BP4_2009112_Research and Blog about Web2.0 Tools - Fawnt

Research and Blog about Web2.0 Tools


Assignment Instructions:
Research Web 2.0 Tools beginning with http://www.go2web20.net/ and choose one that is of interest to you in your teaching/learning environment. Learn how to use the tool through the site or tutorials and use it to create an assignment you might use in a learning situation or use it to create some product. Next evaluate what you have done and think about all the possible educational uses. Post a blog at least 250 words long describing how you would use it in your classroom and the educational benefits the tool provides. Be specific and thorough in your discussion.

Review Web 2.0 tools: Fawnt
http://www.fawnt.com/



I discovered Fawnt as an online font sample and catalog for almost 10,000 free digital typefaces. In the preview mode, a simple sample of the font name in the actual face displays just enough of the style and "personality" of the letterforms to direct a decision to investigate that alphabet in more detail. Every typeface also has a complete character map available, showing the detail of each letterform. In addition to a direct download for each face selected, Fawnt provides a true portal giving access to many different sources linking to each specific software manufacturer's site.


A classroom assignment would be to find several typefaces that fall into traditional letterform categories, such as serif, sans-serif, gothic, script, stencil, etc. The student would be able to screenshot the font names displayed in the actual typeface, and group the font name screenshots by similar letterform characteristics. This would allow the students to quickly get visually familiar with many different custom typefaces without downloading or purchasing them. They could also bookmark these faces online for further investigation or use in a project.


A more detailed project could ask students to find several typefaces with similar characteristics, and compare how each of these would most appropriately be used in typesetting and design. An example would be the seven different Stencil typefaces listed on Fawnt. Some are proportional while others are monospaced, some are very geometric while others have rough edges, some are very modern or futuristic looking while others evoke historical text of past eras. Recognizing and differentiating between these characteristics would be a valuable exercise for a student of graphic design or typography.

BP3_2009111_iGoogle-setup

iGoogle Home tab

iGoogle ARP tab

iGoogle ETC tab

My iGoogle page has been setup as a PLE (Personal Learning Environment) as follows...

• Home tab
• Facebook gadget
• Twitter gadget
• To Do List gadget
• optional Profile tab
• LinkedIn Gadget
• FSO tab
• Box Of Links gadget
• ARP tab
• Box Of Links gadget
• My Listy gadget
• Delicious gadget
• ETC tab
• Blogger gadget
• Google Docs
• Google Reader
• Google Bookmarks
• Box Of Links gadget
• My Listy gadget
• Flickr gadget

This setup given by the instructor is required to be a similar structure for all of the students in this class, although we can each personalize it by changing the colors/themes and adding additional widgets/gadgets. The recommended setup of specific gadgets in specific places in each student's Personal Learning environment ensures that they are consistent for review and grading.

It was interesting to see the use of the same gadget in different contexts, such as the Box of Links and My Listy. By repeating the insertion of these gadgets on different tabs, a separate set of information could be tracked and targeted for each section of the iGoogle site.

It was also interesting to see how many different versions of a similar-function gadget had been built. For example, there were several iGoogle gadgets for accessing Facebook, each of them with slightly different functionality.

The recommended setup is helpful, though not all of the required components are ideal for my personal use in this class. The Facebook gadget that was recommended to be inserted onto the Home page requires that the user be logged-in to a Facebook account elsewhere so that it can show the posts for that account. Because I have multiple Facebook accounts (for school, professional use, and family) this iGoogle gadget used is not able to differentiate between these in order to display only the appropriate school-related account. There are plenty of Facebook gadget options to experiment with and try out, but for now, we are all using the same one for consistency. Finding a more specific gadget to use for displaying Facebook will be critical for the continued successful use of this aspect of iGoogle after the class.

There are sections such as the FSO tab that are intended to be built collaboratively by the class during the semester. Information for other sections are to be provided by the instructor later, as described in the setup instructions.

This portal site is sure to evolve over time, and develop into an individualized Personal Learning Environment for me to utilize ongoing.

BP2_2009111_Google-Reader

Google Reader and RSS Feeds

Assignment Instructions: Research and choose five RSS feeds for educational purposes. In your blog, briefly explain why you chose each one and how it will benefit you in your profession.

To track current postings and gather more information about the Adobe InDesign topics I’m interested in, I’ve subscribed to live feeds and updates from the following blogs and forums:

• InDesign Secrets
• Adobe InDesign Forums
• InstantInDesign.com
• Quark vs. InDesign
• The InDesigner

Each of these feeds will provide current information about Adobe InDesign software and related developments in the graphic design and digital publishing industries. By being aware of news about InDesign software and how it is being used in the field, I will be able to incorporate any application updates into my research.


InDesign Secrets
www.indesignsecrets.com
This comprehensive information site by Anne-Marie Concepcion, David Blatner and others offers audio, video and text blogs on InDesign digital page layout topics.


Adobe InDesign Forums
forums.adobe.com/community/indesign
This software-application-specific forum hosted by Adobe Systems is the manufacturer's official site for InDesign user questions posted for review and comment.

InstantInDesign

www.instantindesign.com

This blog by Gabriel Powell contains instruction and tutorials for several production and design topics using InDesign.

Quark vs. InDesign
www.quarkvsindesign.com
This site created by Pariah Burke provides a forum for industry news and user comments about these competing graphic design layout tools.


The InDesigner
www.theindesigner.com

This video blog by Michael Murphy offers detailed instruction on InDesign design and production topics.

InDesign is software created by Adobe Systems.

See http://www.adobe.com/products/indesign/ for more information.

BP1_2009111_EDU-uses-for-blogs

Research online turned up many suggested uses for blogs in education. I'm listing the broad categories here, collated from many observations.

There are very different intents for blogging by STUDENTS vs. TEACHERS, as to what their purpose and who their audience will be. For example, while the entire web viewing audience may be allowed to view any blog, a Student audience target could be their instructors or their peers, while a target audience for Teachers may include students, parents, administrators, and other instructors.

Many of the blog intents could also be divided by either PERSONAL or PUBLIC; intended as a journal to track individual progress and insights, or used as a portfolio to display skills and experiences for others to view.

Practicing READING and developing WRITING skills are often mentioned as educational benefits of blogs. Because these aspects are inherent in the text-based format, this applies to written blogs but not video or audio formats.

In the context of learning, it is key to notice whether INFORMATION or OPINIONS are being posted. They may not be clearly labeled in the content. For example, this blog contains my personal observations and opinions, without structured data to back up the premises posted here. Both Information and Opinions are usable in educational settings, but verifying the validity is critical.

And of course COLLABORATION and SHARING are the buzzword features of blogs. Enabling comments so that a dialog between the author and readers can be established creates a two-way information transfer. Having the viewers participate makes them be contributing authors to the blog stream.