Blog #3: The Connected Educator, Chapter 5
Chapter 5 focuses on the use of digital tools and online platforms to enhance connected learning, leverage technology to foster collaboration, efficiently share knowledge, and connect with others beyond traditional methods. The chapter discusses that students need both hands-on and visceral learning to thrive, and explains that staying connected can create more engaging and personalized learning experiences. It is also mentioned that staying connected provides students with access to a wider range of resources than what their classroom alone can offer. Additionally, this chapter highlights the importance of utilizing online tools by emphasizing its role towards connected learning and its ability to contribute to larger, diverse communities of people.
The chapter reviews several of these digital tools and lays out an understanding of each, with examples of how to put them into action. These tools serve various purposes, for instance social bookmarking, tagging, and online storage tools help with archiving learning content you may need to reference in the future, improving organization and providing quick access to materials. Other tools, such as online journals, blogs, and digital portfolios are useful for documenting, networking, and collaboration purposes, promoting exchanges of knowledge from one another. This chapter also offers tips on how to manage your online reputation to help guarantee that your webpage is perceived as credible, and to guide you in consciously building your digital footprint. Reading the chapter makes these tools simple, accessible and user friendly for individuals of all skill levels, though it may require practice and research to be able to smoothly operate and to maximize them to your advantage.
Connecting what I learned from this chapter to my own career path in occupational therapy, I can utilize these web tools to benefit me in my future profession. In healthcare, documenting patient progress, and their treatment plans is critical. Using tools mentioned in this chapter, such as the online journals, can help me stay organized and track the improvement or decline in the conditions of my clients. Networking sites can expand my connections within the field, allowing me to collaborate with peers and learn from the expertise of others on a global level. Shared learning and exchanging information ensures that everyone stays up to date about the best methods and latest advancements, while providing diverse perspectives. Having a collective understanding minimizes possibilities of errors. Digital tools will not only strengthen my skills as an OT but can contribute to the collective growth of the entire healthcare field, ultimately improving the quality for all patients.
Using web tools to track patient progress is a great idea. It would be great if patients can see their own progress using a web tool along with their treatment plan.
ReplyDeleteIt was effective to highlight here the role of digital tools within connected learning. I really liked the point made about how these tools expand the access to resources even further than the classroom; that's something I've experienced too. I connected with you on the use of occupational therapy, especially the part about using online journals for tracking patient progress. Do you see any challenges with using these tools, like concerns for privacy? Also, can you tell me a bit more about how technology helps reduce errors within the healthcare system?
ReplyDeleteThis was a great response! You did an awesome job explaining how digital tools can enhance connected learners and specifically collaboration. This connection to occupational therapy and the use of online journals to track patients progress is such a great idea! My girlfriend is currently going to school to become an OT I will be sure to relay this insight to her!
ReplyDeleteGreat blogs post I really enjoyed reading it! I truly never thought about the idea of digital tools being used in a healthcare field and it is interesting to how different digital tools would work in that field. Thank you for going into detail and showing me just how important it is to use digital tools in healthcare.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading how you feel chapter 5 connected to your intended field of healthcare. I had never thought of how beneficial these tools would be in tracking patient progress and their treatment plan. Especially in healthcare it is very important to be accurate and efficient in producing and organizing patient information. I also think it would be very helpful for patients to also be able to use this web tool to see their progress as being in a hospital is very stressful and you always want to be aware of what’s going on in you’re treatment.
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