Blog # 12 My Learning Experience

In the last six weeks I have come so far. There is so much that I have learned and I feel like I can advance into more technology tools that I have not yet discovered. For instance blogging was a very new thing to me in the beginning. Now that I have become familiar with how to blog I can see the purpose in it. Blogging is a great social media tool that allows you to connect with other people, share ideas, and explore other peoples thoughts and planning. For example, I have never talked to my classmates before I began this class, but I have discussed many topics with them and have appreciated their feedback. It has helped me grow with my PLN. I plan on continuing to use blogging along with every other tool that I have learned about so far. Everyone of them have so many features and purposes for our professional uses. I am excited to see everyone's Wiki page this weekend so I can learn more about them and include them into my PLN for the future.

Blog # 11 Wiki What?!

That phrase is exactly what I was thinking to myself when I first started this class. I had never heard of Wiki before. The tutorials on Diigo that Cindy added were very helpful. They give a step by step on how to use Wiki. I was really nervous when I started to play around with my Wiki page and I realized wow, this isn't so bad. I like the fact that I can go into to it and edit my page at anytime. Wiki is set up so that it's easy to use. It offers so many different customizing options. What I really like about it, is that is not difficult if I want to change the font, add bullets, or make a title bold. It's all there on the page and all I have to do is click on it. It almost reminds me a little like Windows only a lot better. The fact that I can share my information as a group is amazing. Wiki is a great way to complete a group project. It expands the knowledge of what you are working on so people can view what you are building and they can also edit on your page as well. Also, I think that the security settings are very convenient. I can give permission to different people that I want to have access to my page. Wiki was a great invention because it can be used for so many purposes. Personal, professional, and even just as a hobby. I will continue to use Wiki after this class because I know it serve many different purposes for myself.

Blog # 10- My technology tool

In my technology tool that I chose there are a lot of options that can be used with it. I like the fact that not only can I send messages with multiple people, I can also use Google Hangouts for video conferencing. The great thing about it is that I can use it for personal use and also for professional purposes. If I have a question that I need to ask my fellow co workers I can get a hold of them all at the same time so I am not having to call each one individually to ask them the same question. Once we are all together and the question is asked we can all discuss different options and put our ideas together to come up with the best outcome. This is also a great use because it is not time consuming. Instead of sending emails out to everyone, we can have a group discussion all in one setting. If someone that you include in the group is not currently in the conversation, an alert will go out to them saying that we were trying to notify them and then they can join in when they can. One of the best things about Google Hangouts is that it is free and all you have to have is a Google account in order to sign on. A lot of people use Google today so it makes it easy and convenient to sign up and get started.

Blog # 9 My Growing PLN

In such a short time from starting my PLN I have watched it grow and it isn't going to stop because there is so much more that I want to add to it. From the first week of class we were learning how to expand our technology and learning to use different tools such as Twitter, Blogger, LinkedIn, and many others. The main topics that I started focusing on had to do with training and development. I wanted to learn more about what different companies and organizations had to offer in their way of thinking and how they taught various techniques and applied them to their theories. I have added various groups to Twitter which has enabled me to see how they perceive different ideas and theories and enabling them into my own. I have also found a whole bunch of people to follow on Twitter and LinkedIn. It is amazing how much social media has helped me grow my PLN. I am going to keep continuing to add different people, companies, and organizations. I think that there is always room to follow more people. As part of the social media we are an expanding group that will not stop contributing to learning.

Blog # 8 Google Hangouts

When I was looking through different technology tools I found Google Hangouts. I will admit that one reason I chose this tool was because it didn't sound so foreign or as difficult as some of the others(I was still hesitant on learning new technology). The more I started learning about it, the more I really liked it. It has a lot to offer, you can send messages, photos, emoji, and use it for video calls. Google Hangouts can be used anywhere and whats nice about it is that it is all synced. Meaning, if you start a conversation on one device it will be linked to another device too so you can pick up right where you left off. As I said before in a previous blog, one of the main attractions to this tool is that its not made for one particular device. With Google Hangouts you can use an android, i phone, i pad, i pod, computer, laptop, Gmail, and Google +. Everyone can connect with one another and not have to have just an i phone in order to do so. The video conferencing allows up to ten people and even if you are in the middle of a conversation, someone can always join in. This technology tool has many different features that are very helpful so that people can stay connected whether it is personal or professional.
Google Hangouts

Blog # 7 Continual Technology Education

http://skadeedle.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/definitive-guide-to-social-media-marketing.pdf
I must honestly say before I signed up for this class I had heard of people blogging and tweeting, but I never understood why they were doing it or what purpose it served. I have a cousin at Boise State University and she said she started tweeting a couple years ago and that it was very insightful. I just kind of shrugged my shoulders and said okay too each their own I guess. If I had not signed up for this class I would probably feel the same way as I did then. As I have said before I was not computer savvy a couple weeks ago, I knew just enough to be comfortable and get by. Between all of the technology tools that have been offered in this class and getting to learn and understand the basics has taught me how this can all be applied to my PLN. The book that we are reading is extremely informative by giving different examples and stories of how people and businesses have acquired various technology in order for them to succeed individually and professionally by expanding their knowledge of social media and microsharing. It has helped a lot of companies enhance their success. It is making sense that people would revert to blogging and tweeting instead of posting an email. Another thing that  I am learning too is that even though some of this technical stuff can seem intimidating, I am interested in how it all works. I am not going to know how it all works if I do not try it for myself and see where it takes me. The whole aspect of technology is a huge benefit for personal and professional use. I have opened up my mind and let it explore what I didn't think was necessary before. Speaking from experience, people get in their own comfortable ways of doing different tasks, and are hesitant to trying new options and ideas. Once they look into them as I have they will realize how much they are missing.

# 6 Blog- Growing my PLN

While I was looking to expand my professional learning network on LinkedIn, I found one exceptional group that caught my attention. ASTD (American Society for Training and Development) is an association that was started in 1943 and has committed to provide cutting edge, effective resources for training professionals. They  focus on workplace learning, training and development, instructional design, and many other professional techniques. I chose this group because they focus on many different insights on career development.

The @eLearning_softw twitter page provides a regular insight into combining effective training techniques and delivery with cutting edge technology. They have a large group of professionals following their daily insightful tweets. Staying up to date on E-Learning trends is critical to maximizing it's benefit. Upon exploring the followers of @eLearning_softw, I came across @diannehope. @diannehope has been actively involved in training, development and knowledge management since 2007. She is a regular contributor and I expect to see many interesting articles linked on her twitter feed. With her long term interest and involvement in instruction delivery it makes sense she would be following @eLearning_softw to further expand her knowledge.