Blog #3

            In chapter five of The Connected Educator, we get to learn a little bit more about the importance of web-based tools and how they can enhance one’s career and educational goals. For Web 2.0 tools, they are only going to be of service if you take the time to learn them. Taking just a little time out of your day can go a long way in learning new tools, and the process for learning web tools is no different. Before committing to any one tool, however, we should first try it out and see if it is useful to our own interests and field of work. Not all tools are built the same, and as such, one tool that’s completely essential to one person could be totally irrelevant to another. 

            Another thing this chapter points out is the tool of social bookmarking. This can also be described as tagging, which allows a user to “arrange content for simple archiving and retrieval,” Hall & Nussbaum-Beach, p. 87). I know for me, bookmarking is really important. I have utilized bookmarking through both my phone and laptop to more readily access the websites and social media I like. It should be said too that a lot of these bookmarks in some way relate to my interests in media and film, some of which could be utilized in a professional manner like YouTube, IMDb, and Blogger. Some other tools mentioned in the chapter include Delicious and Diigo, which are great not just for bookmarking, but for categorizing and archiving various content as well.

                 

            

            In order to build your personal learning network, it is helpful to familiarize yourself with resources that can help you in your journey. Some of these resources include blogs/microblogs, RSS readers, and podcasts. Podcasts can be great for those looking to learn and obtain information outside of writing. They may be particularly beneficial to those with long commutes, those with difficulty reading, sitting still, or even just for those who prefer to learn in a more personal, verbalized fashion. For one of my classes at ACCC, we were actually given the opportunity to work on a podcast of our own. Prior to doing so, we spent some time studying the format and listening to various podcasts, which helped. It was a really fun assignment and made me appreciate podcasts a lot more. It is definitely a medium I could see myself utilizing in the future, both as a consumer and potential creator.

            Beyond being an asset to networking, these tools can also help in building one’s reputation as an online presence. A study from the Pew Research Center found that “nearly half of all Internet users (47 percent) have searched for information about themselves online,” (Hall & Nussbaum-Beach, p. 88). In today’s world, most people are connected online in at least some way. Social media tools like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook are all great in allowing you to shape your own virtual presence. It should be known, though, that it’s important to only share as much information as you're comfortable with. Additionally, you must remember that whatever it is you share, that most of the time it is public and can be permanently saved, regardless of your decision to edit or delete a given post. This chapter teaches many valuable lessons, and shares some insight into the various web-based tools and how they can help you. There is definitely much I can take and apply to my future career in media/film production.