Weekly Report & Reflection Blog Post #4

This week, our topic revolved around curation on the web! I found this topic to be interesting, as it is not something I actively think of, yet I find that I am drawn to quite easily. For those of you who are unaware of what curating means, Whatis  describes content curation as the "gathering, organizing and online presentation" of topics with a similar theme.  Creators seem to have a problem with curators for their lack of originality, but I would argue that not everyone can be a creator and curators make my life much easier. 

Part of this week's journey, I had to use bookmarking tools, which I had used in the past. I have found that this tool is very helpful in short term situations, but that if you need to remember multiple sites, it can become cluttered- which is something I do not like. I find that bookmarking does make my time on the internet much more efficient, instead of just remembering all of the tabs yourself. I find bookmarking the most useful in regards to academic journals that I want to include in some of my papers, which can easily get mixed up with other journals, so by bookmarking, it helps me keep track of everything.

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I also enjoyed looking at curation tools this week such as Google Alerts, which was very easy to navigate as I already have a Gmail address. I found what was best about these types of tools is that it reduces the amount of time that I would spend looking for a topic because the tool naturally does that for me. It reminds me of Pinterest, as I only need to let the tool know the topics that I need more knowledge on and it brings the topics to me. This is very useful for a university student who needs more information about a topic that she is studying or even about what is going on at her school or in her hometown. 

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As each week goes by, I am learning more about being a digital citizen because I am being exposed to so many new components of the internet that I never knew existed. I believe that I am becoming more digitally literate, especially in regards to the curation tools, which is beyond helpful as we are in a digital era. I know that my knowledge as a digital citizen will only continue to grow as the weeks pass in this course.

Until next time! 

Blog Post 3: RSS Feeds

Hello Again!

After utilizing the RSS Feed throughout the week, I found that it was quite interesting, but I also did not like that I had to address all of the articles that I had missed. One of my favourite parts of the RSS Feed is having CP24 News on my RSS Feed. I like to stay updated on what is happening locally in Canada and found that by implementing CP24 into my feed, I was able to stay connected. Also, as I previously discussed, Brock News was very helpful in allowing me to see what is happening on campus. I felt that both of these sources helped my learning not in a conventional setting as a student, but to educate me on what is happening around me. I think it is extremely important to know what other students are thinking and what Brock is planning on doing, as well as being informed of what Canada is doing politically or main issues that can be talked about in class.

I think it is obvious that RSS Feeds contribute greatly to building knowledge about digital literacy, responsibility and citizenship. As I have already discussed, both the sites mentioned above keep me in touch with my surroundings through a digital context. Without RSS Feeds, I would miss a lot of what is being offered by the web. I feel that RSS Feeds allow you to take responsibility for yourself to ensure that you stay educated and continue to learn about important factors that affect your life. By implementing a digital tool, you are also becoming more tech savvy and can improve your digital footprint (or at least be more aware of it, through a RSS Feed). In regards to citizenship, it makes you an active user of the internet and for your country, if you are looking into the right channels and becoming more educated about your country.

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Most of the tools that I have set up in my RSS Feed would fall underneath Connection Via Social Media or Education in my PLE. I find that both Brock News and CP24 would both be categorized underneath Education, but could also fall under Connection. This also relates to the Blog posts that I follow, as I am becoming educated by what they are saying and they deal with the education system- but, I am still being connected to these people via media. However, I think that sites that fall under multiple categories in a PLE are more valuable because they can benefit you in more ways than something that falls under only one category.

I will continue to add to my RSS feed to improve my digital knowledge and expand my PLE. Talk to you next week!

My Experience With RSS Feeds

Prior to the requirement for this class, I had never known what an RSS Feed was. As the sites that I frequent the most tend to be Youtube, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and CP24, I had never needed to use an RSS Feed. It should also be mentioned that sites like Youtube and Twitter have their own version of a RSS Feed, if you are subscribed to them, allowing you to know which people’s videos that you have missed when you were not on the computer.

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So, what is an RSS Feed? According to ProBlogger, RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication, which is often related to a newsfeed. This ties into what I have already previously discussed with the similarities found with people who are subscribed to Youtube. RSS Feeds are commonly used by various people who frequent multiple different sites. By having an RSS Feed, it allows for people to ensure that they will not miss a posting from their favourite blog, news station or website. CommonCraft helps to explain RSS Feeds by highlighting the difference it can make to your website perusing. Instead of the user actively going to all of their usual sites to see if anything new is available, the RSS Feed sends the available reading material to the reader via a notification. Whether that user chooses to then read that material is up to them. 

One site that I thought would be the most useful is Brock News. The article that will pop up upon clicking the link deals with the bus transit in St. Catharines and the opinions of the students who need this transit. I think not only this article, but following Brock News is very important. As I am a student of Brock University, I feel that it is extremely vital to know what is going on with my school and factors that would affect me.  I find that having this site in my RSS Feed will allow me to stay connected to the school and allow me to take more of an active role in the school community. 

I will continue to use it throughout the year and keep you all updated! 

Blog Post 2: Personal Learning Environments

Hello Again!

For this post, I wanted to talk about a variety of subjects including Personal Learning Environments (PLE). Until today, I had never heard of PLE's, so as to be expected, I did not know what it was. Digital Study Skills describes Personal Learning Environments as your own digital toolbox, showcasing how you organize, communicate and generate content online. They are created by you and for you, which each PLE unique to each person. I did not think much of creating one myself, but as I was undergoing the task, I found that it made me realize how much I do rely on technology. I find that PLE's are extremely helpful for people to not only be aware of the technology that they are using, but how they could increase productivity in certain departments.

Moretti, N. (CC) 2016.

By looking at my PLE above, I noticed that my organization did not have as many bubbles stemming from it, as my other categories. As I continued to think about this, I also realized that I am often not an organized person and could benefit from implementing more tools that would help me stay organized. As I have stated in my introductory post, I am striving on becoming a teacher for primary/junior children, so hopefully that is where I will be in 5-10 years. However, as I am quite disorganized, becoming organized is something I wish to change and have resolved for this time. I also want my PLE to change to include the school board I will be working for (with a new email) and the new sources I will be utilizing as a teacher.

I am aware that the job market for teachers right now is less than ideal, so I am aware that my location may change. However, I know that I will need to be somewhere with great internet connection, quiet for when I need to study (as I still have two and a half years of school if I include teacher's college) and an area where I can be social. As communication is a very important factor of everyday life, I feel it is something that can be constantly improved and can be by your environment. I find that social media such as Twitter and Facebook actually stimulate me and allow me to communicate long distance. Another habit I must acquire is punctuality and not procrastinating with everything! This however can be helped with calendars and setting timers earlier than necessary to ensure I am aware of when I need to leave.

Moretti, N. (CC) 2016.

After creating my word cloud, I found that I was very proud of myself. I felt that the words that I could easily pick out of the hand print directly related to what I wanted to get across from last weeks post. I also enjoyed using Tagul's tool because I find it is a different way to get a message across creatively to a lot of different people!

For the future, I will definitely be utilizing Tagul and I think you should try experimenting with it too! It's creative and is not hard to do at all! 

Until next time!

Blog Post 1: My Digital Footprint

Digital Footprints are something that essentially everyone has with the younger generation having a larger "footprint" than the older generations. Digital footprints pertain to your online path and the various media sources that can all be tracked back to you. If you look at everyone's footprint, you would see that it creates a different digital identity per person, allowing you to understand various things about them including their interests, thoughts, and even possible future actions.

With this being said, it should be expected that digital footprints can have both a positive or negative impact on someone's life. A positive digital footprint can be used as an example for people to find jobs online, find opportunities to volunteer, or even chat groups. By having specified chat groups, they can be used to help people struggling with a problem and get on the right track, such as Alcoholics Anonymous. I found that especially in this generation, youth have taken action via various types of media to fight for what they believe in. I found that this is commonly seen over Twitter with issues such as #BlackLivesMatter or with Facebook and the petitions that are commonly seen to stop Animal Abuse.

However, as I mentioned, negative digital footprints do exist and can be quite harmful to your future. It is imperative that you do not post anything on any media that you would not want your family or future employer to see. If you do need a place to vent, such as a blog, anonymity can be a good solution, however it does not guarantee that someone will not find it. Privacy settings are also important for media such as Facebook and Twitter because it allows you to control who views your profile.  Another preventative measure would be to not go onto sites or participate in things online that you know you should not. If you know that what you are looking at is wrong, then do not do it.

Virginia Shea (2011) discusses the term Netiquette and its importance on the web. Netiquette includes ten rules that everyone should follow while they are online to be polite, exactly like etiquette in reality. If a person were to follow all the rules, the chances of that person having a good digital footprint is very high. I especially think that Rule 10 - to be forgiving of other people's mistakes, is a rule that often is not followed and one of the most important as we are all human. That being said, I found that I do not always have perfect Netiquette and the rules reminded me of the importance of maintaining civility over the internet. I need to work on not fighting with others online, even if they are being rude because I am just giving them what they want.

Are there any rules that you need to brush up on yourself? You should take a look and ensure that you maintain a positive digital footprint too!

All About Me!

Hello Everyone! 

Let me start this blog off by giving you a proper introduction to who I am and why I have started this blog.

 My name is Nicole Moretti and this is my fourth year studying at Brock University. I am majoring in Child and Youth Studies with a minor in English. Once I have completed this final year, I am looking into going to teachers college and pursuing my dream of becoming a teacher! If you have not guessed yet, I love working and spending time with children. This is probably due to the fact that I have a large family with many younger cousins, which I often had to babysit for.

I was originally born in St. Catharines, but moved away at a young age. I ended up choosing Brock University to go to school because the program is excellent and my family still lives down here. I also volunteer in classrooms both in St. Catharines and my hometown, yet I work with different age groups. As I am looking to be a primary/junior teacher, I need experience with both age groups, yet I have not decided which group I prefer because they are both great in different ways. In Newmarket, I volunteer in a Grade 4/5 split class, which can be very rewarding because the children can better understand what is being taught. They are also much more vocal, which is both a good and bad thing. It is great because they let you know when they do or do not comprehend a lesson, yet they are at the age where I find that they can act out more.

In St. Catharines, I volunteer with a Junior Kindergarden and Senior Kindergarden split class. These days are long and tiring because the children do not have a set plan and have so much energy. However, the children are very appreciative and affectionate, which is rewarding in and of itself. I also find that helping teach children how to count, spell their names, and learn their alphabet is incredibly satisfying because these are basic foundations of education that they will be using for the rest of their lives. Plus, seeing children spell their names on their own for the first time (sometimes with backwards letters), makes me feel proud.

If you really want to get to know me, it is important that you know that I am a really big family and friends person, but I can be very shy in new settings. I also used to play both soccer and basketball and love watching baseball (even before they were cool). I am a huge dog lover, but I also love most animals in nature, which I continue to learn about through Animal Planet and various documentaries. I love food, especially desserts, and I am always down for movies. I also quite enjoy writing, which is ideal, as this blog is an educational blog for my ADED 1P32 class.

I hope you will enjoy reading this as much as I will enjoy writing it!