Chapter 5 Is My Favorite Chapter

 

Hey, I want to use these resources!

 

There is something about the term “free resources” that has me raising an eyebrow in the present day. Virtually no resource on the web is free anymore with the primary exception to the rule being Github. The Connected Educator leans into providing resources to a moderate to a low degree of accessibility. As I have stated in a previous blog, a good chunk of the book’s recommendations are no longer active or searchable on Google. It is to be expected with an older text and the frequency of change in the internet that resources that were once available will migrate or change. I believe one way the authors could have combatted this issue is with an update to the text with new lists of active resources.

Image by Kenny Elison of Unsplash

 

Behold, to my surprise, chapter five introduces a website with resources from many educational texts, including The Connected Educator. Solution Tree, as provided by the text, indeed has lists of resources per book, with one caveat you must register to access the links. Out of curiosity, I examined the links on the website to see Lani and Sheryl’s Twitter accounts but since I’m not registered with the website the links refresh the page if clicked.

 

Image by Annie Spratt of Unsplash

But, I was not going to give up! Since this chapter is packed with resources, and websites that act as bookmarks for other resources, I was going to continue my search to find active sites to view and summarize. I ran into trouble with the first one, delicious. The website known as delicious.com, which I discovered was once stylized as del.icio.us, is no longer running. I found a blogger’s response to the transfer, and ultimately pre-shut down, of the website that summarizes my views perfectly.

 

“First of all, it’s nonsense. This is a perfect example of why I refrain from using as many 3rd-party services as possible. It’s not the website’s fault for removing major functionality. Somehow, somewhere, someone thinks it’s a good idea to remove bundles, delete tags and disable navigation…

So now that Yahoo is finished doing nothing with Delicious, they’ve sold it to the founders of YouTube, who now seem determined to make the site less usable and more like every other overly simplified social-media site. … But I absolutely will drop Delicious like a bad habit if at least basic-level functionality is not restored.” – Jeff Starr of Perishable Press

 

Like Jeff, I am not a fan of signing up for multiple third-party services. Ultimately, third-party websites are sold or closed down at any time with or without warning. The process of recovering my lists of data or saved pages and info from a shuttered site is time-consuming, exhausting, and an overall mess. Diigo, an alternative social bookmarking site listed in the book and Starr’s blog comments, is still up and running as of today. Although, as a personal preference, I use my browser’s bookmarks, Excel or Google Sheets, or Github due to the userbase being in the tech sector. On the subject of Google Sheets, I was happy to see the authors recommend Google Docs as a form of sharing and collaboration.

The chapter also details blogs, microblogs, RSS feeds, podcasts, social networks, and Wikis. As a part-time casual gamer and casual anime consumer I second fandom and wiki pages as a great source for information, tips, and tricks. My personal favorite is the Stardew Valley Wiki. 

Image by ConcernedApe from Stardew Valley Wiki Page of Wikipedia

Since I’m deeply critical of the book’s aging resource list, I pass the following questions on to my fellow classmates and bloggers.

 

What resources do you use in your online day-to-day?

 

Where do you get your news?

 

How often do you double-check active or accurate resources in your day-to-day?

 

What’s your favorite Wiki?

 

Nussbaum-Beach, S., & Hall, L. R. (2012). The connected educator: Learning and leading in a Digital age. Solution Tree Press.

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