There is no doubt that statistics are very important because it allows professionals to know where difficulties may exist or other significant factors. There are several types of software that I find to be very impressive. The Summary of MAC ANOVA 4.13 is great because it has valuable tools for finding the mean, variances and medians. This could be useful during any statistical project. The Power Analysis for (ANOVA) is tremendously beneficial because the program takes you step by step through each part of an (ANOVA). The user has the capability to build a complete matrix using the program. However, the Statistician Lite software is also very useful. It is very functional, and allows the user to use a basic excel set-up. The advantage is that the user can save basic statistical information in the excel format as the program does multiple calculations on the stored statistics. I think this could be very useful because all statistical information could be compared to find generalizations or notable variables.
A personal website is an excellent method for producing a professional portfolio. I would say the greatest feature of the personal website is the freedom that the user has at his or her disposal. Each individual really has the opportunity to explain in detail what makes them different and unique, which could be a tremendous advantage from an employer’s point of view. I do not see much of a downside to the personal website. The only real downside is that the user has to be careful who observes the website, this could be important because we need to be careful who gets a hold of out Twitter address or Facebook link. We just need to make sure the right people get to see the website, and the other people do not.
Linkedin is also a great method for producing a professional portfolio. The site is clearly geared toward professionalism and networking. There is no doubt that many professionals and employers in the field can easily access a Linkedin account. The only downside is that the user must collaborate with the Linkedin way of doing things. The site has a predetermined way of listing everyone’s information that never seems to change much. Therefore, this could make it a little more challenging for the individual to really demonstrate what makes him or her different from everyone else listed on Linkedin. Professional networking can be described in many respects as a combined science and art. The science part is giving a detailed description of employment history and education in chronological order in a resume. However, face to face networking is more of an art. It is important not speak about every accomplishment or aspect of our education while conversing with potential employers. The most important aspect of face to face networking must be listening. The people that we meet face to face need to be respected, and we can do this by listening, and then responding properly to their questions. Through listening, it is possible to understand what the potential employer really values. Then maybe we can really leave a positive impression on these people. We do want to let these people know that they can always have access to our Linkedin account, Twitter account, Facebook account, and we can email our resume directly to them. I think we need to utilize all types of professional networking to be successful. These combined strategies enhance our networking skills.
I think that wiki is a great tool that enhances cooperative learning. It is a useful tool that allows many people involved in a course or project to interact and learn from each other. According to Chawner and Lewis (2006), “Wikis make it possible for people to collaborate in a web environment by creating, organizing and maintaining a website of automatically linked pages” (p. 33). I just do not see how we can ignore a tool like this that enhances group learning.
Wikis is also very useful in determining roles of a committee or group of students. Chawner & Lewis (2006) explained activity tracking, “A conference planning committee needs a web based tool to keep track of their activities and who is doing what (p. 34). What a great way to get the most out of everyone involved in a group project. Also I think it important for people to have a chance to do the job they are most qualified to perform and play to their strength. One the best parts of wikis is the way the program encourages students to take charge of their destiny. Each student must be motivated to meet the course objectives basically by their own accord. Bold (2006) elaborated on this point, “Wikis contribute to this good by putting the students literally in charge of posting and maintaining work that ranges from team sign-ups to collaborative reports to be compiled and jointly edited without burdening individual students as project coordinators” (p. 10). References Bold, M. (2006). Use of wikis in graduate course work. Journal of Interactive Learning Research, 5-14. Chawner, B., & Lewis, P. H. (2006). Wiki wiki webs new ways to communicate in a web environment. Information Technology and Libraries, 33-43. Linkedin is a website devoted to professional networking for career development. In essence the site enables employers to find potential candidates for job openings. The site allows job seekers to investigate what is available in the job market. Linkedin goes to great lengths to get people to elaborate on all their work experience and education. In addition, Linkedin tries to connect you with companies and other people that you may not even be thinking about. For example, the site may connect you with people in many types of administration fields because it is clear that you have experience in athletic administration.
Facebook on the other hand seems to be relatively different. Facebook is a site directed towards communication with a wide variety of individuals regarding similar interests, friendships or educational material. Facebook finds ways to get you in contact with friends that you knew in high school 20 years ago, or colleagues that you may have known 15 years ago. It is amazing how Facebook can find these people that you have not even talked with in 20 years. Apps are a great way to get students interested in learning. There are many apps that I think are very useful. Brainly is a useful app that allows a very large social network of students to study together. Brainly encourages students to learn from each other while on a smart phone. News-O-Matic is also a useful app that teaches students how to investigate what is going on in the world around them. It starts out elaborating on events that might interest them such as how the local pizza parlor makes deep dish pizza, but later it engages children in other news issues. Math Cubes is also a useful tool that makes math fun during the learning process.
The Wolfram Algebra app is extremely useful for the student struggling with algebra. I am extremely impressed with the KHAN Academy because of the wide variety of information that is at the students fingertips. The Smithsonian channel is simply a great app with a tremendous amount of useful information. I think that Cloud On is one of the best apps out there. Cloud On lets you insert formulas into excel and work books which is useful for many organizational tasks. Google search is a useful tool that allows you to find everything in your particular city or town. The student or teacher can find every store that sells iphones in her city. Finally, Doceri is a useful tool for teachers and students. This tool allows students to access presentations at any time which is similar to a podcast. I learned that Linkedin is considered a very useful networking tool for job seekers. I learned that Moodle is very unique in that it is considered a specialized tool for people that are interested in technology and pedagogy. In many ways it is the perfect example of how technology is influencing education in a positive way. I was surprised and pleased to learn about the wide variety of educational videos that YouTube offers. This is truly a useful tool for the student and professional that wants to expand his or her knowledge. I learned that Facebook is considered to be one of the most useful tools for communicating with large audiences.
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