Zotero Group Library

I first stumbled on to Zotero when we did our group Digital Divide project, but didn’t truly understand the depth of its abilities. So when this project came up I was totally stoked!

This week we really delved into Zotero. For those of you wondering just what Zotero is, it is an awesome Open Source application that becomes your personal research assistant. It captures all things digital from online PDF documents to audio files.  It allows you to upload files from your computer, or save documents from the Internet, and then generates formatted citations. Best yet….Zotero goes wherever you go. In this aspect it is similar to Google Documents, but its purpose is as a research tool, not a filing cabinet or productivity suite. If you want you may also download an app for your Mozilla browser and for your word processor. These applications sync with your Zotero account online, so your information is read and waiting wherever you are.

For Week 9 I choose to find articles on Open Source Software in education, not realizing that just about every application I was using was open source: my browser – Mozilla, Learning Management System – Moodle, search engine – Google, citation generator -Zotero, and since I was using my laptop and not my desktop my word processor – Libre Office.  As I found more and more articles, and really started reading them, I was amazed at how many open source applications are out there, and the impact they have on education.

For Week 10 we used another component of Zotero – the group library. This feature allows multiple users to share information in a group folder. Since Zotero has a note option, group members can not only view the documents and notes contributed by the other users, they can add to them. It simplifies research collaboration. If you want to see what our group has come up with, go check out our library: https://www.zotero.org/groups/edtech_501-4173_spring_2012

In the future I can see using Zotero not just for this graduate program, but in my professional and personal life as well. I have already shown several colleagues this amazing tool. I think that students will really benefit from this application, especially since our servers are not set up to have individualized student logins or server space. By having students use Zotero, they will have all of their research information with them wherever they have Internet connectivity. They will no longer be chained to a specific computer, or be at the mercy of the computer’s hard drive and other students users.

 

 

Zotero Group Library

I first stumbled on to Zotero when we did our group Digital Divide project, but didn’t truly understand the depth of its abilities. So when this project came up I was totally stoked!

This week we really delved into Zotero. For those of you wondering just what Zotero is, it is an awesome Open Source application that becomes your personal research assistant. It captures all things digital from online PDF documents to audio files.  It allows you to upload files from your computer, or save documents from the Internet, and then generates formatted citations. Best yet….Zotero goes wherever you go. In this aspect it is similar to Google Documents, but its purpose is as a research tool, not a filing cabinet or productivity suite. If you want you may also download an app for your Mozilla browser and for your word processor. These applications sync with your Zotero account online, so your information is read and waiting wherever you are.

For Week 9 I choose to find articles on Open Source Software in education, not realizing that just about every application I was using was open source: my browser – Mozilla, Learning Management System – Moodle, search engine – Google, citation generator -Zotero, and since I was using my laptop and not my desktop my word processor – Libre Office.  As I found more and more articles, and really started reading them, I was amazed at how many open source applications are out there, and the impact they have on education.

For Week 10 we used another component of Zotero – the group library. This feature allows multiple users to share information in a group folder. Since Zotero has a note option, group members can not only view the documents and notes contributed by the other users, they can add to them. It simplifies research collaboration. If you want to see what our group has come up with, go check out our library: https://www.zotero.org/groups/edtech_501-4173_spring_2012

In the future I can see using Zotero not just for this graduate program, but in my professional and personal life as well. I have already shown several colleagues this amazing tool. I think that students will really benefit from this application, especially since our servers are not set up to have individualized student logins or server space. By having students use Zotero, they will have all of their research information with them wherever they have Internet connectivity. They will no longer be chained to a specific computer, or be at the mercy of the computer’s hard drive and other students users.

 

 

Tech Trend Lesson Plan

This is the lesson plan I wrote for a seventh grade computer applications class. While I am not currently teaching, I have taught this class in the past.  I chose Tablet Computing as a topic because there is talk in my school district about purchasing tablets.  I figure if it were an assignment and the students took their publications to the board, it might sway their decision.

This assignment is in alignment with AECT standard 3.1, as it provides students with hands-on experience using tablets and smartphones for academic purposes. The exposure to the educational side of this technology would be a huge boon to the students.  There are a few who have tablets, or have played with them, but none of them have used a tablet as an educational resource or learning tool.

I think using tablets with our population would be a great advantage. Many of the students live where Internet and electricity are not always available, and students from outlying areas have rather long bus rides to and from school. One of the major marketing strategies for tablets is their battery life  is so much longer than a laptop; this would enable the students to use the tablet to do school work during their commute, and at home. In addition, our district currently has a reading initiative, and the tablet could be an integral part if we loaded the tablets with e-books.

For most school districts, virtually all decisions are standards and research based.  Implementing the use of tablets as a educational tool meets the criteria of  AECT standard 3.3 Implementation and Institutionalization, along with Arizona state technology and Career and Technical Education standards.

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