Getting to Know Google Docs

This weeks lesson plan was exploring and getting to know Google Docs. In this class so far we have learned about many useful tools and programs that we can use to improve our digital literacy. However this weeks lesson maybe one of the most useful and important ones in my opinion. Google Docs is definitely one of those programs that is the most applicable and useful for me at the moment. Not only did I put this great program to use for me in this class but I have a few other classes that I am currently using Google Docs for.

To have the ability to edit and change information on the same document seamlessly with others is extremely useful. Working collaboratively with others is a great way to further your knowledge about the topic, and discuss ideas. While working collaboratively on Google Docs it is extremely convenient to have one document that group members can make changes too instead of having multiple files that can become overwhelming. One feature in particular that I found useful is the revision history. Using this you can see what changes others have done to the document recently. This is a very handy feature because sometimes when you and your group members are working on the document at different times it is helpful to see what changes were made while you were gone. I believe this program is going to be one of the most useful ones for me going forward because I have already had to use it in a few situations and a lot of work that is done in university in particular is group work.

This is one tool that I will be adding to my PLE. I used Google Docs a couple of times before this course but I never included it in my PLE. I think this is because I never really realized how useful this tool is and how it completely changes the way groups can seamlessly work together. I think I will add this tool under a new category in my PLE called collaborative tools.

As we continue to progress in this course I am constantly adding to my digital literacy. So far we have learned about so many useful tools and programs that I feel like my PLE at the end of this course will look absolutely nothing like the one I created at the beginning; and thats a good thing !

This week the article I chose to share is 5G Is a New Frontier for Mobile Carriers and Tech Companies. I found this article very interesting because I have never heard of 5G before. To my knowledge the fastest internet speed available is 4G, however according to this article companies like Samsung and Fujitsu are collaborating to offer mobile Internet speeds more than 100 times faster than anything now available.

Organizing with Evernote

Organizing information and having everything in one place can often be a struggle for most people; myself included. If your like me you have not exactly been the greatest at organizing information and usually wait until you have pieces of paper all over the place until you start to get organized. This weeks task was setting up Evernote. Evernote is a tool that allows you to take notes, audio recordings, web clippings and more. You can share this information with others as well as seamlessly access the data you have saved on your account from multiple different devices. 

I cant say enough about this amazing tool. I set up my account and started using Evernote a few weeks ago and it is the most useful organization tool I have come across. I have always been one to explore different apps on my phone trying to find the best organization app to help me keep track of not only my assignments but everyday pieces of information. I have to say after exploring so many different apps Evernote is definitely my favourite. Evernote can be used for anything: keeping track of school assignments and setting reminders, or even just storing recipes for later use. The feature that makes Evernote so appealing to me is that you can access your account from multiple devices such as your laptop, phone, or iPad.

 

In using Evernote for this weeks learnings I was able to search through websites related to my research topic Digital Security. Using the shortcut tool I added multiple websites to my notebook making learning about this topic much faster and easier. Not only did I add the URL's to my notebook but I was able to add you tube links, screenshots, and personal notes. Another way I plan on taking advantage of Evernote is to store recipes. I was recently sent a list of crock pot recipes from my parents and I have just left the list on my phone referring back to it when I needed it. I plan on uploading this list to Evernote so I can access it whenever I need too and have it on any device.

 This is one tool that I will definitely be adding to my PLE. I will most likely add Evernote as an extension of my organizing tools. Using Evernote is another great tool to help me improve my digital literacy, by keeping track of useful information and accessing it from any device whenever I need too. As I mentioned before organization is one thing that I have been constantly trying to improve especially as I progress through university preparing to enter the working world. I hope as the semester progresses I can learn all there is to know about Evernote and put this tool to work for me.

After exploring my Feedly this week I thought I would share another recipe as I plan on adding them all to my Evernote. Since today is Valentines Day I thought I would share a delicious looking treat you may want to make for that special someone. The desert is Chocolate-Dipped Chocolate Shortbread.

Exploring the Twitterverse

This week we were tasked to expand our Personal learning Network (PLN) through Twitter. I set up my Twitter account last summer but I never really explored it or used it at all until now. I always viewed Twitter as a waste of time and didn't see the importance and usefulness of this tool. I guess I just figured  that I don't care what people are thinking 24/7. However in sending out my first Tweets and following some of my interests I can definitely see the value. Studying business and eventually entering the working world staying on top of all the latest news and keeping up with social media is a must. While working my summer job last year I was actually given a crash course on the importance of Twitter and got to here first hand how important Twitter is to the company. I believe Twitter has the capability to be one of my top personal learning networks.

When I first created my PLN I included Twitter as one of my social media networks. I did this because I had a Twitter account even though I never really used it much. Looking back Twitter never should have been included in my plan because I never put it to use for me or learned anything from it. When I create my new plan Twitter will be a part of it however this time it will actually have meaning and value to me. I will most likely keep Twitter as an extension of social media in my PLN, but who knows it may have much more value to me than just a social media application by the time this course nears an end.

As this course progresses each week so does my digital literacy. Each week we are challenged with exploring and learning about new tools and programs to advance our knowledge and digital know-how. So far I would say I am very happy with what I have learned and I cannot believe we are almost half way done. When the time comes and this course nears its end I hope that I can take all of the useful tools and programs I have learned and continue to use them in my everyday life. Over the past couple of weeks after setting up my bookmarking tool and RSS feed, I thought once I set them up I would only use them for class, however I find myself adding new bookmarks to my Diigo and exploring my feedly everyday. Hopefully I will begin to use Twitter as much as I have other tools in this class and continue to add to my PLN every week.

In exploring my Feedly this week I came across an article of this new tech that Amazon has which allows you to order an Uber by saying a voice command to your speakers. I am very interested in technology and always find my self buying the newest gadget. If you find that you are like me and are interested in new technology check out the article http://www.engadget.com/2016/02/05/order-uber-with-amazon-echo/.