Getting Things Done Reflection

I chose to organize my getting things done process using an app (‘To-do – Task Manager’ by Kenny Walker) on my iPhone. I was very interested in using ‘Things’ after being introduced to the tool in the “Mind Like Water: How to Get Things Done” podcast. I followed the link to ‘Things for iPhone and iPod touch,’ (http://culturedcode.com/things/iphone/) and watched the video explaining the app and was further intrigued. However, the cost of the app was not appealing to me. I decided to search for other task manager apps in the iPhone app store instead. I explored several of the apps and ultimately chose to start with a free app, ‘To-do – Task Manager’ by Kenny Walker. I chose an app for my phone over a paper/pencil or a computer software option because I always have my phone with me, and consistently having paper/pencil or my computer on me is not realistic.

Moving through the ‘collect, process, organize, review, do’ process for the first time was very time consuming; in addition it was really quite stressful having to think about everything that I need to do. I think that moving through the GTD process was a beneficial experience to have as it provided me with a new way to think about productivity, however I did not really enjoy spending the time going through each of the steps of the process. I would rather simply collect and organize the things that I need to accomplish simultaneously.

Honestly, I don’t think that the use of David Allen’s GTD process will help me. I think that the experience was beneficial as it opened my eyes to a new system of task managing. Currently, however, I feel that I don’t have anything to fix about my productivity. I think that I have great control over knowing the things that I need to get done and during what time period. I do not struggle with remembering or accomplishing tasks by their due date, and I do not see the need to think about the tasks ahead of me in a ‘collect, process, organize, review, do’ process. I may decide to return to the GTD process in the future if I feel that I am losing control over my organization and productivity, but it is not something that I see as helpful currently.

I do not plan on continuing to use the ‘collect, process, organize, review, do’ process, because of the amount of time that the process involves and I don’t think that I am unorganized. I feel that I have a pretty good grasp on the things that I need to get done, and don’t think that I need to spend time thinking about and organizing all of the things that I need to get done. Also, I think that inputting everything that I need to accomplish into a task manager and relying on such a tool will cause my brain to work less, and I want to utilize my brain rather than depend on technology. I do plan on continuing to use the ‘To-do – Task Manager’ app I have downloaded to my iPhone for assignment due dates for CEP 810 and any other big projects in my life, but I am not going to put every single thing that I need to do into the system. My process will also be more of a simultaneous collect and organize, as I will think about what I need to do and when I need to do it.

Social Networking

I first began using social networks while I was in high school, connecting with friends and family on Facebook and MySpace. I continued to use Facebook throughout college as I met many new people; I have also added Blogs, Linkedin, Pinterest, Twitter, and Wikis to my social network over the past few years. When I first began using social networks my main intent was for personal use, as I used Facebook and MySpace to socialize with others. Over time I began using social networks for more than my personal use, as I have used Blogs and Wikis through my courses at MSU to learn new information, share ideas with my peers and professors and to carryout discussions on diverse topics. Most recently I have been using Pinterest to obtain and share great lesson plan ideas, teacher resources, and activities to use with my students. I obviously also use Pinterest for my personal use as I share fun things to do, craft ideas, and new foods and drinks with my friends and family.

I think that my peers utilize the same social networks as I do; most of my peers are probably more active than I with their participation on Facebook and Twitter. In contrast, I think that I probably utilize Wikis and Blogs more than my peers who are not involved in education.

My current students are kindergartners, therefore many of the social networks I use are not a part of their everyday life. Some of my students do use Skype to connect with friends and family who do not live locally. My mentor teacher and I plan to incorporate Skype into the classroom by connecting with a current student who will soon be moving out of state.

My RSS Page

I am now using Google Reader to receive and view new information. I am subscribed to blogs and websites in the topics of deaf news, special education, teaching ideas, technology in education and many more. Here is a look at how I view information in my reader:

Traditional Web Pages VS Blogs: What’s the Difference?

Traditional web pages and blogs are actually quite similar, as they both can be used to publish information regarding any topic on the internet. There are only a few minor differences between the two. One difference between blogs and web pages is the main page; the main page of a blog is ever-changing, while the main page of a web page may remain the same for long periods of time. Another difference between blogs and web pages is the way that information is organized. Blogs are organized by blog posts; each entry has a title and a body, posts are organized in chronological order, the most recent post is near the top of the page, and all posts are archived. A web page does not necessarily have information organized in chronological order, or even include information that can be organized in that manner. One other difference between blogs and web pages is what viewers can do with the information presented. Most blogs allow viewers to comment on posts, which creates discussions and helps viewers to build relationships with a blog creator. In contrast, a traditional web page is simply meant to be viewed, and most do not allow comments or posts by their viewers. In summary, an individual interested in sharing information will choose a web page or blog presentation format based on how they want their information to be organized and how they want viewers to interact with their information.