Module 10: Mobile Devices

This module was all about using mobile devices in the classroom. This includes learning about apps and the devices they can be used on.

Mobile devices and apps are a necessity in any future career for me. I use my I-Phone for practically everything, from paying bills to playing games. 

The biggest challenge about using apps with mobile devices is doing the research needed to get the right one. I think there is an app for practically everything. The one big challenge that I've had is installing apps on my desktop computer. I'm not quite use to doing that but I'll get better with practice. There are sometimes issues with compatibility so it's basically trial by error. 

Module 9: Interactive Whiteboard Technology

I had a difficult time with this module and I'm not sure if I did my project correctly. We covered Promethean and Smart Resources.
I used Power Point for my project. The activeinspire through Promethean would be great to use in setting up lessons for teens that are transitioning from youth to adulthood. The Smart Resources could also be used.
There are several downloads and resources with these technologies; and it can be overwhelming. They take up a great deal of time but that probably gets better when you have more experience.

Module 8: Visual Learning

I enjoyed this module. We covered Photostory, Pinterest and Wordle. I was disappointed that I wasn't able to get Photostory or Wordle to work on my computer.
These technologies could be used in my line of work for training videos. I hope to one day have a career helping kids as they age out of foster care. I would love to make more videos like the one I did for this module that could be used for presentations, etc.
One challenge that I experienced was not getting some of the software to work properly. This is something to think about for all technologies. Photostory seemed easy to navigate but could only be viewed the size of a postcard. Wordle looked like it would be great too but I could not get it to work on my computer either. I have had a Pinterest account for several years. It's such a great place to store ideas, quotes and pictures that you can use in various media. There are so many apps that you sometimes forget to use it. That's the biggest challenge.

Module 7: Virtual Learning

This module was tough. We learned about skype, weebly and bigbluebutton.
Skype could be used for meetings with co-workers and supervisors. Weebly could be used to create a website for myself. Bigbluebutton would be great for discussing big projects with several people involved.
Usually meetings with my supervisors are done via phone calls or facetime. I could definitely initiate meetings with my co-workers but not with my supervisor. At this time, I don't need a website since I just do contract work. I would love to use something like bigbluebutton if I was in charge of a big project but the challenge would be getting everyone else on board.

Module 6: Collaboration

This module was fun. We covered several technologies this week. Among them were dropbox, teamviewer and popplet.
I am already familiar with dropbox. I have an account and use it as a backup for work and personal photos. I have used it to share work documents with supervisors and co-workers. Teamviewer would be very helpful in my line of work. Our office in Lafayette has recently had to use some type of platform like it so workers can access the main server remotely. I think popplet could be useful when beginning a big project. Careful planning in the beginning can save time and money.
Dropbox has not been used lately because our company switched to it's own FTP. Dropbox has become obsolete in regards to work productivity. I personally have no use for Teamviewer but it would be very useful for companies like the one I work for. I'm not sure popplet would be well received in my line of work. It would have to be done off the clock.

Module 5: Evaluation and Assessment

This module covered technolgy from Quizlet, Activity Learn and Quia. 

In the past, I've had to hire abstractors during the height of the Haynesville Shale boom. We had people with different types of experience and some with no experience. If faced with the situation again, I would develop a test using Quia to determine how to utilize a certain person's skill set. I would set up remote learning through Activity Learn for all that need it. Finally I would help each person set up study tools through Quizlet to help them learn.

I'm not sure this technology would be feasible in my line of work. One would have to use their free time to set everything up. When the oil business is booming, there's only "on the job" training.

Module 4: Multimedia

This module was a monster. There was so much information and it overwhelmed me at times. If I weren't social distancing, I would get my 13 year old grandson to come help me. I learned so much about using multimedia. The more I worked with it, the easier it got.
We covered several types of technology including youtube.com, slideshare.com and animoto.com. I used animoto for my presentation this week.
I think this type of technology could be very important in my line of work. The company I work for is in Lafayette so I never see most of the people I work with and mainly get instructions through email or via phone calls. It would be so helpful for a supervisor to create a video that gives instructions on a particular project.
I think the biggest challenge would be getting the right personnel trained to create these videos.

Module 3: Universal Design for Learning and Digital Citizenship

Since I don't have a background in education and will not be pursuing a career in education, the tasks in this module were a bit challenging. It does help that I have grandchildren that are in school.
This module was about Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Digital Citizenship. Sometimes in my current career, I have had to train new employees. You could say that I was their teacher. I can definitely see where it would have been helpful to use a UDL in the training process. Going forward I would definitely set goals and use the framework of a UDL to improve and optimize the training experience.
Understanding Digital Citizenship is critical for parents and teachers alike. The mother of my two adopted grandchildren is very well versed since her 13 year old son is constantly on a tablet, computer or phone. She uses several apps to monitor his activity.
Monitoring a child's digital activity can be very tricky. They are very sophisticated and you must be very careful when dealing with each individual child.

Module 2: Bookmarking and Networking

I’ve really enjoyed learning about the bookmarking and networking sites in module 2.  The three that were discussed, Delicious, Bitstrips and Twitter made me think of ways they can be used in my current profession.  I work in the Oil and Gas Industry doing research. Sometimes I work alone and sometimes I work with a group. I have also been put in charge of groups of abstractors and I can definitely see how these technologies can help with communication and productivity. Twitter could be used to communicate instructions or daily motivational messages to a group of workers. In the past I’ve had problems with workers repeating the same mistakes. Bitstrips would be an excellent way to communicate instructions in a comedic way that may be more memorable so mistakes could be avoided. Delicious would be a very useful tool. All websites from Clerk’s Office of records to historical records sites could be bookmarked for all to use.

The only problem I foresee is with using Twitter. There are so many distractions and one could easily waste a good deal of time exploring twitter when they should be working. There could also be a problem using Bitstrips. I would have to be careful about sending out a message that could be seen as condescending or hurtful.