My iPad Essential Apps List for Grad students

I can't help it, but I have fallen in love with my new iPad. I think it's a perfect tool for graduate students. Here's why:

• PDF Expert: I purchased several PDF readers and have to say that, for me, the winner is hands down PDF Expert. It's simple to annotate (and not too costly).  Then, to top it all off the new auto sync with my Dropbox!!! I am in heaven.  I can access my annotated notes from any computer via my Dropbox account. This is exactly the feature that all Grad students need. Many other features make this my #1 iPad App for Grad students. Besides, it's just better for the environment, too, when there's no need to print.
• Kobo Reader, Kindle, iBooks... you'll want them all. Shop around and you are sure to save some money on your textbooks.
• Evernote. A free app that will help you access your Evernote account and add new notes. I love the display of this app. It actually inspires me to take notes, just so that I can view them later!
• Install the Diigo Diigolet toolbar, and the new free App for offline viewing, you'll need that, as well.
• Mindmeister... I am a visual thinker and like this concept mapping app.  Once again, this App allows you to sync to your online Mindmeister account. I like that you can attach articles and links to your thoughts.
• I have recently added Instapaper to my iPad and love this app.  As I have the wifi (not 3G) version, Instapaper allows me to read webpages offline at a later date. Very practical. It also cuts down my Twitter reading time... I can just select Read Later and the page is automatically saved for offline viewing.
• I would also recommend Documents To Go (invest in the Premium version for 16.99) which allows you to view and edit Word documents and Google Documents.  Once again, this app allows syncing to your online Google Doc accounts... so important in my opinion.
• For notes, more and more I am enjoying my NotesPlus app. I like the email features of this app and if you email as a PDF to your Google Docs, no need for paper notes at all. There is also a very easy microphone feature on this app, which I have used and works very well!
• For listening, add TuneIn Radio app. Great value.
• Last but not least, Sudoku or Solitaire! It can't all be work, can it?

What am I missing?

It's a small world, after all!

photo © 2010 Raphi | more info (via: Wylio)
For the past three months, I have sat in my dining room and watched the world shrink around me. And no, this was not the result of global warming, or overeating! Rather this was the result of a totally new phenomenon. At least, new for me. It's called "global learning".

For you, reading my blog today, this phenomenon may not be new at all.  You may have been aware of global learning for sometime. It may have happened to you already.

For me, this phenomenon was new. 

Global learning happened slowly. So slowly that I didn't even notice at first.  Until one day, BANG, global learning was just there. Yes, as it did for me, global learning could happen to your learning space, too.  Perhaps your global learning journey may progress slower or faster, or take you to different stops along the way but you should be aware of it and know that it's happening to millions of people: from all parts of the world; among learners of all ages; from all different walks of life. 
Yes, global learning will surely happen to you.

For me, the stages of global learning progressed like this:

In week 1, I created the WeeklyEdTech. I nervously fumbled my way through the whole process, from setting up the blog, designing the space, and creating my introductory post.  I was more than a little on the edge. I looked around my dining room and felt like reinforcing the walls.

In Week 2, while exploring photo sharing, global learning unexpectedly began to creep into my dining room. I published something to the web (and not just for PD sessions either). My first real blog post, my first real audience and my first contribution to a collaborative space, Flickr. The result: a tiny hole formed in my dining room walls. Far too small to notice, this tiny hole seemed insignificant. 

Week 3... my first upload to an even larger sharing space, YouTube. Here, "people are watching 2 billion videos a day on YouTube and uploading hundreds of thousands of videos daily. In fact, every minute, 24 hours of video is uploaded to YouTube." (source: YouTube Fact Sheet) 
In week 2, global learning accelerated its pace with the creation of my first video sharing contribution: Squirrel Boogie. More than the video itself, my daughter's personal comments that "she would have been proud to have created that video", along with her subsequent actions of favouriting my video on her own Channel page created a much larger hole in my dining room walls. I smiled. I celebrated. I noticed. #highlight

Week 4:  I realized that I could learn, benefit and contribute to online collaborative learning while 'tagging' web sites that I value in my Delicious and Diigo social bookmarking libraries. I started to go to 'my community' of learners to find links. I started to actively share my own favourites with a new learning community... and didn't think twice about it. Afterward, I looked back and couldn't imagine how I had ever managed the old way!  The hole grew larger.  This time it was large enough that I was looking beyond my dining room and into others' windows, walls and learning spaces.

Week 5: I took my assignment out of my dining room and onto the street doing something I love, running, where I podcasted "on the run". It was the first time I started to think about creative and authentic purposes for publishing to the web.  It was also the first time, and only time, that I grew frustrated trying to post content to my blog. The  #lowlight of my learning, a long night, lots of learning and maybe some swearing... but I managed. The result: an even larger hole formed in my dining room. Large enough that I was stepping outside my comfortable dining room into the world outside.

Week 6:  I created a new learning community with my WikiRunClub. I connected authentically with friends and running partners.  The outside world from my prior week's learning was connecting with the outside world of someone else who shared a passion for my learning. When I posted my Wiki blog and realized how many views from other countries I received, I encountered the motivational power of a global audience #highlight. One of my walls collapsed.

Week 7-8:  Among many new tools, I created my first animated video with GoAnimate and posted it to YouTube!  The highlight wasn't the video itself, or the fact that three of my Facebook friends 'liked' it, but the fact that my 15 year old son enjoyed it so much that he shared it with his friends on Facebook. #highlight  I rejoiced! I also discovered Jog the Web and shared my Jogtheweb of Multimedia Tools for Schools on Twitter. Someone "retweeted" it! I felt like I had actually contributed to global learning (now 400 views!) A second wall had come down.

Week 9:  Throughout the previous 8 weeks, I realized how much I was enjoying reconnecting with friends and family. I started using my Facebook account more, and actually started sharing my life in a more public forum, slowly tearing down my private space. Perhaps this wasn't tearing down a new wall, but I wasn't hiding behind the other two either. I let myself become more visible.

Week 10:  Twitter. I didn't expect Twitter to open so many learning possibilities. I would say that the bulk of websites and blog posts I used in my learning came from through my Twitter community. Again, I allowed myself to become more visible and started to 'tweet' a little about myself and my learning. I mapped out my Twitter friends and had a big #AHA when I saw how my community of learners stretched outside of my own community. Most definitely, another wall... the third... had come down. By now, I realized that although I was still connected by one wall to my dining room, I was learning more beyond my own walls than within.

Week 11: Blogs and RSS. Wow! This week was the big #eye-opener. It was here that the last wall came down and I realized that my learning space no longer had walls. I realized that my conversations were now global ones when I looked back at how my readers stretched beyond my continent and most definitely, when I received feedback comments (see photo) on my blog from those writers who had most inspired my learning. #highlight 

Week 12:  That brings me here, today! 

I appreciated the opportunity to learn in this course through my own inquiry, blogging and classmates. I'll miss the learning community from classmates: Janet's incredible use of technology for learning in her blogs; Stacey, Brenda, Lissa and Jenn's positive comments on my blogs; discussions about books for pleasure (Mockingjay) and learning (Book Whisperer); openness to sharing websites, videos and learning with one another; conversations that brought me back to my first experiences as a computer user (and my experiences as a teacher where some of my classmates might have been my students:).  Likely for me, the biggest learning from my classmates was in our first discussion on reading in the Web 2.0 world as the readings and discussions started the reflection post.  There were so many new considerations. Pam's suggestions about teaching 'web features' stood out as one I'll use immediately.

When I look back at the past three months, I now understand that more than learning about Web 2.0 tools, this course was about becoming a learner in a Web 2.0 world. I realize that I have truly changed as a learner #AHA.  No longer do I see myself as a technologically proficient user and reader of the web. Instead, I have learned how to be a technologically proficient reader AND writer, a true learner AND contributor in the Read/Write Web. I have learned to be a 21st Century learner. The power of global learning.

Of all my learning, that is the one 'tool' I will leave and go away to share with my colleagues: the power of 'writing' in the Web 2.0 world and contributing to a much larger global understanding. In my mind, the tools to achieve this larger goal are many and varied. I see strength in writing blogs for professional or student learning, wikis for sharing and collaborating, screencasts and screencaptures for showing understanding, creating Voicethreads for assessing... (OK, if I have to choose one this would be the one. I love Voicethread and this will likely be the first thing I will try with students and colleagues on my return to work next fall. I love the simplicity of the tool. The 'faceless' entry point that contributes to the Write web in a safe way). Regardless of the tool, I learned there are powerful ways to engage our students (and teachers!) in the Read/Write web.  I felt that I developed knowledge and skill in many that will carry forward.

Going forward with my global learning journey:

"Libraries as powerful and engaging places in the lives of students do not happen by chance or force" (Todd, 2006)

I think this quote from Dr. Ross Todd rings true for many settings and learners:

• Substitute the word 'libraries' with classrooms, staffroom or schools.
• Substitute the word 'students' for teachers, adults

As I move forward in my global learning as a reader, writer, contributor of the Read/Write web, I will keep Dr. Todd's words in mind. 

I won't take chances: I need to stay actively involved in learning by reading, writing and contributing to the Read/Write web; I need to look beyond my four walls to learn; I need to be an engaged learner; I need to model and demonstrate the learning I desire for those I work with (adults and children); I need to establish relationships to build on teacher and student learning opportunities; I need to provide experiences for students and teachers to learn about global learning.

I also can't force. I'll look for opportunities to support learning through demonstrating, leading and teaching providing that I have knowledge myself. Not just knowledge of the tools, but of my new understanding of learning.   

 My plans are definitely to continue this blog. I plan to highlight a new web 2.0 tool every week (just in a paired down way). So stay tuned. But for now, as this course is coming to an end, I am off to see and learn in the big world... but in real life this time.  A well deserved rest aboard my parents' boat in Panama.  See you soon.  Hasta luego!

References:

Todd, R. (2006). From learning to read to reading to learn: School libraries, literacy and guided inquiry. International Association of School Librarianship. Selected Papers from the ... Annual Conference. 1-18. Retrieved from http://proquest.umi.com

Are you part of the global conversation?

To begin this week's post, I ask you this: "Are you part of the global conversation?" 

I am.  I am because I blog. 

During these past three months while blogging for my Web 2.0 course, I have reached over 600 readers from over 10 different countries. Almost 1/3 (186) of whom live beyond the borders of my own country, and among those, half of whom live beyond my continent.  I have become part of the global conversation.  How about you?



Image capture from weeklyedtech.blogspot.com stats



Blogs: First for me...

I love learning.  Even more than learning, I love sharing my learning.  In my last teaching assignment as a literacy teacher, I had the luxury of a very collaborative workspace, knowledgeable and open-minded colleagues, and a wealth of opportunities to learn. This fall, I will be boldly honest and say that I was struggling with the reality of being a full-time distance student. I missed my colleagues and students; they fueled me to learn, think, create and generate.  Learning in isolation was a new, and very lonely, experience. Until I discovered that I wasn't learning alone; I just needed to adjust to my new classroom and staffroom, the one without four walls.

After that, it's been rather exciting to recognize that I have learned from, and may have provided new learning or thinking opportunities for someone else, whom I have never met. I vividly recall the first time I discovered the "Stats" bar on my blogger dashboard and realized I had an audience from outside of Canada. Someone outside of my own house was actually reading my blog!

In his book, Blogs, wikis, podcasts and other powerful web tools for classrooms, Will Richardson (2010) speaks about the motivation this experience can have.

"That potential audience is one of the most important aspects of the Read/Write Web. The idea that the relevance of student work no longer ends at the classroom door can not only be a powerful motivator but can also create a significant shift in the way we think about the assignments and work we ask of our students in the first place." (p. 27)

For me, the potential for a piece of the global audience was a huge motivator. I reluctantly admit that I have a slight competitive streak in me (okay, maybe not so slight) and coupled with the even slighter (okay, even less slight) perfectionist tendency to overachieve, as soon as I thought about this I wanted to post for the simple sake of improving my blog stats.  Not to compete with anyone but myself, just aim high or at least aim to improve.

And... I had some highs. Take my Wiki blog post on October 25th (see stats below) which brought in the most views of my blog from around the globe. 



Okay, no million viewers, YET. Still working on that. However, I had commented to my husband that day about how excited I was to see so many global readers to my blog.  At one time, I had 16 views from Spain in just one hour. I remember saying to him that this was likely because I had discussed the Ford Motor Company in my blog.  He laughed. He doubted that a group of people in Spain googling Ford (millions of very poor Google searchers aside) would happen upon my educational technology blog on wikis; he further proposed that perhaps someone had shared my blog post amongst their staff or workplace. Really?! Is that possible?! Well, you never know, I guess. But I'll use the words Ford Motor Company here, too, just to check! So, if you are here to learn about the Ford Motor Company and have yet to discover that I won't be selling or reviewing any Fords here... I'd highly recommend that you check out Google search basics - Web search help. For the rest of you who want to learn more about my experiences becoming a blogger, read on.

Now, as I pondered over this during the past week I realized that my top blogs were the blogs I liked best, too. They were the blogs where I felt I had really understood my readers and connected best with both the content and audience by stirring the cognitive soup a little.  Ultimately, these blogs had solid content, but equally important, a strong voice.  I knew we had discussed the trait of voice in our course discussions, so in many ways I wasn't surprised by this realization.  I decided that voice is worth more in depth discussion, so I have written an additional post on my Literacy Lady blog to further my learning and thinking about this important part of blogging.  See my blog post, Lost your blog voice?! for details.

After reading that post, I'd invite you read my very first blog post...

A little assessment for learning check-up... I'd say I've grown a little as a blogger.  Well, on a positive, at least there were no spelling errors in that 20 word post. By the way, I never posted another blog post on the Literacy Lady until summer of 2010. So much for sharing my literacy learning journey. Believe me, it wasn't that I didn't learn. In my life, learning is a constant; blogging wasn't... at the time.

So besides searching for that inner blog voice, what else have I learned about being a blogger? I learned how easy it is to maintain a blog... allowing blogs to be powerful, flexible, ever-changing dynamic publications. I learned how to embed using the Edit HTML tab. I learned that blogs are much more than words, but tell stories through video, images, links, embedded objects and more! I learned how to add widgets galore for all my technology trials (maps, feeds, blog rolls...), you name it, I tried it!  Along that line, I learned that it can be very frustrating to add podcasts to your blog! Why is this? How can audio be so much more difficult that video. Ugh! I learned to value the blog of close friends of my parents, Ann and Barry Lange, who have dedicated to their sailing blog http://annoeyk.blogspot.com/ , posting on average 100 blog posts per year since 2005! Awesome work, Ann and Barry. By the way, we all still read your blog from time to time and good luck on your around the world sail! But most of all, I learned to appreciate the time, energy and committment that is made by all those great bloggers out there who have contributed to my learning.

Do I see my use of blogs continuing beyond this course? I think it would be fair to say that I see my blog use not only continuing, but growing, in the future. Now that I am in the global conversation, why would I stop? Not just for me, but for all my learners. 

So if you aren't in the global conversation, get blogging!  Here's how to get started:

1. Select your blogging tool. Richardson recommends Blogger and with experience in both Blogger and Edublogs, I would agree with Richardson.  It's free, simple and fast. The hardest part is selecting your blog title and finding an available URL.

2. Create your first post. Take Richardson's advice and start small.  Perhaps you don't need to start quite as small as my first post, but something in between would be nice.  However, write whatever you are comfortable with.

3. Try playing with the font, adding images, links, videos or even embedding items using the toolbar.

4. When you are ready, preview, save or publish your post! Voila. Easy as that. Really.

5.  Create and edit new posts, view comments, view, set or change settings, view or change your blog design, monetize (haven't used that!) and view your stats (my favourite option)!

6. Experiment, enjoy. Reflect, create. Discuss, collaborate. Enjoy your new global conversation.

Blogs... next for learning.

Blogs are powerful learning tools, for learners of all ages.  Richardson provides educators with many suggestions for incorporating blogs in the classroom: online filing cabinets, e-portfolios, collaborative spaces for reading and writing, school web sites, for starters.

One comment made by Richardson in his book that really resonated with me this week was, "the Weblog is a democratic tool that supports different learning styles. For those students who might be more reticent in class, a blog gives them the opportunity to share in writing the ideas they may be too shy to speak." (p. 27)  This statement really reminded me of one student's comments from a video in my last week's Twitter post. That student had identified the ability to micro-blog as an important entry into the classroom learning community. Without such a community, many students would remain observers, and may never become active participators in the classroom network. If you have ever done the yarn test to give evidence to your classroom discussions (passing  ball of yarn every time a student speaks), you will likely see that a few students (and adults) control the bulk of classroom conversation.  A blog creates an equal space for all learners, regardless of their ability to engage in outward conversation.   

The great part of blogging is that it's simple enough that learners of all ages can become part of this global conversaton. This past week, I followed a Tweet which lead me to classmate Franki's daughter's blog, Fun Things to Make and Franki's personal reflections in her own blog,  Blogging with Ana . I was absolutely amazed by the learning that Ana experienced during her blogging encounter and the honest reflections from her blogging mother.  It really inspired me to think about creating a blog with my own 11 year old daughter. Wouldn't this be a great way to share our upcoming trip to Panama beyond the traditional powerpoint that she has been assigned? What an incredible way to teach responsibility, digital citizenship, online safety and technology skills! Thank you for the inspiration, Franki and Ana! 

When placed in the classroom context, blogging serves all these and more.  Consider these additional uses of a classroom blog to:

• post classroom information to keep students and parents up-to-date
• provide exemplars of quality work for student assignments
• share work globally and receive feedback from larger community
• engage students in the process of commenting and taking part in the global conversation

I can't leave without mentioning my very favourite student blog: Laura's Life. An avid reader, Laura set a goal in second grade to read all of the Newbery Award winning books and blog about them on her site by the time she reached middle school in fifth grade.  Isn't that quite a lofty goal for a 7 or 8 year old?  Believe it or not, Laura reached her goal. Every Newbery winner has been read and reviewed by Laura on her blog (beginning with 1922 Newbery winner, The Story of Mankind).  Laura continues to read, read, read and I am sure that seeing her blog will inspire your learners, young and old!

Blogs... for professional learners

This week, I really enjoyed reading and reflecting on Dean Shareski's November 18th blog, How to Make Better Teachers.  Shareski opens with a very powerful opinion statement:

"Want to instantly create better teachers? I know how. One word. Blogging."

Shareski gives a convincing and thoughtful post, and along with comments from bloggers in the field, I hope this post sparks up further global conversation about the power of blogging as a professional learning tool.  As a staff developer myself (on leave), I agree wholeheartedly and have recognized the potential of blogs for some time (despite being a non-blogger at the time for which I am ashamed to admit).  My colleagues and I tried to initiate a culture of blogging last year through the creation of an Edublog for grade 3 to 5 learners in our professional learning group (http://teachersrlearners2.edublogs.org/).  As you will see, it was a bit of a bust. One comment was received. Where did we go wrong?  I wonder if our own lack of blogging played a part in this! Ah, yeah! I wouldn't doubt that.  How can you sell what you don't own for yourself? Along with that, I see a few added glitches. Edublogs, I mean 'Ad-You-blogs' was certainly not the best platform.  The design... not so great. I also don't think the power is there unless teachers take ownership for themselves... and create their own!  But they have to see the potential and want it for themselves first.  Then we have to provide the resources (support, training and TIME) to make it happen, too!  Finally, we have to ask ourselves critically what can we take off the teacher's plate at the same time. Why would they still need to do a written professional learning plan for starters? 

Richardson also writes of additional benefits of weblogs for teachers which include:

• reflection
• logging experiences
• unit plan details
• reflecting on what worked/didn't work
• sharing tips, tools, insights, ideas,how-tos
• exploration of issues in education

For me, I see blogging as a professional tool to:

• build my knowledge of the Read/Write web
• reflect, consolidate and share my learning
• record my learning (my professional learning plan)
• and of course, enter the global conversation

For an additional resource on professional blogging, I loved reading:

Why do I blog?

  

Bringing content to you: RSS (Really Simple Syndication)

One of the most difficult challenges facing readers and writers of the WWW is gathering and keeping up on content.  I love, love, love my Google Reader account! Did I say that I love my Google Reader account?!  It brings the content right to you!  I don't know how I managed before, to be honest. Google Reader is simply an 'aggregator' or mailbox that allows RSS feeds to be delivered to your inbox.  No need to hunt, scour or search.  This is one great tool that you can put to work for you. For free. 

Although I found setting up my Google Reader a simple task, I learned a few things the hard way. If you want to create RSS news or Twitter feeds, make sure you select your tags carefully.  Not sure what I was thinking when I set up a feed for the keyword 'inquiry', but within 24 hours I had 1000+ feeds.  I can assure you it was quite a shock to open my Google Reader account the next morning!  Take it from me, select several key words "inquiry learning education"... Enough said. I may need that Google Search help website myself! Here's a little intro to my Google reader account.

 For further learning about Google Reader, a great website:

Google Reader for Beginners

Finally, have a great week.  Next week, I'll be making some final reflections on my learning this term and plan to create a little Do You Know Web 2.0? quiz.  Should be a fun way to celebrate my learning!

In closing, I leave you with these wise words from What Ed Said.. equally fitting for me today!

http://whatedsaid.wordpress.com/