Sunday, February 1, 2015

Weekly Report and Reflection Post #3

           Hello again fellow ADED 1P32 students.  Today I would like to begin by reflecting on what new skills, knowledge, and fun I have actually had these past few weeks!  Yes I said fun... on the other hand it has also been hard work too.  However, like my father always says "you reap what you sow".  Therefore, I am trying to sow as much as I can, so the skills I learn during this digital adventure will benefit me later in my life.  Whether it is through my education, career, or even future relationships.

           So what new knowledge have I gained about my digital citizenship?  Well, I will list only a few because there are already so many.  I have learned all about my PLE and PLN, rules of the web through Netiquette, the nine elements of digital citizenship, and various programs such as Wordle and Popplet.  However, this past week I was introduced to the world of RSS Feeds, Readers, and the overwhelming benefits of both them!  First, I love the fact that all this information is coming to me.  It allows me the opportunity to scan the titles and see whether or not it may be something I am interested in or would like to read for pleasure.  I additionally like the fact that I can "save them for later".  This tab reminded me of our bookmark tabs in Safari and Chrome, or whatever web browser you may use.  

 Feedly is a great addition to my personal learning environment.  This digital tool was not included in my Mind Map PLE chart that we developed for our Weekly Report Reflection Post #2.  Feedly is a RSS (really simple syndication) aggregator and is a great addition to my PLN.  I love how this RSS reader brings the daily news, blogs of interest, pod casts, and personal items I desire to learn about all to one location!  It has already saved me so much time.  I will confess it was slightly overwhelming the first day I visited Feedly and saw the results of what I had subscribed to.  I believe I had over 250 feeds to go through!  However, once I became accustomed to the system and how to use it, my experience turned into a positive one.  So I will definitely have to adjust my PLE chart and add a new subtitle labeled “Aggregator”. The more the merry right!  

 I already have so many amazing feeds however I can only choose one!  The RSS feed I would like to share with you all this week is called Study Successful.  I discovered a really interesting article linked to this feed regarding the subject of health and exercise.  The article and video by Stefan Knapen (2013) was called the "7 Minute Workout".  It was very short although quite informative.  He also posted a link to an additional article called HIGH-INTENSITY CIRCUIT TRAINING USING BODY WEIGHT.  I highly recommend reading this article if you have the time.  It discusses the traditional ways of aerobic training versus the high-intensity training, and the benefits of a shorter time high-intensity exercise programs.  As stated by Klika and Jordan (2013), we live in a society that is constantly time restricted and therefore may benefit from more efficient ways of exercising.  It also discussed the advantages of this form of exercise in relation to decreasing insulin resistance.  A fascinating read if you enjoy this type of information!  

          One final note... isn't it great that we can share information and things that we have learned from our RSS feeds on our own blogs!  Of course I will remember number six of the nine elements of digital citizenship.  It is the element of Digital Law and it informs us that we must properly give credit to individuals when sharing files from websites.  Whether it may be in the form of articles, photos, videos, or even music (Ribble, 2011).  


My Feedly Screenshot!
Reschke, A. ©2015.


Take care everyone,

Alex






Feedly. Retrieved from http://feedly.com/i/welcome

Klika, B., & Jordan, C. (2013). HIGH-INTENSITY CIRCUIT TRAINING USING BODY WEIGHT: Maximum Results With Minimal Investment. ACSM'S Health & Fitness Journal, 17(3), 8-13. Retrieved January 28, 2015, from http://journals.lww.com/acsm-healthfitness/Fulltext/2013/05000/HIGH_INTENSITY_CIRCUIT_TRAINING_USING_BODY_WEIGHT_.5.aspx
Knapen, S. (2013). 7-minute-workoutStudy Successful Retrieved from http://studysuccessful.com/7-minute-workout/
 Ribble, M. (2011). Digital citizenship in schools (2nd ed.). Eugene, Or.: International Society for Technology in Education.
William, N. (2010). RSS Feeds. Retrieved from https://narrativities.wordpress.com/2010/03/25/rss-feeds/


My Experience with RSS Feeds

This week's digital adventure began with exploring RSS feeds and the reader of choice named Feedly.  Once again, I had no prior knowledge of either one of these digital technologies... however this is exactly why I am taking this course!  After discovering what RSS feeds and readers actually are... I immediately knew this would be a great addition to my personal learning environment (PLE)!  I certainly have been doing things the "old way" as it stated in the short video called RSS in Plain English.  I believe anything that can save me time with the world of digital learning, my university education, or just obtaining general knowledge from the world is definitely a tool that I need in my toolbox. J

It's All About The RSS Feeds!
William, N. © 2010.
Although, I will confess it was a bit overwhelming when I started setting up this innovative  reader.   Nonetheless, when I finally figured out how to use the system I quickly began benefiting from its daily use.  As a matter of fact I had to put the brakes on… and watch how many sites I was connecting to my reader.  Initially I downloaded many different sites of interest pertaining to education, news, health, and of course digital citizenship.  Over the past few days I have already subscribed, deleted, added, and reorganized my Feedly reader.  This was necessary in order to limit the amounts of feeds that were coming into my Feedly reader.  One site and feed that I have particular interest in is the Niagara Regional Police Service News & Events.  This of course may not be a surprise to you all because of the career choice I am pursuing.  While this website is very beneficial too myself, I also believe it can keep local citizens and even fellow students aware of important matters, changes, and concerns within our society through the Police Service.


To be continued...

Alex




Feedly. Retrieved from http://feedly.com/i/welcome
Lefever, L. (2007). RSS in Plain English. Retrieved from: http://www.commoncraft.com/rss_plain_english
Niagara Regional Police Service News & Events. Retrieved from http://www.niagarapolice.ca/en/news/search.aspx
William, N. (2010). RSS Feeds. Retrieved from https://narrativities.wordpress.com/2010/03/25/rss-feeds/