1/30/2013 Diigo

I add Diigolet into my browser today. I try to add it into both Google Chrome and and IE. It looks like below on Google Chrome.

I add several bookmark that I'm interested or frequent use into my library.We can also share our resources by Twitter, Facebook or email.

If you are interested in mine bookmark. Please check the link Sarah's Bookmark.

There are some feature functions of this tool. 1)Highlight content on website

2)Research Tool 3)Communication and Sharing. The feature I like most is the communication and sharing function. I can share all my web-resources with family, friend, and students. In my opinion, I think it belongs to  ISTE NETS T. I think it is a technology tool rather than leadership tool.

1/28/2013 Resume Revision

I evaluate my resume on a free website today. Link of Rezscore: http://rezscore.com/
It gives me advise on my resume and let me have a clearer idea on whether my resume is professional enough or not.This website also provides me idea on how to make my resume better.Below is the score of the first draft of my resume. 

After remove the reference from my resume and change the first person language I got a better score. 

Some common and experience after using this website:

1) This website provides some suggestions on resume but not specific enough.

2) When I fist upload my resume in docs.format to the website there is an issue.I suggest to save MS Word format as PDF format and upload PDF format resume instead.

3) To my surprise, Rezscore.com sent me email and provide me with more specific information on my resume. It gives me score as follow:

• Brevity: 85
• Impact: 90
• Depth: 99

It is very helpful and nice website. I will send this link to my friends who are hunting jobs. I think it will help them with their resume.

1/25/2013 Self Portrait

I made a very funny self portrait on http://www.picassohead.com/create.html today.

Here is what it looks like. I would like to share it with you all. 

It is very easy to draw a self portrait on this website and it is fun as well. It already gives you several choices for your face, eyes, eyebrows, nose, ears and so on. You can choose whatever you like and make a combination. You are also allowed to adjust the size of each part. When I finished my first draft it was all black and white. Then I start to realize that there is a color button at the bottom. You can either fill different areas with different color or change the color of the line. I changed my mouth into pink.
The website also provide 'rotate' and 'flip' function to make your self portrait more vivid.

I did enjoy the experience play with this site. Come and join me! Have a try!

1/21/2013 Millennial Quiz

I did millennial quiz today and got 63 out of 100.
http://www.pewresearch.org/quiz/how-millennial-are-you/results/

Millennial is a term used by demographers to describe a segment of the population born between 1980 and 2000. A number of studies, including one by the Center for American Progress, anticipate that millennials will be the first American generation to do less well economically than their parents. Millennials are also called the Net generation. They don't remember a time when there was no Internet.

There are 10 characteristics in Frand's article, which implicates the information-age mind set.
1 Computers Aren't Technology2 Internet Better Than TV3 Reality No Longer Real4 Doing Rather than Knowing
5 Nintendo over Logic6 Multitasking Way of Life7 Typing Rather than Handwriting8 Staying Connected9 Zero Tolerance for Delays10 Consumer/Creator Blurring


Although I got score of 63, but I'm actually a member of Millennial. I was born in 1987 and I start to use computer when I was 6 and start to surf the internet when I was 10. Compare to kids who were born after 2000. I might not start to use PC as early as they do. However, comparing to people who are the same age as I am, I'm still walking in front of tide. 

In the above 10 listed characters of information-age mind set, several of them really impress me. I haven't pay for the TV cable for more than two years. Instead of having 40 TV Channels for $50 a month before. I have millions of TV programs online for free now. I find that TV programs updated on Youtube is even faster than on TV. Besides, I can not only watch US TV shows, but also shows from China, Korea, Janpan and any other countries. And they all cost nothing. I also prefer typing rather than handwriting. The speed of typing is faster. It is easy to store information and avoid spelling mistakes at the same time. Staying connected is one thing I check several times a day. Always make sure email is updated. There is no missing phone call or message. Although the phone does not ring,   I still slide the phone unlock to double check several times a day. That seems absurd, but it does becomes people's habitual behaviors.

To born in the Millennial, it means that students is seeking for more type and format of knowledge and teachers have to provide what students want to catch up the pace of the development of the technology.

1/22/2013 Screen Capture

I will use the snipping tool to show how to do a nice paper cutting art in 5 steps. I capture the screen of a tutorial video. Snipping is a good tool to help teacher capture some images from video or files to create the print out document to students.

Please follow the steps below:

Color Paper and Scissors

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Step 5

Done!!

1/21/2013 Google Docs

I have post my Resume in the Google Docs. Link: Yiru Wang's Resume 

Google Docs is a very useful tool that can help group of people to share documents. It allows people to view and even edit the document at the same time. It also shows the process of how people is changing the file.

ISTE's NETS for Teachers (NETS•T) are the standards for evaluating the skills and knowledge educators need to teach, work, and learn in an increasingly connected global and digital society. It has the following functions:

1. Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity. Teachers use their knowledge of subject matter, teaching and learning, and technology to facilitate experiences that advance student learning, creativity, and innovation in both face-to-face and virtual environments.

2. Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments. Teachers design, develop, and evaluate authentic learning experiences and assessment incorporating contemporary tools and resources to maximize content learning in context and to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes identified in the NETS•S. Teachers.

3. Model Digital-Age Work and Learning. Teachers exhibit knowledge, skills, and work processes representative of an innovative professional in a global and digital society. 

4. Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility. Teachers understand local and global societal issues and responsibilities in an evolving digital culture and exhibit legal and ethical behavior in their professional practices.

5. Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership. Teachers continuously improve their professional practice, model lifelong learning, and exhibit leadership in their school and professional community by promoting and demonstrating the effective use of digital tools and resources.

Resource from: http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-teachers 

1/17/2013 Social Media (SoMe) Survey

I did Social Media IQ test on http://images.businessweek.com/ss/08/05/0515_socialmedia_quiz/index_01.htm

I scored 40% out of 100

Though I almost do not know the answer of the quiz, but I still think social media related to my personal life and professional life.
Social media refers to the means of interactions among people in which they create, share, exchange and comment contents among themselves in virtual communities and networks. Such as, Facebook, Blogger, Twitter, WordPress, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Google+. Tumblr, MySpace and Wikia.

Below are several points which I think shows the close relation between our life and social media.

Enhances ways for people to discovery and delivery information.

Allows people to discuss ideas, post news, ask questions and share links.

Provides an opportunity and widen contacts, include business contact, social contact etc.

Targets a wide audience, making it a useful and effective communication tool.

Improves business reputation and client base with minimal use of advertising.

1/16/2013 VARK Learning Style Survey

I just did the survey on http://www.vark-learn.com/english/page.asp?p=questionnaire to test my learning style.

Below is my score:

• Visual: 13
• Aural: 13
• Read/Write: 8
• Kinesthetic: 14

    I didn't have this kind of administered before. I think the result match me a lot. When I was kid I enjoyed my teacher explained the real example or demonstrate in their teaching very much. And I can tell that more than 80% of my classmates have the same feelings as I do. The field trip and tour not only let us contact to the society, but also provides us an special opportunity to learn what we cannot learn from textbook. 
    When I grow up, Visual, Aural and Kinesthetic still are ways easier for me to accept something new. When I'm seeing the new innovation, trying some new food, or thinking to buy something I have never buy before, to see it, feel it and listen to some one's common about it are always my first choices rather than read the description. 
    When I'm teaching, illustrating or showing someone something, to show images, websites, and describe my own experiences and commons are always my best choices as well. 
    Therefore, I think technology plays a very important role to support learning and teaching. It provides Visual, Aural, Read/Write, and Kinesthetic materials to learners. It fulfills all different kinds of learning styles.

About Me~~!!

   My name is Yiru Wang. You can also call me Sarah. I come from China. This is my third year in US. I graduate from Master of Business and Administration (MBA) Program from Shenandoah last December. I'm very interested in teaching and educational administration. 

    Technology is one of the greatest progress in the modern society.  I think to apply technology and network into education can not only make our teaching more interesting, but also improve the efficiency and quality.

    I'm very glad to meet you all in this Educational Technology Class!