Group items tagged

Great site that features work of learners in hilarious and provocative ways from University of Mary Washington--ongoing news page with completed projects and portfolios

part of the interview with Sonia Simone and Jerod Morris at Copyblogger following their decision several weeks ago to close down comments on the Copyblogger blog site. Excerpt: "I don't put my business assets on a platform that I don't control. So I don't put my content on a platform I don't control unless I have it somewhere I can keep it and benefit from it. I wouldn't post original content to Facebook. I would just never - it doesn't make a lot of sense, other than just a post, a simple throw-away kind of a post. So our content lives on our domain, in our e-mail lists. These are assets we can control. " I'm not sure exactly what she means by "content lives on our domain, in our e-mail lists." Maybe it's as simple as it's Copyblogger's stuff, they own it, it's only used to achieve their business purposes and it isn't original stuff that is published elsewhere or stored there on someone else's platform for digestion and use? Blog post also introduces "digital sharecropping" to me. Interesting note about Google-Plus, too. "The nice thing about Google-Plus is I'm notified when someone actually mentions my name, or if I'm following that discussion then I'm notified within Gmail or Google-Plus, any one of the Google products. So it's nice in that way. There's a lot more ease of use. "

A British university guide on using Twitter in university research, 2011. Distinguishes between substantive, middle ground, and conversational tweets. Explains bit.ly and other url shortening devices, how work must be in public domain to be accessible in tweets, and when to tweet, and what it can do in terms of gathering feedback, etc. from stakeholders. Nice overview.

Post by Katie Salen, July 26, 2012, Leveling Up project at Connected Learning Research Network. I like this emphasis on individual and collective gains in connected learning networks. And how connected learning is "value additive." Excerpts: "Further, because connected learning, as a model, advocates for experiences that offer low barriers to entry and information, social supports for learning, and diverse opportunities for the development of interest and expertise, it must also advocate for outcomes that are both individual and collective in nature. It is no longer enough to develop metrics and pathways for individual outcomes; we must also find ways to recognize outcomes produced by groups or communities and provide pathways for collective participation. Or so our hypothesis goes." As a community, the members of Ravelry produce knowledge and expertise, projects and products with academic, civic, and peer value. The welcoming nature of the site and the mere existence of the thousands of groups it hosts are mechanisms inviting participation and the development of shared knowledge. Conversely, the environment provides individuals with opportunities to acquire social, economic, and cultural capital, to learn domain-specific content and skills, and develop metacognitive skills and learning dispositions. Unlike models of learning that center solely on individual outcomes and competition for zero-sum resources and rewards, like those seen in most schools, Ravelry exemplifies how connected learning is value-additive, elevating individuals and collectives in an integrated way. High-functioning connected learning environments are characterized not only by engaged learning at an individual level, but by high quality content and standards and collective purpose that is shared by all participants.

wonderful post by Marty Neumeier on the rules of genius, rule #9 approach answers obliquely innovating--9 approaches to make new connections Think in metaphors Think in pictures Start from a different place Steal from other domains Arrange blind dates Reverse the polarity Ask simple questions Watch for accidents Write things down

Richard Byrne (Free Technology for Teachers), the former social studies teacher turned technology wizard consultant, wrote this January 1, 2014 blog post on his new blog Worms in the Fridge. It excels at explaining how to set up a blog on WordPress (his recommended app) to make it one's online hub or central domain. He admits that when he started FTfT on Blogger, he did not yet understand the ease or advantages of WordPress. He is humble, easy to read and follow and the content relates to the personal branding assistance we hope to provide.

" Where can you find free, good quality images that are cleared to use for your blog posts or social media content? It's a question with a lot of different answers and caveats. Nearly every image created in the last 30 years is still protected by copyright-a protection that gives virtually every author the exclusive right to use or reproduce their work. But you can find a public domain photo, use a Creative Commons image that might need attribution or even create your own image from scratch."

blog post by Sean Young, Ph.D., on fostering change in behavior through online comunities, September 28, 2013