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.