BP2_iGoogleScreenShots

BP2_iGoogleScreenShots

Here are my screenshots of the iGoogle setup. I found a few of the links to be redundant due to them being on multiple pages but overall the iGoogle thing can be handy. This did take quite a bit of work to setup but overall, I am glad it is setup in the way it should be.

HOME

Here is the home page for the iGoogle page. It has my Twitter account that I use for my class for me to keep in contact with my students. It also has my Facebook account on it though I really do not use Facebook all that much. I find the To Do list handy for me to keep up with what I have to do for the day or week.

FSO

This is the FSO iGoogle page. It has all my links I need to access my FSO portal, nettime for clocking in as well as all other useful links for my class as well as my Masters program that I am in. I like keeping all my links nice and handy and within reach so I do not have to go navigating all over the place to get to these websites.

AR/CBL

This is the Action Research iGoogle page. It has my Diigo search on it as well as all the valuable web links for my AR project as well as other references within one simple click of a button. The My Listy I still have not used yet as I have my To Do list on the Home page that suits me just well at the moment, but soon I will attempt to test it out to see how it is.

ETC

Here is the ETC page for iGoogle. It has all my links that are useful for the ETC class as well as my RSS feeds so I can see what is going on in the areas that interest me. It also has the blogger widget to allow me to do quick blog posts from here without having to go to the main blogger site though to do anything really fancy, I would still need to go to the main site to do.

These four pages encompass my own Personal Learning Environment for this month of my EDMT Masters degree program. Hopefully they will get good use out of them. It did take a bit to setup, but I am glad that it is fully setup and available for use. I will try and see if I can work on using it more though I am quite used to just clicking on my bookmarks and using my Entourage calendar for my events lists.

BP1_Google Reader

BP1_Google Reader

Good afternoon everyone! My name is Kristopher Newton and I am a course instructor for Computer Science and Internet, an online course at Full Sail University.  Today I am going to be showing a few of the RSS feeds I keep track of to see where technology is heading in both gaming and in education.  These RSS feeds keep me updated on all the new and interesting gadgets coming or new features that are being added to some of my favorite topics and interests.

http://www.macworld.com/

Macworld is a website I keep going to where I can get the latest and greatest news on Apple and their products.  The website also have very useful hints and tips to making tasks using Macs and their corresponding programs easier and more efficient. I find it to have a wealth of valuable information contained within it that helps in keeping current for the course I teach at Full Sail.

http://www.wired.com/gamelife/

Gamelife is but one blog among many that the website, Wired hosts.  This blog here is where I can keep current on all the new games and gaming technology that is coming out in the industry as well as what new trends are forming.  The blog covers all types of gaming, from games and sounds on iPhones to the broader console based games and tech out there currently.  The blog also goes over relevant mods that show up from independent creators as well as tips and tricks to make your gaming life more enjoyable. The best part is that viewers can also leave comments and feedback on the blog giving their views on the items being showcased so I can get a nice varied opinion on what people are thinking as they see these new trends and games coming out. In all, I do find this blog very helpful and of great value in what I am interested in.

http://nwn.blogs.com/

NWN, or New World Notes, is a blog site devoted to special events  and features that happen in Second Life.  Second Life is a virtual world that I am highly focused on for my Action Research project as well as how it can be utilized for education. I use this blog site as a way to see what other residents are doing and creating in Second Life, that way I know if what they are doing has value towards what I am wanting to accomplish in Second Life or not. Since it is a blog, I also have access to other viewers comments and reactions so I can gauge if new features or creations that are being implemented in Second Life will eventually pan out or will just be a passing fad that will be phased out within a few months. This is one site I would recommend to anyone looking to learn more about Second Life from a resident’s point of view.

http://blogs.secondlife.com/index.jspa

Second Life Blogs is the official blog for Second Life. I use this to see all the new technology that will be coming out for Second Life as well as what is happening within the Second Life grid. This spot is also where you can go to sign up to use Second Life as well as see all about what this virtual world is about. It has many helpful tutorials and features on the website that can help you get started in the virtual environment to learning more advanced things to become better at using the interface. This is the number one spot to go for all things Second Life related and I use this site extensively for research in my Action Research project. So, if you want to know more about Second Life, I would highly recommend starting here.

http://justincc.org/blog/

This blog site is the official blog site for the OpenSimulator Project found here: http://www.opensimulator.org .  This site is a comprehensive place to learn all about the features, inner workings, and other technologies that encompasses OpenSim. OpenSim is a virtual world software that can allow pretty much anyone to create a virtual world setup themselves, providing they have the hardware to back it up.  My main focus is virtual worlds and my Action Research project delves into an aspect of this to see how it can be used to benefit education. OpenSim would be a huge step in that direction to allow schools to create their own virtual world where they can create their own content to help engage the students they teach and give the students a place to flourish creatively.  I do firmly believe that the virtual worlds are the next evolution to online education and this site shows just how close we are to fully realizing that idea.

These are just 5 of the RSS feeds I use to keep me apprised of the new technology that is in my industry and helps keep me current in all the happenings that are going on.  These sites have a plethora of valuable information that anyone can use; all they have to do is go have a look. I hope this was informative and gave some people ideas as well as new areas to tap and view for the ever-changing world of technology.

Welcome!

I first would like to welcome you all to my little blog area where I will be going over many different Web 2.0 tools as well as any other specific content that I find interesting and fun to use. So please do come in and enjoy the reading!