Like many of you, I have been exploring Web 2.0 for the greater part of my adult life. As each new application came about, I became overwhelmed with trying to keep track of all of my resources. I began bookmarking them, but soon found that the bookmarks took over my internet toolbar. I knew there had to be a better way.
What tools have I explored? Fast forward a few years and cue Pinterest- the application that took away many of my nights and weekends. I loved "pinning" and storing my pins in an organized manor. It was also great that I could not only save the pins, but also add detail about them and tags so that I can easily retrieve the information at a later time. I have found Pinterest to be a great curating tool. I have also had great success with Feedly, especially with my post-graduate endeavor in my technology degree. Feedly allows me to keep up with the blogs of many of my classmates, along with articles that I would like to read. Apps like these are great because they are time savers. Although I enjoyed using these aggregation tools, I hadn't quite yet discovered an app that I was 100% happy with..
Why did I choose Flipboard? My quest went on for some time until a friend of my suggested I utilize an application called Flipboard. Have you heard of it? If you haven't, stop everything that you're doing and GO DOWNLOAD IT RIGHT NOW! I visited the website and downloaded the app. After a few short minutes, I was hooked. It was such a great way to keep track of all of my readings- a daily customized newspaper just for myself! The feature that I like most about Flipboard is it's visual appeal. Additionally, I like how I can add comments to make my pins more meaningful and organized.
Check out my final project topic magazine: Interactive Whiteboards. More to come!
How many of my sources are teachers or practitioners, how many are considered experts, do I have a balance? I have sources from researchers, teachers/practitioners, and also people not working in the field. I feel like I have a good balance but am searching for more "negative" reviews to help keep my research balanced.
Who else is using this tool and what do you like about they way they use it. What techniques/approaches will you include in yours? It seems as though Flipboard is being utilized by a variety of users- not just exclusively for educators. It has several topic areas (sports, cooking, music, photography, arts, etc.), and so it appeals to a wide audience. According to the app reviews, users like it's visual appeal, easy-to-use features, commenting abilities, sharing capabilities, and networking opportunities. My Flipboard will consist of research, studies, personal testimonials, opinions, and data on interactive whiteboards in the educational setting.
How will I look and find sources that will challenge me? A tool of Flipboard that I will utilize is it's ability to connect with the Twitter community. I will challenge myself to further explore this outlet. I sense a #interactivewhiteboard search coming soon! I will follow hashtags throughout my research.
New to Flipboard? Check out this great tutorial that I found via YouTube: