Weekly Report & Reflection blog post #7

Collaborative Experience

Using Google Docs, me and my group partner was not only able to create a presentation PowerPoint together, we were able to chat with each other at the same time doing it. Unlike the instant TodaysMeet chat website, the group chat is integrated within Google Docs. While working on the document, I can chat with any other person who is viewing the document. 

I noticed that many important features, such as applying selected transition to all slides, makes Google Docs an ideal tool that can be accessed any time and any where with a computer and internet. This tool seemly sets as an alternative tool for PowerPoint, which does not enable collaborative work, nor is it free to use. The interface is somewhat hidden but extremely intuitive, without stamping all the buttons across the top of the screen like the Desktop PowerPoint does in design.

Fan, L. (CC) 2015.  

Google Docs can easily be used within a classroom to allow groups of students to have a digital medium in generating discussion and thoughts, before presenting to the class. Google Docs can also be a great tool for students within a class to work as a group together in creating a classroom project. Moreover, Google Docs allows different topics to be created, and instead of switching topic between groups to write on a pinup board, the students can simply switch shared topic links to add their discussion onto different topic files.

I would add this tool as a communication tool within my PLE beside the Twitter tool. This tool can be used collaboratively as well as for means to organize information. I feel that TodaysMeet is also a great tool. Althrough Google Docs embedded chat works in the same way that TodaysMeet does, Google Docs chat does not appear to have a easy way to create Transcripts of the chat that is done.

Fan, L. (CC) 2015.  

The experience this week working collaboratively on both TodaysMeet as well as Google Docs gave me a first person experience in working virtually. It also gave me a sense of working as a team, at the same time. Things appear to be very fast paced. We would discuss what work needs to be done. We would then instantly switch over to do work, while able to instantly check on each other's progress, while also being able to see exactly what slide a person is working on, and what changes they are making. We are able to come back to the drawing board and discuss further steps, or modifying existing content, before continuing on working without any pausing. I feel collaborative tools like this not only promotes teamwork and a sense of cohesion, but they also improves group performance and work efficiency. Our collaborative presentation was completed today with a very polished product. I feel that this is a part of my experience in gaining digital literacy, by collaborating and producing a collaborative sharing of information in the form of a collaborative PowerPoint presentation. 

Feedly #

For the first time, I saw an article in my Feedly inhibiting a hashtag # for the article: 

#NotThere: International Women's Day marked with tributes online

http://news.yahoo.com/international-womens-day-tributes-dear-me-not-there-210857699.html

Fan, L. (CC) 2015.  

I first learned about this hashtag from the Twitter's #ADED1P32 group shares. I realize now how this social media phenomenon can be something of a curative tool in itself. Curators around the world may use hashtags to tag not only images, but also news articles and events around the world so they reach other people who seek relevant information at the same time. I think whoever invented the idea and working of the hashtags has made a thunderous contribution to Digital Citizenship in the world. To this person, I have to say: Thank you!