A4.8: Week 4 Reflection

Deidra Darst
9/13/07

Aims and Objectives:

For the fourth week of CD 315, my personal goals were to complete each assignment to the best of my abilities. I began the week early Monday morning, checking the class website to see if the assignment sheet was posted; I wanted to get started as soon as possible. When I saw the workload that lay before me, I thought, “Wow, you better get to work!” I spent a lot of time in the library this week, so I decided to work on the assignments during that time. I hoped to get my CD315 work finished by Friday because I plan to take a test this weekend for my online course. I also have an aural rehabilitation test Tuesday, and I wanted plenty of time to study for it. To add to my chaotic weekend, I walk dogs at a local animal shelter on Saturdays, and I do not want to miss out on doing that. The Herd has a game against New Hampshire this weekend, and I would love to be there to cheer them on to victory! I might be busy this week, but I think that is a good thing. To quote Henry David Thoreau, “Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it.” I hope that a bit of truth exists in those words.

Declarative Knowledge:

This week’s assignments have offered insight into Wikipedia, RSS and search engines. I learned about the workings of Wikipedia and how it can provide the most up-to-date information on a variety of topics. Wikipedia is useful to novices and experts alike. Real Simple Syndication (RSS) allows Web surfers to subscribe to feeds of personal interest. The RSS aggregator receives information when sites are updated, relieving surfers of visiting numerous sites on a daily basis. Search engines are often used by Internet users to “surf” the Web. Ironically, search engines do not surf the Web; they search databases from numerous servers. It is often necessary to utilize several search engines per query. Some sites can be located by one particular search engine, so users should not rely soley on one search engine.

Procedural Knowledge:

Chapter 5 of Richardson’s text taught me how to subscribe to sites via RSS. First, an aggregator must be set up; the World Wide Web offers several different aggregators. With the aggregator in place, the user can subscribe to any number of RSS feeds. The aggregator will receive updates, and the user can access all of the feeds in the same Internet space. I also learned how to filter and adjust my search queries in order to obtain different results on several search engines. Word order and differing word combinations will result in different “hits.”

Conditional Knowledge:

My newly gained knowledge in these various areas will be beneficial as I complete my research this semester. I know that I need to work more diligently in my attempts to find information through search engines. As I search for information relevant to my research question, I can find sites that contain an RSS link. Through the RSS feed I can have updated information sent directly to me, which will allot more time for other research tasks.  My life as a student is made easier with the use of these technologies. So much information is available through the World Wide Web that I need all the assistance I can get from the various Web tools.  As a pre-professional, I think that RSS is an extremely useful tool. As a speech-language pathologist I will need to stay abreast of the latest information, theories and technologies. RSS feeds from professional sites and blogs will keep me connected to the latest information on a variety of field-related topics.  While I find this week’s information helpful as a student and pre-professional, it is also beneficial as a citizen. Regardless of profession or interest, these Web tools can aid anyone in their information gathering through the Internet.

A4.3: Reflection on Searching the WWW

Deidra Darst
9/13/07

What did I learn that I didn’t already know? About an hour ago I thought that I knew all there was to know about search engines. Google is the search engine, right? After visiting several sites concerning search engines I realized that Google, while quite fabulous, is not the one-and-only source I should be using. Finding Things on the Internet: A Tutorial, explained that many sites can only be located by one search engine, and that might not be Google! So, in order to get the most out of your searches you should also search Yahoo! and ask.com. I also learned that there is an invisible web that usually cannot be accessed through search engines (yes, even Google). The invisible web can be accessed through particular databases. One example of this would be the ERIC database. Marshall University pays for access to such databases, so I have access to these because I am a student. ITools, which I had not heard of until today, provides three main categories for information gathering purposes: a search tool, a language translator and a research tool. I tested each category and found them useful. It was also accurate to have all three of those options together on one site. I learned, too, that search engines can only locate sites that have been linked to another site. If a new site is created and has yet to be linked to a pre-existing site, the owner must request that it be added to a search engine.

What surprised me? I was most surprised by the ITools site. In the “tool search” category there is a place to find a person by entering their first and last name. I entered my name and found my address and phone number! I realize that this information could easily be found from other sources, but it was a little frightening that it was that easy to find! (Witness Protection Program, here I come!) I was also surprised to learn from Finding Things that search engines do not really search the web; rather, they search databases located on various servers.

How might what I learned impact my work? The information that I learned will impact my future work. While I sometimes consult Yahoo! or ask.com during research, I mostly rely on Google. I realize now that I am limiting my result possibilities. I will probably consult Keith Stanger’s site in the future as well. His topical “search trees” might direct me to useful search engines. I should definitely utilize other search engines, afterall, that is why they exist!

A4.2: Chapter 5 – Richardson

Deidra Darst
9/12/07

Richardson, W. (2006).  RSS:  The new killer app for educators.  In J. Barbakow, E. Meidenbauer, J. Ward (Eds.), Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms.  Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

TAP:  The topic of this chapter is Real Simple Syndication, or RSS.  It was written to persuade educators to include RSS into their daily Internet repertoires.

Claim:  Richardson claims that RSS feeds and aggregators are powerful tools that will be reshaping Internet users’ searching habits in the future (2006).  RSS, while seemingly complicated at first, actually simplifies its users’ lives by providing new information from various blogs and sites all in one place – the RSS aggregator.

Evidence:  Richardson provides a detailed explanation of the RSS feed and aggregator:  what it is, how it works and how it can improve interactions and information gathering for teachers and students.  Search-time is drastically decreased because new information is sent to you rather than you going to it.  Unlike email accounts that receive unsolicited messages, aggregators only receive information that you specify.  Richardson writes that this alone should be enough for you to convert to RSS subscriptions!  He explains the ease with which one can subscribe to an aggregator and begin receiving messages from their subscriptions.  RSS feeds are not limited to blogs.  Many sites are now incorporating RSS into their programming, which allows users to receive updates from news sources to Google sites.  Teachers can create on online community through the use of RSS; students and faculty can be connected through one another’s blogs and RSS feed subscriptions.  This is but one way in which information can be shared amongst a group of Internet users.

Connections:
text-to-self:  Richardson’s explanations about aggregators helped me understand the benefits of subscribing to blogs and sites via RSS feeds.  As he wrote in chapter 5, I imagined that aggregators could bombard me with new information.  He wrote that, with time and experience, users become more adept at finding the most pertinent information.  This sparked an interest in me, as this class is focused on literacy information skills.  He wrote about improving one’s information literacy skills through the use of RSS feeds, and I think he is correct in making this assumption.  While the aggregator is full of information concerning a particular topic, the user must be able to sift through everything and focus on the most pertinent information.  Even in our attempts to filter out information through the use of RSS feeds, we must be able to filter that information even further in order to access the most relevant information.

text-to-text:  This chapter from Richardson’s text is very similar to the document 7 Things You Should Know About RSS.  Both texts provide a basic overview of how RSS feeds work, but Richardson’s text provides step-by-step instructions about how to set up an account through various aggregator programs.  This reading and 7 Things both allude to RSS feeds’ ability to simplify Web searching for their users.  Richardson basically reiterates the statements presented in the 7 Things article and provides more in-depth information with explicit operating instructions.

text-to-world:  I can see how RSS feeds and aggregators could make an impact on my future career as a speech-language pathologist.  To explain my reasoning, I will elaborate on the example I provided in my last blog entry.  As a speech-language pathologist I will undoubtedly interact with parents of children with hearing impairments.  If parents are interested in cochlear implants, I could encourage them to subscribe, via an RSS feed, to cochlear implant-focused sites and blogs.  This would connect them to the recently published information about cochlear implants, and would aid them in their search for helpful information.  I, too, could benefit from RSS feeds by subscribing to sites that deal with areas of my professional concern and interest.

 

A4.2: 7 Things You Should Know About RSS

 

 

Deidra Darst
9/11/07

7 things you should know about rss (2007). Educause Learning Initiative. Retrieved September 10, 2007, from http://connect.educause.edu/library/abstract/7ThingsYouShouldKnow/39401

TAP: The topic of this document is the RSS feed. It was written to inform Web surfers, especially those in academic settings, about RSS feeds and aggregators.

Claim: RSS feeds and their aggregators are convenient tools that inform their users of updates to their subscribed sites. RSS feeds automatically download new content from sites and send it to subscribers (2007).

Evidence: RSS feeds are available on many sites found on the World Wide Web. By clicking on the RSS link, users subscribe to the site and are informed when updates occur (2007). With this subscription, users are no longer forced to visit all sites of interest because updated information is sent to them. Many educational programs utilize RSS feeds in order to inform students and faculty about the latest happenings and changes within classes. Students can subscribe to their courses’ sites via an RSS feed, and they receive notifications when material is updated on the site. RSS feeds also provide the opportunity to connect one site to another. For instance, a person uses their blog as a means to educate the public about cochlear implants. The blogger can use an RSS feed to subscribe to Hearing Mojo, a site that provides information about hearing loss, new technologies and relevant stories.  (This site’s RSS feed link can be located in the upper-left hand corner.)  Each time this site updates its information, the subscribed blogger receives the updated information for his blog. Readers of his blog are instantly connected to the updated information without the hassle of searching for it on their own. The document claims that RSS feeds may likely be the “primary vehicle through which users interact with the Internet” (2007). The hassle of visiting every site is no longer a hindrance to the Internet surfer. RSS feeds provide convenience in an ever-inconvenient world.

Connections:
text-to-me: The RSS feed is a new Internet tool in my technological arsenal. I have seen the RSS icon on many websites, but have never utilized them. After reading this article, I realize that I can greatly reduce the time spent surfing myspace, facebook, and blog entries in order to keep tabs on my family and friends! I visit the same sites everyday, and I can limit my search time by utilizing the RSS feeds supplied by the sites. As the document stated, I can have new updated information sent to me rather than searching for it myself.

text-to-text: The RSS document is unlike the other required readings of the past few weeks. However, all of the programs in the readings – RSS, collaborative editing and wikis – make life easier for their users. These programs allow technological users to work more efficiently, and each reading has attempted to address this issue. The World Wide Web was created to enhance communications between its users, and these technologies and programs are tools that make Internet communications even more efficacious.

text-to-world: I believe that RSS feeds will play a vital role in my future as a student and as a future professional. I can use RSS feeds to subscribe to my favorite sites, both recreational and educational in nature. RSS feeds can provide me with up-to-date information without hours of searching on my part. The time and effort that RSS feeds save will grant me the opportunity to truly explore areas of professional interest. I will be alerted of new information when it is available, hence keeping me connected to the newest information in a timely fashion.

 

 

A4.2: 7 Things You Should Know About Wikipedia

 

 

Deidra Darst
9/10/07

 

7 things you should know about wikipedia (2007). Educause Learning Initiative. Retrieved September 10, 2007, from http://connect.educause.edu/library/abstract/7ThingsYouShouldKnow/44397

TAP: The topic of this document is Wikipedia. It was written for anyone who uses the World Wide Web as a source during research, especially those in the academic field. The purpose of the document is to inform readers of Wikipedia – what it is, who uses it, how it works, why it is important, its drawbacks, what is in its future and its implications on teaching and learning.

Claim: Wikipedia is a revolutionary online encyclopedia that researchers can utilize in order to obtain and share information via the World Wide Web.

Evidence: Wikipedia, which began in 2001, is a free online encyclopedia that anyone can read, contribute to and edit (2007). Wikipedia is essentially a wiki program that warrants editorial responsibilities to all users. Topics can be researched on the site by using keyword searches. These searches provide text, pictures, and/or videos on thousands of topics. If a researcher happens upon incorrect or biased information he or she has the ability to edit it. Because anyone has the opportunity to contribute and edit Wikipedia pages, information is monitored by all who utilize its services. Pages that are “targets of vandalism” (2007) are “protected” pages that cannot be edited by the average user. This helps assure that particularly controversial sites remain reliable. Wikipedia can be very beneficial within academic research and curricula. Experts and novices can jointly utilize its collaborative nature to learn from one another. Experts can find up-to-date information and provide seasoned knowledge to readers. Novices can find vital background information as well as provide new perspectives on topics.

Connections:
text-to-me: As stated in the article, I too have experience with Wikipedia skeptics. Many of my previous professors have declared Wikipedia information unusable citation sources. In many instances I searched Wikipedia, clicked a provided link within a document and found that source to be credible. So, technically, I did use Wikipedia in a roundabout way! I often search Wikipedia at the beginning of my research endeavors in order to get a brief overview of the topic. It provides in-depth information, and also explains complex topics in layman’s terms so I can grasp the concepts. It is very user-friendly which is great during the initial phases of research. I understand that I cannot accept all of the information at face value, so it often leads me to continue my research via other credible sources.

text-to-text: This article parallels the week3 assigned article 7 Things You Should Know About Wikis. Last week’s article even stated that Wikipedia is the most well-known wiki on the Internet today. This Wikipedia article also reminds me of last week’s collaborative editing reading. Both systems require their users to work interdependently, relying on the whole community to produce valid and reliable sources of information.

text-to-world: I believe that Wikipedia holds a vital position in today’s research community. As stated in the document, it often provides the most up-to-date information on current events. In a world where things change so quickly, it is often necessary to access the most current information. Many critics of Wikipedia doubt its accuracy, and this is important to me as a future speech-language pathologist. As a future professional, I must be able to find information and know how to use it. Should I trust this particular source, or should I find a reference to cross-check the facts? Wikipedia could be used initially to obtain general background information or as a starting point during a research project. I could contribute to Wikipedia as my experience, understanding and expertise improve within the field of communication disorders. By using it as a research tool and as a means of publication, I could effectively utilize Wikipedia as a source of the Read/Write Web.