Creative Commons

Photo Attribution:
Original Image: "Sleeve Gastrectomy"
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c8/Sleeve_gastrectomy.jpg
By Stevenfruitsmaak at en.wikipedia [Public domain or Public domain], from Wikimedia Commons

Using diagrams and images can be very useful when teaching anatomy and physiological processes in science courses. Having an image of the organs in a human body and the structures of cells and muscles should help students understand the mechanisms behind how they function. I know pictures and diagrams always help me reinforce information. In the physiology course I recently took pictures were very important because they helped me understand the functions of the different parts of the body.

RSS Reader

I decided to use a igoogle as my RSS reader. Most of my feeds that I am following are related to science or health as they are the topics I would like to teach if I did teach in a classroom. In the blog I am following, Healthy Fellows, there was an article about the food pyramid and about the public eating habits. I gave my input about the subject saying that so many individuals don't know how to eat healthy and having a solid, evidence-based nutritional food pyramid is essential to help guide the public's food choices.

One of my feeds I chose was the Yahoo Health News. I usually read the articles that come up on the main page when I visit Yahoo so subscribing to their feed brings all the information to me. Checking my RSS reader on different days, I saw current health topics such as the spread of "Western" diseases like obesity and diabetes to developing countries and an interesting article about behavior scientists using psychology to fight childhood obesity and improve students use of the federal school lunch program. At first it was a little difficult to find good resources for information. I was searching and googling for pages I couldn't use then I realized pages like yahoo or excite update their information daily and would be a great source for specific information.

I have learned numerous things from the feeds that I am tracking. The blog I am following about health and nutrition has current topics about healthy foods to eat and actually has recipes so I can choose to try out some of the healthy dishes. Another one of my feeds is NOVA and has several podcasts of current scientific news. In one of the podcasts I learned about how human emotions affect an individual spends money. I really enjoyed the podcasts.

I think using RSS feeds in the classroom would be a great way for students to stay up to date on current events. I think the podcasts could be implemented into the classroom by having students listen to the podcasts and summarize the main points. I know some schools have students watch tv and write down current events and some schools test and evaluate students' listening abilities and using the podcasts could be one way to work on those skills. The RSS feeds allows students to have their own individualized page of current events. They could have to check their page once a week say on a Monday and have to create summaries about a few articles due by the end of the week. I think RSS feeds could be very useful.


http://www.screencast.com/users/prudhom9/folders/Jing/media/af56041f-1cd9-4166-b27d-e717e72a83aa

PC Maintenance and Security

I choose to learn about Wireless Network Security. I always tend to have issues with wireless networks and setting them up in my home. By learning a little about wireless networks I should be more knowledgeable when I have to set up and connect to a new network. One interesting thing that I learned about wireless networks was that you can choose to not show your SSID to anyone. So if I person on a laptop searches for wireless networks in an area they won't be able to find yours. Individuals, like myself, may still connect to the network, but they need to have more information such as the SSID and the network key.

I also went through a module on Cleaning up and Speeding up your PC. I knew a little bit about removing programs and compressing files to create more space on your PC but I did learn a valuable tool to decrease the start up time and number of unnecessary programs that begin when the computer is turned on. Using the msconfig option you can remove programs that automatically start up that usually just slow down the start up process. I know every time my computer starts Skype logs in. I can choose to not let Skype start automatically and not have to wait around longer for my computer to boot up. I will definitely share this information with my parents and sisters.

The third module I went through was about Data Backup. I've heard a lot of backing up data but have never really considered doing it. I know I am taking a risk because if my computer crashes I could lose all my information on my computer. I learned how easy it is to back up information and about free back up services found online. One thing that surprised me was that one of the back up programs allows computers to back up and synchronize files from different computers.

Getting Things Done

I tried out the Getting Things Done (GTD) technique to organize my time and increase my efficiency of everyday things. I decided to write down all of the tasks I needed to get done. Using my planner I wrote done all the things I needed to get done for the week and upcoming weeks. I think writing out the tasks and checking them off when I do them helps me stay on task and making the check mark in my planner is kind of a reinforcement tool and keeps me motivated as little as it may be.

Going through the GTD for the first time was somewhat of an anxiety increasing experience. I have a lot of things to get done and honestly don’t think I am the best at following through on all of them. I tend to put things off as a way to cope with being overwhelmed especially for things I really don’t look forward to doing. I think this process was helpful for me to manage which tasks are really important to finish first and not work on easy tasks that aren’t really a priority.

I think this process was somewhat helpful to me. I think it will help me put into perspective what tasks I can put off that aren’t extremely important at the moment and what tasks need to be at the top of my to-do list. I think the idea that if you can do something in two-minutes, do it that moment. I often tend to put simple things off and then it becomes an issue that never should have been created if I did it right away.

I think I will somewhat continue this process but adapt to my own liking. I hope I can stick with it and use it to benefit my organization and efficiency. I just know myself and that I can tend to get lazy and not follow through sometimes. I need to figure out a way to reward myself like making the check marks in my planner when I do accomplish a task.

Social Networking

I was hesitant to get involved in social networking online initially. My friends and students I met at MSU thought I was crazy because I didn't have a Facebook account. I remember going to a party and met some girls who wanted my name so she could add me on Facebook but was disappointed when I told her I didn't have it. Her response was "how are you a student and not have Facebook?"

I eventually did get a Facebook after meeting some individuals from England on a trip to San Francisco and I wanted to stay in touch with them. I soon became involved in social networking joining several sites and trying to connect with individuals similar to myself. I think a part of me was being stubborn for so long as to not join one just to be different haha. Now I can see the merit in using social networking sites. It is a convenient way to communicate with individuals, plan collaborative events and share information. I do think that some people spend too much time on facebook and other social networking sites, but that is going to happen regardless of what people are doing with their time.

I think younger and younger students are becoming involved in social networking sites. It's wierd when I see older individuals join them too. I see my friends parents and grandparents joining Facebook and think how silly, but now it is not just for young college students but for people of all ages.

Blogs vs. Websites

Blogs can be a useful tool in education and are different than the traditional web pages in several aspects. In blogs, guests can read the updated blogs and post comments and communicate with the author of the blog. It allows for sharing of information in an flexible, interactive way. Other guests may comment and discuss with the author of the blog as well as other individuals who make comments. On a traditional web page the information sharing is more of a one-way street. Information is presented by the website author for guests to view, but the guests cannot share their ideas and give their input.