Blog Post # 12 – My Reflection

I had so much fun with this course. I never thought that I can achieved every assignment deadlines and comply with every assignment details and requirements. I find it hard at first as I tried to adjust with the topics discussed each week. I am also having a hard time with creating blogs on the first and second week. It is because I am not really fascinated with engaging online activities like blogging and connecting with other people in twitter, facebook and etc.

I had so much learning in this class. I would start with the importance of technology. We are now living in the 21^st generation and embracing change is a must in order for us to grow and survive. If I would stick to traditional way of learning, I will be surely left behind. Just looking at the brighter side of having all of these technologies make me feel and realize that these things have contributed a lot in my studies, knowledge and skills. I am proud to say that I have no passion in all of these things before I studied this course, but my whole mindset was changed and was turned the other way around. I am now more sociable with people and I can interact with my PLN in all of these social networks.

My plans after this course will still be the same as what I have mentioned in my previous blogs. I will use blogging as a means of obtaining information, acquiring knowledge and interacting with diversified group of people. In this way, I can be able to enhance my learning and at the same time gain experience from people with the same interest. I am really looking forward of how technology and its use will change my life, my career and my future. 

BLOG POST #11 -Creating a Wiki

My experience in creating my Wiki page is one of a kind. Difficult as it may seem to be, but as I try to look for video tutorials, read articles related to how will I start my Wiki page have given me sufficient knowledge in creating a wiki page for Dropr technology. If someone will ask me of what did I like about Wiki? I will personally share my experiences in developing my page that has given me new creative ideas especially of the use of Wiki in my profession and my future career. I like the idea of Wikispaces that allows students and teachers to participate in a group dashboard, share informative materials in class and continue learning through related articles posted and discussion forums made.

I had the best and frustrating thing about learning how to create Wiki. The best thing that I can consider learning I obtained from creating this activity is the “creative ideas” that should be implemented and integrated in every course of study. I believe that a typical classroom discussion, lectures, quizzes are ways of developing our skills and knowledge of our field of study. But to consider that we are living already in the 21^st generation, we need to adopt changes and embrace the use of technology. With Wiki page, the continuation of learning, the flexibilities of tools and functionalities can be used as a key for enhancing more the student’s capabilities. The most frustrating thing about creating Wiki is always about “time management”. Wiki has a user-friendly environment that almost all of its tools are the same with every other blogs and social medias. But managing my time in doing Wiki, reading articles on improving my page and watching youtube tutorials can consume most of my time. 

After I graduate, I will use Wiki as an extension tool of learning and professional development in achieving my desirable goals. I have given the idea of using Wiki as a page filled with articles, useful videos and effective instructional materials and resources related to achieving business success. I will personally create my own wiki and try to expand this with the help of social networks to meet people with the same area of interests. Also, allowing the flow of learning new things through discussion forums, contribution of articles related to business and a lot more. I am really excited of how Wiki can be used in achieving my success in the future and I will be glad to share my stories to other aspiring businessmen.

 

 

BLOG POST #10 – My Selected Technology

Dropr is a creative tool for creative people. I have mentioned in my previous blogs that Dropr is all about “Drop and Store” amazing tool that will help a lot of people. In Dropr, people will be given a chance to create a project according to their preference; it may be pictures, videos, and cool presentations or articles they have written. From the ideas of collecting those in one project will allow that person to share with their network of friends, professionals, groups and other blog readers about what they are doing and can share ideas from there.

What drew me to the tool?

The simplicity of website as I will just start with a blank page, creating my ideas and collecting information of what inspires me to create. The tool can be a way of helping me in my PLN stores my presentations, creative articles and useful videos about Business and Professional Development. I found this tool helpful because of the easy access features and I can link it easily to my blogs.

How are you going about learning the tool? 

In Dropr, I can find a lot of brilliant ideas from different people having same area of interest. For example, I can formulate my own techniques coming out from videos or articles I have read in every project I may go over with in the Dropr Website.

Teach your readers 1 thing about the tool. 

Anyone can easily adjust in using Dropr. Since its concept is all about “Drop and Store”, anyone can simply upload files from different sources, either from computer, social media profiles or even from their blog sites. If you wish to take a look on any concepts of other projects created by various individuals, you can just click the search button on the right and enter your desired topics.

How does it work in a PLN?

Here’s my plan: I am going to collect articles and videos related to my PLN and then create my own original project in Dropr. Connecting all my social media accounts and blogs that contain individuals, groups, and organizations I follow with, I can easily connect and share my ideas to them and acquire feedbacks on how should I develop the project further. With this plan I have, I can enhance my skills and learning about the field I have chosen.

BLOG POST #9 – Analyzing PLN

I focused on a group of topics that are useful for my PLN. It includes Professional Development and Business related topics that I believe would be useful in achieving my professional goals. For professional development, I have included topics on Enhancing and Developing Professional Skills through Developmental Process. I got this idea from the website: http://www.tlrp.org/pub/documents/HigherSkillsComm.pdf

Another topic that I will try to consider is business related topics for business professionals like for example, as what I have made, Business Driven Actions for Business related situations and Enhancing management and decision making skills. These topics I have chosen will give me a lot of information to discuss in achieving my professional goal of becoming a successful businessman in the future. Business Driven Actions for business related situation is a topic that will address how am I going to handle the business at its worst situation, considering the present resources, people and functions I have. Can I be able to handle and show professional ways of dealing business related issues? Well, I am excited to share some of the information to my growing PLN. Another topic that I will try to consider is enhancing the management and Decision0making skills. Of course a business professional, I need to develop my skills in managing the business and that includes how am I going to handle decisions that will increase company’s growth and development.

I have diversified group of companies in my PLN and it includes multinational companies like Apple, Proctor and Gamble, Nestle, Ford and a lot more. I have 10 companies to include in my PLN that will give me broader knowledge about business operations and current trends for business opportunities. I also have diversified people in my PLN lists that I have considered. It includes Business Icons like Prince Hamdan of Dubai, Tony Fernandes, Jeff Bezos, Larry Page that I consider influential business leaders of my generation. I will try to know what strategies they have used to attain success and how am I going to apply it on my own. I have 4 organizations in my lists, it include organizations like Association for Financial Professions, Saudi Bankers Association, International Association of Business Communicators.

 

 

Blog post # 8 – My Technology – Dropr

Dropr is my chosen technology. I really had difficulty at first in understanding the use of the website because I can only see gallery of photos and creative artworks. I then started exploring on Dropr’s tools by signing up. I found out that Dropr is a technology that can be used to compile and collect all your projects and portfolio in one place and share it to the world through social network connections that you have linked with your account in the website.

 

As the name implies, Dropr is a website where you can drop every piece ofo work, gather ideas from inspirational creative projects and portfolios of other users and then publish it as your final output. It can be noted that every work you will upload in the Dropr must come from your personal ideas, creativity and ability to engage in artistic projects and portfolios.

 

What are the things you can drop and compile in Dropr?

Mostly, Dropr is used for photo sharing, sketch, paintings, and video clips. But I would like to explore more on Dropr on how I can integrate creative write ups related to Business as well as establish my own instructional video clips inspired by the influential people I have collected in my PLN.

Dropr is an easy to use website. To start with, you just need to click the “+” sign, and create new project. You can add pictures, videos, texts and when you are done, you can simply click the publish button. With your social media connections, you can simply share it to the world with just one click of the mouse. You can even copy and link your profile’s portfolio to your other social media accounts to expand more your networks and to be known by other people.

A video link below is an informative clip about Dropr.

http://dropr.com/embed/slideshow/vwthTX

I will use Dropr as a collective tool to set up my own projected plans and goals in attaining success in the future. I am planning to create one of a kind project, connect and manage all my social network accounts, as well as publish it to my blogs and personal accounts.

Blog post #7 – Exploring Technology – the fresh experience

I have been wondering why this course requires me to create my own blog, establish my own social media accounts and develop my own Professional Learning network. I had the chance to take a glance on the first week of learning, which was challenging and filled with a lot of activities from blogging, twitter, LinkedIn and as well as introduction to the wiki page. I told myself that it would be a real challenge for me to explore deeper about social medias that I have never been before.

Blogging was the first introduced to us. I have heard a lot about blogging and read links of articles my friends are publishing through wordpress.com or blogspot.com. What makes blogging more challenging and interesting are the tools that you can integrate with it. It allows me to link videos, images and even other blog sites that I wish to include in my article. Another thing is that, blogging makes me more comfortable sharing my ideas and accepting positive and negative feedbacks about my articles. It paved the way to a better understanding of what technology really is.

Twitter and LinkedIn has given me opportunities to connect with my PLN and integrate learning from people or group that I consider very helpful in developing my skills and knowledge of my chosen area of interest. One example is the Global Forum on Business Driven Action Learning and Executive Development that is a community group devoted to promote enhanced learning and skills development in business. I had a lot of insights from these forums and there are links that allow me to explore more and maximize my capacity as a business professional.

The most awaited technology tool that I will finally discuss is the Dropr that I already started conceptualizing. It is a platform for creative minds that makes portfolios and projects in the website’s dashboard. It also allows interactions, messages and inspiration and are all stored in a gallery of the website. It also connects through other social medias such as facebook, twitter and etc, that simply makes you feel comfortable and hassle-free in importing your files.

 

Blog Post #6 – Growing my PLN

I have chosen The Global Forum on Business Driven Action Learning and Executive Development because it is a “community of practice”, involving participants from major companies and organizations from around the world, who, in a collegial spirit, discuss issues of concern and best practices in executive development and organizational learning. I believe that this group will allow me to explore on my chosen area of interest and that is Professional Business Development. I am fond of reading international forums that address Business issues and topics. With this Global Forum group, I am very sure that it will open up new ideas and concepts regarding how to develop my Business driven knowledge and enhance my professional skills.

I have learned from this group that many of the companies that utilize business driven action learning are those who also have a high respect for their people and who appreciate that learning often comes from the sharing of experiences in an open exchange, which in turn encourages reflection and practical application. The business world, and especially multinational companies, now shares a common view that is quite different from views held in the past. The numbers of companies using business driven action learning is clearly on the increase. That makes this group very interesting to me.

The link of the LinkedIn group is:

http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Global-Forum-on-Business-Driven 100924/about?report%2Esuccess=7T8LGdr_MmzpzdK9bVm9Yzvk8LO0S-gCSU3cngpH2oWHr1tuNIoSPHpgGnWJqVHtvzfPL1skjrQBDPtsWPpLx1v2VQ3CbIUsUYbQLJ5tF5p2e2t2qb9mNUX6tT9ybmtuN2OZRg3CH3Qunl0jq-OmqFnyXKp2eAUJ-VOZWzOu4LQwLVhJYxoPhYpHVKQEK20Tx49Kwdn65TWkZx081A9KNFXgA592xAYNXTmGtm

The person I followed on twitter is the crown Prince of Dubai, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum – @HamdanMohammed. I admire him for being one of the most influential leader, and at the same time, economic development official of Dubai. Also, as the new hereditary prince, he has recently appointed new key personal and financial advisors such as a global economist and a hedge fund tycoon from HN Capital LLP. He inspires me to become one of the Business leaders of my country soon and be equipped with a lot of learning as regards to business development as pretty seen on the economic development of his city, Dubai.

He is following his father, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and the World Economic forum. Aside from his father, most of his PLN are group page so I decided to follow the World economic forum. The main reason that I see of why Sheik Hamdan is following these two pages in twitter is because of the influence that he can get from them. I would not be surprised of why he is following his father’s page because it keeps him updated of the activities done by Sheik Mohammed. On the other hand, World economic forum gives him some insights of the current issues, trends and other topics about the world economy. These two influential PLN drives me to enhance my knowledge about economic development and strategies, most especially, business driven concepts.

Links of their profile are listed below:

Sheik Hamdan – https://twitter.com/HamdanMohammed

Sheik Mohammed – https://twitter.com/HHShkMohd

World Economic Forum – https://twitter.com/davos

 

 

 

 

Blog post # 5 – My Selected Technology

Dropr is a UK-based startup that’s striving to “build the first platform for all creative heads.” It has been available online for a little while already, but as it’s just leaving its beta stage, we thought we’d check it out. And from my initial discovery here, it does have an interesting proposition on its hands.

When you first sign up, you can either do so using your Facebook, Twitter or Google credentials. Or, you can simply create a fresh account within Dropr itself. Once in, you can also choose to connect with your existing networks, including Vimeo, LinkedIn, Flickr, SoundCloud, MySpace and Behance. This is not only designed to help with your exposure, but also to ease the content-importing process.

First up, Dropr has a pretty decent array of content on board, with portfolios and projects aplenty to feast your eyes on. From within your Dashboard, you can manage all your interactions, messages and inspirations. You can use the top navigation bar to filter your stream, or simply switch to Gallery View to see the inspiring stuff.

Dropr is an excellent technology to use for my PLN because it does not just build projects and portfolios, but also allow me to connect and be connected with other professionals, especially those individuals I follow and interact with. Aside from that, Dropr is very easy to learn and there are a lot of tutorials in youtube.com that can be used as a guide to know more about it.

Here’s an interesting video of how Dropr can be used on mobile phones: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVupP7heMH8. I hope you enjoy it! 

Blog post #4

I started to figure out the importance of blogging and other social media with their respective tools in learning and associate those in this course. I am not really familiar with these things that are the reason why I had difficulty in starting up and establishing my own account. Day by day, I tried to search and find tutorial videos on how to accomplish daily tasks assigned to each blogs and required information that I must follow. I admit that the first week was a huge adjustment for me knowing that I only stay in my computer for just 2-3 hours a day and does not deal more of social medias and how all those things work.

I understand that there is actually learning and a process of understanding and adopting change in education as I started this course. I acknowledge the importance of technology in learning and how blog sites like wordpress and twitter can be used as a tool of enhancing and developing my skills and nurturing my capabilities for my future career.

I started following people that are in line of my area of interest in WordPress.com and started subscribing through email updates. Business Learning Coach has given me a blast of information about how to become an effective manager in the future. I also started following professional development blog in wordpress.com that aims to further enhance my professional skills in critical thinking, analysis, problem solving and a lot more.

Hence, with the help of youtube tutorials in blogging and twitter, I started gaining knowledge about these sites and become familiar with their usage. I can see myself in the future being efficient in using these sites and someday utilize these to achieve my goals in life.

Adding People to my PLN (Blog post 3)

Looking for people to add to my Professional Learning Network (PLN) is not as easy as what I think. I realize that I need to narrow down my search to a more specific area of interest that I am passionate with. I look for some blogs found on Google and as I search the word “business learning blogs”, I found two blogs that is very informative. I am pretty sure that these blogs will help me improve my future career goals of becoming a competent manager and business leader someday. My field of interests includes business learning and techniques, effective management techniques, and professional development in business.

 

The first blog that I followed via email newsletter is the Business Learning Coach (http://businesslearningcoach.com) owned by James Grinnell, an Associate Professor of Management at Merrimack College in North Andover Massachusetts. The goal of this blog is to incorporate topics that are of interest to practitioners and write them in a way that is succinct, yet informative ways. I got some informative tips from this blog regarding handling pressures in work, how to become effective businessman, ways on improving management skills and a lot more. I believe that in choosing this blog, I can develop my skill further as a future business leader someday.

 

The second blog I found out was about business professional development  (http://izzyjustice.wordpress.com/) by Dr. Izzy Justice, the Founder and CEO of EQmentor Inc. He has over two decades of experience in the global management consulting business working at Deloitte Consulting,  Andersen Consulting, and the global health care IT leader, Cerner Corporation.  The blog was all about coaching and learning blog of the different field of business. It includes management skills efficiency, development and strategic ways in dealing with business problems in professional way.  I followed his blog here in wordpress and subscribed through email about his recent articles. What I found to be more interesting about his blog that I could relate to my PLN and my future career goals is the fact that he makes some connections about his articles to the readers that makes it more interesting and intriguing thing to read.