Update to PLN - Enhance your PLN using Elluminate

Elluminate is an extra feature to keep in mind for your PLN.  It is designed to allow the users to connect to their audience for learning, teaching or just plan getting a better understanding of something. 

Most of us are more familiar with Webex.  Elluminate is very similar, but I think it gives you more freedom and options.  The one thing I found very useful was that all participants could draw on the screen.  This could be very helpful when trying to get your point across.  Instead of trying to explain something and hoping the other understands, why not work together to eliminate wasted time and costs.

 

I believe I am going to generate a PLN around a business (Welding and Small Engine Repair) my husband would love to pursue.  Setting up a PLN will get him one step closer to his dream coming true.  The PLN can start his rode to gaining knowledge of the need for such a business, the experience that others have encountered and any tips or tricks of the trade.  Elluminate could be useful in my PLN as he has had several calls where people are looking for something repaired or something built.   One job I remember was building steel display racks for a local liquor distributor.  I believe that the many phone calls and in-person meetings to finalize the design could have been eliminated using this tool.

The only downfall I found was not having a microphone.  If I were one-on-one with someone, not having a mic would have been fine.  But when there are multiple people (and you type slow like me), any comment I was writing seemed irrelevant because the others were on to a different subject.  But don’t let that hold you back from trying Elluminate – just invest in the microphone.

Mobile Devices – Can You Do Business Without Them?

In today’s modern world, everywhere you look, people are on their cell phones, smart phones or sipping coffee while on their laptops.  Is this way of living necessary or are people just that dependant on staying connected?

While I believe that mobile devices for business purposes can be useful, I really don’t see the need to text the person sitting next to you.  Of course, I’m sure people would argue with me that they NEED to have access to mobile devices.  The advantages definitely outweigh the disadvantages in terms of how many there are.  Let’s take a look:

Advantages:

-         Always stay connected, whether traveling for business, in a meeting or vacation

-         Respond to emergencies faster

-         Can send and respond to emails instantly

-         Allows user to access internet to search for whatever may be needed

-         Enables user to access information, check inventory or place orders back at the office

Disadvantages:

-         Never really separate work and home

-         Cost associated with buying equipment and maintaining a mobile provider

-         Risk of losing mobile device and someone else accessing data

Unfortunately, the disadvantages have a lot more power than the advantages.  Time spent away from the family is something that you can never get back.

The Internet – It Can Get You In Trouble

Talking to people, they think the Internet is just a wealth of information.  And they are right.  What they also think is that the information is free reign to do as they please.  This is where they are wrong.

Just as one needs to cite their research papers to give credit where credit is do, one needs to site where they got their information from on the Internet.  One good reference that all of us ESC students should be familiar with is Citing-Document Sources.  There are many other helpful websites too that can be found on the Internet depending if you are in need of MLA style or APA style.  According to the Cornell University Online Library (2011, Cornell) there are citation management softwares available, such as RefWorks and EndNote that will help you to build your citing references.

Internet Search Tools



Photo courtesy of wordpressconsultant.net



So do you think you are ready to start searching the Internet?

The book (2010, Shelly) states that there are search tools available to help aid you in your endeavors.  Such tools are directories, search engines and metasearch engines.  Directories are designed and created by an average person like you and me.  I understand that these directories have that personal touch and can be geared to what they think the user would like to see.  It is meant to be user-friendlier (and with the complexity of the Internet, who wouldn’t want something easier).  But this is where I get confused.  Do the benefits outweigh the disadvantages?  With directories, the user is relying on a person (or maybe group of people) to decide what you may want to see and how you may want to see it.  This is the opinion of a few select people.  We have all been around long enough to know that everyone has their own opinion about things, so an established directory may not be for everyone.

Advanced Searching

There are so many little techniques and tips that can assist you with your searches.  No matter who you think you are and how much knowledge of searching on the internet you have, there will always be new things to learn.   I’m learning everyday through this course and related research.

Earlier during my search for my first blog for this chapter, I ran across Boolean commands.  The book actually refers to them as Boolean operators (2010, Shelly).  Boolean commands help to refine your search.  By having key words in your search, the results will vary.  Take for example the Boolean command “AND”.  You are saying that you want all the words in your search to appear in your results.  If you add the command “OR”, you are opening up your research to show results for any site that contains at least one of the words that you searched for.

 

Process of Searching the Web

The internet is a very powerful tool.  Anything that one could image about searching for is right there for you.  I have become very familiar with the internet and find it very useful.  I would rather look up something on the internet (example: a telephone number) versus trying to dig out my old, heavy (and probably dusty) Talking Phone Book.  But that is my choice.  Others may not see it that way.  One example is my husband.  He gets very frustrated when he can’t find what he is looking for.  The key is knowing how to search.

You ask – how difficult can it be?  It’s really not difficult.  You just need to remember a few key points.

-         If you want a specific, direct, exactly “as is” topic, be sure to put the search words in quotation

-         The more specific you are, the better refined search you will get

-         Learning about boolean commands could be key to your search (2010, Media Awareness Network)

GoAnimate & Jing - Two Useful Networking Tools

Blogging is all about capturing the attention of your audience and making your blog interesting enough to make the viewer want to continue reading and anticipate the arrival of your next blog.

GoAnimate is a cute way of generating comic videos in order to relay one's message.  I was trying to embed the video here but it didn't seem to work.  Please view my creation at GoAnimate.  If anyone has some helpful hints to embed a GoAnimate video into their blog, I would love to know what they are.

Another way to do a video is by using Jing.  Or you can capture still shots and add comments to relay your information to your viewers.  Unfortunately, I had the same embedding issue with my video.  To learn more about Jing, follow these two simple steps:

Have fun designing your blog!

UPDATE: Thanks to Vanessa and her helpful tips, I think this may actually work.  Below should be my animation.
GoAnimate.com: Jing Animation by SpikeShelby


Like it? Create your own at GoAnimate.com. It's free and fun!

PLN - Learn It, Live It, Love It!

What exactly is a PLN?  A personal learning network is a group of people connected together for a sole purpose:

-          to learn from

-          to gain insight to what others have learned or experienced and the resources used

-          to give advice and inspiration

-          to share your findings and revelations

A PLN is customized specifically for you.  It allows you to decide exactly what you want to see and it allows you to choose how involved you want to be with your new found networking group.

A lot of research on the internet favors PLN for educators, but a PLN can be useful to everyone.  My mind is already going on how I can utilize a PLN in my current position.  As a Program Scheduler, it is my responsibility to devise a project plan incorporating details of the tasks involved from onset of the program to the finished product.  While doing this, I am also incorporating resources (both human and equipment), loading budget to these tasks and measuring the team’s performance on these tasks.  There are times that I have questions or would like to know how others accomplish similar tasks within the industry.  A PLN would be a beginning for me to establish a network of people doing similar work.  I also would like to do a PLN for my husband’s small engine repair/welding business.

Learn Before You Browse

There is so much to know before you start surfing the internet.  Your web browser is full of little gadgets to aid you in your adventure.  Taking the time to learn some of the functionality will help in making your browsing experience more enjoyable.

But don’t be fooled.  You will never learn everything there is to know in one sitting.  One reason is because there is so much to learn.  Second reason is because there are always new features added.  When I upgraded to IE8 (Internet Explorer 8), I couldn’t get the hang of having multiple web sites opened in one browser.  Now I don’t know what I do without it especially during this class.  How many times do we need to jump from ESC to Symbaloo to a new tab to do research?

Of course I learned something new from our textbook.  I never bothered to read the page when you open a new tab.  There is actually some valuable information on there about your recent activity.  Being the grayish, dull color, I never took the time to look at it.

Everything about your web browser can be customized to fit your needs.  You can customize your toolbar, add your favorites or view your history.  This is especially important if you have children that use the internet and are not savvy enough to know that the sites are tracked. 

Twitter - What's in it for you?

Twitter is another useful tool to stay connected and up to date with family, friends and business associates.  Are you new to Twitter like I am?  Go to Twitter  to learn more and sign up. 

According to reports, Twitter has moved up to be the third highest social networking site in January 2009.  Previous to that it was twenty-second.

I know I am no expert at Twittering but what I see so far is a large number of people can be reached in a short period of time.  It also seems to be beneficial for those that do not have a lot of time on their hands to get updated with the world around them.  This is accomplished by the limiting of the characters that can be written.  Unlike blogging that allows people to babble on forever (which I am doing), Tweeting is simple and sweet.  If the Tweeter would like to provide more info, a link is usually attached.  But for the most part, the reader can capture the essence of the post by just a few simple words.

Symbaloo

Symbaloo is a great place to store links to all your favorite websites.  It is a great way to stay organized.  You can see what mine looks like.  I started going through some of the custom, original icons.  They contain some useful information.  I didn't want to delete any of them until I get a chance to look them over because I am not sure I would be able to get them back, so far now I pushed them off to the left side.  My favorites are on the right.

Has anyone come up with any unique icons?