The digital tools that best facilitate learning for me are ProQuest Central, which is found on the Walden University Library website. It is a one-stop-shop for current reviews of research in any area of study. It allows me to expand my knowledge base and learn what other professional are sharing with the professional community. I use email to communicate with colleagues in my learning community, Skype with classmates around the world, and create GoogleDocs to collaborate on assignments with fellow student at Walden University.
When I have a question I typically start with my networks online, Yahoo or Google or some other search engine. If that doesn’t work, I will send an email to colleagues and/or friends to see if they can help. If I am still without an answer I will create a Blog on my personal blog to see if I get any good answers. The most amazing thing I can say about my networks is that sometime after answering my original question I’ve created three of four new questions and I get answer that would have never been produced..
I vividly recall hours spent in the library trying to find information on topics just to become completely frustrated by the process especially when I knew so little about the topic that it was so hard to search out the information. I think the technological advances we have seen just make it so much easier to gain some sort of expertise on any subject area of interest and I think that is just absolutely wonderful. Plus I am far more social since with the advent of various communication platforms and online networks than I am in "real life".
ReplyDeleteTrissia,
ReplyDeleteI responded to this posting earlier this week, and now I see it somehow didn't show up....one of the downsides to technology, is that it doesn't work sometimes due to poor connections, or overuse of the server at times. Alas, I'll begin again...
Your posting reminded me of some of the uses that administration allows for technology. I just read of a county in the mid-west which has allowed wi-fi for students use on select devices. So far they are finding that students use their freedom of internet connection respectfully. This perception, however, is very unique, it's newsworthy. I have worked with an administrator who would not allow any teachers to be seated at their desk for any reason while students were in their rooms, this eliminates the ability to use the internet for lessons, or management tasks such as attendance taking. Another administrator allows teachers to utilize "messaging" among staff, when using AOL, Yahoo, or Microsoft messaging there is no way to monitor that it is used only among staff, however.
The question arises for administrators: how much monitoring of staff utilization of internet programs should there be and what would you suggest are appropriate guidelines?
Lori