My Personal Experience with Microsoft Applications.

My experience in information technologies is not what you might call extensive, rather a rudimentary on a need to know basis has been the main motivation for using a select few of the Microsoft applications.

To date, I have a basic working knowledge of Windows 8, of using Power-point although embedding them onto a blog, somewhat challenging! Greater experience may be attributed to the use of windows 7 version, from Microsoft office, including use of 'Word' applications.

Microsoft office is a tool I use regularly to create documents, letters, templates and lengthy emails since it enables me to utilize the spell check and word count options, change the fonts, and make any necessary corrections needed before sharing them with the wider community. 

Power-point, like many other information communication technologies is an application that with practice has helped to further familiarise my usability to create more dynamic, interesting and interactive presentations. I started using power-point intermittently in 2009, however on the sparse occasions when I have needed to engage the function, its seems my mature brain has needed more hours in the seat, so to speak ... that really its the repetition and exploration of these technologies that have helped to embed the learning process, to a point where I feel a little more adept with its use.

Ted Talks! 'Doolittle' on 'How your "working memory" makes sense of the world!'

Peter Doolittle makes public speaking on Ted Talks appear as if its an effortless 'walk in the park' kind of task; he's funny, charming, engaging and informative. I find it incomprehensible to imagine how anybody could fail to recognise the qualities of this his professional expertise and delivery about 'working memory.'

Besides demonstrating a vast range of subject knowledge, Doolittle appeared to have captivated his entire audience ... I felt both able and compelled to join in as the session transmogrified into a whole new level from that of a lecture to an interactive workshop approach. To maximize the understanding of his audience, Doolittle engaged 'us' in an activity that aimed to prove that our working memory is something we are always aware and he made the critical point that since information bombards us at tremendous speeds, the need to improve our working memory ability is critical to success. 

I concur then that 'working memory' is about our capacity to make informed choices, to source and apply what we think might be useful tools to accomplish our goal targets. As Doolittle explains, the information we receive needs processing either through 'telling someone', writing it down or creating imagery but in all cases, we need to be "...doing something with it,"(Doolittle, 2013) in order for us to make sense of the world.

Challenge yourselves and check your working memory is functioning at a slightly higher than perfunctory level: Highly recommend you watch and share this Ted Talk and its certainly an area worth exploring further, in my opinion. 

How about this for a parting quote: "everything we do is an approximation of sophistication ... if we're not processing life, we are not living it!" (P. Doolittle, 2013)

Bubbl-us ... !

What a great little teaching aid this is!

Mind mapping and brainstorming as a solo or collaborative activity, for one.  As a teaching strategy that supports the wider key skills framework in Wales that involves the engagement of students in problem based learning, participation and collaboration with peer group members, this type of activity more than fulfills those criteria.

Where there are enough electronic web devices for each learner or pairs of learners (maybe even small groups too), the negotiation skills required in order to arrive at a collective choice of prioritized subject material will undoubtedly stretch the creative input and pro-activity of the learners. In view of the fact that students would be learning by doing, not only about developing content knowledge but also how to apply and adapt that knowledge within the transferable framework of 'information communications technology (ICT)' in order to motivate and inspire learners towards the practice of invention
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Since ICT in the current economic and education climate may be regarded as another of the 'key literacy skills', I as a practitioner working in partnership with other learners, recognize this as an additional opportunity to share the learning process, that both informs and reinforces the progression of each participant. So, reflective bubbl.us allows us to create mind maps, store and share our creations as tangible forms and as an exportable social media product.

This teaching aid, ultimately enables and empowers learners to take charge of the pace, structure, significance, adaptability and transferable value of their learning, as they grow more confident as independent learners.

Specifically, working with people who may already be disengaged with their communities, this useful tool could help the learner to create reasonable and achievable goal setting targets. For vulnerable groups, I envisage that this might work most effectively as a collaborative task since the task of sharing the learning is less demanding on students who may not have had a positive learning experience to date.

Hope you too find this short tutorial of some transferable value to your own teaching practice: