Michelle Nixon's Site
Most Beneficial: Online Identity
Utilizing the information we have learned, we developed a web presence by creating our own website. We learned how to develop the website by using Dreamweaver, a web page editor, designed to allow users to create web pages with a wide variety of features without having to write the HTML code by hand. We also learned how to transfer files onto a server using Fetch, a file transfer program. Even though complicated at times, I will definitely use this product (Dreamweaver) in the future. In my field of Telecommunication-News, I can basically use this tool to build an online resume and then put the URL on a business card or paper resume. This tool was/is the most beneficial application. Let’s face the truth. Online media is the future. And you have to stay connected!
Least Beneficial: Gaming (Using Games for Teaching and Learning)
In my field of study, I don't think this will come in handy. I could be wrong, but in my opinion you have to dig really deep for "gaming" to be educational. I still believe that gaming is for mostly entertainment purposes, but I am opened minded to the fact that it can be used in a different manner. This tool I think would be great for an education major because it's a great way to make learning more fun and interactive. In this lesson from gaming we learned about Second Life, which didn't captivate me either. I don't see the purpose in it, but I’m also one of those individual who doesn't have myspace or facebook because I think it is more of a distraction if anything, and can actually lead into an addiction, in my opinion. With al of that said, Gaming would be the application least beneficial to me.
Tools I am "Taking with Me!"
I discovered that Del.icio.us will be a great tool to use for research and sharing information about new technologies in Telecommunications. delicious.com
The following video by David Kelly is an education technology story in video form named “The future of design is human-centered.” I think we all have questions about what education technology is and its purpose, this video explains it.
One thing I was really impressed was Creative Commons. Creative Commons provides free tools that let authors, scientists, artists, and educators easily mark their creative work with the freedoms they want it to carry. You can use CC to change your copyright terms from "All Rights Reserved" to "Some Rights Reserved." Wanna Work Together? We watched this video in class and it was very interesting. I even emailed one of my other professors about this tool, so maybe her class can use it as well.
I had never used Photoshop before this project so I was completely clueless. If you have no clue how to use Photoshop, which I discovered that not a lot of people do, manipulating a picture is as frustrating as climbing up stairs and never getting anywhere. Once you start to play around with the program you get the hang of it. It helps if you have an expert show you how to use it. It makes starting the project is a lot easier. After I started, I used my Visual Literacy skills to work through and complete the project. It's not anything special as tou can see, but it doing this allowed me to learn how to use another orm of technology!
Michelle Nixon
Last Modified: 12/17/08