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Technology Tools for Reflection - Reflection for Learning

Technology Tools for Reflection - Reflection for Learning
Here are a series of tools that can be used to support reflection, with a brief discussion of the process, the advantages and disadvantages of each approach. The following technologies can support reflection: web logs (‘blogs’) as reflective journals, wikis as collaborative websites, digital storytelling/podcasting, Twitter and social networks. Blogs (Reflective Journal) The most obvious technology for reflection is the web log or "blog" as known by those who read and write them. A weblog is defined as any web page with content organized according to date. In the context of an ePortfolio, course tutors, lecturers, clubs and societies could all have their own weblogs which users could view on their “friends” page. Since one of the main goals of a portfolio is reflection on learning, perhaps a blog is a good option, since it can be used as an online reflective journal and an environment that invites collaboration. - Seventh Grade Blogging Rules - The Art and Aspirations of a Commenter

Joe's Logbook - Free Online Journal Tool Technology for a Global Early Childhood Education (ECE) Web 2.0 Sharing Tools: A Quick Guide Web 2.0 Tools in Education Series Sharing Tools: A Quick Guide Wouldn't it be nice if there was a resource that explained, in detail, everything you needed to know about sharing ideas and work online: what tools were available, how to sign up, getting started, etc.? There are a lot of great web sharing tools out there today, and many can save you a lot of time. Whether it is electronically sharing a project that a group is working on together, jotting down ideas for further exploration at a later date, or simply taking notes for somebody that was unavailable at a meeting, there is something for everybody. Personally, I'm an avid user of many different platforms for resource sharing. Sharing Tools Dr. Each chapter thoroughly explains what the tool is, advantages of using the tool, ways to incorporate it into education, detailed pictures guiding you through getting started, and references. The detailed pictures really support understanding the tool: Find this book and more on Scoop.it

Tools for metacognition Metacognition is an important part of intentional learning, since it involves actively thinking about what you know, what you don’t know, and how you can get better at knowing and applying what you know. A mantra for metacognition State the learning problem with some specificity: identify what you want to know and what you want to do with that knowledgeChoose strategies to solve the learning problem—draw upon your own prior knowledge and the knowledge of othersObserve how you used the strategies—keep a learning journal or blogEvaluate the results: What worked? What didn’t work?Rinse and repeat: Apply successful strategies to new learning problems By definition, metacognition involves individual commitment and reflection. How you as an instructor can help Be a role model Think aloud to show your approach to solving problems. Baby steps Help learners appreciate that they’ll grow to be better learners. A “So what? Metacognition and motivation Of course learners still need to be motivated.

Will Google’s Insanely-Fast Kansas City Network Shame U.S. ISPs? Google’s highly-anticipated plan to build an ultra-fast city broadband network kicked into gear Monday with the search giant’s announcement that it will begin laying miles of fiber-optic cable across Kansas City, Kansas and neighboring Kansas City, Missouri. Google said it aims to create a new “high speed infrastructure” that will allow local citizens to enjoy data speeds 100 times the national average. Google’s goal? To show off its telecom engineering chops and showcase next-generation web-applications. Oh, and maybe shame the big national broadband providers into improving U.S. Internet service speed, which currently lags behind many other countries around the world. Google’s Kansas City network is not just a stunt: the company is implicitly making a broader point about the lack of broadband competition in the U.S., which is one of the reasons broadband is slower and more expensive here. (More: Google Taps Kansas City for Crazy-Speed Internet) Google is not alone in its concern.

FAQ - The new way to collaborate in the CGIAR cgxchange.org accounts How can I request an account on CGX 2.0? cgxchange.org accounts have been set up for all the CGIAR centers and programs (except IRRI) and you do not need to request an account. Can I sign in if I already have a Gmail account? Yes, your cgxchange.org account is separate from your personal Gmail or other Google accounts. I already have my own Gmail account: do I have to give that up to get a cgxchange.org account? No, your Gmail account is not be affected. Other advantages of a cgxchange.org account: Setting Limits: Google Apps offers CGIAR staff a private network of instant messaging and personal websites that can be limited to other CGIAR employees. What is the difference between my personal Gmail account and my cgxchange.org account? It's the same as the difference between a Google account and a Google Apps account. "A Google Account is a unified sign-in system that gives you access to a variety of free Google consumer products. (...) Google Apps Documents Mail Calendar

Edu-portfolio.org : Your electronic portfolio ECEtechChat 2/8/2012: Technology for professional development and engagement « 140+: In the Moment ECEtechCHAT 2.8.2012 at 9 PM EST Share your thoughts about using technology for professional development and staff engagement in your school or program! Questions: 1) Is your school, organization or program planning for and intentionally using technology for professional development? 2) What combinations of tech tools, techniques, and methods work best to provide sound professional development for educators? 3) Can asynchronous elearning, webinars and other synchronous online learning provide a complete experience, or is more needed? 4) What role does social media play in intentional professional development? Bring your ideas , links, and questions to the party! #ECEtechCHAT9 PMWednesdays Like this: Like Loading...

Dropr Is a Dead-Simple, Drag and Drop Online Portfolio Creation Tool No none of the Gawker sites do. When they redesigned their comments system they made some claim about how the "good" conversations would rise to the top and the spam would naturally get weeded out. I have yet to see that. They used to then the person in charge discovered they could work from home for 2 hours a day and make $50000 a week so they quit working for Gawker..... Not since they started pimping the shittiest and most asinine commenting system called Kinja. Also you can report spam, sadly Kinja IS spam in a way and you can't report that lest you irk them and/or disturb them jerking off over Kinja.

Lack of Funding Creates Barrier to Using Tech in Class Digital Tools Lenny Gonzalez Although most teachers have access to computers in their classes, only one in five say they have the right level of technology, according to a recent PBS national survey of teachers grades pre-K-12. Limited budgets were cited as the biggest barrier to accessing technology, according to 63 percent of teachers. In low-income communities, lack of funding was cited for 70 percent of teachers as the biggest obstacle. Not surprisingly, educators who work in affluent school districts have more support from parents and school boards for providing tech tools for classrooms compared to those in low-income neighborhoods — 38 percent versus 14 percent said they received lots of parental support; and 38 percent versus 21 percent said the same for school board support. PBS is leveraging the report to call attention to its library of free digital media available for use by teachers. Here’s more from the report: Related Explore: PBS Learning Media

5 Best Free Alternatives To Microsoft Project Microsoft Project is a project management software which makes it a breeze to organize the whole project timeline including the work schedules, budgets and human work hours. Microsoft Project has become the best project management software which every IT professional and manager loves to work with. Microsoft Project is suitable for everyone from a person with very basic project management needs to a very large team with very complex collaboration and management needs. Openproj is so far the best free and open source alternative to Microsoft Project. Download Openproj Openproj is compatible with Mac OS, Windows and Linux. Gantter is a free web based project management application that is especially targeted for small businesses and home users. Visit Gantter Redbooth is another free web based project management tool. Visit Redbooth Rally Community Edition is another web based free and easy to use project management tool. Visit Rally Community Edition Image credit: Big Stock Photo

Remarkable Offers Nice Apps for Young Students Remarkable is a publisher of educational apps for children between three and six years of age. Remarkable offers three apps; Tracing ABC, What’s Different, and Mix and Match. There is a free version and paid version of each app. The difference between the free and paid versions is the paid versions ($0.99) offer more levels. Tracing ABC is an app, optimized for phones and tablets, that guides children through drawing letters. What’s Different is a simple game of identifying patterns and picking out the object that doesn’t fit the pattern. Mix and Match is a simple puzzle game. Tags: handwriting, Pre-K, puzzles, toddlers

Visualize Everything: 32 Free Tools To Create Different Diagrams With so many things to know and techniques to learn it often becomes hard for designers and developers to keep up with their projects and manage their work. While you could start every project by doing the same things again and again, the smart designers and developers know the importance of a well-developed workflow. One of the things that can accelerate and enhance your workflow is the tool known as online pattern generator. Check the table of Contents to see everything that’s included in this inspirational article. Table of Contents: Backgrounds & Patterns Generators Online pattern generator can be extremely handy for creating small details or saving time writing code. 1. BGMaker allows you to create solid line patterns which are then exported as transparent PNGs. 2. BgPatterns is a tiny web app for making background patterns in a few clicks. 3. 4. Tartan Maker is a new trendsetting application for cool designers created by Alex ‘Pit’ La Rosa & Fabio Fidanza. 5. 6. 7. 8. 10. 11. 12.

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