UNGGD/PLE

Set up your Personal Learning Environment
You will need to use a blog (ie web log or diary) to keep all your notes, thoughts, communications, references and links for this subject all together in one place. A number of the assessment tasks will ask you to write a blog, or upload your assessment task (eg. video or audio file) to your blog. You will also share your thoughts with the class by tweeting your blog posts out to your fellow students. So in short - you need a blog and a twitter account and you need to link them together.

Create a blog, or refresh an existing blog if you already have one

If you need help getting started here are some resources to help. You can access the videos or text-based help (both below) according to your preference.

Watch the video, 'Getting Started' 

Watch the video, 'Navigate your Blog' 

If you prefer text-based help, please read this resource: http://firstsiteguide.com/blogging-intro/

Create a Twitter account

This is vitally important to this subject which strongly integrates technology. Twitter is our preferred platform for a number of reasons. As the subject progresses you will be able to converse with the teaching team and your peers by using the hashtag #UOWUNGGD. The hashtag allows to you filter and find tweets on a similar topic. Additionally, modern diplomats and UN and other organisational officials use twitter actively to promote their activities and link to key documents.Having a Twitter account will allow you to access these.

Instructions
 * Firstly, got to twitter.com and set yourself up an account.
 * When choosing a Twitter handle (your name), try to choose something short and sharp.
 * If you are worried about anonymity, use your student login, and delete it after the class.
 * Need help setting up your Twitter account? Here is the Twitter Help/Support homepage: https://support.twitter.com/ Check out the Getting Started section.

Below are three video tutorials aimed at using Twitter for learning. Video one gets you started, the second shows you how to find and follow experts. The last video looks at combining Blogging and Tweeting for learning.

Sign up to Receive some Blogs and Tweets

The United Nations, various UN bodies and many UN campaigns and officials have Twitter accounts, and so do many other global governance bodies, diplomats, politicians, non-governmental organisations and academics.

Use the search function in Twitter to find accounts that interest you, and select at least two to follow (relevant to the course). Here are some suggestions to get you started:


 * @UN


 * @UNDP


 * @UNrightswire (Human Rights)


 * @European Union


 * @ASEAN


 * @IntlCrimCourt

Get into the habit of visiting your twitter "feed" every day and follow links through to interesting material.

You may wish to write up notes on anything of interest as a post in your blog.