E-Business - no limits...

Hey! Let's go shopping...
     Well, do you know what you want? Yes, ok - great...

From Google Images

               Oh, you want to know if it's in stock first?
                                  - no problem                
                            Let's check some web sites.

Who would have thought that we'd have this capability even 20 years ago?

Now - no web site - very often - no sale...

The fact is the Web is transforming business in ways we still trying to grasp. And leading the way. Today, if your company doesn't have a web-presence, you lose credibility.

And with B2B - business to  business, C2C (consumer to consumer - think eBay), C2B and B2C, so much information is online, in real time. With virtual shopping carts, instant inventorying, shipment tracking, businesses need to be Internet connected in order to be competitive.

And this virtual market place has literally provided stores without walls. Someone with a product in outer Mongolia can sell to someone in South America. This is redefining markets - stepping outside constrictions of time, space and geographic location.

Note - eBay - probably one of the biggest e-businesses with no inventory, no shipping, no warehouses, no orders to fill - HUGELY profitable - Who could ask for more?

Little did banks know in the 1960's that the simple ability to transfer funds electronically (EFT) would be a foundational pillar of our current online marketing structure. Paychecks, bill paying, and withdrawing money from an ATM all use EFT technology.

So get social, pull up a cloud, or do cyber business - it's all there - just a click away.

For your clicking pleasure -

Facebook                   Google Docs                Blogger

Any Store!                  Any Bank!                Any Hobby!

                              ANY    WHERE  ! ! !

Connects, Networks & Stuff

Well I think we've all heard various terms and acronyms such as LAN, ISP, TCP and IP ....
    The bottom line is that they are all involved in computer connections.

Local Area Networks (LANs), as well as MANs (metropolitan area networks), and WANs (wide area networks) all come together to bring us into a global community

Within an organization, networks can be layout in a variety, and often mixture of ways. A bus topology is one main cable from which each computer branches off from. Ring and star configurations are rather self explanatory.

The actual physical connection has transformed over the years as well. What used to be available only through twisted-pair cable is now transmitted mostly through fiber-optic cable, infrared and radio frequencies. And even satellite use is employees.

Who would have thought years ago, that with the click of a button, you would be able to not only hear but SEE whom you're talking with as well? Hello FaceTime!! Hello technology!!

I found that our computers all have the ability to trace the internet "path" or "hops" from our computer to our destination computer. This can give us a tiny view into how our information gets to us. From networks through networks to networks...

And I think we've all heard the term domain names. And thank God for them! I can;t imagine memorizing or even writing the digital address of each website I visit - can you?

Much gratitude is felt for LBS (location-based services) - they are the trip savers for many a direction challenged person via GPSs (Global Positioning Systems) Yeah for GPS!!!

Portals, P2Ps, and a Plethora of other stuff

Remember the days when you'd ask your mom how to spell something? (Like "plethora")

      And the response was ….

                   “Look it up in the dictionary” ? ! ? ! ?                          

Of course our response - “How can I do that if I don't know how to spell it?!?”

But, that is no longer an issue with today's technology.

Today – spell check and just about ANY other information is at our –

and our children's – finger tips.

Portals are our gateway to this information.

Horizontal ones provide our “instant” (and instantly changeable) weather, how the Sabres are doing, access to your e-mail, and the latest YouTube sensation...

Google, Yahoo!, and other web browsers are examples of broad, horizontal portals.

Vertical portals are more specific either by industry (just about any store...) or by area of interest– such as ones devoted to things from antiques to health to UFOs.

http://www.verticalportals.com/

One area of particular interest is the online training and professional development which is exploding. Many universities are offering, not only courses and certificate programs but full bachelor and masters level online degrees.

Online access has reduced the cost and stress of completing ongoing continuing education for many professions. And K – 12 resources are flourishing.

And, as we've been exploring, the evolution of technology and its partner, the Internet, has given birth to many other possibilities....

Gaming is actually becoming a hot industry in education. What better way to learn than by involving the whole person – and having FUN to boot!

P2P (Peer 2 Peer) file sharing is expediting the merging of businesses and worldwide communities. Google Docs and Cloud computing are facilitators of such sharing. 

Here are just a few of the plethora of delicacies available for the clicking:

TED Ed: Lessons Worth Sharing                            Rocketship Education

Full Sail University                        Games in Education                     Peer 2 Peer Tutors

Wikis in Education                        Game Show Presenter                        YouTube            

Prezi Praise & Pains...

Alas - I am again having difficulties embedding videos in my blog.

So the best I can do is to offer a link to my Prezi Presentation:
PLNs Where Creativity Collides with Collaboration

It was a lot of fun to do and I'm actually trying to think up reasons for creating more Prezis!

Feel free to take a look too - www.prezi.com

 

Here's just one of the free templates that www.prezzip.com offers to add in creating Prezi presentations.

This one was free - as are many more. Some cost $1.99 or $2.99...

But they're ALL fun! :)

Now if I can only figure out how to imbed mine! Someone I shared it with said the overall view looked like a sandollar!

              Loved that!

PLN Evolution - Stream of Conscientiousness

From Google Images

 From Google Images

Personal   -   Learning   -  Network

Hmmmm - Personal? Network?      Juxtaposed?

Conversation - Sharing becomes community....  

Everyone grows - LOTS of information!!!

From Google Images     

                            Ideas spark MORE ideas......

                                                   New becomes change -

So where does one end and another begin? When growing ideas - does it matter? What is the real goal?

When it comes to learning, technology and growth, don't we ALL want something better, more fruitful, more effective? AND HOW DO WE GET THERE?

Just some random, wandering ponderings....

Prezi LOVE!

Ah - trying a new application - it's called Prezi....

From Wikipedia via Google Images

Click and add and turn and size - LOTS of fun.


Now, kinda wish I could use some of those on the blog -
      some of the tools may may your head spin though

So off to do more with zooming, shrinking, expanding, panning
       "painting" -  just all around playing!

Oh what fun kids would have if they used this for their book reports!

Well off to the races....

SoundCloud - New Waves in the Cyber Sea

From Google Images

Well - I've been searching, listening and playing around with SoundCloud. I found a clip of an old favorite. Here it is:
Big Dee Irwin Swinging On A Star by Camille Styles Events

And to try to record something on my own, my daughter volunteered to play a bit on the piano. So here that is:
MB Intro
And here's the sweet sound of one of our kittens:
Soundcloud.com Indianna Meows

I guess you can use it as an audio instead of a YouTube clip. You could put a clip of soothing music on a blog or website to inspire or soothe your viewers.

I can definitely see how musicians can become self published. The new access to publishing sounds puts the marketing into the hands of the artist. (Just found SoundRain for that exact purpose...) As in the media publishing world, this will be revolutionizing the industry.

As a visual person, I can't seem to grasp why you would want to embed just a sound if you are trying to teach something - wouldn't a video be more useful?

Here are the two fellows that started SoundCloud -

Alexander Ljung & Eric Wahlforss:

Although, after listening to this:
Alex-Eric SoundCloud

perhaps.... Soundcloud could be like an "audio tweet" - this could actually be a bit of a solution to those who wish to text on the go....

Want more info?   http://developers.soundcloud.com/docs

Internet Safety - Crossing the Cyber Highway

One issue that can not be taken lightly with all the information floating around cyber space is SAFETY.

It goes without saying that certain protections need to be in place for children. Content filtering and monitoring messaging for bullying. But what about us unsuspecting adults? We’re OK, right?

Wellll... not so fast. We may have the maturity to view more mature content but how about someone viewing OUR content? 

Names, social security numbers, bank account numbers and even locations can give hackers or stalkers plenty of fodder for their imaginations. And cell phones are FULL of our personal info.

And unfortunately, even large corporate data bases have been breeched, leading to potential identity theft.

But who would possibly want my identity? I don’t have any money. Don’t let that fool you. Even stolen social security numbers can be used to create credit for someone’s use - other than you!

Here are just a few of the "Golden Rules" suggested at Be Safe Online:

1. Keep personal information confidential. For example don't give out your name, age, or phone number.
2. Don't believe everything you read or see online.
3. Use the Internet as a family activity and if possible, keep the computer in a family room rather than in a child's bedroom.
4. Set your own golden rules and after discussing them, stick them at the side of the computer.
5. Enjoy surfing!

Here's a video from YouTube:

 

And those that are entering - or reentering - the dating scene here are some basic rules:


1.  DO be cautious sharing personal info, including your last name, off-site email address, and, of course, home address. 
2.  DON’T give details about where you work. 

3.  DO pick a public place for your first meeting.

And some additional web resources:
Get Net Wise                                             Match.com Safety Tips                    

Social Media - Info N-O-W

Being connected today means many things to many people. 

• To seniors, surfing the web and e-mail is a fun way to keep up with the times. 
• Students Facebook each other, posting pictures and comments on their day-to-day goings on. Texting and IMing via Facebook or Twitter is a more "real time" connection.
• Professionals share information within their respective fields via newsgroups and contacts are made via LinkedIn

But as technology evolves and "speeds up", so do the myriad of ways we can now communicate and access the web. And today - with mobile devices - you can connect anywhere!

From Google Images

These are the more "active" connectors of today:

• Texting
• Twitter (microblogging)
• IM (Instant Messaging)
• Facebook (Posting & Instant Messaging)
• Chat Rooms
• Social Bookmarking
• Content Sharing
• Social Opinion
• YouTube

These invite input. What do you think of the new 30" TV? Tell Epinion! What sort of perfect vacation or dream house do you like to visualize? Put it on Pinterest. Want to figure out the best time for a family reunion? Create and share a Google Doc Calendar.

Who would have ever envisioned real time online gaming - distance or virtual gaming? Or how about online dating? Or becoming famous thru YouTube?

So - Go Ahead! Jump online and connect. There's probably a new way to do it everyday!

Here's just a few:

Facebook                                            Chat with just about ANYONE!

Epinions - Real Reviews                    Pinterest

free online games                               Twitter

MORE Information - S-l-o-w-l-y Please...

Communicating information is at the core of the World Wide Web. And how is that done? Ah! Let me count the ways...

And, in a way, you can sort of split these different ways of cyber sharing into 2 subcategories: 

             Active and Passive

I'm going to focus on the latter, or what I am dubbing "Information Slowly Please". These are such things as:

• Blogs
• News Groups
• Mail Lists or E-letters
• Wikis
• Webinars
• Podcasts

These are more of a "sit back and read when I can or choose to" type of information gathering/viewing. Many of these are sent via e-mail usually on a regular basis. News Groups such as Yahoo Groups and Google Groups can be viewed via the Web for free. Some are just a place to comment on certain subjects. Many have moderators to keep the conversations on track and polite. Many hardcopy newspapers are offering online subscriptions.

Blogs can serve 2 purposes. One can read a blog or one can write a blog. Even blog readers can comment  on someone else's blog.

And Wiki's are a little more active in that you can actually participate in their creation and evolution. It's like writing a story and asking everyone to join in! But, like blogging, you can add pictures and videos etc. Here's an awesome blog I came across:

     Wikispaces Blog

And here's an educational one:

     Fugleflicks Wiki

And here's a "HowTo" Video from YouTube:

In many ways, Google Docs looks VERY much like Wikis. Both are interactive and allow for multiple editors/authors. I suppose time will tell...

E-mail - Communication in a Cyber World

Remember the days of your youth? Running out to the mail box every day to see if someone sent YOU mail? There was the thrill of anticipation and sometimes the excitement of actually receiving a piece of parcel post....

Today - we can check "mail" by the minute! And at least for the adults, very often there may be a wariness as opposed to anticipation as we sort through what may or may not be pertinent information. There may be much unwanted "junk" mail - ads and even "trojan viruses" waiting to sneak harmful code into your hard drive!

WOW! How times have changed! 

But from the first message of "lo" from UCLA to Stanford University Institute in 1969, to the height and breadth of the World Wide Web has greatly expanded. Even the speed of change has changed. It took another 8 years to connect a just third network to the UCLA and Stanford project with ARPANET. 

IMAP, POP3, SMTP and HTTP - ?!? 
                   Bottom line - It's ALL Protocol

Now - we not only can access electronic mail via a POP (Post Office Protocol) downloading mail directly to our computer, we also have the option of using HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) which allows access via the Internet from ANY computer. All these various foreign sounding abbreviations are just different ways of delivery - some use multiple paths in getting your e-mail "there and back again"...

From Pingdom Website:
http://royal.pingdom.com/2010/09/29/email-vs-
snail-mail-infographic/

And for some statistics comparing the electronic mail to the U.S. Postal Service. It is interesting to note that MOST e-mail - a whopping 81% is JUNK!


But e-mail out numbers Snail Mail 81 to 1. So, in reality, 2.7 trillion e-mails are "legit" compared to 93.8 billion is STILL 28.98 e-mails to 1 letter.


And some of the added benefits of e-mail:

• It's almost instantaneous
• You can create, send, receive & read when it's convenient to you
• you can send one message to multiple people without any extra work

And just in case there's the slightest chance you don't have an e-mail account here are a myriad to choose from:

• Zoho Mail
• GMX Mail
• Gmail
• Yahoo! Mail
• Windows Live Hotmail 

Google Docs - Innovation for... EVERYTHING!

Surveys, shared documents, coordinating schedules... hmmm food for thought. Better than that - food for Google Docs. Now becoming part of Google Drive, Google Docs' uses are only just beginning to "rev its engines"

Now instead of sending an e-mail, waiting for responses, retyping, then organizing all the feedback - ONE document do ALL that. Set up a questionnaire in Google Docs and everyone gets to respond within that one document.

Schools are using Google Docs to facilitate collaboration with students. Many students can work simultaneously on one document, each with their own color text.


Teachers can see who did what as well. Now more "hiding" within a group project letting others do the lion's share of the work.

It can also allow a student and teacher to nurture a document from conception to final revisions. With no worries about differing software, work can be done from any computer.

AND gone are the days of "disappearing homework". Online - its there!!!

Collaborating and sharing schedules is also a snap when ONE schedule is shared with everyone! These can be accessed on mobile devices as well. The video below has a plethora of information about how to use Google Calendars in a work environment.




For even MORE information about Google Drive's capabilities check out these links:

Google Docs & Drive Overview

What's New with Google Drive

http://support.google.com/docs/?hl=en

GoAnimate & Symbaloo !!! GO Jing!

Hey! FINALLY I have my GoAnimate video embedded!! Yeah!

Searching - A Whole New Web World by Oz Chic on GoAnimate




And here is the start of my Instructional Design Webmix page on Symbaloo. I also have pages for teaching as I am helping my son get ready for a math regents exam and continuing to homeschool my 10 year old. There are some AWESOME resources out there.

These are some starts to my PLN. It is - as it should be- a work in progress!

LinkedIn - Professional Facebook?

I have actually had a LinkedIn account for a while.
Recently, I discovered (or perhaps they just added) their discussion threads or topics.

I have joined a few of these - TED, Virtual Bookkeeping, Anthropology, CDL for ESC - and another one I'm waiting for approval.

LinkedIn definitely has a professional presence. It offers networking within industries as well as companies. With the capabilities of uploading resumes, it can be a real tool in the job searching arsenal.

Although I have only spend a few hours looking at LinkedIn, my impression is that it is growing as popular as Facebook. And there seems to be more emphasis on knowledge and sharing information compared to Facebook 's advertising.

Here are a couple videos about LinkedIn:




I am going to continue to investigate LinkedIn's wares and update on them soon.

Mobile Technologies - Leading the Way - but WHERE?

From Google Images

Cell phones, iPhones, laptops, iPods, notebooks, iPads -
                     it just doesn't end!

Nor is it likely to.

We are officially a "mobile technology" society. We can now be in touch, in tune and hopefully, in time no matter where we are at any given moment.

The following video shows that mobility apps are actually shaping business. As Miriam Buhr says in the video below there is a "merging" of technology and social media. E-Bay is being shaped by a new app called RedLaser. It puts a whole new frontier in the auction universe. It can create a sale via the phone! Just scan in the item and it searches for the item online as well as the availability in the local market. Watch for more info...



So why are mobile devices so HOT? Hmmmm, let's see -

• greater efficiency/productivity 
• better connectivity with employer AND marketplace
• quicker responses
• better business decisions  - and thus hopefully -
• increased profits

But is there more convenience or consternation with all this connectivity?
Some problems....

• TOO much accessibility
• information/technology theft
• device abuse
• ownership boundaries/questons

Ironically, one VERY critical problem, is the very thing that makes the devices attractive - their accessibility! What used to be safe guarded information through "office only" access can now be carried anywhere. Having worked in accounting firms, I clearly comprehend the ramifications of loss of confidentiality. Educational, financial and medical records are some obvious areas that need special controls

Also the technology itself could be at risk -  new prototypes of easily mobile devices can be stolen.

Ownership can blur how a device is used. Should employees be allowed to use corporate owned devices for personal use?

All these issues have created a whole new technology field - MDM - or mobile device management. The Maas360.com (Mobility as a Service) company has a wonderful resource page at :
http://www.maas360.com/resources/. Putting specific controls in place, as well as passwords, encryption, and "remote wipes", can do much to protect sensitive data.

And we've only just begun...

Here is more info for this new niche in technology needs:    

http://mobiledevices.about.com/od/additionalresources/a/Advantages-And-Disadvantages-Of-Mobile-Marketing.htm

officehttp://www.lansingbusinessmonthly.com/articles/department-columns/110-current-month/2448-mobile-devices-in-business.html

Shoppa Mania!!! The ULTIMATE Search!

So - here is a piece of web search info we probably could put to immediate and practical use -
                                               Web comparison shopping!

From Google Images credited to
GettyImages/Rubberball

With all the "busyness" of our daily lives, the price of gas soaring and little desire to face masses of more people at the mall - cyber shopping has come of age.

And don't we ALL love to feel that we've obtained a "deal" on the items we were going to buy any way?

So let's line 'em up... In the left corner we have....

Shopzilla          Dealtime         Nextag          Bizrate

All of these give search results that can usually:

• Rated - This shows how consumers feel about the store
• Can be sorted by brand, price or even customer product rating
• Give shipping and tax rates

These shopping bots or aggregators not only allow us to shop in the comfort of our homes but can also give us product information and perhaps unusual sizes that may be hard to find. And instead of driving from store to store we can locate the item on line and either purchase it online shipping it to our home or have the store hold it for us. Many stores offer free delivery for in store pick up.

This is one type of search I think we've all done. 

AND - you can even shop to support your local economy.

And the impact of "apps" on shopping and business is incredible. There are apps that will scan barcodes while you're shopping and give you feed back. There are apps that will let you know where an item is available if you can't wait to order it online. Technology, marketing, and consumer input have come together in remarkable ways!!

Here are just a FEW:
 Pic2Shop           ShopSavvy          GroupOn

RedLaser            Goodzer              Amazon Price Check

Order Please - Searches - From Advanced to Specialized

Web searches - Ready for MORE?!?

Ok - so we have the Boolean operators and Advanced Searches. How about "Specialized Searches?

In researching specialized searches this information said it extremely well. The following is from "Searcher" article by Gary D. Price :

Five Reasons to Consider Specialized Web Search Engines1. Instead of searching the entire Web, you search a smaller portion of Web space limited to a specific subject, domain, format. This should increase precision and lower recall. 


2. Specialized engines can be worthwhile tools to share with less sophisticated searchers or those who do not have the time to learn to use advanced searching options.


3. In some cases, the content updates more frequently than general engines. 


4. Specialized engines often provide access to content not crawled by general search engines. Remember, no search engine is complete. Using specialized tools helps reinforce the need to use more than a single search engine. 


5. Specialized engines drill down to material not directly accessible via a general search engine, material commonly referred to as the Invisible Web. 






A researcher knows where to look, just like a librarian knows where to look for specific topics in various areas of a library. So using general search engines, even with advanced techniques, may not be giving us the most pertinent information.


So what sort of Specialities can we hope to find? Well if you are looking for people and businesses, there  are White and Yellow Pages on the Web. Here's one that has ancestry info to Cyber Cafes:
http://webquest.sdsu.edu/searching/specialized.html http://webquest.sdsu.edu/searching/specialized.html

What's your favorite News or current events media? All the major search engines offer their own display of information.

And now you can even look at video searching - YouTube, Clipblast, and Y!Video - and searching through social media are specialized searches.

There are even Specialized Collections such as:
LexisNexis             FindLaw             IngentaConnect

Here are just a FEW lists to whet your searching souls:

http://www.baylor.edu/lib/electrres/index.php?id=31361

http://webquest.sdsu.edu/searching/specialized.html

Advanced Searching - Where No One has Searched Before...

Just when I thought I knew ALL about Internet searches - Ha!!... 

   Along comes - Ta Da!!  Advanced Searches

But - there is hope! In fact much hope! I don't know about you but I am still a bit overwhelmed by the enormous galaxy of information just waiting to fill our computers, phones, iPads, and just about ANY other electronic device we can think of.

So there re some fun words like Boolean operators and short cuts that can actually help with this influx of information.

Using the words AND, OR, and NOT can tell a search engine to be more specific when you're asking for information. You can also use quotation marks around a two (or more) word phrase. This way if you are searching for "Italian food" you won't get every hit pertaining to just about any food and you won't get geographic information on the country either.

Here's a nice explanation from YouTube from  GaStateULibrary of how they work:

From this link: www.stinalindenblatt.com

And every search engine offers Advance Searching. The link may be "hiding" - Yahoo's advance search seems to show up after an initial search with an "options" bottom to the right of the results. Google's id in the little "gear" icon. But where ever it shows up - oooo the fun specifics you can add!

You can... Ask for specific languages, specific locations, specific domain extensions - you can even request certain reading levels!!
And if you'd like it in a particular format - that's there too.

So - in order to narrow the tumult of information - and make it MORE pertinent and usable - dive right in and go where few may know to follow in your Cyber journey - *** Advanced Searches ***

Here's more info for your flight:

http://knowledgecenter.unr.edu/help/using/booltips.aspx

(The following were obtained via Advanced Searching):

http://www.websearchguide.ca/research/searcomp2.htm

http://extremesearcher.com/sechart.pdf

Searching - Soooo Much INFORMATION!...

Well after much trying, I am only able to post the link to my GoAnimate Video. Just couldn't seem to get the audio to work with a Jing capture. Another time... But here is the link any way - 

                Cathy's Web Search GoAnimate Video

So on to this week’s subject... SEARCHES!!!!

One of the most important things to consider is the validity or credibility of information you find floating through Cyber Space.

Here are a few points to consider in evaluating source:

·   Authority – Who’s writing this info? And who owns the site?

·   Objectivity – Do they present many view points or is there a clear bias?

·   Scope and Quality – Does it cover the topic well? Is the spelling accurate? Is the information up to date? How does it compare to other sites? Who does this site target?

·   Design and Functionality – Are links operative? Even though it has a professional appearance how does it stack up to other sites?

Here are some further parameters from the text book web site:

http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/Evaluate.html

http://www.lesley.edu/library/guides/research/evaluating_web.html

Web directories were also something I had never really considered. When Internet use first exploded, there weren’t the scope and bread of searches available that are presently. Today, most popular search engines such as Google, Yahoo! and Bing, incorporate directories in their searches.

But there are actually still human-edited directories. The major one – The Open Directory (http://www.dmoz.org/) is the “go to” place for the major search engines (and rightfully proud of it). It seems that there is STILL a need for much non-automated input on the Web.

Here is a list of some of the popular search engines:

Netscape Search                  AOL Search               Google                                  

Lycos                                      HotBot                        DirectHit

And just in case one search engine isn’t enough, a metasearch engine queries multiple search engines. Here are some:

Metacrawler               Dogpile                      KartOO

Mamma                      Ixquick

So go - go and search to your hearts content 

Tweet Tweet Tweet - not just in Spring!

Twitter Twitter - Tweet Tweet....
We're not talking nature here - we're talking - you guessed it -
     MORE TECHNOLOGY!!

So how can short, little messages connect you with the world and business?
That's what I'm out to discover.

                   (I’m getting the feeling that it’s a jungle out there…)

I have set up an account -  twitter@OsbornWeb2   Give me a tweet J
I have started a Tweet list pertaining to my career objective - Instructional Design.
I started following some people and I have sent some Tweets already.

But I'd like to learn a little more before diving in... Is there Tweeting Etiquette? How often should I Tweet? Are there subjects I should stay away from? What is the best way to invite responses? What is the best way to approach people?

I must admit that with blogging, Facebook, Symbaloo and now Twitter,
                            I am feeling OVERWHELMED
There is simply SO much information – I could spend HOURS pouring over websites and tweeting …

So I would welcome suggestions – PLEASE!

What have you done? What are 3 things that you found MOST helpful for blogging and tweeting? Who are some of the people you have connected with? What have you found helpful in setting up and utilizing a Personal Learning Network?
And how do you sift through  of information? How do you prioritize what you search/look for and when and for how long?

Hoping for some help so as not to get Lost in Cyber Space………

PLN - A New Age of Learning

Have you ever heard of a PLN - Personal Learning Network? Neither had I until this course...

We have all been students at various times in our life. I would even venture to say we are ALWAYS students! We are learning every day...

I come from a background in education. My dad was a professor at LeMoyne College until he retired a few years ago at the age of 80. I have been home schooling my 4 kids for over 12 years. (I'm down to one presently...) And now - I'm in college again!

From Airpack.com

Learning - specifically the BEST ways to learn - has always been near and dear to my heart. As I taught my children, I hoped to spark their imaginations and facilitate their acquisition of knowledge with various teaching methods. Would they learn best by reading, listening to information set to music, or would hands on activities best transfer the information? Instructional Design focuses on these concepts and I am excited to delve into its treasure trove. 

Today's technology is its own wealth of information - perhaps even a bit overwhelming at times. So a Personal Learning Network is a fascinating concept to me. My simple take on it is that it is a way to organize and gather information as well as to connect and collaborate with others in the process. 

As I need to learn more about the field of Instructional Design, I will be surfing/searching the web on this topic. When I find a site that is helpful I will create a tile for it in Symbaloo. I'm hoping to find some communities to share and learn from. It would be awesome to actually invite some people to ESC to share on the topic as well. I think I will try to utilize my Pinterest account to invite more collaboration too.

This is a wonderful description of a PLN from http://suewaters.wikispaces.com/ :

Personal Learning Networks (PLNs) are all about using web tools such as blogs, wiki, twitter, facebook to create connects with others which extend our learning, increases our reflection while enabling us to learn together as part of a global community. PLNs increase our opportunities to ask questions and receive help compared to our normal daily face-to-face interactions.

Sue also sets out the a suggested plan for developing a PLN - I think I shall follow her lead...

So, I have already begun a Tweetdeck. I have also made a Symbaloo account - a Social Bookmarking tool. That one really makes my head spin! I've had a Facebook Account for a few years...And obviously I'm already blogging... Now I  have to pick 5 blogs to follow.

As I make progress - you will be sure to know! What have YOU been up to?

Some Awesome Links:

http://theinnovativeeducator.blogspot.com/2008/04/5-things-you-can-do-to-begin-developing.html

http://sites.google.com/site/buildingapln/

 http://www.pbs.org/teachers/learning.now/ 

RSS Aggregators
            Bloglines: http://bloglines.com/
            Google Reader: http://reader.google.com/
            Pageflakes: http://pageflakes.com/
            Netvibes: http://netvibes.com/

Webs R Us

Wow! Surfing the web, as I have shared earlier, is so much a part of our lives, we rarely think about where this stuff comes from....


Web pages, web slices, RSS Feeds - WHAT!?! Portals and browsers and URL’s – OH MY! 


Basically, with the sophistication of the web, have come a slew of updates, improvements and “tools”. So.... 

ISPs (Internet Service Providers) read our IP (Internet Protocol) address via our browser and connect us to other IPs via Web portals. Web portals like Yahoo! or MSN look rather like consolidated newspapers – a LOT of information on one page. They are “link rich” in that almost every section offers links to more web pages and other web sites.


To facilitate our browsing, the numerical IP addresses have been “named” – a domain name is it’s “pen name” It’s much easier to remember yahoo.com than say - 56.78.153.81. And each web page has a URL (Uniform Resource Locators). Each link connects us to a URL. And these are stored on Web Servers. Most web sites pay a company or someone to manage their information – update, correct or improve the information or look of the site.

From Microsoft Office

Once ALL that has been achieved – usually within seconds and the click of a button - you can start searching or “surfing” the web….  


THEN – you can customize and save, print and e-mail, open a new tab or even go Home!
You can even buy groceries!


And I have a feeling that what we can do today will be dwarfed by the what will be capable of in the future – Jetson’s here we come!

How will we KNOW!?!

From Google Images

When I first read about Net Neutrality, I was surprised and yet I wasn’t ...

Surprised - as I have always assumed that Internet data was free flowing. Not surprised - as big corporations always seem to put profits before consumers’ desires. It’s just another way to control the money flow and product flow as well....

The right to turn a profit is basic - but so is free speech - and supposedly  a free market. The Network providers ALREADY control our speed - providing various levels (read costs) of band width/speed. But discriminating what we view - that’s going too far!

Seems to me it smacks of censorship. Who decides what or how much data will be available. Even in the highest tier is there any guarantee we will be able to access ALL the data on the Internet? And don't I have the basic right to decide what products I want to buy and use!?!

If a tiered speed/access pricing program is imposed for EACH web site - than the ones with the most money win! What will that do to the entrepreneurial innovators? Big business wins again!?!

Thankfully we have some grass root activists on the scene as well. Broad Band for America (BFA) and Save the Internet are keeping the world informed about current policy updates.The BFA Resource page has awesome articles voicing global concerns and possible solutions.

Looks like it's time to defend our freedom. Surfing anyone?

www.freepress.net

http://www.publicknowledge.org/issues
http://stopthecap.com/