Thing 23: Reflection

This has been an amazing adventure. Before I took this course, I was a little leery and fearful of all of these Web 2.0 tools. As an adult, these new tools can be a little intimidating. What I've learned is to just jump in. I can't believe how easy the tools are to use, and I know my students would love them. As educators, we all struggle with keeping students engaged. Technology is the best hook, because it is interacting with them on their level and in many cases, in their preferred method of communication. I know we are in a different world. Web 2.0 is making information fluid and flexible. I liked the phrase in the video "Web 2.0 is linking people." I think that's very true.

Based on my experience here, I would like to experiment with incorporating Web 2.0 into my instruction and sharing my experience with other teachers. However, I think I need to take baby steps. I'm still concerned over Internet security, and I have a responsibility to my students to keep them safe. I also think use of the Internet and Web 2.0 tools raise many other issues such as digital citizenship and media literacy. It's amazing (but also a little scary) that anyone can post anything on the Internet. In the past, things that were published had an inherent authority. In other words, a reader could trust that the information was reliable. Now, students must be trained to be critical of information they come across. They need to take further steps to ensure that it is accurate, reliable, timely. They need to also be away of copyright laws and basic digital citizenship. These topics are not being taught in all areas and need to become part of our curriculum if we expect to use the Internet effectively.

My big "take aways" from this experience are that I can be a part of this Internet world. It is not as overwhelming and complicated as I once thought it was. I also am more aware of my students and will be more attuned to their preferences after participating in this course. I hope to try some of these things in my class to enhance my instruction and hopefully reach my students on a different level with more engagement and a 21st century learning environment.

Thing 22: Edit a Wiki

I'm surprised how easy it was to set up a Wiki. Again, I think this would be a great tool for classroom resources and just sharing information with students. I think a Wiki is different from a blog in that a blog seems to be more one-way. For example, a teacher could send information via a blog to students and parents, but a Wiki seems more collaborative. Students could add to a Wiki and the site could develop based on the interests of the students and the resources they find to share. Here's my Wiki... Over time, I can add information to it, but at least it's a start!

My Wiki is called MathRules123.

Thing 21: Wikis

I have just started using Wikis this summer, and I think they are a great tool for collaboration. I could envision setting up a wiki for a particular class where students could access resources, view presentations, share work, etc. I like that they are (or can be) a closed Internet site, so only invited participants can view the wiki. I really liked the Westwood School Wiki -- it is obvious that this tool is really used by students and teachers alike. In terms of hurdles, I am always concerned about students who do not have Internet access at home. I also wonder if some parents might not like sharing student work via the Internet and signing up. I think parents would have to become educated about wikis. I know it is easy to say that students who don't have Internet access can come in before/after school or visit the library but often this is not a reality for students in this category. I still think it is something to be explored, and I can see upper level students (high school and college) really taking off with this powerful resource.

Thing 20: eBooks

I have mixed feelings about eBooks. On one hand, I don't really like them. It may sound silly, but I enjoy the smell of a book; I like turning the pages and seeing how much I've read. Reading from a printed page is very different from reading from a computer screen, and I prefer to read from a printed page. On the other hand, I cannot dismiss the fact that eBooks allow more people access to books and information. I can see how they could be used for a class. For example, if there is a particular resource that all students must read, sometimes there aren't enough copies in the library. Or, some students may not find the right resource. By putting them in an online eBook library, all students will be able to access the right information. I was disappointed that we don't have any books in the database for JWMS. Some of our middle school students would really enjoy eBooks!

Thing 19: Screencasting

I found this a little intimidating at first but quickly learned how easy it really is. I am a Mac user, so I thought I'd try screenr. This tool is absolutely amazing. I picked the topic of how to add a hyperlink to a blog (or wiki) post, because this is something that I just learned how to do today (guess I'm a little behind the curve). Nevertheless, I was able to capture my screen and show my viewers exactly where to click and what to do.

In my classroom, this would be great for showing students how to access online tools. For example, our Pre-Algebra textbook has a lot of great self-check quizzes, a page navigator and sample tests, but students often have a hard time finding these tools. This would be a great way to show them exactly how to do it from their home PC. This was a great tool to learn - thanks! Anyway, Here's what I came up with...

Thing 18: Podcasting

I have actually participated in podcasting before. I once viewed a professional development workshop via a podcast. This was great, because I could watch the presentation when it was convenient for me. I could also stop the presentation, go back and take notes as I went along. I enjoyed exploring the podcasts in the links that were provided. I found a few in particular interesting. For example, I have a SMARTBoard in my classroom, and I am always looking for new ways to use it. I liked the SMARTBoard tutorial podcasts like this one found on the Educational Podcast Directory. I also liked the Dictionary.com podcast Word Explorer under Podcast.com. I think it was neat how they explained various literary devices. I could see this being used in a Language Arts class. I also liked the podcast Things You Should Know. I think some of these podcasts would be fun to show in a Science class.

Thing 17: Presentation Tools

There were many cool presentations out there! I could really see this for any discipline. I saw a presentation on amazing math tricks... many science presentations... and even a few for social studies. I think this is an interesting idea for education. I think it might be interesting to show a presentation canned as is, but it might not fit the topic/audience specifically. It might be a good tool to share with other colleagues -- not just in your school but in your discipline. Oftentimes, PowerPoints are large files which make them difficult to email. This would be great for sharing.

I choose this PowerPoint for two reasons. First, I enjoy photography -- both taking pictures and enjoying them. Second, I think it's really cool to show students other parts of the world and always encourage them to take note of the beauty in the world around them. Out of the classroom, this would be great to provide access to PowerPoints that may have been presented when a student was absent.

Beautiful Earth

View more presentations from jaimelavie.

Thing 16: Time to Explore

I heard about a new Web 2.0 tool called VoiceThread and decided to give it a try. I was amazed at how easy it was. I usually spend quite a bit of time with a tutorial before trying something new. This time, I decided to just jump in and try it. I was surprised how easy it was to add images from the Internet and comment on them. I think students would really have fun with this. They could create a VoiceThread on a particular subject instead of creating a PowerPoint, for example. This could be shared with other students.

Thing 15: Exploring "Cloud" Tools

I really like the idea of using Google Docs for student group work. Of course, all students would need to have access to a computer and an account (I think). I'm not sure how students would feel about having their peers be able to edit their information. I'd have to experiment with that. I am also not sure how parents would feel about this. Many do not like group work already, so I imagine some would definitely not like other students to edit their child's work. Maybe I could start out just giving access to viewing and see how that goes.

Personally, I am using this for another course I'm taking. A form was created by my instructor, and I use the form to write Literature Reviews. My instructor looks at my responses that are put into a database and gives me feedback. It's been really great so far. I also like that the database is searchable, so I can sort my information and find things easier.

Thing 14: Social Networking

I continue to be apprehensive about social networking. Many people in my family use Facebook regularly. I signed up but do not post very often and am very careful about what I post. After reading the articles that were included in this "thing," I have changed my profile information even further taking out more personal information. As an educator, I would not be comfortable "friending" any of my students on Facebook. I may be careful what I post but oftentimes I can see posts of friends of friends, and I would not want my students to be able to see a post that wasn't from me. I also think that students need to be educated about the dangers of these sites, as many students give personal information without even realizing it.

Thing 13: Delicious and Diigo

After learning about both social bookmarking services, I decided to join Diigo. I really like that I am able to interact with the text on a website to highlight, post a sticky note, etc. I also like that I can just read the highlights at a later time. In my role as a classroom teacher, I could see using this type of service to have my students visit websites that I direct them to and then they could highlight key information. Highlighting is a skill that many students have trouble with. I could go online and see what their highlighting and we could use this information as a classroom discussion. I could also ask them to search a particular project and have them bookmark sites. We could share these as a class and use the information for a class project.

Thing 12: Tagging & Social Bookmarking

I have often used "Bookmarks" as a way to remember websites that I think are useful. Unfortunately, there are times when I cannot access my bookmarks. For example, I have several bookmarked websites at home that I cannot access when I am at school. I really like the idea of having my bookmarks "tagged" on the Internet so that I can access them from any computer. I also like the idea of including tags, so I can organize my bookmarks. I can include tags by subject area or even topic (as could be the case with a math lesson or time period in history). This would be so helpful to share with my teacher colleagues. The only issues with tagging might be that a particular website might cover multiple math concepts, for example, so it might be difficult to assign one tag that would help me find the website in the future. I also think that if I was to use this socially, I might not know how others have tagged their sites. I may not be able to find what I am looking for simply because I may not know the right "tag" to use. I think you have to be careful when assigning tags and make the labels somewhat generic so other people can find your links.

Thing 11: Widgets

Wow -- I am surprised how easy that was for me! I knew how to embed code and add a widget to my blog - piece of cake! I think widgets would be perfect if I had a class blog. I could envision adding widgets to a Social Studies blog page. I could incorporate a stock watch list, for example, if we were studying the stock market. In the area of math, I noticed some fun math games like Math Man that could be added to a teacher blog. Lots of possibilities!

Thing 10: Twitter

I have been using Facebook for almost a year now, and while I do not post frequently, I do find it to be a fun way to get keep in touch with my friends and colleagues. I joined Twitter tonight, and I think I like Facebook better for the social networking part of it. Twitter was not as user-friendly as Facebook and seemed overwhelming and a bit confusing. I was, however, amazed by the ability to "follow" certain blogs. I found several sites on parenting, cooking, you name it. Many of the blogs had some helpful, interesting information.

I enjoyed Time's 50 Best Websites of 2009, because it helped me get a quick understanding of some of the best websites and tools available. It is hard to find some of these resources on your own, and I think this is a great tool to show you the best of what's out there. I especially liked Skype (we have used this before to make long distance calls over the Internet), California Coastline (amazing detail in the photos), Supercook (I'm always wondering what I can pull together from my pantry) and Academic Earth (I have taken online courses before, but this tool really makes the class come to life!). My favorites from an academic standpoint would have to be Google (I'm just learning about Google Docs, which is an amazing tool) and probably You Tube (to help make my lessons more engaging).

Thing 9: Copywright & Creative Commons

Web 2.0 significantly impacts how we, as educators, teach, and how students learn. While there are many tools available, we must educate students as to how they can appropriately use data or information from the Internet and also what information they should be allowing to be shared/used by others. Oftentimes, students believe that citing sources is only something that they need to do in Language Arts, for example. Or, they may lack the skills to be able to research information and then make it their own by summarizing and using their own words. It is very tempting for students to simply copy what's already out there, but our job is to teach digit citizenship and how and when to cite sources of information.

Thing 8: Embed and Download Video

Check out this awesome video!



I chose this video, because I feel this is a very powerful piece. I love to dance and was absolutely amazed when I saw Riverdance in person many years ago. Again, I could think of many opportunities to show You Tube videos in my classroom (there were a few good math ones and probably good SS ones, too); however, it is blocked in our classrooms.