BP4_Web 2.0 #2 Review

I chose to use the Web 2.0 Tool Prezi.  I have seen it a few times in YouTube videos that I have watched for work meetings and conferences, but have never dabbled in it myself until now.  I actually assumed that it was a program for sale, which is true, but never knew that there was a free program out there on the web. 

As a manager, I am constantly looking into new ways to get information out to my team.  I find myself using Powerpoint and Keynote for presentations which can be enticing for a few slides, but I find myself embedding a lot of sound and other text effects to keep my team intrigued and paying attention to the updates and facts.  This is taxing, as the extra effects takes a decent amount of extra time to add these extra components to the presentation.  Using Prezi puts an extra component to it, as it is a clean cut presentation, as well as an attracting module that keeps the most unattached observer engaged in the learning prospect of the demonstration.

Prezi allows a few different preview settings, as you are able to set it for a timing factor for time-specific presentations, as well as the ability to move at your pace as the presenter.  It also gives the presenter or author the ability to add an additionally context to the piece, as you can create any sort of shape that the presentation is originally developed into, and creatively input a new facet on the appearance of the piece.  The idea behind Prezi is to make any corporate meeting intriguing and enticing for every audience.

PE3_iMovie

The instructor from Lynda.com definitely made this project look easier than it is. Since I don't yet have my camera, I took a video of my niece's 1st birthday that I had on my computer, and edited it into one of the movie trailers that were described and taught in the video tutorials.  I used about a 5 minute video that I had of her eating her cake and edited it into a few short clips to fit into the trailer.  Once I imported the video, I had to pick and choose the clips that I wanted to add into my project.  I also had to rename the headers of the trailer as the ones originally in the template did not apply.  It took a lot of editing, but I like the outcome.

PE2_iMovie

I completed the video tutorial of IMovie on Lynda.com.  This was very informative and definitely prepares you to start working with IMovie immediately.  As I was watching through the clips, I started thinking of ideas to implement in my first project.  I was told that once completing the course I would be getting some sort of certificate, however I am not sure where to find the certificate as I checked my email once the tutorial was finished and I can’t seem to find it anywhere.  Here is a screenshot showing that the course was completed.

PE1_iMovie

This is my first time using Lynda.com to work through any training.  The IMovie training videos, although looking daunting due to the sheer amount of them, are proving to be extremely helpful.  The instructor is easy to listen to, and takes things step-by-step towards building a knowledge base for using IMovie.  The beginning few videos seemed a little elementary, however as I continued moving through the clips I found that the instructors elementary tone and pace at the beginning creates a building block on through the tutorial.  As I am working through the videos, I can also see the value in creating many short clips in stead of a few longer ones, as these will be a great resource to look back on while I am working through my first few IMovie projects.  I am beginning to really like what I see with both Lynda.com and IMovie.  

BP2_Web 2.0 Tool (UDUTU)

I chose to use the Web 2.0 tool UDUTU.  This tool is a free authoring tool that allows people to publish information on the web and allows for easy access, as you can publish it to an internet location, zip drive, or even Facebook for easy access. 

I wanted to create a quick how-to course to demonstrate its capabilities, so I chose to design a general informational piece giving basic steps to brushing your teeth.  Using this general but basic idea, I was able to create a quick course to run through the tutorial videos on how to complete a course using UDUTU easily. 

The tool is very user friendly, as you simply choose a name for the course and select a design to use to easily navigate the interface of your webpage.  Adding slides is quick and easy and is much like using Powerpoint or Keynote when designing the interface, as the pictures and text can be as basic or as complicated for each slide as you so choose. The tool but has the ability to use as an interactive site as well, which is ideal for children and students alike.  I chose a elementary design to make the developmental process as easy as possible, however the interface is interactive if you so choose dedicating buttons to pick multiple choice answers as well as sequencing and video clip ability.  

This picture indicates the first window seen when creating the first slide of the course.  Once it is named, you are free to start creating the rest of your project with pictures and text.  Here is a screenshot of my first final project.  As elementary as it seems, I wanted to illustrate how easy this tool is to begin and use from start to finish.

UDUTU seems to be an excellent tool, and I am excited to continue to use it to create and develop new and innovative courses for training purposes.

CS1 RSS Feeds

How to get involved without micromanaging people

I chose this blog because I find that often managers attempt to control their employees by micromanaging them in an attempt to ensure that the job is done and done well.  I think we as humans are all guilty of micromanaging others in some way, whether that be a mother to her children urging them to do their chores, a teacher to their student in regards to completing assignments and getting them ready for tests, a man/woman to their spouse/significant other urging them to complete tasks of some kind…the list goes on and on.  This being said, I think that managers who try to remove micromanagement from their normal management styles tend to get the buy-in from their employees and therefore earn their respect quicker meaning they will work harder to accomplish a goal.  This feed gives pointers on exactly how to show manage people effectively and efficiently without making your employees feel like they are being analyzed with every move they make.

Lead Change Group

This RSS feed popped out at me immediately.  It contains dozens of articles on how to lead a team of people through change.  Many of the articles illustrate how leaders are cultivating a new community of leaders.  It gives good practices as well as motivational quotes to continue to help managers lead teams.  The authors are everyday people explaining what techniques they use to help effectively lead a team.

National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators

I have been using this website for years now, and decided to add this feed to my Google reader project, as the articles directly effect both my job.  National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators is a source that keeps me current on Financial Aid and policy changes.  It also gives me the upper hand on the word around so that I can prepare my team for what is to come regarding federal aid.  This feed lets me know when federal website outages will take place and keeps me up to date on federal updates that will directly impact the advice my team gives their students.

Thinking Faster: Adaptive Management Style

This RSS feed is all about Social Media in the workplace.  There are book reviews as well as articles endorsing the Social media interaction in the office, as it promotes creativity and community interaction.  The employers old way of thinking is that they are demanding focus from their social-media-free employees and therefore getting more accurate work from them.  This feed’s thoughts are that social media creates a forum of community where often people bounce ideas off each other to get more accurate information and innovative ideas by simply allowing employees to freely use social media sites. 

FinancialAidForum.com - News

I added this feed because it will allow me to remain current on the information or misinformation that is out there for reading about financial aid.  Often my team gets random questions from their students about different financial aid help websites.  The internet is filled with misinformation about financial aid and how to maximize the federal aid they could qualify for.  This will help me stay as current as possible on the misinformation given to hopefully help my team deliver correct information on how to accurately help their students.

BP3 Google Screen Shots

Here are the screen shots for my IGoogle account.

  This tool looks like it is going to be amazing once I start using it.  The more I play with it, the more I fall in love with IGoogle.  It really is a one-stop-shop to all of the websites I use on a daily basis.  I can't wait to start adding my work links on here as well which will allow me to hardly ever have to search through my bookmarks again.
  It did take me a little while to determine that the "box of links" was an actual gadget used on the website.  I spent a lot of time adding the different links to the homepage and trying to figure out why it wasn't looking like the pictures on the assignment.  Once I figured that out though, it was easy sailing, and the assigment seemed to go by rather quickly.
  Now to start playing with my new IGoogle account!