Blog Buzz

On Friday, I completed a review of a peer’s website and blog and I have to say the experience was very challenging. I enjoyed viewing both and learning a new social networking technology but I have to say it was somewhat difficult giving constructive feedback.

My peer created her social technology on Symbaloo and explained how to use this technology. She did this with the use of a virtual video using the software Jing. I had previously installed both Symbaloo and Jing onto my personal computer after Jenni demonstrated both in tutorials within EDN113. I knew what both technologies were used for but I really didn't know how to use them. After my peers virtual tour I have been exploring Symbaloo and adding tiles constantly. My peer also had a great resource on "how to create a webmix' on Symbaloo which I have now created two of my own. On my Symbaloo account, one webmix is called ‘EDN Tools’ where I have created resource tiles to support me through my Education degree. I have stored great resources that I often use and I plan to keep adding to it during my studies. I have taken a quick screen capture using the software Jing for your perusal.

If you would like to view Symbaloo for yourself please visit the following web address http://www.symbaloo.com/ or click on this link. Also there is a great tour tile on the Symbaloo home page towards the centre next to the Google search box. If you would like to create your own Symbaloo account please click on this link: http://www.symbaloo.com/registerUser.form#register .

Other then that if you would like to learn more about or download the FREE software Jing which allows you to create screenshots and videos please click on this link: http://www.techsmith.com/jing.html.

The difficult part of this assignment was that the peer I was reviewing didn't have her website and blog ready for review until the day before it was due. I visited her site via LMS at the beginning of the week and there was nothing ready for me to review. I contacted my peer via her contact email within her site and asked 'When will your site and blog be ready, as this assignment is due this week." She did get back to me via email, explaining that she had been having trouble with her Yola site and I can relate to this. I had trouble with my Yola site the week before as I couldn't create any new blog posts so I had to create a new blog page. This was incredibly annoying. She advised me that her page would be ready for review on Thursday, 29th and I could proceed then.  I have to say she was extremely apologetic. Overall this crisis created stress on me personally as I had two other assignments due for this week for other subjects.

I hope that all the constructive feedback has helped my peer, to edit her website and blog as I had the best intentions when writing my suggestions. The other critism is that I was really disappointed when I realised that I had made some grammar mistakes in my feedback. This overlook was not professional at all. I don’t want to use this excuse but I felt I ran out of time which didn't allow me to edit the way I wish I could have. The other silly mistake I made was not submitting my assignment coversheet via LMS. Jenni emailed and advised me I had not done so. She also said "there needs to be a coversheet submitted for all assignments" otherwise the tutor can not accept your work and would not be able to mark you.

I think the rubric on LMS was extremely easy to use and I loved how you could not only write to the peer ‘suggestions for improvement’ but also what we ‘liked about the website and blog.’ I like writing the positives rather than the negatives but I better get over this soon as I will be doing this throughout my degree and within the classroom when I am a qualified teacher.
Eeekkk what a week.