A4.5 Girondo Search

The exercise on researching my last name provided me with great insight on the vast amounts of information that is available on the web. Before I actually began researching my last name I had this preconceived idea that I would not receive many hits about my name. I felt that I had a very uncommon last name which would limit the amount of hits returned. After completing the research on my last name I realized that my last name is not as uncommon as I thought. To complete the research on my last name I used four search engines. These included Google, Yahoo Search, Ask.com, and Itools. Each of these search engines returned thousands of hits about my last name. One observation I made when  using these search engines was that the number of hits that were returned directly correlated to the popularity of the search engine. When researching my last name on Google I received more hits than other search engine. The less popular the site was the less hits I received. I feel that this has to do with the number of databases of web pages each site has. I also noticed that the number of hits returned did not change if I capitalized the first letter of my last name or if I put quotations around my name. Another thing I noticed is that a lot of the hits returned to me were the same in each search engine. When researching my last name I returned a lot of hits from each search engine on Oliverio Girondo and many of those hits were in Spanish. This surprised me because I have always concidered my last name as being Italian. After completing this exercise I learned that it is important for people conducting research to make sure that the search engine they are using is a reliable search engine. It is better to conduct research from a search engine that has a large database of web documents rather than a small one. Using a search engine with a small database of web documents only limits the number of hits that will be returned to the person conducting the research. I also learned that there really is not limit to the amount of information that can be found on the web. Even if you think there is no information on the web about a topic you’re researching you will probably be able to find something. The key is to make sure that the information or hits you recieve are accurate and reliable.

A4.2: Chapter 5- Richardson

Traci Girondo

September 11, 2007

Richardson, W. (2006). Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

TAP: The topic of chapter 5 in the book Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms was RSS. This chapter focused its content towards an audience of educators interested in the application of RSS in the classroom. The purpose of this article was to inform the reader of background information on RSS and how it can be applied to the educational curriculum.

Claim: The central claim the author of this chapter makes is that RSS is a efficient tool that is changing the way individuals gather information. Through the use of RSS individuals can read more content from many sources in less time and can stay informed of information being updated on the web.

Evidence: Real Simple Syndication or RSS is a tool that makes it possible for individuals to subscribe to content on the web and recieve notifications when that information has been updated. This is beneficial because users do not have to go to that specific site to see if it has been updated. An aggregator or feed collector will collect all the updates and then notify the user when any of the content they are subscribed to is updated. This makes it a convenient way for users to stay updated on tons of information at once. The author of this article even states that “RSS is a technology that will change your life, if you let it.” Many students are seeing how the use of RSS can change their life. Educators are now integrating the use of RSS in to their educational curriculum. This addition to the educational curriculum is making it easier for students to complete research. Students who are subscribed to a RSS can be immediately updated when new information on research topics is published. RSS also has benefits for teachers. Teachers who use weblogs with their students spend a lot of time checking their students weblogs for updates. By using a RSS teachers can use a feed collector to collect their students work any time it is updated. This shows how a RSS can be an efficient tool in the classroom as it is beneficial to both students and educators. RSS is a tool that is changing how individuals gather information.

Connections: RSS is a tool that I am unfamiliar with. I have not had any experience using an aggregator or feed collector to gather information I have subscribed to. On certain websites I have noticed links to the XML site, but I never knew what that link was too. After reading this chapter I can see where RSS could be a beneficial tool to use. By using a feed collector I could gather information to one place and not have to search numerous websites to stay updated on information. Since I don’t have any experiences using a RSS it is hard for me to make a connection to previous knowledge I had on this topic.

This chapter was similar to another article I read on RSS. Both of these sources of information first gave background information on what a RSS was and how it was used on the web. I feel that both of these articles helped to clarify what a RSS is and how it can be used by both educators and students. This chapter went more indepth than the article did in that it discussed how you can use RSS feeds with weblogs, news searches, website searches, etc. I feel that both of these resoures gave me beneficial information on RSS and how I can personally use it to aid in the organization of information and how I can use it with my schoolwork.

The information from this chapter will impact my future as a speech-language pathologist as I am sure I will subsribe to many websites that have functionality for RSS. By doing this I will be able to stay updated on the latest information in my field of study. I can view information on the newest research, therapy, and disorders. As a speech pathologist using time efficiently  is something that we strive to do. RSS is just another tool that aids an individual in doing this.

A4.3: Reflecting on Searching the WWW

After exploring the web sites we were asked to explore there were many things that I learned that I did not know about search engines. I learned from one particular site http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/FindInfo.html that search engines will allow you to search specific topics depending upon how you type the topic in. For example, Google and Yahoo allow you to search for phrases by using double quotes around the phrase, you can search with a capitalized OR, and you can limit your results by language in an advanced search. Google and Yahoo will not allow truncation in which you use OR searches for variants. An example of this type of search would be computer OR computers. Also, Google and Yahoo are not case sensitive, therefore capitalization does not matter. This information is benefitial to me in that I now know how to effectively research a topic using both Google and Yahoo. It is important to be aware of the differences in search engines because if you type in a topic in one search engine and then try it in another you may recieve different results depending on whether that search engine accepts the format in which you have typed your topic in to the search box. A website that surprised me was the iTools webpage. (http://www.itools.com/) From this site you are able to search dictionaries, Google, web directories, discussion groups, and translators all on one page. I was surprised that you could search all these databases from one particular page. I found this page to be interesting in that I feel it would be very beneficial to me. When doing research I typically have numerous web pages open. I have a specific search engine open, an online dictionary for words that may be unfamiliar to me, and sometimes an encyclopedia. By using iTools I could do numerous searches from one page. This would help in controlling the number of web pages I have open at one time. These sites that I explored will impact my work in that I now know how to be more perficient when conducting research through search engines. I know which search engines are the most widely used and how these work. As a student, research is something I am required to do all the time. These sites have only helped to advance the knowledge I already had on the use of search engines.

A4.2: 7 Things You Should Know About RSS

Traci Girondo

September 10, 2007

 7 things you should know about RSS. (2007). Educause Learning Initiative. Retrieved September 10, 2007, from http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7024.pdf

TAP: The topic of this article was RSS. The author of this article focused the content of the article towards an audience of individuals interested in the application of RSS to the web. The purpose of this article was to discuss RSS in regards to what it is, who’s doing it, how it works, its significance, its downsides, its future, and its application to teaching and learning.

Claim: The author of this article claims that RSS is an efficient way for individuals to stay informed, keep in touch, and follow developments on topics they are interested in.

Evidence: RSS is a “protocol that allows users to subsribe to online content using an RSS aggregator.” Users can subscribe to web documents that offer RSS functionality and in turn they will be notified when content on that page has been updated. RSS are effective because they allow individuals to select what they subscribe to and then format how often they recieve updates on changes that have been made. RSS is such an efficient way for people to stay informed, stay connected, and follow developments that many professors are using RSS aggregators in their classrooms. RSS is functional within the classroom because it allows students to stay updated with information on their coursework. Professors can post updates about assignments, class meeting times, etc. and if students are subscribed to that RSS then they will be notified when an update has been made. The author of RSS believes so much in the use of RSS that he stated it “has the potential to become the primary vehicle through which users interact with the internet.”

Connections: I had a difficult time making a connection with this article because I have never heard of RSS. After reading this article I have a vague sense of what an RSS aggregator is and how it is used on the internet. The only connection I could make was when the article discussed how Facebook could be used as an aggregator for Flickr. I do not have this application on my facebook page, but I know of people who do. The article described how a person can subscribe their facebook profile page to thier Flickr RSS. If that person adds a photo to their Flickr it automatically posts that picture on their facebook page also. This helped clarify for me how a person can recieve automatic updates on changes being made to content they are subscribe to.

I was unable to connect this article to any other texts I have read because I have not read any other texts on RSS. When reading this article I was contemplating whether this text could somehow be correlated to our class pbwiki page though. The question I had was whether the updates we recieve when our class wiki is changed is because we are subscribed to some form of an RSS aggregator?

This article can be connected to the broader world of clincal practice in that I can subscribe to content using an RSS aggregator so that I can recieve updates on information that is pertinent to me. As a SLP it would be beneficial for me to subscribe to content such as treatments and research being done in my field. By subscribing to those sites I would be notified when any changes had been made to the content on those pages. This would help me as an SLP to stay updated on all the latest developments within my field of study.

A4.2: 7 Things You Should Know About Wikipedia

Traci Girondo

September 10, 2007

7 things you should know about wikipedia. (2007). Educause Learning Initiative. Retrieved September 10, 2007, from http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7026.pdf

TAP: The topic of this article was Wikipedia. This article focused its content towards an audience of educators and students interested in Wikipedia, an internet encyclopedia. The purpose of this article was to inform the reader about Wikipedia, its credibility as an online resoure, and the implication it has on teaching and learning.

Claim: The central claim in this article is that Wikipedia is an online encyclopedia that enables individuals to collaboratively work together to add and edit information on various topics.

Evidence: The author supports this claim by discussing the increasing use of Wikipedia as an online resource. Many individuals now look to Wikipedia when interested in researching a specific topic. Wikipedia allows individuals to publish information on to the web. This information can then be edited or added to by other individuals. As a whole Wikipedia allows people to collaboratively work together to develop a database of information. Many students turn to wikipedia to find information on a topic that is pertinent to them. Wikipedia is actually listed as the number 8 most- visited web site in the United States. Some people caution students to check the reliabilty of the information located on Wikipedia with another resource. This allows students to make sure that the information an individual a person has published to the wiki is factual.  The author of this article states that Wikipedia is a place where ” students can take part in a collaborative process of creating and revising content in a global context.” Wikipedia expands on the collaborative process by also allowing individuals to discuss the information located on the wiki and the changes that have been made. This allows for people to keep track of why and when information has been changed on the wiki. Wikipedia, as a whole, is changing how people research inside and outside of the academic community.

Connections: I was able to connect to this article because I have used Wikipedia as a resource tool when doing research for my classes. With all the controversy about whether Wikipedia is a reliable source of information I have become more skeptical as whether it is appropriate to use Wikipedia as resource. From this article I learned more about what Wikipedia is and how it is operated. I feel that I better understand that Wikipedia is a good source to gain background knowledge on a specific topic, but it should not be the only resource used when conducting research. I feel it is important to check the validity of the information on Wikipedia with other resources on the same topic.

This article connects to other articles I have read about wikis. All the articles I have read have cautioned individuals about checking the reliabilty of the information posted on the wiki. Since anyone can publish and edit information on a wiki it is importan for people to make sure they are only recieving factual information. These articles have also discussed how wikis allow people to collaboratively work together to create an information resource on a topic.

This article connects to the broader world of clinical practice in that if I see research done by an individual and they have used Wikipedia as a resource I may be more skeptical to make sure the information in that article is reliable. I can also take the knowledge I have obtained about Wikipedia to do some editing of my own. As a SLP I will have knowledge about specific areas such as voice, articulation, language, etc. I could look up articles located on wikipedia and make sure the information on them is reliable. If it is not I could edit that information so that people are only recieving factual information on that topic.