Changed PLE

In terms of my personal learning environment, I have found a lot of changes after taking this course. I knew from an outsider perspective that there are countless tools that can be used to aid our learning and help us express ourselves, but I was able to learn more about these tools in class. For starters, I had always wondered if there was an app that could help with highlighting articles online without having to physically print the article. I am a big fan of highlighting articles because I highlight key terms and parts of the article that help me bookmark certain pieces of information. That way when I go back to the article months later, I can look at the small bits of highlighted information and have a basic idea of what I focused on. I did not know there was an app that did this until we learned about Feedly.

This class also required us to do our own research on modern technological phenomena. With these assignments I was able to do more in depth research on tools as advanced as the 3D printer, a piece of technology that I had always been curious about but never knew the full story behind. We were also able to learn about key figures in the world of the internet such as Tim Berners-Lee and Aaron Swartz. With how vital the internet is for us, I was grateful to learn about these people and more. Overall, I think that after this course my knowledge as a user of technology has greatly gone up. I am more comfortable with using applications, I have a better knowledge of the applications and tools I currently use, and I am even more curious to learn about what else there is out there.

Digital Transformation: Informal Learning Models/Academics

One of the biggest changes for me throughout my academic career is the involvement of technology throughout the years. Ranging from having a computer class consisting of using basic Word and typing applications when I was 5 years old to having entire modules made to teach how to code, technology has had a strong presence. The first major use of technology for everyday learning that I can remember is third grade when I had a learning module that made games for us. Although I don’t remember the name of the more academic program, I do remember the more entertaining program, literally called Funbrain. I was in third grade when I found out about this website, and while some of the games weren’t entirely learning oriented, there were others where students had to use quick thinking for math equations in order to beat levels (i.e. addition, multiplication, subraction, etc.). As an 8 year old with a short attention span but a love for games, having programs that appealed to me made the use of technology to learn more approachable.

I also don’t remember the name of the program for this one, but the next year I would have computer class that was focused on teaching students how to type efficiently. Before this class, I used to do finger pointing typing, but I learned how to type while using all of my fingers shortly after taking this class. As a young adult now, I am thankful for having that program at a young age, as it has allowed me to save plenty of time with essays and assignments now. A couple of years later in middle school, we would watch BrainPOP videos in science class. BrainPOP would have videos on concepts such as mitosis, photosynthesis, and more. What made their videos special was their ability to relate the concepts to simple everyday processes that take place.

As I got to high school, we shifted from the kid-oriented resources to more academic sources. By junior year, we were using sources such as JStor and Google Scholar to learn about science and history concepts. Particularly, they assisted us with argumentative history essays and science research papers. I still remember how I would use JStor for my paper on the US feminist movement, and Google Scholar to breakdown the process of HIV and some other background history. We also started to use Blackboard in a couple of my classes, which made using my college’s Blackboard website. Blackboard is a more concise version of Moodle that also displays internal content for courses, as well as connecting us to third party sources that make it easier for us to do homework assignments. One of the third party programs is ALEKS, which allowed me to do General Chemistry II assignments back when I was a biology student. This program was quite detail oriented, and if questions were even remotely incorrect you would have to re-do a whole set of problems. This has both pros and cons; great with making sure you know the content, not so great if you are genuinely stuck and cannot complete a problem set on time since you would then get a zero for the whole assignment if the entire problem set isn’t all correct to be submitted.

Strategic Technology Trends: 3D Printing

I remember the first time I heard of a 3D printer was when I was when I was touring a state school that owned one of the first campus 3D printers. The 3D printer is a relatively new piece of technology that has and will have a major impact on how people create and problem solve. It is capable of making intricate pieces, and does so while using less resources.

3D printers benefit industries such as travel vehicles, medicinal, governmental, and more. Business are all about making strategic decisions, so it speaks levels that three quarters of large business and more than half of small business incorporate some use of 3D printers. Something to consider is other smaller businesses may not use 3D printers because of spending purposes, which will eventually become less of an issue as more 3D printers are made.

Personally, I am curious to see how people will make use of 3D printing. One of the creations that stood out to me was the 8th invention: houses. Many years ago, I read an article stating that a 3D printer can make a house for a fraction of the cost of a standard house. The ability to create houses for a fraction of the cost can be used to fund entire towns for under-privileged areas of the world. Similarly, the ability to print bridges also appealed to me. There are entire towns that can be made using 3D printing.

However, with being able to create objects at a fraction of the cost, that also means objects can be created with less people. The 3D printer acts as one of the pieces of technology that decimates the workplace population. Particular fields affected include people who weld and build objects. The 3D printer works with precision, which very few people can truly accomplish, and even if a person can be precise they would be even less likely to achieve this skill at the rate a machine can perfect the object.

This being said, the 3D printer also creates job opportunities for people who are familiar with working with technology and software programs. People who are civil engineers need to learn both about the materials they build with as well as conducting their machinery, and now a 3D printer will be a part of this curriculum. The job market will have a shift in preferences towards technologically-adapt people, and will leave behind those who do not catch up with the times.

Professionals 2.0: Russell Westbrook

A person that I admire professionally is Russell Westbrook. Russell Westbrook is an point guard for the Oklahoma City Thunder, a team in the National Basketball Association (NBA) in the United States. He is my favorite athlete and one of my favorite famous people who I admire for many reasons, but one of the reasons would be his social presence on Instagram.

 

Russell Westbrook posts a variety of topics on his own Instagram page, @russwest44. A couple of photos have been placed above to show some  of his more recent posts. Truth be told, outside of using Instagram as his platform there is not much of a strategy that goes behind the content he posts. Just like how he is on the court, Westbrook is nothing outside of being himself, and that shows just as much on what he publishes. Within three posts he makes would consist of having a post about his personal life with his family, a post about his professional life like a recent win his team had, and another post addressing his side business as a fashion buff.

For the content that he posts, it tends to be based on what aspect of his life it is. If it is a post for his child or another family member, he’ll leave the post at that and have a caption about them. If it is a post about a new line of clothing or shoe he has, he will leave a caption that refers him to his bio so that fans can purchase products. If a post he makes is about a game he has or has played, he will potentially tag a teammate or hashtag something related to the NBA. Across the board though, Westbrook has a motto that he goes by that spans across all of these: Why Not? This is his signature motto that comes from a childhood friend that passed away, which pushed him to become the successful person he is today. From what I have gathered, Westbrook is more so himself on his social media than your average celebrity.

I think that as someone who is also working on a digital identity, it is nice to be able to show different aspects of who you are. I think on my page I do so, with posts ranging from parties I go to with friends to professional accomplishments and travel posts. In my opinion, having a multifaceted digital identity that shows different aspects of who you are is the way to go, that way you can find others who may also identify with you.

Personal Learning Environment

On this post, I will talk about all of the technology I use to learn, with topics ranging from entertainment to education. As for the question: “How do we learn?”, I would say that is a constantly evolving process that has, particularly in the past decade, made plenty use of the internet and various softwares. I will now share some of the applications and resources I use.

Education: Blackboard/Moodle

With all of the online articles and written assignments that have to be done for class, Blackboard has been the platform that allows me to stay in touch with my classes to get work done. Some of the ways Blackboard has helped me ranges from articles for theory classes to essays and presentations being submitted. Since I am abroad this semester, Moodle has been the substitute to Blackboard.

Basketball: Instagram/NBA App

When it comes to keeping up to date with what happens in the NBA, I mainly rely on the highlights posted on Instagram by the NBA page, as well as the NBA App. The reason I have the NBA App as opposed to the ESPN App is because I would prefer to keep the news I receive from a sports app to just basketball as opposed to football and hockey, which are sports I do not follow.

Family/Friends: Snapchat/Instagram Messenger

When it comes to being updated with how my family is, I prefer to have some form of constant communication going through as opposed to directly texting them. With platforms such as Snapchat and Instagram Messenger, I can send people I care about small snippets of my life, as well as posts that remind me of them. At times when they send me Snaps or a video I enjoy, I will comment on what they’re talking about and then engage in small talk. That way it shows that I am thinking about them, yet there isn’t excessive effort on either end the way it would be like with text.

Business: The Morning Brew

This is actually something I have only recently gotten into, and I haven’t been as consistent as I would like to be. At IES, I met a student who follows The Morning Brew, a daily business newsletter that sends emails Monday-Friday around 6am EST. I am the kind of person that would prefer to read concise bits of information as opposed to one in-depth article (that way I can learn more without tiring myself out or wasting too much time on one topic). The Morning Brew does such, and I enjoy reading about what’s going on in the world of business.

Finances: Wells Fargo App

When it comes to all things related to my finances, I use my Wells Fargo App to make sure I am making smart financial decisions. This is particularly important now that I am abroad and do not have a form of income to make for myself while here, which I prefer to do since I pride myself in self-sufficiency. Whether it be tracking how much I have spent in the past month to checking my FICO score, my Wells Fargo app helps me know what it takes to be a financially stable young adult.

Entertainment: Netflix/Instagram

With all of the ways that technology can keep a person occupied, my main ways of keeping busy include watching shows on Netflix and spending time on Instagram seeing posts and videos. Both of these outlets allow me to see what is being broadcasted in our society, as well as keeping up to date with what’s humorous. My Instagram has a diverse selection of profiles followed, ranging from NBA highlights and Buzzfeed posts to bodybuilders. My Netflix and Instagram are tailored to what I like and wish to have constant updates on, hence an extension of my self-expression.

Web 2.0: An Expansion of Human Expression

In class, we read about the different parts of Web 2.0 in Tim O’Reilly’s “What is Web 2.0?“. We also discussed in class the impact and change caused by Web 2.0, such as the rise of websites like Wikipedia and the expansion of other websites like Google. However, from all of what we discussed about Web 2.0, what sticks out most to me is the expansion of human expression that was able to come from it. As someone from the United States, the first thing I thought of was The First Amendment, which states that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion…prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

Image: “Staff editorial: Understand the First Amendment” by Marissa Olin, CC by.

I take immense pride in coming from a country that values the voice of its people. Although the internet belongs to the whole world and not just the United States, Web 2.0’s initiative to change the internet from a generally one-sided platform to a more user friendly place. In particular, the article talks about a spike in blogging, or “a personal home page in diary format.” Blogs may range from a high level food blog of dishes across the world to what is known as a “tr-Insta”, an Instagram run blog of one’s travels. But in any instance, a blog at its core is a place where people can express themselves in a platform for all to see, or some depending on their preferences.

Another feature added into Web 2.0 is the RSS tool, which essentially “allows someone to link not just to a page, but to subscribe to it” as well. This technology soon came to be in many forms such as a subscription to a YouTube channel and in more subtle ways like a Facebook friend request. With this we expand on the idea of a person expressing themselves onto allowing them to follow other people and things that they too identify with. Whether a user is an adult looking to follow the financial markets or a teenager who is taking their first steps into learning about themselves, RSS has made it so that people can be more informed and keep sources and people closer to them.

In class, we learned about the person responsible for creating the World Wide Web, Tim Berners-Lee. What makes Berners-Lee most memorable to me is the fact that he believed that people should all have access to the World Wide Web, and that people should not have to pay to use it. People can have access to information at unprecedented levels, which has a heavy influence on modern day human expression and self identity. I read an article that states Berners-Lee literally could have been a trillionaire, which comes as no surprise granted the increased reliance the world has had on the web.

Image: “Tim Berners-Lee” by Famous Investors,  CC by.

But most importantly, I think Berners-Lee also helped us avoid a worldwide, or at least country-wide dilemma of the rich not only being richer but more informed, while the poor would also be less informed. There could have potentially been entire wars or protests committed to allowing all people to express themselves or at least have some way of evening the platform for all people to use the web. Berners-Lee’s selflessness not only advanced human intelligence and expression, but also potentially avoided worldwide conflict as well.

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Just read an article about the effect the China-US trade war has had on Alibaba‘s plan to make 1 Million US jobs. Curious to learn more about how else the tension between the US and China has affected the market.

The Journey Begins

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton