Online Teaching and Beyond the Obstacles

 After being diagnosed with a severe medical condition late last year, I found myself homebound and filled with uncertainty of how I would move forward after this obstacle was thrown at me. 

I couldn't hold a full time job teaching and I even needed to take a break from tutoring. I wasn't sure whereto go or what to do. I knew I enjoyed teaching and learning but I didn't want to go back to the classroom. 

I wanted to do something different but still tied into the educational world. l started with registering for a non-degree program in online teaching, but I'm looking forward to dipping into the instructional design side of the ISLT FSU program. 

EME6414 was my first class and I'm really looking forward to this fall when I can dive even deeper into this awesome field. The possibilities are endless and the obstacles won't stop me. 

Personal Learning Network and 10 Reasons Why a Teacher Needs a PLN

 I had fun looking more critically at my professional PLN. This was the chart I created to capture my Instructional Design PLN. In my paper, I talked about needing to focus my network a little bit more specifically to my needs. But right now it's ok that it's a ton of information because I don't know what I want to do with my FSU ISLT degree yet. 

A quote from my paper, "Overall, I will need to be less of lurker and more of an active participant to make sure that the PLN is valuable to my learning experiences. To better manage the wealth of information, I will become more active in the FB groups and Twitter and probably pull back on the other parts of my PLN (only checking in a every few weeks).

I will definitely continue to utilize my PLN for professional and personal development. As I begin to decide which way I will go with my education in the ISLT program, I will focus more on a specific aspect (K-12, higher ed, corporate, etc) of the discipline." 

Source:https://www.teachthought.com/the-future-of-learning/10-reasons-every-teacher-needs-professional-learning-network/

Vintage Social Media

 The internet and Web2.0 tools have come so far in the past 25 years (around the time I started using these tools in middle school). I remember putting an Oregon Trail floppy disk into an Apple Computer and instantly begin playing the game. (Man, the game was great, wasn't?) I seemed to always die from dysentery though 😂. 

But before computers became available to the general public, we still had ways of connecting. I love this meme because it highlights the human need to organize our thoughts and ideas into different areas of the brain. The brain loves patterns and routines. Social Media has helped a lot with this process, but has it ended up hurting us or helping. Procrastination and information overload often happen with social media. I know it does for me! 

Here's a link to an article about ways to organize your brain to increase your productivity. 

5 ways to organize your mind for maximum productivity

Now back to the original meme about vintage social media. Some individuals refuse to use some or even all of the Web 2.0 world to help with organization. I just recently did away with a paper calendar. I had to spend a year or so writing dates in both the calendar and my google calendar to make sure I wasn't missing anything. And of course we know that calling people for a chat can sometimes be so much easier than a video chat. I seem to use this type of call (no video/no texting) with older family members. 

Are there any things you have decided to keep vintage in your day to day life? 

Digital Citizenship

                                                                                     

According to Wikipedia, "A large part in being a responsible digital citizen encompasses digital literacy, etiquitte, online safety, and an acknowledgement of private versus public information." 

I believe parents and educators are responsible for teaching new generations on how to become a responsible digital produser. As a kid of the 90s, the internet was a fascinating new thing to 'play' with. We didn't really think about future repercussions of our actions online. As time went on and social media with the posting of pictures and opinions became more prevalent, the idea of a digital footprint being permanent became an integral part of using the web. 

A decade later, and we start to learn that when looking for a job, companies are hiring new employees will look at applicants' social media for inappropriate representation. Now, it also goes the other way. Companies will search to determine who you are online and does it match up to their needs. They want to see that you have an online presence and are active within different settings. 

According to a Business News Daily article, "About half of employers – 47% – said they wouldn't call a person for an interview if they can't find them online. More than one-quarter of employers say it's because they like to gather more information before calling a candidate, and 20% say it's because they expect candidates to have an online presence. "Whether it's intentional or not, this [not having a profile] always feels like you have something to hide," said Sims. "Either you've specifically taken steps to make sure you can't be found or you're using a childish byname – neither of which feels very professional." (Driver 2020)

Driver also reports, 

While they might not be searching for anything negative, more than half of the employers who were surveyed (57%) said they found something during their social screenings that led them to not hire someone.

According to the survey, these are the leading types of posts and behavior that left employers with a bad impression:

1. Job candidate posted provocative or inappropriate photographs, videos or information: 40%
2. Job candidate posted information about them drinking or using drugs: 36%
3. Job candidate had discriminatory comments related to race, gender, religion, etc.: 31%
4. Job candidate was linked to criminal behavior: 30%
5. Job candidate lied about their qualifications: 27%
6. Job candidate had poor communication skills: 27%
7. Job candidate bad-mouthed their previous company or fellow employees: 25%
8. Job candidate's screen name was unprofessional: 22%
9. Job candidate shared confidential information from previous employers: 20%
10. Job candidate lied about an absence: 16%
11. Job candidate posted too frequently: 12%

So how do we avoid these faux pas? We go back to teaching digital citizenship skills from the beginning. Although somewhat a sidebar to citizenship, I've started talking about online safety on the internet (even though he doesn't access it yet). He will officially start his digital education in kindergarten starting in August. 👍

Resources: 

"Digital Citizen".Wikipedia. July, 18 2021. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_citizen

Driver, Saige. "Keep It Clean: Social Media Screening Gain in Popularity". March 23, 2020. https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/2377-social-media-hiring.html

Unplugged in the Mountains Part II

 

As mentioned in my previous post, my cell phone was toast after dropping it down the stairs during our first night stay at our vacation cabin. It was time to assess the damages. Keep in mind, it was a Friday night when I dropped it. Saturday morning we met with someone at a repair shop and the news wasn't terrible but it wasn't pleasant. The screen could be replaced, but since my phone was relatively new (Samsung Note 20) a new screen was insanely expensive. Plus it wasn't in stock and had to be ordered from the manufacturer. No phone until at least Wednesday and that would be if everything worked out. I tried to log onto my school accounts from my husband's computer. I like to auto save my passwords on Chrome (I know, I know, not very secure). So there was nothing saved on my husband's computer, and I went to reset my password. What was needed to do that? A Duo push to my cellphone! AHHHH! The frustration set in and I was grumpy for the rest of the day.

On Sunday, I wasn't grumpy, but I started to feel an almost withdrawal like emotion. I kept feeling my brain push me to check my phone. At bedtime, I looked for my phone around the cabin for five minutes before my husband reminded me that I didn't have a phone. The symptoms got worse as I tried to fall asleep. I usually avoid most social media when I am in bed, but I do listen to audio books or read on my kindle app. And then I use a white noise app. None of these were available to me and it made it possible for some insomnia to creep in. Awesome. 

Monday had it's ups and downs. We were scheduled to spend the whole day at a local theme park. I was kept busy focusing on my family and having fun. What really started to irritate me was not being able to pull out my phone to snap a photo. I had to ask my husband to pull his phone out of his pocket so I could take a pic. It got annoying quickly and I soon put it out of my mind. 

Luckily there was a professional taking photos on Tuesday when we went white water rafting.(I'm in the pink hat.)

My phone was repaired and ready to be picked up on Wednesday. I immediately opened up social media apps and texts. Wednesday was waterpark day, so I didn't even bring my phone. 

By Thursday, I brought my phone with me, but only brought it once to look up directions. 

On our drive home, I increased my usage more, but was also aware of how much I was picking my phone up. We also didn't have a lot of signal during our trip down the mountains. 

What did I learn from all of this? Well, I definitely have cell phone addiction. It is definitely a physical addiction that can be felt in the brain and body when it is discontinued. But I also learned how much more I could be engaged in the moment. Although our trip is not captured in a ton of pictures like most vacations are, I have the beautiful memories in my head. I survived the mountains unplugged!

Unplugged in the Mountains

 

Our little family decided to take a trip to Smoky Mountain National Park. We rented a beautiful log cabin. 

I'm not sure about you, but I drop my phone ALL the time. With use of a protector, I never break it. Not this time. My first time down the wooden stairs, it slipped out of my hands and shattered the screen. After picking it up, I just stared at it like it would magically fix itself. I turned it on to see only the top quarter of the screen was visible. The phone was a goner. Was there a cellphone repair shop in the mountains? Was my phone even repairable? How would I get my school work done? Stay tuned for the answers in my next post. 

Where will ISLT lead me?

According to Florida State University, the ISLT program is described as, "FSU offers a master of science in instructional systems and learning technologies through its College of Education. The program explores the collective impact of communications, psychology, and management on human performance.

This master's program may appeal to K-12 and postsecondary educators, HR specialists, educational technology coordinators, and instructional designers. The curriculum emphasizes emerging technologies, instructional design, and performance improvement. The program culminates in an internship and a professional portfolio."

When I applied to grad school for the 2nd time again, I wanted to do something different than just an additional teaching endorsement. I knew (due to medical issues), I would be spending a lot of time teaching online. And that's when I stumbled across FSU and their ISLT program.

I've been telling friends and family that I'm starting with a certificate in Online Teaching (15 ISLT credit hours) and will go from there. But where will I go? 

I'm considering creating my own tutoring business. I'm curious about corporate instructional design. I've never been out of the education sector. I also have an interest in working for educational publishing companies. 

We've had some good discussions in class about how we found out about the ISLT program. But where do you want go after you finish the program? The opportunities seem so diverse! (BTW...I love David)

Master Tool List

 I'm not sure how I missed this last week, but there is now a master of all the tools we've experimented with during class. It was posted in week 7 module overview.  Make sure to take a look at it! I've already forgotten some of them and it was a nice reminder. 

Fourth of July and PTSD

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!! 

🎇🎇🎇🎇🎆🎆🎆🎆

           

Fourth of July is a celebration when all Americans feel pride in their country and celebrate with beautiful explosions in the sky. This year especially is a year for celebration. We have almost defeated (or at least tamed) Covid-19. We have taken time to open wounds and look at our history as well as our present way of existence. I've always loved watching fireworks and experiencing their beauty through all senses. 

But this year, things have gotten a little bit more complicated. I have been diagnosed with PTSD and a seizure disorder. I don't think I will be able to partake in a full firework display this year but I will still celebrate my country and  enjoy time with my family. 

People often think of veterans and pets when it comes to fear of fireworks, but PTSD can include so many more of the population. Trauma can manifest into PTSD in a variety of ways.

 PTSD symptoms can include:

https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd/

I do not expect people to not set off fireworks. That is their right and it is up to me to protect my well-being during the holiday. There are many ways that I can ease the tension during this time. Here is an example that talks about some strategies:

https://www.smore.com/hasdz-expressive-arts-therapy-e-news?epik=dj0yJnU9b1IyVnBPU1pTQy1GQl84d19VWnlMZ1ZBOVVzOURzOUwmcD0wJm49Z00wT3pOMWVJMzJNWUdhaUxLVmhHZyZ0PUFBQUFBR0Rjak1Z

However you choose to celebrate this year, Happy 4th of July!

Training a Service Dog-Apollo Learns to Like Brushes

Training a service dog is a life long process. It isn't a process where all of a sudden your dog is trained and he'll be perfect from then on. Training starts with basic obedience then progresses to learning tasks that help accommodate a person with a disability. All of these skills must also be practiced out in public in various situations. For example, Apollo was practicing looking at me in a grocery store instead of paying attention to all the food around him (VERY hard for a golden retriever). 

Public access for service dogs in training is allowed with no restrictions in the state of Florida. Some states restrict access for those dogs that are still learning. Apollo has been going to a variety of places since he was 3 months old. To be honest, his public behavior is much better than at home. He turns back into a 9 month old puppy when we get home 😆😆!

The video I will post on Apollo's FB page will show how I am working to desensitize him to being brushed. For whatever reason, he does not like it. I will also have a helper from my other dog Isla who is 4 years old and loves to get brushed. Apollo follows Isla's lead for a lot of things. By posting to his FB page, I also hop it will increase my traffic to his page. Homemade videos tend to draw more people. Most likely because they are attracted to Apollo's adorableness 😀😀💓

Here's the link to his training video...make sure to stop by his FB page too!

Apollo's Training

https://www.facebook.com/apollototherescue

Practice with Voice Thread

Today's blog focuses on practicing with VoiceThread for my upcoming assignment. Although nervous at first, I got in to the hang of it pretty quickly. The recording was simple and easy to edit. I also deleted slides as I went along. I used a previously created presentation from an old job about GED testing. I knew the material well, but setting it up in this format took a little more practice. 😎

Please feel free to take a look at it and leave comments! 

Nicole's Voice Thread Practice

Internet Safety-The good, the bad, and the heartbreaking

Internet Safety

I have a 5 year old so I have yet to deal with internet safety issues personally. I know I will need to start teaching him soon. How much control should I have over his access? Some believe that teens should have no monitoring by parents and to trust they will do what's best. 

https://time.com/5523239/parenting-behavior-technology-social-media/

On the other side of the argument are parents trying to keep kids safe by monitoring their social media. Take a look at this heart breaking story about a family that lost their son because he thought he was buying pharmaceutical drugs online. It turns out they were pure fentanyl. The parents aren't totally against social media, but want certain companies (Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat) to work with them on using monitoring software/apps.

https://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/video/family-pushes-social-media-apps-to-allow-access-for-parental-control-tools-115288133596

My heart goes out to these parents. May they find some peace in the advocacy that they have started to prevent what happened to their son to other children. 

So where do we start? When do we get involved? I think it's important to start talking about it early. Heck, I had to teach my four year old about not clicking on ads for online education games. Maybe we start simple, like starting with letter sounds for reading. I don't believe it's all about parental controls but it should be a combination of education, discussion, and monitoring. It will always be a hard job to keep our kids safe whether if it's in the virtual or physical world. 

Nicole Explains Networked Knowledge Activities-POWTOON

Look what I made! I used the tool PowToon to create a simple explanation of the 6 activities within NKA. The unlisted YouTube video link is below. Please look at it and give me feedback! I'm still learning how to edit video so excuse the weird parts of that. 

Nicole's PowToon

Google Drive meets Google Tools

My procrastination led me to take an insider look at Google Drive and all that it has to offer. I basically thought the drive was a place to cloud sharing work that Microsoft Office could not do. So, basically it could do a word doc, spreadsheets, and power points. Oh how I was wrong. After hitting the 'more' part of the 'new' button I came across 8 additional apps that could be used. I briefly looked at all of the options and was excited to see all the possibilities. 

Take a look at this list I pulled from the following website: 

https://www.practicalecommerce.com/37-Google-Drive-Apps

There are even more (FREE!) apps since this article was written. So cool! Take another spin around Google Drive when you get a chance. They have educational and corporate uses!

37 Google Drive Apps

FEBRUARY 4, 2013 • SIG UELAND

Google Drive, Google’s cloud-storage solution, lets you store and access your files anywhere. With the first 5 GB free, it’s a valuable resource for small and mid-sized businesses. However, Google Drive’s greatest feature is its integration with other Google and third-party applications.

Here is a list of productivity applications that work with Google Drive. You can find the complete list of apps at the Chrome Web Store. There are both free and paid apps to create your own productivity suite in the clouds.

37 Google Drive Apps

Google Docs. Access, create, and edit Google docs in Google Drive. Edit documents with collaborators, and see changes as they type. Price: Free.

Google Docs.

Google Slides. Create presentations with rich animations, drawings, transitions, themes, and more. Presentations are automatically saved and stored in Google Drive. Price: Free.

Google Sheets. Create and share spreadsheets. Then publish them publicly, share them with others, or keep them private. Price: Free.

Google Drawings. Build diagrams, and create flowcharts. Easily add them to other documents, or embed them on a website. Price: Free.

Google Forms. Create online forms and surveys, then check the results in a neatly organized spreadsheet. Share forms from a link, embed them on your website, or right inside an email. Price: Free.

Google Forms.

Google Apps Script. Google Apps Script is a JavaScript cloud scripting language that provides easy ways to automate tasks, across Google products and third-party services, and build web applications. Price: Free.

SlideRocket. Create stunning presentations. Save and share directly from Google Drive. Manage a library of presentations, slides and assets. Price: Lite is free; Pro is $24/month.

Pixlr Express. Pixlr Express is a photo editor with nearly 250 effects, including borders, overlays, color adjustments, crop and rotation editors. Price: Free.

PicMonkey. PicMonkey is a free photo editor with collage, touch-up, fonts, effects, filters, frames, and stickers. Price: Free.

PicMonkey.

draw.io. draw.io is a free diagramming application that enables you to draw flowcharts, network diagrams, wire-framing and mockups, and more. Price: Free.

Pixlr Editor. Pixlr Editor is a full-featured web-based photo editor. Tools include drawing, clone, sharpen and blur, filters and adjustments. Price: Free.

Floorplanner. Floorplanner gives you the tools to make floor plans fast. Recreate your home, garden or office with a library of objects to reshape, resize and rotate. Price: 1 project is free; 5 projects is $14.95/year.

HelloFax. HelloFax makes it easy to sign documents and send faxes online. Send and receive faxes. Sign documents and fill out forms. Price: Up to 5 fax pages per month free.

HelloFax.

Lucidchart. Lucidchart is an HTML5-based visual collaboration tool for drawing diagrams. Work together with an unlimited number of others to create and edit diagrams in real time. Changes merge and sync instantaneously. Price: Personal plan is free to $9.95/month.

Cacoo. Cacoo is a user-friendly online drawing tool that allows you to create a variety of diagrams such as site maps, wire frames, UML and network charts. Price: Up to 25 sheets free.

HelloSign. HelloSign is an easy app to sign documents and request signatures. Price: Free.

Hojoki. Make all your cloud apps work as one. Get push notifications and discuss your work as it happens. Works with Google Drive & Calendar, Dropbox, Evernote and many other productivity apps. Price: Free.

Hojoki.

Gantter. Gantter is an enterprise cloud-based project scheduling application. Easily import and open existing Microsoft Project files. Price: Free.

💓💓Marqueed. Marqueed is a collaboration tool to discuss and work on images and designs. Easily add collaborators. Get instant notification on activity. Price: Free.

PDF Mergy. PDF Mergy provides a simple way to merge PDF files. You can either select the files you want to merge from you computer or drop them on the app using drag and drop. Price: Free.

The End of the Internet

Shout out to @disceverum for re-posting Steven King's Tweet about the end of the internet. King's tweet says:

"I reached the end of the Internet. There's a sign there that says WELCOME TO OBLIVION. Beyond, just the dark."

Take a look at this funny website about the end...

http://endoftheinternet.com/

Have you ever felt that way? After going down rabbit hole after rabbit hole, it feels like it's too much. For example, while creating this blog, I have been buying my son swimsuits, then some school shirts on another site, looking at three different sites for buying a new dining room table, multiple (even some duplicates) sites for class, and God knows what else.

It's been proven that the human brain cannot multi-task, but rather just switch from one task to another at a relative speed.

Can People Really Multi-Task?

Rosen, C. (2008). The Myth of Multitasking. The New Atlantis, (20), 105-110. Retrieved June 15, 2021, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/43152412

My brain is apparently on the slower side of switching tasks, because it's taken me close to 3 hours to get stuff done.

I can't help but think about Douglas Adams' book series "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy". If you haven't read it, please do because it will have you laughing with tears in your eyes. The movie isn't bad, but the series continues with hilarious non-sensical humor. I put it in our Goodreads leisure folder. (Talk about multi-tasking 😉)

Anyway, I'm off to do dive head first into a bunch rabbit holes.

How many windows do you have open right now?

Excuse me, may I Pinterest you in a vision board?

What's a vision board? Well, it's literally a way to visually represent your goals and beliefs. They can be made with posters and magazine cutouts or can be curated online.

Here's a couple examples of tangible boards

Dictionary.com defines a vision board as:

"noun

a collage of pictures, text, and other items that represent and affirm one’s dreams and ambitions, created to help visualize and focus on one or more specific aspirations"

But, vision boards can also be created online using a variety of Web 2.0 tools. Pinterest is one of those tools which makes it easy for a user to scroll through a bunch of pictures which are link bound and add them to a 'board' in which they can use as a vision board. 

Take a look at this list of 11 popular sites to help create boards in a variety of ways.
https://www.developgoodhabits.com/online-vision-board/

I played with Canva and was a little overwhelmed with all the features, but if I could stay and play longer, I know it would be a great resource. 

Of course Pinterest is familiar to most people, especially if you've ever planned a wedding😂😂😂

Earlier this week, I started to create a Pinterest vision board. I focused mine on a envisioning a new career, information on Instructional Technology, and online teaching tips. I will continue to add to this board frequently.

Here's a link to my Pinterest vision board:
https://pin.it/11skifW

One pitfall of Pinterest, is that I tend to post stuff and then never go to the links to read the information. Because unlike some of the other vision boards, the visuals can take you to other sites that provide articles and other valuable information.

 

How many of you frequent your pins on Pinterest? Do you look at every pin's link as soon as you add it? Do you come back to read them later or just have fun posting more stuff? I suppose you might not need to click on the links and just use the visual as part of the motivation. How do you Pinterest? Comment below to let us know!