Final Course Post

What an amazing course! I cannot thank you enough, Lauren, for showing us such easy to use (not that I have good luck with technology!), time-saving tools. Those which have impacted me the most so far are the following: Zotero, dropbox, wordle, and the various ways to transfer/code/manipulate data with Audacity, ExpressScribe, Transana, and Weft QDA. Since I will be using Transana for my grant work, I was disappointed to have such trouble (my tech bad luck + the demo version) working with it in class; I hoped to gain a bit more understanding with it, but I am thrilled that I feel brave enough to get my own trial to play with before I have to actually use the program. I remain intrigued by the themes that can be used in Weft QDA, and think I will use that in the future; for me, it's another concept map like wordle--which, I must admit, is helping me hone in my research interests, as I have a folder full of wordles from my written doctoral work! Beginning the transcription and coding, though we only dabbled, gave me the glimpse that I needed to see and experience to give me confidence and a better understanding of the work that's in my future. I also liked creating this blog because it is not something I would have done on my own and now I know how to do it!

In terms of tools that were not helpful....I don't have a suggestion for what to cut because for me, at my technological level, the variety and overview fit. I enjoyed the variety and I liked that we could make choices on how to spend our time and with which tools.

I had no idea what to expect from you or myself during these five weeks; what a gift!! I also appreciate how you respected our time and the ease with which you structured the course. As my work will focus on older adolescents (grades 8-12), their literacy practices, and their teachers, I know that I need to stay/become current with technology as a general consumer and a researcher. I recommend this class to many and wish you the best in your dissertation work and career. Thanks again; I truly appreciate you and this course!

ATLAS.ti

ATLAS.ti has been recommended to me in the past, so I wanted to investigate it further. I must admit that I was pleased to understand much of the reading on CAQDAS (in the assigned article), yet I would not position myself as ready to make a decision; fortunately, I don't have my own data to analyze yet! In researching more on ATLAS.ti, I discovered the following:
1.  There is a free trial version to download. The main site is as follows: http://www.atlasti.com/
2.  Student accounts can be purchased, with some basic "proof" of student status. Students receive a 90% discount-the price is $99 (and the regular, individual license is $1800)! Also, an individual license can be located on two separate machines: handy.
3.  One may received an order quote without having to purchase: this quote is an instant PDF as well as an email. Because I am not interested in receiving information now, I did not submit for an "official" quote (however, see #2).
4.  While the required article shared that ATLAS.ti can support a host of media, I was not thinking nearly as wide as necessary! The link provided is an easy to understand brochure and one of it's sections lists the varying media supported: wow!  http://www.atlasti.com/fileadmin/atlasti/downloads/atlas.ti6_brochure_2009_en.pdf
5.  Transferring between projects is stated on the brochure (link above); knowing I would not need to begin from scratch is a good thought. I think this is in the case in many programs, yet I'm reminded that I want this capability in a program I choose.
6.  ATLAS.ti can be exported into SPSS! Again, the time saved and knowing that programs work across one another is crucial.
7.  ATLAS.ti is a German-created product and is use world-wide in numerous universities and colleges.  From the searches and reading I have done, it appears there is much support (built-in the program, free additional structures, systems administrator licenses for purchase, and through the "community" tab on the website (see #1): forums, newsletters, testimonials, contact us, etc...
8.  Text is used in an .rtf format.

Wordle and Zotero

As I enter my second year of doctoral work, I am still swimming in too many research interests; narrowing the focus so I can select a committee and ensure that my courses are a fit has been stressing me out for months now. However, thanks to wordle, I'm getting closer! Using what I'm learning in the digital tools course, I have taken three major steps: 1.) I have been organizing my documents/courses into dropbox so I no longer have my work on two computers and four flashdrives. 2.) I took my written work: final papers, book reviews, conference proposals, etc... from my first year of courses at OSU and put each into a wordle. WOW! Seriously, I can't even express how much perspective this is providing me and how many patterns emerged. The collages are remarkable; even the shapes and colors speak to me and remind me of my energy and passion that I put into the written work! Now that I have them, I plan to print off all my wordles so I can peruse them all at once; seeing my work and my themes is already giving me confidence to draft and send my advisor my research ideas. Though I have had such stress about it, I actually am feeling great about where I'm headed because I have a better grasp (and a quick glance) at where I've been!  3.) I created my zotero account and started my library. I have been adding resources to zotero as I search for sources, yet my main focus has been on understanding zotero and "catching up" with the resources I already have. As one may expect, I still need to transfer many of my pdf articles and other books (from last year's work) into the library, yet I am making progress. I am in awe at the speed of the reference page (and I even enjoy the minutia of APA!) and look forward to using this new tool as I write (and cite!). It's just remarkable to organize electonically and have what I need at my fingertips.

I admit that I am concerned that the technology (particularly zotero and dropbox) will fail and I will lose my information, but I'm powering ahead anyway. I share my new discoveries at least three times a week and truly feel like a finally have a handle on my electronic life. Organizing relaxing me and I'm thrilled with my new options!

Welcome

My world has just exploded with ways to organize my grad school life! Now, to find the time....