Digital Tools
#DigPINS embraces an “internet as platform” approach to digital tools meaning that the whole internet is the platform. We mix and match and play with a bunch of different tools – here is an overview of a few we often use.
Home Sites
Each school typically has a home site for weekly content and blogging. Some schools may use this template for content. See the blogging section below for more about blogging.
Slack –
Slack will be our main communication tool and backchannel – meaning that we are only give access to those who have participated in #DigPINS this year and in the past. You will need an account which will be invited to via an email from one of the facilitators.
You will stay most connected if you download the app for desktop and mobile device and turn on notifications or at the very least login once a day to read what is going on. You should establish access to Slack by the beginning of week 1.
To help those who are new to slack Taylor Jadin (facilitator at St. Norbert College) created a quick video to overview some basics. Not everything could be fit into this video as Slack has a lot of features but this should get you started. Reach out to your facilitator if you need help or have questions on using Slack!
Email –
In the beginning of #DigPINS you may receive a few emails to get things started but most facilitators try to move away from email and to Slack for communications as we progress.
Blogs –
As part of developing a digital identity participants are asked to write public blog posts as well as reflect on others who are blogging about #DigPINS. During Week 0 you will receive an email invite to claim an author account on your school’s site. You should claim your account and access the blog prior to week 1.
Blogging is about more than just writing posts; it is also about connecting with others who are posting about similar experiences. Our partner schools will be blogging on their own hub sites but we have set up a “discussion hub” that actually pulls all of the posts from all four partner schools into one place!
Throughout the course participants are encouraged to join in on live Twitter chats with some established online communities, as well as the ongoing asynchronous conversation using the hashtag #DigPINS. You may want to wait to establish your twitter account till after week 0 or week 1 if you are still considering aspects of “digital identity”. Feel free to talk about ideas for twitter handles and how to use twitter on Slack in community with others if you are unsure.
Hypothes.is –
Hypothesis is a social annotation tool for the web and digital documents. You will need an account which you can sign up for on the Hypothesis website and a browser plugin is optional. This tool allows us to collectively mark up a text that we are all reading in-line with comments, questions, and even video and images. You will be prompted to create your account during the week that we will actually use Hypothes.is
Sync Video Calls
Typically facilitators organize a synchronous video calls a few times throughout #DigPINS and often invite special guests. You will need a camera and microphone to be able to participate; this could be a webcam on your computer or a smartphone/tablet. You will also need a strong internet signal to connect though many of the providers also allow for a phone call to connect – though this only allows for voice communication. Some sync video platforms are Zoom, Google Hangouts, Skype, and others. The platform will be announced when the call is announced.
Calendar
Often facilitators send out calendar notices for synchronous events.
Week 0 focus areas
Week 0 is broken up into four pages –
The Overview Page – What is this all about?
Participation – What does it mean to participate in a connected learning experience?
Time and Structure – What is a connected learning experience?
Digital Tools – (Psst… you are on the Digital Tools Page)
