At this point, I am sold on Web 2.0.
OK, so maybe I'm not sold on it. There are many things I still have reservations about. At the tender age of 38, I am a self-proclaimed "fuddy duddy". I'm uncomfortable with the amount of information out there about us that is available at the touch of a button and I'm uncomfortable with the quality of a lot of the information out there. I don't want to be on Facebook (how ironic that I'm blogging about all of this). I like my privacy. That being said, I do think that there are a lot of good things about Web 2.0 and it is the world that we are living in.
Between this week and last week, I really have been astonished at the tools available to us (online and free for the most part). As a case in point, the timeline sites that we looked at were every bit as good as software like Timeliner. I used this software at the middle school and no longer have it available at the high school but now I can use a site like Timetoast easily. The resources that have been given to us in the syllabus plus the resources people have posted on the discussion board and in the Diggo account are phenomenal. I plan on going back and revisiting all of them in depth when the class is finished as well as rereading some of the articles.
I still do believe that technology is just a tool and choosing the right tool is crucial, whether it is a blog, ning or pencil and paper. I also believe that time constraints become more and more pressing. Every year it seems that we are expected to do more and more with less and less time. As educators we need to continue to ask for the time we need to explore new options and technologies, collaborate with other education professionals and plan quality lessons.
I also believe that as our world grows smaller through technology and the amount of information available grows exponentially, we need to do a better job of educating students on issues like cyber citizenship, privacy concerns and the importance of evaluating information. We need to continue to grow and change right along with the world we live in.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Sunday, October 4, 2009
lots to think about
This week's links and articles really got me thinking about all of the resources out there to utilize in the classroom. Just when it becomes overwhelming, I think about the TPAK model and striving to choose the correct tool for the educational outcomes we want to achieve. In fact, I'm meeting with a teacher tomorrow to try to revamp a project we've done before, using Web 2.0 tools: the first thing I'm going to talk to her about is what the ultimate goals of the project are in terms of what she wants the students to learn and demonstrate and then we'll take it from there.
A few thoughts on some of the different tools we've been talking about:
Diiggo- I'm really impressed by this social bookmarking site. I like that it allows you to not only bookmark sites but read and highlight and annotate. I'm also interested in the slide presentations that you can do with it. I'm going to have to spend some more time working with the site. As far as the Elluminate session went, I wasn't too sidetracked by the chat going on, I just ignored it. I've taken several webinars (using different software) and have been pleased with all of them. I especially like the flexibility it gives you in learning and professional development. Most of the courses I've taken have been on databases that I subscribe to in my library and I wouldn't have access to these types of professional development without the webinar option.
Podcasting- I've taken a class on Podcasting through our BOCES but have yet to develop a project with a teacher. I'd be interested in perhaps doing some audio book reviews to add to our library catalog (not technically podcasting). I think this technology works better for me as an additional informational resource to offer students when doing research. Although I wouldn't rule out working with a teacher on podcasting as a project outcome. I'm still puzzling through RSS feeds myself and need to play around more with them. It is pretty amazing the number of resources you can get through places like Itunes U.
Digital Storytelling- I'm very interested in working this into a few projects. I think it will be extremely motivating to students. As one of the other students said in our discussion, storytelling is as old as time but the technology is new. I do know how incorporating technology into a project makes students that much more interested. It's just a question of working with a few teachers to develop projects and picking one appropriate tool from the plethora available.
When I start to get overwhelmed by the amount of resources out there, I need to remind myself to start small: work with one person, pick one project, choose one technology that will best suit the outcomes of the project and explore from there. I don't have to do it all. One step at a time.
A few thoughts on some of the different tools we've been talking about:
Diiggo- I'm really impressed by this social bookmarking site. I like that it allows you to not only bookmark sites but read and highlight and annotate. I'm also interested in the slide presentations that you can do with it. I'm going to have to spend some more time working with the site. As far as the Elluminate session went, I wasn't too sidetracked by the chat going on, I just ignored it. I've taken several webinars (using different software) and have been pleased with all of them. I especially like the flexibility it gives you in learning and professional development. Most of the courses I've taken have been on databases that I subscribe to in my library and I wouldn't have access to these types of professional development without the webinar option.
Podcasting- I've taken a class on Podcasting through our BOCES but have yet to develop a project with a teacher. I'd be interested in perhaps doing some audio book reviews to add to our library catalog (not technically podcasting). I think this technology works better for me as an additional informational resource to offer students when doing research. Although I wouldn't rule out working with a teacher on podcasting as a project outcome. I'm still puzzling through RSS feeds myself and need to play around more with them. It is pretty amazing the number of resources you can get through places like Itunes U.
Digital Storytelling- I'm very interested in working this into a few projects. I think it will be extremely motivating to students. As one of the other students said in our discussion, storytelling is as old as time but the technology is new. I do know how incorporating technology into a project makes students that much more interested. It's just a question of working with a few teachers to develop projects and picking one appropriate tool from the plethora available.
When I start to get overwhelmed by the amount of resources out there, I need to remind myself to start small: work with one person, pick one project, choose one technology that will best suit the outcomes of the project and explore from there. I don't have to do it all. One step at a time.
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