Two years ago, I took a course through the U of A on Web 2.0 tools- nothing else, just Web 2.0. I initially thought that it would be a walk in the park because I was already using some of the tools personally and I thought it would be an easy conversion to using them in the classroom- I was wrong. I found that I did not know about all of the tools available and that using them in the classroom required a lot more thought and consideration. We were asked to create a blog (the one you are viewing now, as a matter of fact) and we had to complete a weekly blog posting on various Web 2.0 tools that we personally had to use and research the benefits and uses of them in a classroom setting for educational purposes. It turned out to be a lot of work, but also a tremendous learning opportunity for my professional life.
I have done extensive blog posts on some Web 2.0 tools for that course and if anyone is interested on my findings and opinions of them, you can find them in the 2008 archives on the menu on the left of the screen.
For this course, I would like to re-examine some of those tools, as some of my opinions have changed over the two years since I first posted.
Blogs: As I mentioned, I had to do basically a research paper every week for my blog. I started to resent my stupid blog and not enjoy posting entries. Eventually, I saw the benefit of putting my thoughts on “paper”, as a way of professional therapy. I resolved to use the blog after I was done the course and to keep up with entries. I even put a link to my blog on my school library website. I knew that no one would read it- and I don’t believe anyone has until January of this year- but it made me feel better that I was contributing something to my field. I was sharing my thoughts and experiences with others who may be in similar situations. I think I only ended up making 3 or 4 postings, but I thought about it a lot and wanted to do more. There was also an urge to rant about things at my school and about things that were going on, but I don’t think this blog (that is linked to my school site) is the appropriate place to do that!
I have found that since I have been back on the blog, I’ve been enjoying it. I think that it is a great tool to deliver information and experiences with others. I have such a high opinion of it that I am considering using a blog (or a wiki or both) to complete my final project and promote the library in my school. I want to use the blog as a way of advertising different events, new books, new software, etc. I think that I may also use a blog in my teaching as well. I am teaching a Special Ed course of Science and Social Studies and I think that I may use a blog in Social Studies as a journal for the students. They really enjoy sharing their lives with me and I think this could be a new and inventive way for them to communicate with me and with each other.
Wikis: I flat out love wikis!! I have been using them for a couple of years now, I have two of my own and one that I used as part of a class discussion (used a bit like an online forum).
-Graphic Novels and collection development
I really never understood what a wiki (except for Wikipedia) was before. They looked really complicated to create and to use, but I was pleasantly surprised when I tried to use one for the first time. It was very easy to do! I find them similar to a blog, but I am able to be more organized with my content. I am currently creating a wiki for my library to start a virtual book club. Students can pick books on my list and then they can discuss their thoughts about the selected works. I’m hoping that it will catch on and that we can have some good online discussions. It is another tool that I would like to use to promote the library. As with blogs, it could also be a fantastic way of creating a guided journal for students.
I love the ease of use, the organization of information and the way that others can add to your pages. It really offers an interactive way of learning- a bit more Socratic than traditional teaching.
I’m going to end this post for now otherwise the length may scare people and I want to break it up a bit. Remember, there was enough Web 2.0 content for an entire course, so I’ve got lots to say! Up next… Social Networking, Video/Photo Sharing and Social Bookmarking, I’ll bet you can’t wait!!!
Katie
1 comment:
Hi Katie,
I am going to have a look through your archive of Web 2.0 exploration. I'm starting to find it very helpful to ask for recommendations and to count on other people's experience with the vast variety of tool.
The other day I was chatting with a fellow "basketball dad" and he was talking about Google Sketch (not sure if that's exactly the title) and how he was using it to plan out a new restaurant he was developing.
Great blog, I was caught up by the educator questions in your latest entry. The role of the teacher can never be static can it? As comforting as that might be at times...
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