The Technology Behind My Vision

Final Vision Project Progress Report

My Progress Thus Far

To begin with I decided to use the University of Alberta's Guide to Developing Students' Research Skills as the foundational model for my artifact. However, once I had mapped out all of the components in LiveBinders, I realized that I needed to start smaller. As a tool I plan on sharing, I do not want to overwhelm my colleagues with tabs upon tabs of information; especially for my colleagues who aren't very comfortable using technology.

My FAIL (First Attempt At Learning)

(Broussard, n. d.)

I have decided that in order to narrow down my topic, that I should just focus on one of the components of the research process. If it is a success, then I can continue to build the resource to include all of the components required for developing effective research skills. One of the digital literacy skills the BC Ministry of Education (2010) suggests that students learn is to "[m]odel legal and ethical behaviours when using information and technology by properly selecting, acquiring, and citing resources" ("Profile of digitally literate students"). The skill that I would like to create a digital artifact for is citing sources. While citing sources can be a tedious process, I am trying to find some interesting ways to teach students about plagiarism and citations. For example, I found a game that will work well as an effective review of plagiarism.

Triumphs with Technology

For my Vision Project, I have decided to use LiveBinders to create my digital artifact. At first I was considering Symbaloo and Pearltrees because they are both digital curation tools that allow the user to post different types of media that can easily be shared with other teachers and students. After a classmate suggested checking out LiveBinders for my project, I found that I preferred the tabbed organization of the binder over the thumbnails that both Symbaloo and Pearltrees use. Also, I like the format for LiveBinders because it provides the user with different templates in order to present text alongside the embedded media. In terms of strategy, I find this digital resource easy to use because of how simple it is to add a webpage into a binder just by clicking on a tab you can place in your toolbar. Also, since the binders created are so similar to the hard copy ones we all have, it is easy for someone who isn't as tech savvy to be able to access the information without having to learn a completely different concept. Here is a short video on how LiveBinders can be used by teachers:

(Tallent, 2009)

Challenges with Technology

(Parisi, 1998)

As is the case when learning to use a new digital tool or resource, it takes a while for the user to become proficient in using the tool to its full potential. While I feel like I have learned how to use LiveBinder at a basic level, I'm sure with more practice I would discover how to overcome some of the challenges I am facing. The first challenge I am facing with LiveBinder is the formatting of the pages. It is difficult to move embedded videos or place them in a desired spot. I have also hit a roadblock when it comes to inserting images that do not have a URL. I am unable to use the snipping tool to snag an image from within a PDF or website and drop it into the binder, so it has become limiting in terms of which images I can use. The final challenge that I have been faced with is organizing the tabs of the binder. Without a premium account (which costs money), I cannot access other levels of sub-tabs, so it was a bit limiting in terms of how to set up the tabs in a way that keeps them organized. In terms of future road blocks, a problem I foresee is integrating this particular digital artifact into another binder that will incorporate all of the necessary research skills. I have a feeling that I will have to recreate all of the pages again rather than being able to import the information into another binder. While I'm not at Fran's level of frustration with the technology (see above cartoon), I definitely have a few kinks I need to work out.

References

A guide to developing student research skills. (n.d.). University of Alberta. Retrieved 22 November 2015, from http://www.library.ualberta.ca/documents/focusonresearch.pdf

BC Ministry of Education. (2010). Profile of digitally literate students. Retrieved 21 November 2015, from http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/dist_learning/1012profile.htm

Broussard, M. (n. d.). Plagiarism game. Retrieved from http://www.lycoming.edu/library/instruction/ tutorials/plagiarismGame.aspx

Parisi, M. (1998). Off the mark. Atlantic Feature. Retrieved 26 November 2015, from http://3.bp.blogspot.com/nGsXjSAO7Jo/UX8Sj7iQLtI/AAAAAAAAAa4/uo2vTcYrgAI/s1600/ Screen+Shot+2013-04-29+at+7.38.20+PM.png

Tallent, B. (2009). LiveBinders for teachers. Retrieved 26 November 2015, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdG56uSubx0.