Week Three Rantings

               Week three Rantings

This entry into the blog world I will explain where I fit into the technology world as it relates to teaching and the use of said technology.  Using the Technology Integration Matrix from Florida Schools (TIM) (The Technology Integration Matrix) I will explain and give examples that show how comfortable I feel in the technology field.

               First I must tell you that I am not a teacher and do not teach professionally, but I do enjoy helping others that need a little help to get started or to get over a speed bump while looking for an ancestor.  Technology can be a wonderful tool for an adventure into your family tree.  I have been using a computer and the internet for about 20 years to search form my relatives.

               On the matrix from Florida Schools, I would fit into the transformation category.  I use websites, software, and apps to search my ancestors and I also highly encourage others to do so.  Without the help of websites such as Ancerty.com (Ancestry.com, 2014), Ellis Island.com (Ellis Island), the genealogy library at Brigham Young University (BYU Family History Library, 2014), and the database of the Latter Day Saints (Family Search, 2014) most people would not get very far in their search.

There is a wealth of information and thousands of surnames in these libraries and with help of computers and software, they are all just a key stroke away.  I use Family Tree Maker (Family Tree Maker® Deluxe, 2014).  This software allows you can work off line as well as online.  A sample page and empty pages come with this software for you to fill out and keep as a pen and paper back up, if you prefer.  There is also an app for mobile devises from this company.  The mobile app comes in handy when searching at a cemetery, where a desktop may not be available.

Websites, software and apps can come in handy to help with some of the legwork on the journey into the lives of our ancestors.  Do not be afraid to use them, they are here to help.

Until next time,

Michelle

References

(n.d.). Retrieved June 22, 2014, from Ellis Island: http://www.ellisisland.org/

(2014). Retrieved June 22, 2014, from Ancestry.com: http://www.ancestry.com/

(2014, March 18). Retrieved June 22, 2014, from Family Search: https://familysearch.org/

BYU Family History Library. (2014). Retrieved June 22, 2014, from Brigham Young University: http://sites.lib.byu.edu/familyhistory/

Family Tree Maker® Deluxe. (2014). Retrieved June 22, 2014, from Nova Development: http://www.novadevelopment.com/software/ftm_deluxe-501078?rs4=NO_US_PPC_0514&cc=GOOG&gclid=CjkKEQjww6SdBRDls9vxsf7EoM0BEiQART_xPmqobDyLAFIfnIozUuK1GVZi3X6KjBUR61ErZNAOWOPw_wcB

The Technology Integration Matrix. (n.d.). Retrieved June 22, 2014, from Florida Center for Instructional Technology: http://fcit.usf.edu/matrix/matrix.php

journal week one

The Beginning

This is a new format for me. I have never written a blogg and do not subscribe to any on a regular basis, but as a requirement for my class...well, here I go!

I will attempt to relate the assignment to my life and hobbies. Genealogy has been a hobby of mine for over 20 years and I would love to make it a career. Technology has helped make my, and other genealogists', life much easier and more difficult. The invention of paper, books, radio, television, and the Internet the search for long lost relatives has been a blessing as well as a curse.

Paper, books, radio, television and the Internet helped to make the world a little smaller with each step into the era of a new technology. Yes, these were all wonderful achievements that brought us all a little closer and were a wonderful way to share information faster than the previous way, but technology also has a down side, where the search for accurate information is concerned. I am one who feels it is necessary to have documentation, proof in hand of lineage. Technology is now affordable to most of the world and I have found that in searching for my ancestors that everyone is not as conscientious as I am about accuracy.

When doing a search on an Internet site, subscription or free, you must be very careful of dates and names. The Internet allows us to search other family trees, but it is only as accurate as the person putting the information together. It is very easy to see a familiar name and assume that the person they have is the person you are looking for. Yes, I have done it too. I don't know anyone who hasn't. You have been up for days looking for the next name in your line, a parent, spouse or sibling, and you see a similar spelling with a similar date. Whether it be the excitement or weariness you must stop and check the accuracy. Sometimes names are spelled phonetically and don't look like the name you are looking for, especially in early census reports. The bad habit of copying someone elses' tree without checking and rechecking can lead you to not your own, but someone elses' ancestor. Remember, the information that you found is only as accurate as the person who posted the information.

Old family bibles can be of great importance. These were written before the Internet by those who cared about lineage and tend to be more true to dates and name spellings. Cemeteries, local churches and county offices can hold a wealth of information that tends to be more accurate that someones memories.

Please remember, as you venture into the past, that technology can be your friend or your foe. Use the advances in technology and the written accounts, but which ever you are looking at, please, check and recheck that you are on the right path and not in a neighbors back yard.