Learning Blog

Activity Number 8- RSS feeds & Bloglines

2007-01-15T21:17:00.000-08:00

I've never considered the possible usage of RSS feeds and bloglines before (being honest, actually, I'd never even heard of them before I came across this activity.) But, having done this activity, I can fully see the benefits of RSS feeds and bloglines. Thinking back, it kinda scares me thinking about how much time I've wasted trawling through site after site looking for a tiny, bitsy piece of information that, while valuable, decided to hide itsself down the bottom of the webpage when I'm working on an assigment for uni. How much easier would it have been if only I'd knwon about RSS feeds. And they don't even always touch serious subjects!!! You can get videos and the rest from them too! Down the bottom of this page is the the address to my own, personal blogline subscription and while most of them (I think there's only one or 2) aren't serious and down to earth, I hope you can see what I mean when I say about bloglines

http://www.bloglines.com/public/caffeine.fanatic@gmail.com

2007-01-15T21:16:00.003-08:00

http://rpc.bloglines.com/blogroll?html=1&id=http://caffeinefanatic.blogspot.com/&folder=Bloglines&target=http://caffeinefanatic.blogspot.com/

Activity Number 7- Interactive Whiteboards

2007-01-10T21:08:00.000-08:00

As I've said in a previous post, I'm studying priamry teaching at university and through my teaching placements, I've encountered what is considered by many as the latest in learning technology for the education system: The Interactive Whiteboard!!!

Basically, interactive whiteboards take the place of the what many schools currently have which is the whiteboard (these can be written on using whiteboard markers, and are magnetic) or, even the much outdated blackboard.

Teachers (and students) can project images onto the whiteboard like a projector screen, play DVDs onto the whiteboard, can use finger touch programs, using electronic pens (as can be seen in the above image) to "write" onto the whiteboard and can project any range of programs onto the whiteboard through an attached computer. These are just some of the wide range of features that the whiteboard comes with.

Although interactive whiteboards are very similar to computers, they enable students and teachers to become more involved in the learning process and they can have fun using the whiteboards as well. Images and programs are projected onto the screen via a small camera which is attached to the ceiling and in turn, connected to a computer. Teachers can display the information that they choose and students can then interact all using the benefits of technology!

Intrigued? Just type Interactive Whiteboard into any search engine and check out the information that can be found

Activity Number 6- Flickr Intrigues

2007-01-03T21:08:00.000-08:00

Having only heard of Flickr in passing, I was surprised to find just how much there is to do on the website with regards to the photos. I had always thought that photos were just posted for people to view, much in the same way that a normal, straight down the line blog is. However, once I'd explored Flickr and seen what could be done, I am now blown away by the opportunities that are out that.

Of all the things that can be done however, I am most intrigued by the Flickr Colour Picker. It's amazing just much information can be stored behind each of the colours and how the photos themselves are arranged into the different arrays of colour which can be retrieved all at the click of a mouse. It all seems so amazing and interesting and... complicated to create. But fun too.

So much information stored in such a pretty way and interesting way.

7 1/2 Life Long Learning Habits

2006-12-28T19:15:00.000-08:00

Easy and hard habits of Life Long Learning, seems all too... Much to analyse???

The easiest habits for me would definately have to be #'s 7 & 7 1/2. I find that teaching and mentoring others comes naturally to me as does play. While not everything about learning has to be fun, adding to play to learning definately does make it easier to bear or take in.

As someone studying primary education at university, I also find that the two go hand in and and without these I, personally, feel less inclined to take part in the activities to be learned or to allow myself to learn.

As for the hardest habits, LLLH #'s 1 & 6 are somehow barriers for me. Beginning with the end in mind stresses me out somewhat, the idea that there isn't endless time to complete tasks in. As for using technology to my advantage... There's just so much out there, it's constantly evolving and so little time in which learn the current technologies before it all changes and evolves again and again... and again. Technology is almost like a whirlpool which is (or so it appears to at times) to be sucking me down into it's depths.

Being aware of my strengths and weaknesses is fantastic, I'm always willing to work on any of the areas that I'm not the strongest in, whether it be personality, learning styles or other areas.