Networked Learning Final Post

For CEP810 we were asked to learn something new using strictly youtube videos or help forums. I chose to learn to curl my hair, as this is a skill I’ve always wanted to have but never seemed to find the patience to learn. Overall, this project was a success for me! Though curling my hair will be a skill I need to continue to master, I have grown at least enough to curl my hair and go out in public which is vast improvement!  Here’s my video (with such a flatter still 😉 ):

I really enjoyed learning online! I found that videos are much more helpful for me than how to websites or help forums. Descriptions can only do so much, but being able to see what I need to do helped me be much more successful. Some videos that were helpful to me were the Sam Villa Curls Tutorial and 5 Easiest Ways to Curl Your Hair. Both of these gave multiple ways to curl, so I was able to watch for a while and pull some different techniques. While I didn’t find many how to or help forums very helpful, I did really like this Buzzfeed article to help with some small tricks to help me improve my skills.

I will definitely use this approach in the future! I’ve actually been wanting to try using a real camera and learning some photography skills for a while and I just purchased a camera from a friend this week. When I asked him if he would help me learn, he said the best tool to help will be youtube videos! I’m glad I had the opportunity to learn a skill mostly by videos so I know how simple and helpful it is. It’s kind of crazy that I had never done it before now for myself, because I have used youtube to help my dad change oil in an unfamiliar car and when my students ask how something works in the classroom. I will definitely encourage my students to ask for help learning things in this networked learning approach, but because they are so young I would encourage them not to explore youtube independently quite yet. Realizing this, I also want to be sure when I use youtube in the classroom to be more transparent with my students on why I chose a certain video or how I know that it is appropriate!

Thanks for following me on my journey!