Almost done...i think

So to tell the truth this assignment really got left till the last minute. Im really disappointed about this and really wanted to get this task done early seeing as it was a group task. I think that it got left till the last minute as we we not very organised and it was hard for us to  fine tie where we were all free outside of class and uni in general. I think that we could have made more of an effort for this to happen and i will learn from this and implement it more into my next group assignment.

After completing my peer reviews this week it is evident that we haven't done as much work as we should had for this assignment. I feel like i have asked a number of times what i could be doing and i never seem to get an answer. I don't think that our group is very good at communicating about the task and that is not going to be good for our result.

All I can say is that i have tried throughout this assignment and hopefully its enough!

Our wiki can be accessed by clicking here!

http://libraryforsales.com/Graphics/articles/Teamwork.jpg 

geting there...slowly

To say it straight we haven't done as much as thought we would have by now. We finally allocated what each person in the group was going to do. This was a big step in the right direction and I was allocated the role of creating the instructions on how to make the cookies and including images in these instructions.

I was really happy with what I was allocated and had a really good time completing it. So to do this I looked on the internet for a basic cookie recipe. Once I found that I typed up the instruction on how to make the cookies, what ingredients are needed and what equipment is needed as well. Then the fun part started, so to see if this recipe would work and also to get images to add. I decide to bake the cookies following the instructions that i had just created.

They turned out much better then I expect and got some of my friends at work to try them to see if they were any good. I got everyones approval. Next I uploaded the images that went with the instructions referenced the website where I got the recipe from and e-mailed my work to hannah for her to upload it to the wiki.

I had now finished my allocated section and was willing to help anyone else out.

Wiki What...?

This week we began the third and last task this unit. This task involved getting into groups of four, I was in a group with Hannah, Rachel, Janeea and myself. We had to work within a learning area, create a wiki to explain our project and create a presentation discussing what our project idea was.

So the learning area that our group decided to work in was cooking. Our project idea was to get the children to bake cookies and get them to decorate them how ever they wanted using icing. It would allow them to be creative and to be hand on with the activity. 

The wiki site that we used was google as wiki spaces needed use of a debit card to activate the account and no one in out group had a debit card so we solved this by using a different site to create our wiki. 

I think this will be a good topic for us and an enjoyable assignment to complete. As well as seeing how everyone will work together within the group, and getting to know them a bit more.

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikGdaiWJGJZRBsEpYHmLyhZW1AvHlC_K5C-VDbSRWdVQBIiysRe63uTXb6GMmmOYqd8TxuJK6YH_ZL5ziwdYaZEMVbDTR1QrpwddcUVwRmIRn3wGz4snPpHob-8y22aF82iolvs5GaNoE/s1600/wiki.gif 

Screencast...

So the last part of task 2 was to create a screen cast on how to use the referencing tool that we had chosen. Now before this assignment I didn't even know what a screen cast was let alone how to create one. But it really wasn't that hard and now I can officially say i know what they are and i can create one as well. :)

The screen cast resource that I used was screen-o-matic. I also looked at screenr but wasn't able to use it on my computer so screen-o-matic it was.

This resource was very easy to use all I had to do was download the resource and then press record. It was really that simply, the only hard part was thinking what to say how to say it and move your mouse at the same time!! Then having to listen to how you sound on a recording... now lets say I was sick so it was even worse then normal.

After a few attempts at recording myself I ended up with a version that I was happy with and could allow others to listen too.

http://myvajournal.blogspot.com.au/2012/01/how-to-use-screencast-o-matic-to-record.html 

why so hard?...

This week I got stuck into my assignment and decided that i was going to use the internet and google as my search engine for task 2. I found google very easy to use especially to find a website on using technology in the classroom. The website that I used for this assignment can be view by clicking here. I found this website very interesting, engaging and enjoyable to read. I was able to see how technology could be used in different ways to enhance teaching and learning for students within the classroom and also outside of the learning allocated times.

Next I typed my paragraph about the website that i found so i was able to reference it. Then I looked for a referencing tool that I could use to do my screencast on. I looked at endnote which I was able to download the 30 day trial version. But as it was not the full version I was unable to use this tool within pages where my paragraph was located. I tried to download the full version that is available for Murdoch students off the library site but as it wouldn't download, so I had to try something else.

The next tool that I downloaded was mendeley. This was a good tool but again I was unable to use it within pages. So my last option was Zotero. This I was able to use in pages but I couldn't get it to work on my computer.

So this left me a bit stuck as nothing was working, so the thing that I did next was transfer my paragraph that I had typed on my computer to my brothers computer. His computer has the software Word. This allowed my to use the referencing tool mendeley. I found it very easy to use in general and within in word to reference my paragraph.

It was a long process to get to were i am now and i had a few troubles but i pushed through. Found a tool that was compatible with what i had available and and was able to finish part of my assignment. Now to start the next and hope i don't have as many problems. :/ 

http://www.publishingtechnology.com/2013/04/mendeley-elsevier-and-the-importance-of-content-discovery-to-academic-publishers/ 

                                                                       http://www.talkandroid.com/155619-new-widget puts-the-latest-google-doodle-on-your-home-screen/

Technology Online...

This week was an interesting week as it was the first of three online weeks for this unit. For thoses that dont know what an online week for this unit is. It means that there is no contact time at the universtity this week there are no lectures or wookshops, insted a live chat that is operated though Skype. This chat is recorded for the students that are unavaliable at the time.

I was unable to sit in on the live chat this week so I watched the recorded version. I thought that it was interesting and different and would love to be able to sit in on the next one. The live chat allows you to ask questions while it is happening and Jenni (the unit coordinator) also allows questions to be answered during the chat along with votes on certain topics to answer specific questions.

I think that this is a good way of communicating and presenting lectures and workshops all in one, especially for this unit. I don't think that it could be done every week but a few times a semester is good as it is something different and engaging to learn the content and get information across.

                                    http://mashable.com/2013/01/09/microsoft-messenger-skype/

Research? Referencing?

Research and referencing.

What is it?

Why is it important? 

These were the questions that we were asked today in class. 

At first I thought to myself yeah this will be easy I know what these words are and have done for years now. But then when I had to try and explain them thats when the hard part came in. I mean I know what the words are, I just couldn't put it onto paper.

To begin we wrote on a sticky note what we thought was the definition and importance of each word and placed them on the board. This allowed all ideas to be up so that we could collaborate as a class to come up with the best definition that we thought suited each word.


My definitions...

Research:
                The ability to find information using a number of different sources on a specific topic. The importance of research is to to find correct and relevant information on any topic.
        
Referencing:
                    To acknowledge others work that you have used when finding information. The importance of referencing is to ensure that no plagiarism has been committed.

Collaborated definitions...

Research:
                Is the relevant and useful information that is collected from different sources. the gathered information is as much as you are able to find or as much as you need for the purpose. The importance of  research is to to answer any question that you have on a topic and to gain the knowledge on a topic. research allows you gain specific information on anything.

Referencing:
                    Is the acknowledgement as a citation of ideas and work from others form various sources to allow further explanation. The importance of referencing to ensure that plagiarism doesn't take place and work isn't calmed as your own, and gives credit to the original author of the work used.


This task that we completed allowed me to reinforce the idea that when you collaborate some ideas you are able to come up greater responses or answers, depending on the situation.