Thing 23

This class has given me the opportunity to explore many of the Web 2.0 tools available. Although I have been aware of many of the tools through workshops I have taken, I never took the time to explore them to any great extent. Taking this class encouraged me to make the time to try the tools. Being an on-line, self-paced class allowed me to complete the assignments on my time schedule. I found this to be a plus as a computer is usually not far away whether at home or at school. Having never blogged before presented the obstacle of what to say and how to say it. However, during the course of the last few weeks it has become comfortable to state my ideas and opinions. Also, the suggestions on how to comment on blogs and make a contribution was a good lesson to learn.

Since I teach computer classes, I have always viewed computer use from the perspective of the software. The Internet was incorporated into the class but not the main focus of the class. This class has made me realize there are tools on the Internet that students may already be using that could be incorporated into the classroom environment. Of course, this would depend on the district allowing student access to some of the tools that are now blocked.

As an educator, it is important to keep up with the latest trends. I feel fortunate to have had the chance to take this class as computer use is changing to incorporate Web 2.0 tools. This trend will become more apparent as teachers infuse more of these tools into their curriculum. I plan to continue to visit the tools already learned and to find a way to use them in my classes.

This class has emphasized that education is always evolving. In today's world the changes are occurring at a faster pace. Consequently, it is important for all educators to become aware of new methods and to incorporate them into their classroom for the benefit of their students.

Thing 22

Here is my wiki. I can see a use for a wiki in the classroom when there is a need to have collaboration on a group project. Being a member of a group and being able to see and to edit each other's work from different computers is a time saver. I have worked on too many group projects where the emails are flying or everyone is sitting around one computer trying to put a project together. A wiki is more fluid with the original information being changed or updated by members of the group as needed. A blog seems more static. Information is posted and a person can comment on it perhaps adding new insights but not changing the original post. Also, a blog is in chronological order with the comments following the post.

Thing 21

Although there are some very good wikis listed that have been created for classrooms, I still have difficulty as to how to use one in my classroom. I know that I would have to be more familiar with the entire concept before I attempted it with students. My concern is that students would be able to add or to alter other student's work. Middle school students are not always kind. What they believe to be funny could be perceived as cruel to another student.

At this time, I could envision using this with the staff. It would be a great tool to be used along with PLC meetings. Any document that needs to be created could be done in a collaborative manner among the members of that community. Plus there is an area for discussion. A wiki that I found which demonstrates this idea is entitled Web in the Classroom Wiki. It provides good web resources from many teachers.

Thing 20

Navigating EPN was easy. However, most of the podcasts that interested me were either nonexistent or dated. Podcast Alley was user friendly and had a good selection of choices. Subscribing through Bloglines was easy. I subscribed to Teacher 2.0. This had a selection of podcasts on e-learning tools, Internet sites, and Web 2.0 technologies. Each podcast is short and the site is updated on a regular basis. The easiest site to use was iTunes. The interface is user friendly. Subscribing did not present any problems. However, on iTunes I subscribed to more podcasts of personal interest rather than anything to do with education.

Thing 19

The first podcast I listened to was on Internet Safety. This podcast was an interview of Prof. Michael Quinn, Dean of Science and Engineering at Seattle University. He is the author of the book, Ethics for the Information Age. This interview discussed the use of the Internet from the standpoint of safety and ethics. He brought up some interesting points to consider:

• Technologist need to think about unintended consequences of new technologies.
• When should parents allow children to use certain technologies? Let kids be kids.

This interview was interesting, but beyond the scope of the age group I teach. However, this podcast could be used as a resource for me with the important points being restated to the student level.

The second podcast I listened to was What is Web 2.0? This podcast gave a description of Web 2.0 in contrast to Web 1.0. It also described how students would be able to use Web 2.0 tools in their schoolwork.

The information in the second podcast could be used to explain the Web 2.0 and its potential in education. However, the information seemed dated--maybe because I have been so immersed in this class. Keeping podcast information timely became evident to me.

The contrast between the two podcasts made me realize they have different uses. The interview was more entertaining as two people were talking and bantering with each other. The second podcast seemed more information based, like a lecture, as one person was talking. Also, to me using the computer involves the visual. It was odd just listening to someone talking and not seeing much on the screen. Using an iPod for a podcast makes sense as it is mobile and can be taken with you as you do something else.

Thing 18

Classroom use was obvious when using Slidehare. If a presentation already exists, there is no need to reinvent the wheel. A large amount of time could be saved by using this site. It offers a wide selection of presentations on a variety of subjects. By uploading your own presentation, the problem of emailing a large file is eliminated. Also, the presentation is available for use at all times. Due to the large number of topics, Slideshare could be used in my personal life to explore some topics of interest.

I choose a presentation on Copyright as this is an area that students often find confusing. The author did a nice job explaining the subject with a good use of graphics and color.

Copyright Basics

View more presentations from William Breitsprecher.

Thing 17

I tried a few of the productivity tools, but the one I liked the best was Remember the Milk--even the name seemed interesting. I am always looking for a new way to organize myself, and this seemed like a good tool to try. However, after listing the tasks I realized that it would be more effective to use this on a mobile device rather than just a computer. This is the type of tool that you would want to take with you. I did like the idea of sharing the tasks with someone else and reminding them to "remember the milk" on the way home.