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Sunday, July 5, 2015
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Wednesday, December 3, 2014
Reflection
Let me start by saying that it has been a wonderful experience, one I never thought I'd have. Prior to beginning this journey, I pretty much stuck to the basics - Microsoft Office and by that I mean Word and Power Point. I shied away from most of the social networking sites and from any apps or other forms of technology shy of the internet. In this course, I learned how to use so many different types of technology applications on different platforms and learned that I can teach my students so much just by incorporating them into my lessons. I enjoyed all the assignments and creating this blog. I was a bit nervous about embedding and had some trouble doing so sometimes but in the end it all worked out.
I found the QR codes to be the most difficult assignment to complete. I have seen people use the apps with ease but did not really think of this from an educational standpoint. Even though, I struggled to complete this assignment, I do plan on using it because there are so many great ways to use it in the classroom and library setting.
I enjoyed browsing the online communities the most this semester. My favorite online book community is Biblionasium. I liked that it is so user friendly and colorful. I found the online communities to be extremely useful. I believe this will be beneficial for my students since they can keep track of all the books they read and recommend books but I think the most benefit will be gained through the use of Screencasts. I also believe they will enjoy creating cartoons and Podcasts the most.
I look forward to using all that I learned in this course both in my classroom as a teacher and when I complete my educational goal and finally become a librarian.
I found the QR codes to be the most difficult assignment to complete. I have seen people use the apps with ease but did not really think of this from an educational standpoint. Even though, I struggled to complete this assignment, I do plan on using it because there are so many great ways to use it in the classroom and library setting.
I enjoyed browsing the online communities the most this semester. My favorite online book community is Biblionasium. I liked that it is so user friendly and colorful. I found the online communities to be extremely useful. I believe this will be beneficial for my students since they can keep track of all the books they read and recommend books but I think the most benefit will be gained through the use of Screencasts. I also believe they will enjoy creating cartoons and Podcasts the most.
I look forward to using all that I learned in this course both in my classroom as a teacher and when I complete my educational goal and finally become a librarian.
Monday, December 1, 2014
Mining Pew 5: Teens and Technology
Lenhart, A. (2014). Teens & Technology: Understanding the Digital Landscape. Pew Research Center's Internet Project. Retrieved from: http://www.pewinternet.org/2014/02/25/teens-technology-understanding-the-digital-landscape/
Lenhart included data on social media sites. Some teens revealed that they have switched to other social media sites that are less popular with adults to avoid their presence. I have to agree with that. I recently created an Instagram account while my teens have had accounts for a long while. Teens like to create their own space and would prefer for adults to stay out. Unfortunately, this can create problems with online safety.
24 slides/pages
Teens & Technology: Understanding the Digital Landscape from Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project
As the proud mother of five children ranging in age from 6 to 24, I found this data to be rather accurate. Our teens are online either through the use of their laptops, tablets or cell phones the majority of the time. Our oldest two used to talk on the phone with friends but our younger teens spend most of their time texting as a form of communication with friends. Twitter is very popular with one of our daughters because she is always trying to find a social network that is less popular with adults- mainly her parents of course.
Lenhart presented data on teen cell phone use, internet use and social media use. The findings reveal that 95% of teens are using the internet, 78% of teens own cell phones while 3 out of 4 teens access the internet with their mobile phones, and teens chose texting as their main form of communication. Lenhart added that 58% of teens have downloaded Apps to their mobile phones. These findings are not very surprising since most people don't even have landlines anymore. Personally, we purchased cell phones for our children to help us keep in constant contact with them. While owning cell phones has helped us to keep track of their whereabouts it has also made it easier for them to text and use the internet at anytime. To avoid overuse, we only allow our children to keep their phones, laptops and tablets until bedtime. They are also not allowed to use their cell phones during family time. As the proud mother of five children ranging in age from 6 to 24, I found this data to be rather accurate. Our teens are online either through the use of their laptops, tablets or cell phones the majority of the time. Our oldest two used to talk on the phone with friends but our younger teens spend most of their time texting as a form of communication with friends. Twitter is very popular with one of our daughters because she is always trying to find a social network that is less popular with adults- mainly her parents of course.
Lenhart included data on social media sites. Some teens revealed that they have switched to other social media sites that are less popular with adults to avoid their presence. I have to agree with that. I recently created an Instagram account while my teens have had accounts for a long while. Teens like to create their own space and would prefer for adults to stay out. Unfortunately, this can create problems with online safety.
24 slides/pages
Mining Pew 4: 13 Things to Know about Teens and Technology
Rainie, L.. (2014) 13 Things to Know About Teens and Technology. Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project. Retrieved from:
http://pewinternet.org/2014/07/23/13-things-to-know-about-teens-and-technology/
At the ACT Enrollment Planners Conference held in Chicago on July 23, 2014 Lee Rainie discussed how teens are using technology, how digital tools are changing teen communication with others, and how they gather information about the world. Rainie used parent and teen survey data gathered by the Pew Research Internet Project and shared that 95% of teens are using the internet while 78% own cell phones. 81% use social networking sites.
One survey of writing teachers revealed that 87% of teachers believe students have shorter attention spans due to technology while 77% of teachers believe that digital tools have had a positive impact on student research skills. So basically most teachers surveyed expressed positive and negative feelings towards the use of digital tools. Most felt that digital tools positively impacted students but led to students expecting to find information quickly due to the extensive use of search engines.
Rainie goes on to share how knowledge has changed and how it is processed. Learners need to be actively engaged in their own learning and creating knowledge. This is already evident in the classroom today. Students learn differently today compared to ten years ago. Students are active participants in their learning. I agree that learning behaviors have changed and it has been mostly due to digital tools and technological advances. Students have access to a wealth of information which at times can be overwhelming and discouraging. At the same time, the benefit and ease outweigh the negative. Overall, I believe that technology and digital tools will have a positive impact on student learning and cognition.
Millennials' Futures
I agree with the 52% who voted in favor of positive outcome due to technological advances among this group. While cons exist, overall the availability of a great variety of tools has improved many areas of our lives and more is yet to come.
55 Slides
13 Things to Know About Teens and Technology from Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project
Wow! As I read through these slides, I found myself reflecting on my recent experiences with students. I find myself repeating information because they have such short attention spans. I noticed that my students are more familiar with technological terms and with the Internet but they have a harder time waiting for search results or for information to download. Unfortunately, my campus has old computers and students possess very little patience.
Wow! As I read through these slides, I found myself reflecting on my recent experiences with students. I find myself repeating information because they have such short attention spans. I noticed that my students are more familiar with technological terms and with the Internet but they have a harder time waiting for search results or for information to download. Unfortunately, my campus has old computers and students possess very little patience.
At the ACT Enrollment Planners Conference held in Chicago on July 23, 2014 Lee Rainie discussed how teens are using technology, how digital tools are changing teen communication with others, and how they gather information about the world. Rainie used parent and teen survey data gathered by the Pew Research Internet Project and shared that 95% of teens are using the internet while 78% own cell phones. 81% use social networking sites.
One survey of writing teachers revealed that 87% of teachers believe students have shorter attention spans due to technology while 77% of teachers believe that digital tools have had a positive impact on student research skills. So basically most teachers surveyed expressed positive and negative feelings towards the use of digital tools. Most felt that digital tools positively impacted students but led to students expecting to find information quickly due to the extensive use of search engines.
Rainie goes on to share how knowledge has changed and how it is processed. Learners need to be actively engaged in their own learning and creating knowledge. This is already evident in the classroom today. Students learn differently today compared to ten years ago. Students are active participants in their learning. I agree that learning behaviors have changed and it has been mostly due to digital tools and technological advances. Students have access to a wealth of information which at times can be overwhelming and discouraging. At the same time, the benefit and ease outweigh the negative. Overall, I believe that technology and digital tools will have a positive impact on student learning and cognition.
Millennials' Futures
I agree with the 52% who voted in favor of positive outcome due to technological advances among this group. While cons exist, overall the availability of a great variety of tools has improved many areas of our lives and more is yet to come.
55 Slides
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
Mining pew 3: Social Media
Lenhart, A., Purcell, K., Smith, A. & Zickuhr, K. (2010). Social Media & Mobile Internet Use Among Teens and Young Adults. Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project. Retrieved from: http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2010/Social-Media-and-Young-Adults.aspx
http://www.pewinternet.org/files/old-media//Files/Reports/2010/PIP_Social_Media_and_Young_Adults_Report_Final_with_toplines.pdf
I was surprised by the findings in regards to social networks. I thought for sure Twitter was going to be more popular with teens and young adults but according to this data teens and young adults are using MySpace. I thought MySpace died a long time ago but I guess I was wrong.
Lenhart, Purcell, Smith, & Zickuhr's report focuses on the use of social media, internet and mobile service by teens and young adults. This report compiles data obtained by Princeton Survey Research Associates International. A teen cell phone survey was conducted through a telephone interview which included parents. A separate telephone interview was conducted to compile the adult internet usage data and includes results from a daily tracking internet usage survey.
They found that young adults (18-29) and teens are blogging less since 2006 and the percentage of older adults blogging has increased. Young adults and teens are "microblogging" instead (17). Young adults and teens use different social networking sites than older adults. I think this may be due to teens wanting privacy and to be considered separate from their parents. Older adults use Facebook more frequently. Teens and young adults use MySpace more often. Interestingly, young adults use social networking sites at the same rate as teens. Twitter is also not being used as often by younger teens. I have seen Twitter grow in popularity in our area. Internet use is about the same for all ages but young adults use wireless more often than older adults while older adults use desktops more often than young adults who report using laptops more frequently. I see this often with older colleagues, they shy away from the laptops and find desktops easier to use.
As for cell phone usage, the largest growth of cell phone usage has been the teen group. Seventy-five percent of American teens own a cell phone(9-10). Those with higher income and higher education are more likely to own cell phones. Teen boys and girls use their cells for different purposes. Teen boys are more likely to own gaming devices. I purchased cell phones for my children when they started middle school so that they could call me if they needed to stay after school or simply to keep track of their whereabouts with ease.
51 pages
http://www.pewinternet.org/files/old-media//Files/Reports/2010/PIP_Social_Media_and_Young_Adults_Report_Final_with_toplines.pdf
I was surprised by the findings in regards to social networks. I thought for sure Twitter was going to be more popular with teens and young adults but according to this data teens and young adults are using MySpace. I thought MySpace died a long time ago but I guess I was wrong.
Lenhart, Purcell, Smith, & Zickuhr's report focuses on the use of social media, internet and mobile service by teens and young adults. This report compiles data obtained by Princeton Survey Research Associates International. A teen cell phone survey was conducted through a telephone interview which included parents. A separate telephone interview was conducted to compile the adult internet usage data and includes results from a daily tracking internet usage survey.
They found that young adults (18-29) and teens are blogging less since 2006 and the percentage of older adults blogging has increased. Young adults and teens are "microblogging" instead (17). Young adults and teens use different social networking sites than older adults. I think this may be due to teens wanting privacy and to be considered separate from their parents. Older adults use Facebook more frequently. Teens and young adults use MySpace more often. Interestingly, young adults use social networking sites at the same rate as teens. Twitter is also not being used as often by younger teens. I have seen Twitter grow in popularity in our area. Internet use is about the same for all ages but young adults use wireless more often than older adults while older adults use desktops more often than young adults who report using laptops more frequently. I see this often with older colleagues, they shy away from the laptops and find desktops easier to use.
As for cell phone usage, the largest growth of cell phone usage has been the teen group. Seventy-five percent of American teens own a cell phone(9-10). Those with higher income and higher education are more likely to own cell phones. Teen boys and girls use their cells for different purposes. Teen boys are more likely to own gaming devices. I purchased cell phones for my children when they started middle school so that they could call me if they needed to stay after school or simply to keep track of their whereabouts with ease.
51 pages
Mining PEW - E-Reading
Zickuhr, K. & Rainie, L. (2014). "E-Reading Rises as Device Ownership Jumps". Pew Research Center's Internet & American
Life Project. Retrieved from:
http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2014/E-Reading-Update.aspx
It was music to my ears when my teen daughter requested a Nook last Christmas. I was delighted to make such a purchase. As for myself, I read some books using the Kindle and Nook apps but I still find myself purchasing some books.
A survey was conducted in January 2014 to find out how many American adults are reading using e-readers. The survey was conducted by phone interview and included 1,005 adults living in the United States. Zickuhr & Rainie found that half of American adults now own a tablet or e-reader (4). I found it quite interesting but not surprising to learn that owners of e-readers are more likely to be white with some college education. Tablet owners were younger than e-reader owners and overall the levels of education were higher as was the annual income. Once again not a surprise, since electronic devices can be expensive.
The survey also asked about reading habits. The number of American adults reading e-books has risen but very few read e-books solely. According to Zicuhr & Rainie's survey only four percent of American readers read e-books only. Most Americans are still reading print books and seventy-six percent of American Adults read a book in some type of format annually. Women read more often than men and women were more likely to read an e-book or a book in print. On average, most participants read five books per year. The study also revealed that audiobook listeners have the most diverse reading habits (6-7). I enjoy reading books in any format but I find myself looking for print and still needing to physically turn the page and feel the paper. This study included only adults but I often find in my classroom that girls enjoy reading time more than the boys. As a librarian, I hope to motivate boys to read and help them become life long readers.
Zickuhr & Rainie concluded that older adults use mostly e-readers while younger readers access books on their cells, tablets, or computers. They also found that people who read using e-readers read more often but were unable to determine why (11). It would be interesting to find out more about the reasoning behind such reading habits.
20 pages
It was music to my ears when my teen daughter requested a Nook last Christmas. I was delighted to make such a purchase. As for myself, I read some books using the Kindle and Nook apps but I still find myself purchasing some books.
A survey was conducted in January 2014 to find out how many American adults are reading using e-readers. The survey was conducted by phone interview and included 1,005 adults living in the United States. Zickuhr & Rainie found that half of American adults now own a tablet or e-reader (4). I found it quite interesting but not surprising to learn that owners of e-readers are more likely to be white with some college education. Tablet owners were younger than e-reader owners and overall the levels of education were higher as was the annual income. Once again not a surprise, since electronic devices can be expensive.
The survey also asked about reading habits. The number of American adults reading e-books has risen but very few read e-books solely. According to Zicuhr & Rainie's survey only four percent of American readers read e-books only. Most Americans are still reading print books and seventy-six percent of American Adults read a book in some type of format annually. Women read more often than men and women were more likely to read an e-book or a book in print. On average, most participants read five books per year. The study also revealed that audiobook listeners have the most diverse reading habits (6-7). I enjoy reading books in any format but I find myself looking for print and still needing to physically turn the page and feel the paper. This study included only adults but I often find in my classroom that girls enjoy reading time more than the boys. As a librarian, I hope to motivate boys to read and help them become life long readers.
Zickuhr & Rainie concluded that older adults use mostly e-readers while younger readers access books on their cells, tablets, or computers. They also found that people who read using e-readers read more often but were unable to determine why (11). It would be interesting to find out more about the reasoning behind such reading habits.
20 pages
Friday, November 21, 2014
Instagram and Vine
I first started using Instagram about six months ago. I used it to keep in touch with some of my nieces and nephews that live out of state and no longer use Facebook. I only posted a single collage and the rest of the time I have simply followed them and commented on pictures that they have posted. Instagram has become one of the most popular social network services out there especially for teenagers. It allows you to take pictures and videos that can be shared on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Flickr. Instagram videos are only 15 seconds long. Instagram has many uses beyond just social networking. Educators can use it in their classrooms to feature the student of the week or to showcase student work. Students can use Instagram to share reading recommendations or record the steps of a science project. Younger students can use it to go on scavenger hunts or to create ideas for writing. The possibilities are endless. Here are a couple of examples for you to view.
Another great service to try is Vine. It is a short video sharing service. The videos are short six second videos. The videos loop and are great to use in the classroom to help students commit content to memory. As an educator, you can create your own videos related to content. Vines are also great for predicting. They can be used by students to create videos, too. Here are a couple of examples of Vines, I created.
Another great service to try is Vine. It is a short video sharing service. The videos are short six second videos. The videos loop and are great to use in the classroom to help students commit content to memory. As an educator, you can create your own videos related to content. Vines are also great for predicting. They can be used by students to create videos, too. Here are a couple of examples of Vines, I created.
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