I began this course with somewhat of a closed mind. I enjoy technology, but don't have a positive opinion about social networks, and wasn't about to change my mind. After completing this course my opinion hasn't changed a great deal. There are some sites and valid reasons for using these social networks, but there are many instances where it seems like a lot of work for what its worth.
VoiceThread - I enjoyed the concept of VoiceThread in an online college course format. After multiple semesters in an online course its nice to hear a voice for a change. Reading reflection after reflection starts to become tedious. VoiceThread gives you the opportunity to speak your mind rather than write it. It puts emotion into your message.
Blogger - This site should be self-explanatory. Blogger allows you to create your own blog for free. Again, this is a great method for online courses, and your more traditional classroom methods. As a special education teacher in a middle school environment, I don't see a place for blogging in my classroom.
Delicious - If you remember from last week's post, I'm not a fan of delicious. The concept is great. You get to save any website you need on the internet. Its like having your favorite bookmarked webpages from your computer available anywhere you can get the internet. The reason I don't like it, and won't use it in the future is the user friendly factor. Right now, it seems like too much work for what I would get out of it.
Wiki - This is my favorite new tool that I had no idea existed even while I've been using Wikipedia. Wiki's give you the opportunity to allow multiple people to contribute to one site. I like the option of having an administrator (teacher) control the content to insure the safety of use. I look forward to implementing this tool in my classroom next year. Work can be done at school and at home.
Flickr - Flickr is a nice social network site to mainly share images to anyone you want to share with. Another great idea, but for my classroom and for my personal use, there isn't a need. If I want to share images with friends, then I'll just email them. It could be useful for maybe for a photography class.
Facebook - I have been a member of Facebook for many years now. It is the only social networking site that I update on a semi-regular basis. You can chat with friends, write posts, join groups, share photos, etc... I recommend this site for personal use, but don't recommend it for use with students.
Twitter - I remember at the beginning of this course I vowed not to join Twitter. I thought it was a pointless website that only encouraged people to become more anti-social and avoid personal contact. Since that time I have joined Twitter, against my will, and understand its addictiveness. I find it more exciting on a personal level, and it can have it's uses in an education setting to share small amounts of information a quick and easy format. I don't see Twitter helping me develop as a professional. I tried to follow different people through Twitter, but for the time being it isn't useful.
A personal learning network (PLN) is an effective way to continue your professional development throughout your career. I wish that I had a PLN while doing my first PDP plan. My PDP plan was and arduious process that left me with a bad taste in my mouth. I received very little support from my district, and when trying to get help, it cost me a good chunk of money. A PLN could have provided free support that would have helped me dearly.
At one time I thought I was pretty tech. savvy, but after taking this course I've realized how far off this assumption is. Learning these new tools to incorporate in my classroom has been, at times, frustrating, but enlightening. Students today seem to always have some type of technology in their hands. MP3 players look as if they come installed in children's ears at birth. Each tool I saw in this class is a way share and present information. As a teacher, how you present the information can mean the difference between a student learning the material or a student viewing it has useless. If the content can be presented in an organized and structured media, then that tool is valid. If the educator doesn't have the media mastered, then that media is yet another hurdle that needs to be cleared.
Considering my resistance to change and the positive opinion I have of wikis, I will further my exploration of wikis as a starting point for integrating technology in my classroom. I look forward to the end of the school year, but more so, look forward to the start of next year.
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