A5.5: Week 5 Reflection

Deidra Darst
9/22/07

Aims and Objectives: 
My personal goals this week in regard to CD 315 were to finish all of the assignments to the best of my abilities and in a timely fashion.  I set out to begin my assignments Tuesday evening.  I had a couple of tests at the beginning of the week and wanted to focus on preparing for them.  I knew that I would still have enough time to successfully complete my assignments for this course, so I did not feel rushed, but I did feel as if I had to “play catch-up.”  I always try to manage my preparation and studies skills in a hierarchial fashion, almost on a “first come, first serve” basis. 

Declarative Knowledge: 

My learnings this week focused on social bookmarking, virtual meetings and virtual worlds.  I learned that, via the utilization of these tools, I can form deeper connections with users of the Read/Write Web.  Social bookmarking allows me to bookmark and “tag” frequently visited sites and access them from a site such as del.icio.us.  This is convenient for me because the bookmarks can be used from any computer unlike the “old” bookmarking system that saves the link on a specific computer.  These bookmarks can be set to “public,” allowing anyone to view them.  This enables other users to benefit from my searches and interesting, thus connecting me to other users, and connecting other users to my resources.  Virtual meetings allow people to connect to one another from various locations in real-time.  Simply by logging into the virtual meeting at the same time, users can communicate and connect despite large distances and different locations.  Lectures can be viewed in  real-time, questions can be asked and answered, and collaborative efforts can be successful.  College courses can be conducted via virtual meetings; this saves teachers and students the hassle of converging in one place without compromising the integrity of the class or the course material.  Virtual worlds create the opportunity for individuals to create and manipulate virtual worlds for avatars, or online-selves.  Virtual worlds operate on the same premise of computer games, but can offer less restrictive environments in which students can experiment and learn.   

Procedural Knowledge:  

Chapter 6 of Richardson’s text taught me how to create and search a social bookmarking webpage like del.icio.us.  To find a specific topic on this social bookmarking site, simple type the following address:  http://del.icio.us/tag/yourtaghere (Richardson, 2006).  This will direct you to others’ sites who have used this specific tag word to label one of their links.  You can also see what others are subscribing to via RSS feeds by using the following address:  http://del.icio.us/rss/tag/yourtopichere.  I learned how to create a blogline.com account and link it to my wordpress.com blog via the blogroll function.  First, I created my blogline account by registering on the site.  I then clicked on my Account link, then Blog Settings in order to set my blog to “public.”  I also created a user name on this page.  Next, I clicked on the Share link in the lower-lefthand corner.  Here I found the address for my public blogline feeds which I copied to my clipboard.  To create a link from my wordpress blog to bloglines, I had to login to my wordpress.com blog.  From there I accessed my Dashboard where I found the Blogrolls subheading.  I clicked on Add Link where I created a link to my public feeds from bloglines.com by pasting the address I copied earlier.  I had previously updated my widgets on my wordpress sidebar, so I had to change it again so my Blogroll link would be visible. 

Conditional Knowledge:
This week’s assignments provided information that can be utilized to make my online life a little easier.  I can use social bookmarking to keep track of my favorite (and beneficial) sites.  Not only can I access them, but so can anyone else who is interested.  I can take part in virtual meetings when my professors wish to make “class time” “home time” or library time.”  I could use a virtual world to practice clinical skills that I need experience with prior to becoming a certified speech-language pathologist.  I find this week’s information very beneficial as a college student.  Next week this class will be conducted via a virtual meetings, so I will undoubtedly call upon my knowledge of virtual meetings.  As a student I find myself in constant search of new information.  All of these technologies can aid me in finding and organizing information that I find on the World Wide Web.  I am willing to try anything that will make my life easier, more organized and less stressful!  As a pre-professional I must be aware of all opportunities available to me.  I need to understand how, when, why and where such technologies can be implemented to improve my existence and the life of my colleagues and clients.  Social bookmarking, virtual meetings and virtual worlds are just some facets to the information literacy movement.  I must be knowledgeable of each in order to be a productive and literate citizen. 

Richardson, W. (2006).  The social web: Learning together.  In J. Barbakow, E. Meidenbauer, J. Ward (Eds.), Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms.  Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

A5.3: Library Searching I

Deidra Darst

9/22/07

1. Database:  Academic Search Premier

Keywords:  bilingual, children, therapy

Bibliographic Information:  

Wong Kwok Shing, R. (2006, October). Enhancing English among second language learners: The pre-school years. Early Years: Journal of International Research & Development, 26(3), 279-293. Retrieved September 22, 2007, from the Academic Search Premier database. 

2. Database:  Academic Search Premier

Keywords:  bilingual, children, therapy

Bibliographic Information: 

Larroudé, B. (2004, April). Multicultural-multilingual group sessions. Topics in Language Disorders, 24(2), 137-140. Retrieved September 22, 2007, from the Academic Search Premier database.

3. Database: ERIC

Keywords: bilingual, children, intervention 

Bibliographic Information: 

Goldstein, B. (2006, January 1). Clinical implications of research on language development and disorders in bilingual children. Topics in Language Disorders, 26(4), 305.  Retrieved September 22, 2007, from the ERIC database.

4. Database:  ERIC

Keywords: children, bilingual, speech

Bibliographic Information: 

Mennen, I., & Stansfield, J. (2006, January 1).  Speech and language therapy service delivery for bilingual children: A survey of three cities in Great Britain. International Journal of Language and Communication Disorders, 41(Nov-Dec), 635.  Retrieved September 22, 2007, from the ERIC database.

5. Database:  ERIC

Keywords:  literacy, bilingual, speech

Bibliographic Information: 

Hammer, C., Miccio, A., & Wagstaff, D. (2003, January 1). Home literacy experiences and their relationship to bilingual preschoolers’ developing English literacy abilities: An initial investigation. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 34(1), 20.  Retrieved September 22, 2007, from the ERIC database.

A5.2: Chapter 6 – Richardson

Deidra Darst
9/12/07

Richardson, W. (2006).  The social web: Learning together.  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 of Richardson’s text is social bookmarking.  It was written to inform and encourage educators to include it in their classroom endeavors. 

Claim: 

Richardson acknowledges that searching the Web, with its vast amounts of information, can be a daunting task.  With social bookmarking users can create their own bookmarks and delve into others’ resources as well.  Social bookmarking makes finding, categorizing, and connecting information an easier task. 

Evidence:

The Read/Write Web is an evergrowing source of collaboration and social interaction amongst its users (2006).  Users can bookmark their favorite sites in a public domain and others can see those bookmarks.  Different people find and interpret information differently.  By searching through other users’ tags and keywords, a user can find relevant information that would otherwise have been missed through their initial searches. The connections that are made via social bookmarking allow users to find information previously marked as “relevant” by users with similar interests.  This new type of classification is called a “folksonomy.”  With approximately 1 billion Internet users today, virtual information is classified in new and unique ways.  Richardson believes that social bookmarking could lead to class assignments being completed more thoroughly.  By making research a collaborative effort students learn from one another’s efforts.  One person does not have to find all of the useful information that is available online.  This person can access classmates’ social bookmarks, but the connections do not end here.  Anyone whose bookmarks contain tags or keywords similar to the user’s interest can be accessed as well.  Social bookmarking users have “an army” (2006) constantly finding relevant information for them. 

Connections: 
text-to-self:  Social bookmarking seems to be a technology that could benefit this CD 315.  As we begin research on our topics, I could use social bookmarking to share my successful finds with my classmates.  I know that some of my classmaes share the same topics, so they could definitely benefit from others’ finds.  However, I feel that social bookmarking could get a little hectic and overwhelming.  I am sure that I will be required to use some type of social bookmarking, so maybe my apprehensions will be dismissed upon my using it. 
 

text-to-text:  This article is similar to the EduCause document concerning social bookmarking.  Both texts provide basic information concerning social bookmarking:  what it is, how it works and what benefits it can provide to educators and students.  Richardson takes his explanation a step further to provide directions for joining a social bookmarking site.  This chapter, as well as other assigned readings for CD 315, has highlighted these new technologies abilities to connect users to information.  It is vital for Internet users to know how and where to find relevant information on an as-needed basis.  Richardson writes that social bookmarking connects to RSS feeds (which I wrote about last week).  RSS feeds connect users to newly written information, and social bookmarking connects users to what other users are reading (2006). 
 

text-to-world: Social bookmarking can be a great connecting-tool for the professional world.  A group of professional colleagues who collaborate on projects and work-related assignments can use social bookmarking to learn from one anothers’ research efforts.  Professional endeavors can be completed more thoroughly when several people make contributions to the information-collection process. 

 

A5.2: 7 Things You Should Know About Virtual Worlds

Deidra Darst 
9/20/07

7 things you should know about virtual worlds (2006).  Educause Learning Initiative. Retrieved September 20, 2007, from http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7015.pdf

TAP:  The topic of this document is virtual worlds, virtual-online environments where users control avatars.  This article was written to inform teachers and students about the uses, advantages, disadvantages and implications of utilizing virtual worlds within academic curricula. 

Claim:   

“Virtual worlds hold significant potential for a learner-led rather than an outcome-based-model of exploration and knowledge development” (2006).  Virtual worlds provide a safe place for students and employees to experiment in a trial-and-error manner.  The process of learning is “unintentional” and within a medium that students find interesting and entertaining. 

 
Evidence:  

Virtual worlds, characters and situations are completely controlled by the user.  Many educationally-based tasks within virtual worlds have loose guidelines, and therefore provide opportunities for users to experiment and try new things.  Rather than forcing students to complete specific tasks and accomplish certain goals, students have the opportunity to guide their own learning situations.  In this light learning becomes “unintentional” which leads to “stronger comprehension and deeper knowledge” (2006).  Virtual worlds provide real-time opportunities for learners that have not been possible before.  Students’ avatars can interact with other students’ avatars, giving them practice and experience in clinician-client interactions, product development and numerous other tasks.  The vitual world operates on a realistic scheme, but does not have the implications that real-life interactions and tasks may hold.  Therefore students can feel free to try new things, test their effectiveness and reflect on their outcomes.  Virtual worlds are comparable to the ever-popular computer game.  Users create characters, environments and control every aspect of the virtual space.  Students find these worlds entertaining due to their game-like nature.  In essence, students can engage in play, entertainment, learning, creation and interaction all at the same time. 

Connections:
text-to-self:  The reading of this virtual world document reminded me of my favorite computer game – Sims2.  Creating characters and controlling their actions all within a virtual world is what virtual worlds (and Sims2) are all about.  I am also familiar with another virtual world called CyWorld.  Within Cy(ber)World individuals create avatars, environments for those avatars and make friends within the virtual space.  I think that it is great that educators can incorporate such technology into the learning process.  I know many younger students who do not enjoy school, but love playing computer games.  Combining the two, computer games and learning situations, is a great way to reach students through a medium that they find enjoyable.  I found the vignette about the medical school student interesting.  Future doctors (or therapists) could practice their skills within virtual worlds where their mistakes could be corrected prior to working with real patients.  I think I would enjoy completing such a task; it would give me experience without compromising my relationships with real, live patients!

text-to-text:  This document is paralleled by the virtual meetings document that I wrote about in my last blog.  Users, no matter where they are, can log in and interact with one another in real-time.  With both virtual programs users can engage in meaningful interactions and learn from the process.   

text-to-world:  It is difficult to imagine how virtual worlds could play a role in my life as a professional.  I could possibly use virtual worlds to supplement therapy sessions.  For instance, I could have a client who finds it difficult to engage in conversational turns.  He or she could use a virtual world to practice and improve this skill.  They could use the avatar, or the virtual self, to interact with other vitual world users. 

 

A5.2: 7 Things You Should Know About Virtual Meetings

 

 

Deidra Darst 
9/20/07

7 things you should know about virtual meetings (2006).  Educause Learning Initiative. Retrieved September 20, 2007, from http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7011.pdf

TAP: 

The topic of this document is virtual meetings within an academic setting.  It was written to inform teachers and students about virtual meetings and how they can provide an enriching online classroom space. 

Claim: 

Virtual meetings offer teachers and students more flexibility than in-person meetings.  Virtual meetings create the possibility to connect with individuals from numerous countries in real-time. 
 

Evidence: 

Virtual meetings serve as a convenience for students, teachers and anyone who participates in them.  At a designated time, everyone logs into the virtual meeting via their Internet connection.  From various places – home, work, even another country – the participants are instantly connected in real-time.  The class session is conducted with audio, video, and a shared whiteboard for collaborative use.  With these tools the students and teacher can interact much like they can in a face-to-face session.  With this application it is no longer necessary for class members to travel to campus for meetings.  The virtual meeting space offers nearly every convenience that a face-to-face meeting offers without the hassle of traveling.  Virtual meetings create opportunities for distance learners to participate in a truly interactive fashion.  Many online classes lack a sense of community because the students and teacher never engage in communications other than through email.  With this program in place, students from different time zones can feel as if they are in a classroom with their teacher and classmates.  An expert in the field could join in the virtual meeting and provide students with first-hand information.  The students could then pose questions and have the expert answer them in real-time!  The ability to hear from professionals and experts in such a manner provides a richer learning environment because students have the opportunity to interact with them. 

Connections:
text-to-self:  I believe that virtual meetings are about to become a part of my Internet repertoire in the very near future.  The CD 315 class will be meeting via a virtual meeting next week, so I found this article helpful.  My husband recently took part in an online graduate class that held virtual meetings.  I saw firsthand how they provide an enriching learning environment.  Although the professor is hundreds of miles away, the distance-learning students feel as if they are in the classroom with him.  My online medical terminology class lacks interaction amongst teacher and students, and I do not like it!  I think I would enjoy the class more if we were to hold virtual meetings so I could at least see my professor! 

text-to-text:  This virtual meetings document is unlike any other reading so far.  I am, however, reminded of the collaborative editing readings.  Participants of both virtual meetings and collaborative editing can participate from various locations.  Tasks can be accomplished without everyone meeting in one place at the same time.  Throughout the semester I have been writing about various technologies that can be used to improve teaching and learning.  All of the assigned readings for CD 315 have dealt with how these technologies can make academic curricula more convenient without sacrificing the integrity of the course or its material.   

text-to-world:  I can see how virtual meetings could have an impact on my future clinical career.  For instance, I could possibly further my education via virtual meetings.  I could take an online class that works with virtual meetings, or I could lend my voice and opinions to a class.  (I hope that I will one day be considered someone whose opinions are worthwhile!)  While it is unethical to work soley based on telecommunications, I could possible use virtual meetings to supplement therapy sessions (where it is legal, of course).   

 

A5.2: 7 Things You Should Know About Social Bookmarking

Deidra Darst
9/19/07

7 things you should know about social bookmarking (2005).  Educause Learning Initiative. Retrieved September 19, 2007, from http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7001.pdf

TAP: 

The topic of this document is social bookmarking.  It was written to inform any interested party, especially those in an academic field.  The document’s purpose is to introduce social bookmarking to the audience:  what it is, who uses it, how it works, its significance, its downsides, what the future holds for its implementation and how it can impact teaching and learning. 

Claim: 

This document claims that social bookmarking is an efficient means through which users can “tag” worthwhile sites.  Because social bookmarking can be public via any social bookmarking website, it allows users to form connections amongst themselves, which makes searching the World Wide Web even more efficient and productive. 

Evidence: 

Social bookmarking allows users to bookmark their favorite websites and use keywords to “tag” them.  All of the user’s bookmarked sites can easily be accessed from a website such as del.icio.us or citeulike.  These bookmarks can be organized to reflect the users’ personal preferences.  This means of bookmarking is more practical than its more commonly used counterpart – bookmarking.  The “old” form of bookmarking meant creating a place for bookmarked sites on a particular computer.  These bookmarks could only be access from that particular computer which is often an inconvenience to those who work from numerous computers.  Bookmarks created with social bookmarking can be accessed from anywhere, as long as an Internet connection exists. 

Due to its public status, social bookmarking acts as a community for its users.  Users can designate their bookmarks as “public” which means that other users can see them.  Searching for a particular topic is more thorough when many people’s resources are utilized.  For example, a user is interested in ’small animals’ and they search through another user’s bookmarks.  This user has a “tag” labeled ‘chinchillas.’  The first user may not have thought to search chinchillas, but with the aid of the second user, he or she can further investigate this small animal.  Social bookmarking sites create a web of information that users can utilize to make connections to pertinent sources. 

Connections:
text-to-self:  This document introduced me to social bookmarking.  I often find myself on campus, searching through my “daily sites,” and I have to type each URL.  I am then forced to complain to myself, “this would much faster at home!”  Utilizing a social bookmarking site would be beneficial under these circumstances!

text-to-text:  This document made a particular point that I would like to address here.  It stated that social bookmarking is likely to have an impact on teaching and learning because of it makes finding information easier.  Many of the assigned readings for CD315 have made this point as well.  With so much information available today, an information literate person must be able to sort, filter and find pertinent information.  This is a necessary skill in today’s academic curricula; being about to find relevant information is key to success in today’s world. 

text-to-world:  As I have previously written, I can make my online world more organized by utilizing the various technologies available to me.  In my future profession of speech-language pathology, I could use social bookmarking to share my bookmarked sites with inter- and intra-professional colleagues.  Upon finding information that would interest other professionals, I could direct them to my social bookmarking site where I conveniently saved it for future use.  My bookmarks could also provide information for clients.  I could create “tags” for particular disorders, and then direct clients to those that may concern or interest them.