Mod 4 - Podcasts

The assignment says to post our audio/video on Youtube, but Youtube only wants a video file-which is here and below, but has lame visuals as I only created the audio file. I converted it at Ez-converter. Here is the file on Soundcloud.

The above (&below) podcast explains the difference between several frequently used file formats and could be used in a class like ours, informal learning opportunities, web use, or anywhere this information would be valuable.

From Public Domain Clip Art

Links that helped me when I put this assignment together:

• Audacity
• Free Music Archive for the music. 
• LAME exporter for Audacity (you'll need this to get the file converted into a .mp3) Scroll down for LAME exporter for your OS.
• EZ-Converter to take that .mp3 and make a .mp4 for Youtube.

Need to know if you can use that music clip in your assignment? I found a great licensing cheat sheet on the freemusicarchive.org There is also an amazing array of music available for use - just make sure the artist's licensing requests are considered (usually attribution in your work) and you're good to go!

I also found a great resource for public domain music at Free Music Archive. Go into the advance search and make sure you have public domain checked. The music I used is Morph by Soft and Furious.

Visual images on the web are not all public domain and also have licensing, so when you need an image off the web make sure your honoring the copyright for that image. Stinkyink.com has a great article on this. RivalIQ and Lifehacker have another good articles. I feel as an artist myself, I need to honor other creative's work correctly as I would want them to do if they were to use my work. The web is just one big community and we need to be good citizens of that community.

Mod 3 - Embedding Media & Photo Sharing

More information on photo sharing:
http://socialnetworking.swsi.wikispaces.net/Photosharing

My Old Photo Sharing Links:
Flickr (mixed stuff)
Snapfish (old work images of a charity golf outing & shoot-out I photographed in 2008)

◆◆◆

Mod 2 - Reflection of Blogs, Bookmarking, and Wikis

What are your early impressions of using a blog and what was your experience using Diigo and creating a Wiki this week? Any surprises, pleasant or otherwise?

I think that these can be really powerful tools if correctly implemented. The ability to collaborate with others opens up many possibilities and ease of use. I did find myself wanting to stay in one application and try to set it up so all my bookmarks were in it and not having to move around between applications. I can see some really good uses for the app in my current work setting if I can get the staff to use it... that is one of the major components to a successful application-is it really used? I am using diigo more and getting used to putting in key words that will actually help me later. Sometimes its hard to come up with the terms that I would be searching for. 

Considering Siegel's (article we read last week) concept of "computer imagination", what do you think would be at least one "imaginative" educational use of each tool (blog, Bookmarking, Wiki) that takes advantage of each tool's inherent strengths? That is, what do you think you and/or your students could use these tools for that they might not be able to do with other more simple or low-tech tools? Or, what is a problem to which each of these tools is an answer?

An imaginative use for the blog would be writing stories and finding web imagery to illustrate them.  I see the blog as the digital journal. A notebook and pen are good if its just free writing to get the ideas out of your head, but a blog is a step more formal. 

For bookmarking, I find it tougher to think outside the box on this one... perhaps getting students to do their own research and link back for others. The bookmark tool is great for when you have many links that need to be shared with students or have a set group of web resources that are "pre-approved" for use in a project. 

With the Wiki, creative collaborative pieces could be made to illustrate a lesson or research the history of an event. I like the example used in the video to plan something, such as a student event. The problem I encounter is that other staff aren't open to learning new programs. 

Mod 2 - Links

Module 2 Assignment Links (also in sidebar):

My page on diigo & my BYOD reflection 
My wiki on Learning Technology

SUI2018 First week of Class

Welcome to the other side of career burnout. One year from the date of this post, I was laid off from a bankrupt regional sporting goods chain, where I worked for almost 11 years. I was their photo merchandise coordinator and a graphic designer in advertising. This morning (not realizing the date until I began this page!), I woke to nightmares of missing product and imagery, passed deadlines, jobless panic and financial ruin. (I do wish my psyche wouldn't have to rehash it all in such gory detail.) Luckily, last June I found a position with Western Michigan University where I am working in a office that helps first generation and low resourced college students. I love working in academia: I am able to help my students navigate their own academic paths and pursue my love of learning.

This blog is for the EDT5410 - Foundations of Instructional Technology class taught by Michael L. Johnson II for the summer I semester. I will be posting finished assignments and exploring this career path as I am looking to get my masters in educational and instructional technology. I am officially listed as an undergrad getting my second bachelors in biology, but might put that on hold as educational technology would use my years of tech, graphic and marketing experience.

Western Michigan University's Master of Arts in Educational & Instructional Technology

Tips for taking a successful e-learning class. 

 (My own art from 2013)