The web has made it possible for us to learn just about anything whenever we want, but most of us do not have a good way to capture, document, make meaning, and share with others what we learn online--even when it is extremely relevant to our interests, career, or university degree.
Knowit (http://knowitapp.com/) is a new tool that makes it easier to document and share what you learn online.
Let's say you're really interested in ecology. Unless you majored in ecology at college--and even then--you probably don't have a very concrete way to show exactly what you know and how you learned it. You might have a few ecology-related books on your bookshelf at home, you probably shared interesting videos like this one in an email, on Facebook or Twitter at some point in the last couple of years, and maybe you’ve even started your own garden and helped others do the same.
But...
What would you say to a friend, academic institution, potential employer, or client who wanted to know how you knew so much?
- Save
Save that TED Talk on pollen, and categorize it under “flowers,” “ecology,” and “forensics.” - Record
Record your thoughts on posts from blogs you follow like Garden Voices and Plants are the Strangest People. - Remember
Remember that your first got interested in ecology after reading the Wikipedia article on Richard Evans Schultes. - Discover
Discover an interesting new resource such as the Cornell University Horticulture Department by keeping up with the things other Knowit users are learning. You can subscribe to people who share your interests and see where they find the best information. - Claim
Show the depth of your understanding by “claiming” the blog post you wrote reviewing Richard Evans Schultes’ biography, the video tutorial you made to teach others how to start their own garden, and even pictures you took of the plants in your own greenhouse. (“Claiming” means you created the content on the page.) - Vouch
One of the most potent signals of your skills and knowledge is another person’s willingness to vouch for you. On Knowit, people can recommend you in the specific categories where you shine the most, and you can vouch for them as well.
You can revisit your archive of articles, videos, podcasts, thoughts, and creations you saved on Knowit to get a better picture of what you know and even discover surprising relationships between what you've learned. So, when you want to show someone how you got so smart, now you'll have a place to send them.
It's free! Just go to http://knowitapp.com to sign up.
Knowit was created by Jeff Huber and Nash Yielding. Jeff studied Economics and Industrial Engineering at North Carolina State University. He is also interested in lifestyle design, photographing the human condition, primal living, living an intentional life, and becoming a Renaissance man. Nash studied International Development and the History of Science at NC State. He is also interested in psychology, international development, financial markets, lucid dreaming, and the edible landscaping.
Lisa Nielsen writes for and speaks to audiences across the globe about learning innovatively and is frequently covered by local and national media for her views on “Passion (not data) Driven Learning,” "Thinking Outside the Ban" to harness the power of technology for learning, and using the power of social media to provide a voice to educators and students. Ms. Nielsen has worked for more than a decade in various capacities to support learning in real and innovative ways that will prepare students for success. In addition to her award-winning blog, The Innovative Educator, Ms. Nielsen’s writing is featured in places such as Huffington Post, Tech & Learning, ISTE Connects, ASCD Wholechild, MindShift, Leading & Learning, The Unplugged Mom, and is the author the book Teaching Generation Text.
Disclaimer: The information shared here is strictly that of the author and does not reflect the opinions or endorsement of her employer.
