February 2
Week 2: Concept Mapping, Blogging, Moodle, and Problem-Solving
Primary objective today: Use software tools and online resources to practice creative problem-solving and communicate your solutions and reflections.
Concept Mapping & Our Books
What do you do when you get a new book to read? Let's use Inspiration to do some mind mapping (see Higgins, pp. 87-9).
In small groups, use Inspiration to create a mind map as you preview together a course text. Export your mind map as a gif or jpg and post it to our class Moodle forum #1. [Great job! Check out the results in Moodle.]
Which technologies were involved in this process? How did they help/hinder your learning? [Notes from class: We talked about the obvious things about Moodle, Inspiration, web searching, but also that things like working in small groups, dividing tasks, having fun, conversation, even taking breaks are technologies (human-devised tools) that help us to learn.]
Blogging
We'll begin with a discussion of the world of blogging. What stood out to you as you read the Wired article and explored the interactive concept map?
Next, let's look at some different types of blogs. Get with one or two others to explore one of the following:
- Blogs focused on technology (see links on our class blog)
- Blogs focused on technology and learning (see links on our class blog)
- Blogs focused on technology and society (see links on our class blog)
- Blogs focused on politics
- Blogs focused on business
- Blogs that are basically diaries (choose wisely which ones you expose yourself to!)
As you skim over the blogs, take notes on and be ready to share what you notice about:
- style of writing (including blog title, post titles, and the posts themselves)
- how hyperlinks are embedded/used
- comments/feedback
- what's on the blog webpage besides the blog entries
- similarities and differences between blogs and other forms of communication
Groups 1 & 4, 2 & 5, and 3 & 6 will get together and compose an Inspiration concept map on what each group found, noting points of comparison and contrast. (You may use a Venn diagram template in Inspiration if you like). Post the result to Forum #2 on the class Moodle. [Note from class: groups won't get together with other groups due to time - each group will post directly to Moodle - and Inspiration may be used but isn't required if groups would rather do something text-based.]
Next, Jim will share a little bit about some technologies relating to blogging: [Note: no time ... will do next week]
Finally, we'll look at the blogging assignment for the course and get your blogs established. The process is quite straightforward because we're letting blogger host our blogs. Once your blog is created, click the Settings tab and under Basic, add a description. Share your blog's URL (http://___.blogspot.com) with the class - put it in forum #3 on the class Moodle. You'll be using this blog for the rest of this semester and, ideally, for the rest of your days at SDSU.
Complete your first blog entry before you leave class. It should briefly
address the following:
On the topic of "software tools and online resources for creative
problem-solving and communicating your solutions and reflections"
- What did you learn today?
- How could you use any of this in your life?
- What from today remains unclear in your mind?
Before next week's class...
- Add at least one new entry to your blog (on anything you like)
- Check out the comments on blogs that groups did in class (Moodle forum #2) and feel free to leave comments on how their observations match up (or not) with your own
- Read up a bit on captology to be prepared (i.e. come with a good question or two) for next week's guest presentation. Here's a good overview and this site from Stanford is also worth exploring.
- Read Jones ch. 1-5
- Read Higgins ch. 1-2
- Read JSB preface and introduction