Connecting with educators/professionals

What is an App Smack down?

Have you ever wondered what an App Smack down was? For the longest time I never heard of it nor did I know what it was until one day I went to school and one of my Professors told us to come prepared to discuss your app. You have a total of two minutes to get up in the front of the classroom to discuss your app. Of course not knowing what it was all about, I got a little nervous. However, all it was, it was a way to describe an application on your device about what interests you and why it could be helpful in your career path. It is a way to share websites, tools, and teaching ideas that is discovered and can be used efficiently and effectively. Honestly, two minutes was not enough time because I got so caught up in my nerves I didn't even get to explain everything my app included. With everyone else who got to go up and present their app is a great way to see what is really out there. There is always something new to be discovered and could become beneficial to you to use in the future.

Empower Productivity 

One of the most useful tools that I have learned just recently is the uses of Evernote. Yes, it is a website and it also has an app. It has many features to keep you as a student or being in your profession and being organized. Organization skills are the keys to success. Mike Vardy explains how Evernote can be used to utilize reminders. This is a helpful tool because you can set reminders to ensure that you complete whatever it is that you need to complete or start on that date. Then you can set another reminder to go back to it, until you do complete it. It's important to have emails that are associated with these types of accounts. I say this because you do not want to have your "business" email used for emails about all of your app updates or personal emails. You want to use an email that is appropriate in these aspects. With these organizational skills it will help prepare yourself for when you have to juggle several tasks at hand for a specific job or even as being a student, if you are not juggling them already. Managing your schedule to complete any given task at hand is essential in everyday life.


Flip Board
One of the most frequent apps on your android devices is the Flipboard app, that plays as your own personal flip magazine. You can introduce this app to several users through Facebook, Twitter, or any other forms of social media. In an article written by Calif Palo Alto, talks about how still a lot of our population do not use their mobile devices to view updated news and information on any topics throughout the world. They are now prevalent in PC's which can help those who are more familiar with using a PC rather than a mobile device. I used to use Flipboard on my android mobile device and thought well what is really the point of this being pre-downloaded on my phone. Until this class, I just recently started to put Flipboard into good use. It is a great way to view broad topics that are of interest for you; science, medicine, business, entrepreneur, sports, and so many more.It is a fun and easy to use type of magazine to keep you informed and updated. It is also cost-effective which is important.
 

Flipboard is continuing to advance as do everything else does as well. There are such a vast array of topics that could be shared throughout the whole globe and we do not even realize it. Nathan Olivearez-Giles, explains how there are over 10 million user generated magazines on Flipboard. You can customize this app to fit your needs just by using the menu status bar. You have your home button, who you are following or subscribing to, your search engine to search related topics in your field of interests, receive various notifications of new stories and article that come up with the ones you have subscribed to as being first and your account setting where you can change notification settings just as you could on any device or mobile app. This app is very informative and can definitely help you broaden your horizon to a vast array of information you never even knew about.

Developing a Connected Learning Model

As individuals we continue to learn something new in our every day lives. There is not one single individual that does not. Building a professional learning community helps to engage in social communities whether or not we are online. We find different ways on collaborating as a team based community to get a certain job done at times. As discussed in The Connected Educator, we come across three-pronged approach to professional development; a local community: being face-to-face to one another, through a global network: whether it be Facebook or Twitter, and a bounded community: where you share the same interests with other individuals. Using online etiquette we all share a common language and learning about others through various diversities. This helps the readers and ourselves understand the unique traits and roles of several different learning strategies. With our personal learning network we learn to connect with other individuals in a respectable manner and as we continue to grow we will continue to learn.  

Digital Citizenship

Digital Foot printing

 It is important to make sure you are paying close attention to everything on the Internet, especially social media. What I mean by this is that any individual with access to the Internet anywhere on the globe can access your location. A digital footprint is a trail of personal information that is left on social media accounts, phones, text messages, and so much more. The most outrageous thing about this is that you do not even realize you have one established already. 

 All you have to do is simply type your name into the search engine on Google and see what comes up. There may be things that come up that you will be proud of to be up on the Internet, however for most people there are most things that people will not be proud of and ashamed that it is even easily accessible with a click of a button. It can be very scary because anyone can look you up, especially with geotagging. What I mean by this is that if you are on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or any form of social media; do not tag yourself in any location. This is an open invitation for invaders to not only hack your information, but to find out where you are. One application that can see when you are most active on social media and where you are when you took that certain picture is through a website called Ready or Not. Digital footprints are very important because it can help determine whether or not you will get any job intended. Every applicant for any potential job are being researched online everyday. It is important to keep your personal information safe and secure from strangers. One way for you to protect yourself online is through Google Alerts. If your name pops up on anything at any given time, this feature will alert you and keep you secure. As being our own individual, it is mainly important to think of yourself as a brand. Sell yourself in the workplace, keep your user names the same throughout your social content, and keep yourself protected!


Untangling the Web

The more we learn about things, the more we become aware of them.  For example, a website known as Symbaloo is a great way for educators to help students find important resources. It is interesting to find out how many different things you can use to make it easy and be able to share with others. In Untangling the Web, you can learn about how bookmarking plays a big role in the media. Diigo is a site that you can use to help store all of your bookmarks. You can set your account up so that you can share it with others and others can share bookmarks throughout the community, you can by default have highlights, notes, etc., set in private.  

Ways to Manage your Digital Footprint

Part of having social media, is being a responsible user. The reason for this is because if you or a friend of yours posts something inappropriate, it can follow you for the rest of your life. Stephanie Buck talks much in detail about how young adults in school should thoroughly go through their information that has been posted onto social media to help prevent any chances of you not getting a potential job. You never know what opportunities may arrive when you try to get a job or even an internship somewhere. The way our society works today is very scary, not only for adults but mainly young individuals. When you are young, you are too vulnerable to sensitive information. You do not know the risks of potential thieves and trouble you could get yourself in. Do not post personal information where others can find where you live or what you are doing in a specific area. 

Helpful tips on managing your digital footprint is to make sure you have your accounts cleaned, secure and private, and getting rid of accounts you no longer use or need. You may even want to keep records of your passwords in a safe and secure location. There are so many different accounts globally, that it is important to have a password keeper as stated by Justin Boyle. It is critical to make sure you are also paying attention to what specifically you are researching on the Internet Google browser. As Google is continuously advancing with its many features that can be highly beneficial, it also tracks every bit of information you have ever entered into it. Every single like, comment, post, or picture located on any social media is being recorded and documented. It is important to be cautious of everything you are doing as you never know who is constantly "watching you".

Today, the world has become a scary place to be a part of as far as social media is concerned because technology is constantly advancing throughout time and it is not how it was before or how it will be in the future. No matter what you do, you always want to think twice before you do something whether it's tweeting, commenting, posting, etc. As Joe Ross mentions, social media is an invitation for invaders to find that perfect opportunity to brake into your home when you are gone. If you go on a vacation and you are going in depth about when you are leaving or where you are going, this lets invaders premeditate their point of action. Overall, you always want to keep your valuable information to yourself. Only post information that you think would be absolutely necessary; ultimately to save yourself from the risks of identity thefts.

One individual who is very intelligent with building websites and gathering enough information for these websites is Cameron Brenchley. You can find more information about it him here. A great source to help finding potential employers/ job seekers are through a page called Linked-In. Other social media, as mentioned before, could be useful to help get a potential job or even learn about who is in your related field as Cameron has mentioned in a class presentation. Since he has been in the Office of Digital Stragedy of the White house, he took over on how to create these websites in his office. With everything on his mind he always had something exciting going on throughout any given day. The routines at his job changed everyday due to White House priorities. As technology works in a fast pace, he had to work in a face pace environment because there was so much going on. The greatest thing about it was that he gets to work with a various amount of individuals.
 Through google searching an aggregated list of professionals; can help you to find individuals in your related field of study who would be appropriate to follow or become friends with. Social media is there to keep your interests and knowing about the latest news in your profession.  It is not used for personal information. Cameron answered a question "What were the best options to utilizes names other than social media?", and said, "Never underestimate the power of a good email, providing useful information, and using them strategically on Twitter or Linked In." It is important to use these medias in a responsible and appropriate manner so that it may lead you to a bigger and better future. So please whatever you do, think twice and be careful before you submit and post anything online.

Google: The Essential Online Tool

GoOgLe

    In my years of using google, it has opened my eyes to see how much google has become part of an essential tool in our everyday lives. I say this because you can do so much with it. Google has their own word document, instead of having to go back to save a file, with google docs; it saves automatically. It has many helpful and useful tools for those who are in school. Google has everything: their own version of power points (google slides), calculators, maps, and google drive which saves all of your documents, etc. Throughout the years google has definitely made progression on what it can be used for. 

Google has become a great way to be able to connect to other people from all over the world within your profession. With google Hangouts, it can help keep you connected to other people in a fast and easy way. A great example of this would be; if you have a hybrid class and you cannot make it to class because you had gotten snowed in well, you can join a google hangout and have a virtual video chat with everyone in your class and  the professor to get the assignments at home, rather than if you were in class. It is simple and easy. As long as you have a computer with a camera and the microphone working, all you need to do is either add google hangouts if you do not have it already and most importantly as Beth Hayden mentions, that in order to be a part of the Hangout, you must be signed into a google account to become a part of the Hangout.

 Moreover, google Hangouts is an essential part of anyone's career. I say this because you can have a virtual chat with those who are within you profession through any device! Like me for instance, I would like to become a Physical Therapist. I can reach out to Physical Therapists about me applying for a job or having a Physical Therapist getting in contact with me for the job! Everything falls back under through networking. Starting a community with those with the same interests can definitely come a long way. To be able to Exploring my Digital Portfolio  helps me to learn how to network for my future in a positive and safely manner. 

Another interesting thing I have learning with google is not only being able to connect with individuals in your profession through Google Hangouts, you can now broadcast videos onto YouTube live! I always wondered how individuals are able to share their screens to others, they make it look so easy. Well, as Don Crowther mentions, that you can add the teaching power of written materials for a more traditional webinar. What is so great about this too, is the fact that you do not even have to spend a penny. It is quick, easy, efficient, and saves you money.  

With the uses of social media locally or internationally it can be helpful to express and expand your thoughts and feelings on particular matters. Sameer Panjwani, explains how Starbucks uses Facebook and Twitter to help communicate with their costumers. What is good about having social networks for companies like Starbucks, is because if someone had a terrible experience, they are going to share that information for others to see. Starbucks utilizes information like this in order to progress and make further changes so those bad experiences are not encountered again. This goes further with other businesses and companies. It is important to have efficient feedback when coming in and out of a Doctors office, or as it is tax season, having a good source on whomever is doing your taxes, etc. With this is an important factor when it comes down to social media. This is because if you create a twitter account, a Facebook account, and other accounts; it is important to establish one username for all accounts, because otherwise people will look to see if they are a different person and if not, why they have a different name. Individuals will begin to question if they are hiding something. When establishing a new network, it is important to keep one name. There are so many different ways to keep in contact with so many different people in so many locations all over the world so it is important to make sure you are not carrying a false name. 

Twitter has become a great experience for me to be able to explore who is out there in my current field of study. As I continue my search in who is in my current field, I am learning who is appropriate to follow and who is not. With continual tweets about healthcare and my future profession, it can help me interact with healthcare professionals and be up to date with any given information needed in health care. With reading a blog about tweeting in healthcare, tweeting within certain periods of the day is beneficial to receive interactions with other professionals. However, it does not only benefit those who are in the health care field it benefits anyone in various fields.

Exploring Your Digital Portfolio

ABOUT ME:

Hello, my name is Melissa Suriano. I am a student at Stockton University. My intended major is Bachelor of Health Science with a concentration in Physical Therapy. 

I am a dancer and I have been dancing for 16 years, I have been doing Martial Arts for 15 years and have a 2nd degree black belt and also been in Jui-Jitsu for 8 years and on my down time I go to the gym. I am going for physical therapy because I have been active my entire life and I feel as if though I can help those in need with injuries in the future and help them get back to their physical state. 

THE CONNECTED EDUCATOR: Learning and Leading in a Digital Age

Networking is important in any field of work. It is essential because we are able to contact those in our profession globally and can find jobs much easier that way as well. Networking is not only about the individual, but it is a place to connect. It is a way for individuals to share information about themselves that may be related to their field of study and meet others as well as getting inspired by each other. As this is my first time blogging, this is a great way for me as a student to learn and adapt to new things to add onto my experiences. What is such a helpful tool in becoming part of this blog, is the need to design and have a sense of community based project where others can engage in the activities, help each other, and share information.

NETWORKING: The Twitter Experience

I've learned that through networking you can really connect to individuals who share the same interests as you. Ellen Lague spoke much in depth about how she has been a part of twitter since back in 2011. I must say that I myself have had a twitter account in the past, however with exploring my digital portfolio by taking this course, truly helps me to ensure a more professional setting in my networking. Looking at twitter in a different way knowing that I can come that much closer to my profession with just a simple tweet, really helps me to tune in on what other professionals in my intended field are tweeting about.

Twitter is a helpful tool to keep communication alive. It is amazing how much I was unaware of how twitter has so much access to so much information and ways to communicate with certain professions. I've learned to start with only a minimal amount of people to follow. From there you can really branch out and end up with so many followers in your intended field of study. Although twitter is only embedded with 140 characters, I never realized until just recently from Eric Shanager, that you can simply attach links to websites and so much more.The conception of social networking, especially with young students and cellular devices instead, using the phone as a tool for learning which can definitely help shape young individuals lives for their future.   

In order to be a part of twitter or any type of social networking, you must set up a profile with an actual image of yourself. As mentioned by Steven Hughes, you do not want to show up as an "egg". Once that step is completed, you can go on with trying to follow a few people who in return, share the same interests as you. Otherwise, people may not follow you. Twitter is a way to help build your digital portfolio so that professionals can see who you are and may even want to get in contact with you because you are being a part of a network that entitles communication and helps to identify who you are without going into your personal information. 

Networking overall, is a learning and growing experience.