Symbaloo and Go Animate

GoAnimate.com: Water OFF!!!! by vlayag

Like it? Create your own at GoAnimate.com. It's free and fun!

The only utility and management tool that I really used for the Web was a browser and search engine. I did not think I needed anything else to navigate and find what I needed on the Web. In addition, like many folks that use the Windows OS, I used the default Internet Explorer as my browser.  


However, this complacent attitude changed when I subscribed to Netflix's streaming service.  Watching streaming content using IE was very frustrating. It continually glitched and had to rebuffer through out the movie. I thought the problem was with my Internet connection; however, Netflix support did not agree with this assessment. As it turned out my Internet access speed was appropriate for their streaming service and they suggested I try another browser. I downloaded Chrome and alas, movies without interruption.  

Fast forward....I am now beginning to appreciate and use Web 2.0 tools. I have broken out of just settling for what is the available default, and I am discovering that there is a better way to manage and complete tasks using a variety of Web 2.0 tools. So far my favorites have been Jing and Symbaloo although I enjoyed using GoAnimate to post a message on my Web 2.0 blog.  

Symbaloo School WebMix 

I am in the process of building out my Symbaloo WebMix; I added a Personal WebMix and will eventually add a Work WebMix. Since it it this class that introduced me to this, School is my first WebMix.  

PLN (Personal Learning Networks)

source:  http://www.connectivism.ca/

I have not experienced any new pedagogical theories while I was a student in elementary, middle and high school.  Or at least I don’t think I have.  So when Professor Ferree introduced this concept of learning to our class, I was wondering….how can I break-out of the instructor lead learning expectations and routine?  Okay, at this writing, I am somewhat intimidated by this whole concept.  I am uncertain on how to begin with building my own network for knowledge attainment.   

So I watched the video, read some definition of terms and discovered Connectivist teaching.   It is in line with the way people today access and process information with the use of technology.   We have changed the way we communicate (email and Skype), manage our finance (online banking and trading), buy goods and services (etailers and amazon), and socialize (Facebook and Youtube).  Why not change the way we deliver learning to students.   I think it is an endeavor well worth pursuing and I would very much to participate. 

Here are the two sites that I have visited so far to determine to help with my building my own PLN.

http://change.mooc.ca/

http://www.connectivism.ca/

Browsing the Web

People from all walks of life that want to access what the World of Web 2.0 offer must know how to use a Web browser.  It is the gateway to the Internet for most of the world's users.  Today there are so many browsers Internet consumers can choose from and many are free.  Although they basically possess the same utilities, they do tend to showcase some feature that may be unique to their browser.  It then becomes up to the user to determine what features are important to them and which browser provides it.  

Image of first Web browser WorldWideWeb
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:WorldWideWeb_FSF_GNU.png

Browsers have come a long way since the first one developed by Tim Berners-Lees in 1991. This browser was really not built for the public and was only released to a small community of physicists. On the right is an image of what the GUI looked like.  This was a far cry from the command line style of the Internet.    




It was not until 1993 that Marc Andreessen released the first cross-platform browser for commercial use.  The GUI and the function of the Mosaic browser is the vanguard of how browsers of today will behave.  It allowed for inline pictures, the use of images to line audio and video.  Andreessen created and released a Web page that demonstrates the functionality of Mosaic. 


Today's browsers are far more sophisticated and allows for more user interactivity. Users can customize their tool bars, homepages, and shortcut menus. They can employ built-in utilities that protect the users identity and leave no trace of browsing history. Web pages can be printed with user options of what to include in the print job.  Also, browsers allow users to have multiple ways at their disposal to access Web sites, for example they can type the URL in the address bar or restore the pages from their last browsing session.  


The World Wide Web seems endless and infinite, so we need the gateway to this world to be as sophisticated and "usercentric" as the Web sites that it leads us to.

Net Neutrality Wordle