I just realized

that people commented on my blog throughout this experience. I had notifications turned off. Bummer.

Reflection on things...13 to be exact

First of all...Lisa, thank you for organizing 13 things and for allowing faculty and staff to participate. I have had numerous conversations about the weekly assignments with others and those have added immensely to my learning. I didn't dive in as much as other people did but I did let myself play around enough to see if any of these tools could benefit me in any way. I think a few can.

To see a Wordle of my blog, click here.

I really like the idea of screencasting. I plan to work with some specific functional areas to see how we can use this to our advantage. I plan on using Creative Commons for some work I've done and to access new and original items. I will continue to push the limits of Google Docs to see how they can allow for even better collaboration.

I have enjoyed this exploration and appreciate that I can do it on my own time, at my own pace. I even set up a google calendar reminder each week so I would remember to do it. Much of what I have learned about and on the internet has been by myself so it was nice to still have that feeling of self-discovery with a little guidance behind it.

What funny names...

for websites. I just used a site called ScreenToast to record myself demonstrating something on my computer. You can see it here. I think it is amazing to see all that you can do through the internet now. You used to need sophisticated equipment to do what is now so simple and free through a single website. ScreenToast takes the most difficult parts of putting together screen-based videos and includes them in one easy to use package.

I have often thought it would be nice to use videos like this to show students how to use many of the online resources here at Coe. Moodle, my.coe, and registration are good examples of internal sites/processes that students may need a brief overview on before they are able to use them confidently. Many of these resources take only a minute or two of orientation to get used to them. More than many of the other technologies we've learned about, I think screencasting could be very useful on campus.

Reading is Fun

This 13 Things project has been a lot of fun especially because I have rediscovered some of the tools I once used or briefly used in the past. Google Reader is one of them. I remember adding feeds many years ago, using it for about a week, then going back to checking the individual sites. I think I have continued to visit sites because I like the pictures and context in which information is presented. I can see how it's nice to use feeds to put together your own virtual newspaper with all the information you want automatically updated for you. I tend to favor convenience over time spent but for some reason I still like to click on websites.

As a student, I think the time saved and convenience of feeds would be very appealing. In today's "headline world" (as I like to call it, focusing on attention getting headlines, sometimes at the cost of the story) stories can easily be passed over so being able to push out stories automatically and as they happen can help get some coverage. Knowing that many students get their news via their phones, I think feeds work well on a small screen and give them the option of reading more if they are interested.

Coe's Creative Commons

I chose to explore Creative Commons by typing in Coe College and seeing what popped up. SpinXpress had the most diverse results with a bunch of photos and a few videos. However, one thing allows Creative Commons to work well and it's something we learned early on in this 13 things adventure: tagging. While I consider myself to have above average ability to filter out search results online I realize that tagging helps me even more. The fact that so much can be tagged makes ideas like Creative Commons (CC) possible and accessible to everyone.

For that reason, I think students could find tons of good and reliable information and resources through a site like CC. I know in graduate school I frequently ran into copyright issues and if CC would have been available I could have saved a few hours.

On a larger scale, I think the lessons/philosophies that CC uses are worth exploring. The ability to share, within reason, and with certain limits blends trust and respect. I think we could all use a little more trust and respect.

My Goodreads

I was invited by a friend to join Goodreads (username: hickstr@gmail.com) a few years ago so we could share books we enjoyed and recommend others. I think I logged in twice. Luckily, I still had my membership confirmation email that gave me my username. I like the idea of these book sharing sites but due to the low priority I put on reading I rarely move through books fast enough to warrant an online sharing service. I do, however, keep a list of books I would like to read in Google tasks. As I mentioned one sentence prior, this list seems to grow much faster than I can check books off of it.

I do like the ability to see what others are reading and how what I have read can create other suggestions. In an educational setting, the one part that I really like is how suggestions are aggregated and given by the site instead of an instructor or mentor. I think this allows for a little more exploration and self-directed learning. Multiple reviews also help readers find out if certain books have the content they desire and what sections are/n't worth reading.

How To Tell People They Sound Racist

I chose this video because it has a profound impact on me when I saw it the first time. The ability of the author to clearly and meaningfully articulate the difference between what people say/do and who they are is rare to see. His passion shows and it's fun to watch people with passion.

I have used online videos in my work with students. When I worked with the leadership program at Coe many of our sessions were supplemented by online videos about the FISH! Philosophy and Ben Zander. The ability to find a vast array of videos quickly to demonstrate different ideas is simply amazing. Now that tv networks are posting clips of shows it's very easy to be current and use new material on a weekly basis.

I have uploaded a few videos for different reasons. One is of my wife's family cottage in order to share it with my family (and for posterity) and another was a video I made with students for Pres Ball a few years ago (it's still on youtube). With both videos, I was able to reach the intended audience quickly and easily.