What GEN 2243 Has Taught Me

     Sadly, GEN 2243 is coming to an end this coming Wednesday. I can honestly say I have learned so much throughout the semester in this class in particular. I have not only become more acquainted with tools such as Prezi but also developed a PLN and tips on making my PLN grow. I now know how important social media is in my future career as an educator. I have to be extremely mindful of what I put on social media and always use social media to my advantage.

     My favorite part about GEN 2243 was definitely the Google Hangout sessions. I really loved being able to hear from a variety of professionals from companies such as Microsoft. These sessions taught me so much and allowed me to ask questions personally which I really appreciated. Also, being able to create my own website that I can take with me into my future is helpful in so many ways. Throughout my college career I can add content to my website and use it as a portfolio for future jobs. What I appreciated most about this class was that it allowed me to take what I learned and created and continue to use it in my future. Overall, I definitely recommend that others take GEN 2243 in order to expand their digital portfolio.

The Time For Change As Educators

     Yesterday's GEN 2243 class was very fun and exciting for many reasons. Class started off with a Google Hangout session with Robyn Hrivnatz. Robyn works at Microsoft's US Education Division as a curriculum developer for teachers. Before that, she herself worked as a teacher. She made the switch from teacher to Microsoft educator so that she could make a change in the educational community. Robyn believes that social media is crucial and that employees can benefit from the live responsive nature that it allows. Three reasons why Robyn loves social media as a Microsoft employee is because it allows for personal learning, understanding your audience, and understanding the competition. She believes that there is a balance between being yourself and being professional online. Some social media tools Robyn personally recommends are Skype, Google Hangouts, OneNote, and LinkedIn.

     After the talk with Robyn, my class and I were put to the MakeyMakey challenge. MakeyMakey involves turning specific everyday objects, such as a banana, and using it as a computer control device. These crafted devices can be used as a virtual piano or as a controller to play virtual games such as Mario Brothers or Frogger. Although understanding where all the wires belonged was hard at first, the final product was truly remarkable and worth the time. It is perfect for teachers who want to explain circuits to their students in a unique way.

     Chapter 9 of The Connected Educator, focuses on what the future holds in terms of the web and teachers. The web has proven to be not only a great curriculum resource but also a great learning resource. By becoming a learner first and educator second, teachers will serve their students in a better way. Teachers can do this by understanding the four core components of learning 2.0. The first component, knowledge, which involves building classrooms with collective intelligence. Pedagogy, the second component, challenges teachers to focus specifically on the students passions, creativity, and innovation. The third component, connections, involves teaching showing students how to create personal learning networks to increase knowledge. Capacity, the fourth component, encourages us to remain open minded to each other to learn something we may not have known before. All of this will require a change in teaching and learning for educators. This book overall challenges teachers to make a change in the classrooms that will be powerful and life changing.

Tremendous Tools Incorporated With Social Media

     Last Wednesday in GEN 2243, my class and I learned about tools to integrate with social media platforms. One tool that stood out to me was IFTTT (If This Then That). IFTTT gives users control of the apps and products they love using "recipes". For example, I created a recipe that will send me a SMS whenever I am mentioned on Twitter. Another tool that I recommend is Paper.li. Paper.li is similar to an online newspaper that allows you collect and share content depending on your interests. With this tool, I created "The Education Daily", which focuses on Education based content. Definitely check it out!

     Chapter 4 of Untangling the Web focuses on social networking tools as a whole. Social media has become an extremely valuable tool that students will continue to rely on in their futures. Also, using social media is an important part of providing the best education to students today. Although face to face interaction is beneficial, interacting virtually also enhances their ability to collaborate. One social tool recommended in UTW is TodaysMeet. TodaysMeet allows a teacher to create a private back channel that can be used as a collaborative means for discussing and documenting classroom interactions. Skype in the classroom is also a wonderful tool to use in the classroom. It allows teachers to find other experts/ educators who want to share information and vice versa. Edmodo, which is one of the first social networks designed exclusively for schools, incorporates the concept of learning management systems and social interactions. One last social media tool that many of us know of is Twitter. Twitter is amazing in the classroom because of its quick ability to share small bits of information and share that information with others.

     Many of us may not have the time to create our own recipes. However, using the "35 Super Useful IFTTT Recipes You Might Not Know" article, there are a list of 35 recipes that are already pre-made for your convenience. If you are tagged in a photo on Facebook and want that image immediately sent to your Dropbox, there is a recipe to do that. There are also pre-made recipes for weather. For example, there is a recipe that sends you a text whenever the weather changes to a certain condition. There are also recipes created just for fun. There is even a recipe that emails you when a new title is added to Netflix. One personal recipe that I love involves tracking the days when I go to the gym. This IFTTT recipe simply involves sending a text to IFTTT and a row is added to a spreadsheet.

     If you are a teacher, you should definitely consider using Pinterest in your classroom. Here are some reasons why. If you are unfamiliar with what Pinterest is, think of it as a bulletin board of pictures. Pinterest will allow you to find lesson plans and ideas for any subject. Also, if you are thinking of new ways to decorate and organize your classroom, Pinterest has pins for that too. If you are a student, Pinterest is also useful for you too. With Pinterest, you can find healthy lunch and snack recipes to eat at school. One powerful property of Pinterest is that it allows teachers to share ideas with each other. This is perfect for teachers who want to try something out of their comfort zone.

     If you are considering creating an About.Me page but aren't sure what should be included, here is a guide that you may want to look at. Your page should focus on who you are and what you want to do for your page visitors. Also, your photo is the first thing your visitors will see, so make sure it truly captures your personality and looks professional. You should also think about highlighting great posts, which allows for cross-promotion. This will lead more people to the posts you're proud of.  Lastly, create an indented list for your "About Me" page on Google. An indented listing is when a second page from your website is listed directly under your main website on Google. This will definitely increase traffic on your site.