pownce Thumbs down!!

ClassSpot

ClassSpot Now this is the kind of stuff I love to see. Actually this link sparked a 40 minute conversation between myself and another ID a AAA NCNU. One of our values is collaboration and it is something that is talked about but never done effectively. I sent off a request for more information because I would like to see how this would work with multiple people in multiple different locations. I see it's use in the class room for sure and I think it should be used. 

I recall a time Biology 101 my first real exposure to the use of high speed Internet access. As the teacher was talking I was searching the web and finding additional information to support what she was talking about. I would print the info and she would go pick it up and communicate it to the class. This is not something that I was asked to do but it kept the information fresh and real time. Now imagine having a tool like ClassSpot that effectively recreated the scenario above with out wasting paper and having the annoying printer in the background.

Kindling

Kindling I went ahead and requested to get access for our Instructional Design Community. I think this could be a great tool oraganizationally too. As far as intiatives are concerened put them out there and let your people vote. I will update as I use.

Audacity

For those of you who need a very functional sound tool that has many of the major application features of an expensive sound system. We use Audacity at work because 1) We are able to install it without admin rights 2) It is more effective then CS3 soundbooth.

Thumbs up!! to Audacity

Skype

Skype is super cool. For a long time I used Google Talk for chat and group chat. Last semester I was introduced to Skype for the simple reason to provide VOIP. We as a group were able to communicate via Skype VOIP at the click of a button. Our group would use the chat function and if we were unable to get what we needed done we would start a group call to communicate. I do not use any of the other phone features because I have a mobile phone and I do not want to spend money that I do not have to.

Response to Reflections article 5650

So as I read this article I feel humbled in away for the following:

• I'm a pretty tech savvy person and I feel lost some time I do not feel that our classes are affectively using our web technologies blogging for one
• Blogs are 2 fold I do not want to read a dissertation and I feel that my post do not get read because most others right to damn much

I try to approach blogging as a conversation to spark ideas in others. Which according to the article "Reflections from the Introduction of Blogs and RSS Feeds into a Pre-service Instructional Technology Course" seemed to apply this is the correct assumption, but... As it also stated students are confused between the differences in the different tools that they are required to use and the ones they will actually get credit for.

 

Coming into this semester I feel that something that the article also points out was missed for our cohort which was implied in and email either from Joni or Laura that stated that they did not realize that they both required a blog. That seemed odd to me and I felt that as part of the planning for both courses that should have been laid out. Not only what tool that we would be using but how they would be used.

 

On page 58 of the article is mentions and easier technology by the name Wordpress. I have not checked it out but as I reviewed some blogs it looks like some of the others have. 

 

I may appear to be rambling but I'm trying to follow my notes in the article. I to have the following questions:

 

What is an ATOM feed, why do I need it if I can use an RSS feed?

What and why would I need an aggregator?

 

I have other questions around 2.0 technologies and how it can be used effectively but I think in order for me to pass the answers along, I need to see them demonstrated effectively. I do not understand why there are so many tools that do the same thing. Why is there not more consolidation of tools I have to many passwords now how many more do I need?

 

Another thing I guess I should have mentioned above many of us are in the same cohort so many of the activities seem redundant. I mean just because they are in a different tool does not make it a different activity. I feel that we should rely less on ecollege or more on ecollege and our course need to have less overlap. The article mentions an instructor site and all other work is done through 2.0 technologies. I see this working but I also see all things in ecollege working out effectively too.

Lets chat it up!!!

Decided to Blog for IT 5650 Today

I decided to take the every other one appraoch until I got to mine. Does any one have Laura's bog info or should I assume her's is the weekly update. Update not sure how I missed it but thanks to Jennifer Olson's blog I found it (http://blog.laurasummers.com/ but after reading it appears there is a comments section but no way to comment)


Jenn McCarty's Blog

http://jennselearning.wordpress.com/ Dena Fife Blog

http://denafifeit5650.blogspot.com/

Sheri's Blog

http://www.imsummaryblogging.blogspot.com/

Linda's Blog (unable to leave a comment)

http://elearnbiztro.com/guillory-elearn/

Jennifer Olson

http://jennspolicies.blogspot.com/