Why Issuu?

Through my years of study I have known academics or people with specific facts and data about a particular event. This knowledge helps to further develop the theme, enriching the vision that can have on it. Many times that person's knowledge get lost, because is not discussed. This because it is an academic who does not usually publish and gives oral courses  or simply because the person who owns the information is not considered a credible source (and not even verify the information) under the academic standard. 

Anyone could  make the task of documenting this information, the problem is how to publish it. Not only publishing, create a proper aesthetic image. If you can overcome these two problems, you will face a worse, as you can distribute. Despite all existing applications, manage to overcome these obstacles quickly, it would be difficult were it not for Issuu.

Issuu is perfect for digitizing and publishing academic papers existing or in process, thats allows a refreshing and modern look.To some extent, one could say that to create a publication issuu iconoclast,and also very eclectic. For these reasons it becomes the key tool for my proposal.

The program is very simple to use. Surely the hardest part is register. After the person registered you can begin to upload documents in any format and convert it into a magazine, book or any format you want. The program has several interesting tools. For example you can publish your writing on a blog, using an application from issue will be seen in the page like a book and you can even select a specific page.

RILS Reflection

First I opened and maintained a blog. I learn about  media literary, connectivism and web 2.0.  Not just that I gained new knowledge, I have acquired the tools (physical and mental)  to enrich, simplify and finally pass it to others.  During the Action Plant the  most difficult to me was simplify. At beggining i desired too cover much areas.


Keep it simple, were not those exact words I use, but it was what I wanted to tell the mentor and guide Rena Hanaway, during a conversation we had a Saturday night for Skype. Once I was able to process and understand this, everything else was easy.

We often think of an idea, then we start to develope more than razonable. That's not bad in principle, is always good to visualize a goal. The problem is when when we started a project is that you can't start trying to reach the target immediately. We must go step by step. Starts as simple as possible,  at the process will keep improving. That is the simpler way to develop complex levels. So more than anything served to remind me something that  sometimes i forgot, Keep it simple, my friend. Just keep it simple, and you will find the way....

PB7 Link to Dona Packard RILS Comments

It's fantastic the way that Donna decided to use what she learned in this course. The work plan it is focused on marketing, but to help a very particular sector. I recommend you watch it and give your opinion.

check out my comment 

PB7 Link to Alexandria RILS Comments

First, if you want to make a professional blog, and creatively, I recommend you see Teacher Tech Trends blog. Now this link will take you to the work of Alexandria Action Plan. She is an elementary school teacher. See how it intends to use web 2.0 tools with children's. 

Check out my comment  on his RILS.

BP8_RILS Publication

Think different?

This is a very interesting article "A Silicon Valley School That Doesn’t Compute" , that  publish the NY times. In one point said that computers kills childs creativity. I dont belive that computers kills creativity on childrens. I think in this case could apply what I call the Think Different effect. If it is true that much of children attending these schools came from parents who work in Silicon Valley (where it produces much of the technology and applications we use) are certainly more exposed to computer and tecnological themes, that others children's.  To be fair the article never said that all children that goes to Waldorf schools have tecnological parents. But if hints that al childrens that goes to Waldorf School of the Peninsula, came from tecnological parents ( the first line say " The chief technology officer of eBay sends his children to a nine-classroom school here. So do employees of Silicon Valley giants like Google, Apple, Yahoo and Hewlett-Packard") , so let keep the article firts line. Let's think that all childrens of this schools are geeks sons that came from a technological enviroment. To get away from them they will find it entertaining not uses computers, but not for a boy attends class regularly and reads a book with little or no visual stimulation, while listening to a teacher giving a monologue as a class. The reality is that everything is that done to extremes, is wrong. Let's thinks different, really different when we talk about education. Pluralism and inclusion is what kids need in schools. A diverse and comprehensive education that enables children gets exposed  to many experiences as possible, that allow them acquire and develop their skills. Check this image titled The absurdity education educational system of schools.

The teacher said to his students: "to be fair, all will have to perform the same test : everyone Will Have to Climb That tree".

PE6 Twitter

Twitter allows posting any message, annoucement, idea or opinion. The user has the opportunity to communicate anything, in a short and precise way. This is because to Tweet (abbreviated term used in Twitter. Refers to post a message) only have 140 characters. For this reason might be perfect to be used as a tool for education.

Twitter allows teachers communicate almost immediatly any messages and share any announcement to their students. Like the material that  will be discussed in class, a post of his blog, an article from a newspaper or tell them to watch a documentary. If the material that the teacher wants to discuss,  is available on a digital version, he simply also post the link were the student could find it, on the same Tweet.

Twitter is great for helping to maintain and comply with an agenda, but can also help when  by any reason or circumstance our plans changes. If for example one day the teacher feel unwell to gather the class, just Tweet saying to their students, that he is not available for give his class that day. This prevents the student reaches the room, and find that the teacher did not came. Also the teacher could put additional material, following people or organizations. For example if the class is about art, could follow the MoMA or the Guggenheim museum. If the class is about economy could follow news at The econosmist, WSJ  or even check what Joseph Stigliz, George Soros and Paul Krugman have to said about a particular situation. Put also the opinion of Noah Chomsky and Francis Fukuyama to add a anarchist and a liberal conservative view on the situation.Very traditional? then added to Steven D. Levitt, Chris Anderson, Warren Buffett, Slavoj Zizeck or Stephen Colbert. With them you can always count on to discuss any subject, on a non-traditional way (and regularly, are very intelligent with their comments).

So far I've only told one side of the academic usefulness of Twitter, the teacher, but students can also be very helpfull in the enriching of knowledge.Previously, I said that the teacher can refer the material that will discussed on class. At the same tweet the student can tell if he likes (and select it as a bookmark), or do not like and indicate why. Also, can post some alternate version of the material (a link where the film looks better, or where to find the document in another language or discussed by any other academic or expert). Possibly this will generate reactions, comments and discussions between the community following the teacher's tweet, and even can be extended to the students accounts, if they decide retweet it. These actions will enrich the debate and awareness, generating different views and even versions of the same subject.