Inspiring Animoto Video Making

Hello Followers
Today I must say I was inspired by a classmate's blog post about using Animoto.  My classmate posted an inspiring video about why she is embarking on this digital journey.  I encourage you to take a look at her video as we all must agree that digital learning is essential in today's classroom setting.  Technology is as it should be an important aspect of engaging learners and in order to do that the teacher must first take a leap of faith and jump into a digital world and learn a few thing themselves. Sooooooooo......
Here I go I made my own short video using Animoto!
My video is not a reflection on my digital journey but rather a showcase of something else I am very passionate about...................My KIDS.   I used them as the base to showcase my newly discovered digital tech skills in making a video.   I must say I love it as the video makes me smile (and maybe cry a little) thinking back on how quickly the years have passed and how much my kids have grown.  Time goes so quickly.

Also, I encourage you to showcase your photos in a unique way by discovering Animoto.  The web 2.0 software is easy to access with an internet connection and allows you to upload and create a  wonderful showcase for your personal photos and videos.
Check out my precious memory video here.  Please note the watermarks remain on the video as it is a free trial of the software.

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Digital Networking and Webinars

In the interest of networking today as a digital learner, and for the future as an educator, it is important to build digital networks and connections.  As a digital learner, I have discovered with the help of my digital learning course (website linked here ), that teaching has evolved from the independent teacher to more of a collaborative approach.  There are resources and links available to educators that allow for collaboration with others through digital technology.

Examples of a few are:
Pinterest
Teachers pay Teachers (access to free resources)
Teacher Notebook (again free resources available)

A few others that are of value on a more conservative level are:
Classroom 2.0
K12 online
These sites provide the user with webinars and from that a wealth of resources.

Webinars are similar to seminars accept you can access them from the comfort of your own environment and at your own convenience.  From this, you are able to gain a wealth of knowledge from others that are specialized in an area of interest.

Another great way to connect to other educators is through a google hangout.  This tool can help educators connect with one another face to face. Also, this would be a great tool to introduce within the classroom.  Students can connect with other students in a different community or even a different part of the world.  It sure does give a whole new spin on the idea of a pen pal.

Image from: http://junior2.cumbresblogs.com

Personal Learning Networks and Personal Learning Environments

Personal Learning Networks or PLN's are simply defined as the digital technologies and communities in which you currently participate. It encompasses the people and networks that you engage and share information with online on a regular basis.
This week as a digital learner I have taken the opportunity to map out my own personal learning environments to which I am involved in. (See image below). I must say it was surprising to me the number of networks I am currently involved in as a relatively new digital learner. As I continue this journey of fulfilling my dream of becoming a teacher and my new found interest in digital learning, I can only imagine how my PLE will evolve and expand.
The benefit of communicating online is that it is an easy and swift way of finding information and sharing it. It allows for collaboration and feedback on projects and ideas in a timely manner and from a variety or perspectives.
Educators and students can equally benefit from PLN's as follows:
- Educations and students can access and learn for others through communicating online with those who are specialized in an area of interest.
-Educators and Students can collaborate and readily gain knowledge and locate resources for the classroom thus resulting in more effective lesson planning.
- Online accessibility can help the student and teacher learn about new technology and integrate it into the classroom for effective learning.
- Online networking can engage the learner in generating ideas, aid in development, and encourage collaboration.

My PLE map using MindNode Demo

Let's take a Survey!

Hello!
This week in our digital learning journey we are exploring surveying tools.  Surveys are a great way to get feedback from others.  They are a quick tool that can help a teacher gain some perspective into how his/ her students are responding to the lessons and daily activities presented in the classroom. A big part of teaching is examining the material presented and evaluating not only the outcome of the lesson but the overall experience.  The teacher must ask themselves what went well with the lesson and what did not.  Evaluation is important as it makes for effective learning.  Surveying students is one way to evaluate learning needs and outcomes.  A great thing about the use of surveying tools is that the student can be kept anonymous therefore, the feedback is likely to be more truthful.

There are many online surveying tools that are free and easy to use.  This week I chose to explore survey gizmo.  Survey Gizmo is a very easy tool to navigate.  You simply input you email and create a password to access the free surveying tool.  From there you create your survey.  There is an option to upgrade to a more sophisticated version of the software, but the free version is just fine for the basics of surveying.  You are able to choose from various styles of questions like multiple choice, text etc. There are prompts along the way within the creation of the survey that make this an easy tool to use.

The survey that I have created is about teaching aspirations.  I am alway curious to know what aspiring teachers intend on teaching after they have graduated, therefore, I have created this quick 3 question survey.  SO if you are an aspiring teacher, busy student, and you are awake studying I would love to read your answers!!!!!!

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Don't be Scared!

I just made a new Voki. See it here:

Hello!
Having some Halloween fun and exploring with a wonderful Wed 2.0 tool called Voki.  Voki is an interactive software that allows for creativity and expression of individuality with the choosing of an avatar.  The user can then accessorize the avatar and input or record dialogue. The avatar can then relay any appropriate message to the viewer.  What a great way to engage learners.    So  in the spirit of Halloween check it out!  Don't be scared.

A little "bit" (strip) about me!

 I wanted to tell you about how my journey towards fulfilling my dreams of becoming a teacher began.  Bitstrips is a fun and creative way to allow me to do that!..... I have been a nurse for the past sixteen years and felt like I needed a change in pace.  With my husband's support, I enrolled into university and the journey has begun.  No regrets and working hard to achieve my goals.
To Be Continued.......
I encourage you to try Bit Strips yourself for a fun and engaging way to share your ideas and stories with others.

My twitter adventure.

Hello again!
 It certainly has been a while since I have been able to get back to my blogging.  Glad to be back and excited to share with you that today I jumped both feet into the world of twitter.  Before my exploratory adventure,  I was a facebook fanatic so in the interest of exploring I decided to take a browse at twitter.  I have to say it's not bad.  Found some great resources to follow to keep up to date and liked the fact that you can easily access news and events happening in and around the area in which you live.
As an aspiring teacher, twitter would be useful in the classroom as a social media tool that can be used to quickly access and follow news events and news stories as they develop.   Students would also be able to follow each others tweets in an attempt to stay connected.  I discovered some great educational sites to follow.  All in all a very positive experience discovering twitter.

Recently I have read an interesting post about a classmates twitter discovery.  It is often good to look at others perspectives and take on social media tools.

I have included in this post a link to the Ultimate Twitter Guide. This link provides you with resources for learning and exploring Twitter.  Happy Exploring!

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                                        www.twitter.com
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