Self Portrait

Today's assignment was to create an abstract self portrait using a site called Picassohead. I think this is one of my favorite assignments of all time.  Hands down.  I enjoyed this one more than I think I should have.  The website enables you to choose different elements of the face, hair, eyes, ears, nose, etc and manipulate them in order to create a picture in the style of Pablo Picasso that is "original".  This assignment clearly falls under ISTE NETS T standard 1 because it promotes and inspires student creativity.

Snipping Tool

I found the snipping tool to be quite easy to use, and I have to admit it was  sort of fun. I'll be honest, I've seen it on my new laptop but I had yet to even bother with using it.  I'm glad this assignment came along because I think I found a new friend.  I spent some time getting used to it by saving different random things to send to friends.  So I thought I would share one such headline with everyone here. The lesson that I can teach is that if a deal seems too good to be true it most likely is too good to be true. Keep 'em honest Ashley McDowell.  You keep fightin' the good fight!  But I digress as I determine that using the snipping tool falls under ISTE NETS T standard 3 because as an educator I am learning to use a new technological tool to bring information to my students.

Experiences with web browsers

An add on is a program that can be integrated into your web browser and provides said browser with additional functionality.  An add on can range from a search toolbar to a scrolling news or sports score update.  They enhance the aesthetic and ease in which we browse the web.

I have never been one to use add ons very much, but there were exceptions.  I have a new laptop and my previous dinosaur would have worked  even slower had I used any add ons so I had to get rid of them.  In the past I did use add ons to ESPN and BBC News, which were extremely easy to install and use.  Diigo is the first add on I can remember installing in a while.  It was simple to install and I must say that it's sort of fun playing around with.  I haven't put anything in my library yet, but I'm enjoying getting used to using it.

ISTE NETS T standard 3 best fits this activity.  In standard 3 section d it states that teachers must "model digital-age learning using current and emerging digital tools to locate analyze, evaluate, and use information resources to support research and learning" (http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-teachers/nets-for-teachers-2008.aspx).  This is exactly Diigo and the Diigolet are geared to do.  They are focused on making it easier and more efficient to share and find information in order to facilitate learning at all levels.

Diigo

For this assignment we were required to watch a short film about the social bookmarking site, Diigo, and answer a few questions on how to get started bookmarking.  Working with bookmarking and working with a tool like Diigo falls under the ISTE NETS T standard 3 because we as educators are modeling digital knowledge and competency.

1. Describe the 3 steps recommended in the film to get started social bookmarking.

1. According to the film, you should start social bookmarking by highlighting, annotating, and bookmarking pages as you read them online.  This will make returning to points of interest on websites easier and more efficient for you and others who share you interests.
2. The next step in getting started with social bookmarking is to organize, share, and display your tagged bookmarks.  This makes it easy to connect with others who share similar interests and network in order to build larger groups with friends and like-minded individuals. 
3. The final step the film recommends is search for information based on bookmarks you're interested in from other users.  This will build on your networking and connect you with more users.

2. Describe Web 2.0, and how it differs from previous stages of the web.

     

    Previous stages of the web only allowed people to view information left by others.  Web 2.0 provides a forum to interact and collaborate with those who share similar interests.

3.  What is social bookmarking and what advantages does social bookmarking  offer that traditional storage and retrieval of web sites does not?

Social bookmarking has turned the act of reading into an socially interactive collaboration.  People are now able to tag information, collaborate, add text, and form large networks. These tags and texts will enable others to know if a particular site is useful or where exactly to find vital information in a large body of text. With social bookmarking we are now able to store and maintain bookmarks online in order to connect with colleagues, friends, and users who share similar interests.

Introduction

I enjoy all of the crazy and random things life has to offer. I try not to get flustered or agitated about things very easily.  Along with teaching and grad school, I coach Cross Country and work at a farmer's market in downtown Baltimore every Sunday selling produce with friends.