Week 8

MERLOT

http://www.merlot.org/merlot/index.htm

I selected this site from Erica Roark’s February 15^th posting about open education technologies and resources.  I chose this site because I am intrigued by the increasing advancements in the area of open classrooms.  In reviewing many of the resources that forecast the emergence of new technologies, open sourcing for resources, even from prestigious universities is the wave of the future for education.  The MERLOT (Multimedia Educational Resource for Learning and Online Teaching) site is from California State University and provides the users with a wide variety of peer-reviewed journals.  Having found the search for specific topics of research often ambiguous or boggled down with extraneous other information, the MERLOT site provides reputable sources that can be used to substantiate further research.  MERLOT also provides learning materials that span the globe that can further enhance lessons I may be presenting.  In viewing open source resources I think of the lives that can be changed because of what is shared via the internet and through this exchange of information who else may be impacted.  The outlook is quite optimistic for the continued growth of such sites.

Netiquette

www.networketiquette.net

Bradley (2009) stated, netiquette includes the principles of good electronic communication through computer conferencing essential due to a lack of visual cues that can often cause information to be misinterpreted.  This website was from R. Kyle Kennedy’s posting, dated February 21, 2012 covering the topic of internet etiquette.  Having participated in internet discussions and group collaborative projects via the internet, I find this topic to be of utmost importance.  I selected this particular site because it was very user friendly and could be adapted for a variety of users.  I currently teach middle school and can see myself working with adult learners struggling with English and the entrance assessment for college.  This particular site explains the importance of interactions via the internet in which the ability to read another’s facial expressions is missing.  For so many new to the internet or even texting, knowing that something could be misinterpreted is essential to one’s continued successful interactions.

GCF Learnfree.org

http://www.gcflearnfree.org/computerbasics

This site is from Corleyn’s February 21^st blog posting about computer literacy.  While for many younger adult learners this site may be too basic or simply just irrelevant but for many adult learners this is a perfect starting point.  This site provides basic information about computers, types, names, functions etc.  For adult learners embarking on a new journey of schooling, computers are something they will be required to use proficiently.  Unfortunately, for many the last “computer” any of them used efficiently was an ATM machine or word processor.  This site provides access to a plethora of useful materials that can be viewed on a computer or printed for future reference.

Bradley, S. (2009). The impact of netiquette on online group work: A study of UK Open University students. In O. Kallioinen (Ed.), Learning by developing—New ways to learn 2009 conference proceedings (pp. 152–167).Espoo, Finland: Laureate University of Applied Sciences.