Wolken's World

Looking Back I was telling a friend recently about my MLIS journey. When I told her about having to blog for the assignments in my current class instead of posting in a LMS, she gave me a huge eye roll and said, “Eww! Why?” I giggled at her then told her how fun it was. I told her that I love the uniqueness and creativity of it. I told her how adding pictures and gifs were so easy and added so much to a post then just a boring Canvas post.  Looking back, I have enjoyed taking this class immensely. I never took a class where I spent so much time evaluating myself. Starting with the SAMR post, I learned a lot about how I use technology and how my students do as well. As I move forward as an educator, I can continue to check in on the SAMR model to see how I am doing. I really loved mapping my digital usage. I thought I would be a resident but I am mostly a visitor. I enjoyed reading about my classmates' thoughts as well and wonder if I will become a resident after taking this course?...

Artificial intelligence (AI) is like teaching your computer to do human things—except it never complains it’s tired or needs coffee breaks! From recognizing your voice to deciding what videos you binge-watch next, AI is that smart friend who knows everything ... and sometimes a little too much. When I started looking into AI, I had no idea that personal-use AI tools such as ChatGPT and Gemini store data. That is troublesome for educators and many businesses. It doesn’t really make sense why anyone would put personal data into a ChatBot but I’m sure it happens. I have used AI a little bit since I started my journal for my MLIS, however AI has been changing the world by leaps and bounds. AI enables machines to automate complex tasks, enhance efficiency, and provide intelligent solutions across industries like healthcare, education, finance, and more. Here’s a few AI tool I explored: ChatGPT - When I first found out about ChatGPT from my husband, I was instantly blown away. My Image Sourc...

Sharing personal info online is like leaving your front door wide open with a neon sign that says, "Come on in, free Wi-Fi and snacks!" Hackers, scammers, and nosy strangers might take a little more than just your Netflix password. From identity theft to cyberstalking, things can go downhill fast. I’ve always been told that “Less is More,” when it comes to my digital legacy. I’ve tried hard to delete my profiles and remove my name, however after taking a deep dive into searching for myself, I realized a lot of info about me is public knowledge. Most people talk about their “Digital Footprint,” and how it’s hard to erase, but footprints are easily washed away. A slight drizzle of rain or a gust of wind and a footprint is gone. One thing that is not so easily removed is a tattoo. Now think about your Digital Tattoo and what information will be there forever. I recently did a deep Internet dig of myself. More than just a Google Search to see what the Web knows about me. I search...

At the beginning of the 3rd year of teaching, I had my first daughter. She was born in July, so we spent many days outside just walking. Well, I walked, and she was in the stroller. I loved our time together. I remember one particular day when I was extra sleepy and needed some caffeine. We walked to the Starbucks right down the street from our condo in the West Loop. This particular coffee shop was always very busy. As I approached, I remembered there was a step up and I was wondering how I was going to maneuver with the stroller. But I have gone on and off curbs with ease so, no biggie. But then, the door. The big, heavy, glass door that was hard to open. I realized there was no push-to-open-activation switch. I must have looked ridiculous trying to go up a step, open the door, hold on to the stroller, and walk inside. Once I got in no problem. I ordered. I left. But now I had hot coffee. Without too many details, it wasn’t easy or pretty. I did get out of the store with my baby and ...