Reflections

My favorite discovery during this project was flickr. I had no idea things like this existed and now I can't get enough of it. This has affected my lifelong learning goals in the sense that I do not feel as afraid of web 2.0 tools as I did before. I think I can tackle new things with a better sense of accomplishment. It was unexpected for me to enjoy this. I went into this thinking I would hate most of it since I did not have a myspace page, blog, or read blogs. I was surprised at how much I do enjoy this, I just wish I had more time to explore the tools more in depth. I would make web 2.0 a class by itself. There is so much material and information to cover, I feel like I have a good starting point to start exploring them on my own. Every aspect of this project will influence how I teach and the resources I will use. I will be more confident when using the web 2.0 tools to create teaching resources. I will also continue to subscribe to an RSS feed and use Google alerts to get the most up to date information on web 2.0 as it changes. This has been a very fun learning experience.

Thing #23

As a teacher I will look for a creative commons license when researching teaching ideas and project ideas. If it is under a creative commons license, I will be able to use it for my classroom and modifiy it to fit the project or assignment I am working on for the class. Examples I found include:
This work is licensed under aCreative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.
Note: This project is loosely based upon the website 43Things (which allows you to set and track personal goals) and the Stephen Abram article titled 43 Things I (or You) might want to do this year (Information Outlook - Feb 2006).

Thing #22

The first directory in the list was the easiest to use. The educational directory sorted the podcasts by subject or grade level. This was very useful. I went to the science section and found a great podcast called Science Made Fun. I listened to a podcast called water by this group. I will definitely subscribe to this site. I will also be making a podcast for another assignment, but I will start making some podcasts now for things I will be able to use in the classroom.
http://sciencemadefun.podbean.com/2008/02/24/water/

Thing 21

Thing #20

I could have spent hours viewing videos on YouTube. This was the first time I have ever been on this site and it was really neat. I spent about an hour watching pet videos! I didn't like how it constantly brought up videos all about the same stuff. I would have liked to keep the same kind of videos up to pick at random. I did find a very interesting video with teachers singing the milkshalk song. I don't know if this was appropriate at times, but it was funny. I picked a science related video to include on my blog since I am going to be a science teacher. Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JE-Nyt4Bmi8

Thing #19

I have joined myspace and teacherpop through this activity. These are the first two social networks and online communities I have joined. I can see how these networks would be appealing to some, but I do not have the commitment to them that others do. I do not want to spend my spare time at the computer. I would rather be doing things outside or with my family. I really don't see myself using these things very much in the near future.

Thing #18

As a teacher it is important to know how social networks operate. Kids today are using them all the time, and you would be able to get valuable information from them. I did not get any new insights from these sites. I am familiar with them already, but I do not plan on using them. I only set up the account per the assignment. I don't like communicating with close friends via a webpage. I prefer private email or phone call. Call me old fashioned!! Out of the two sites listed, I would use myspace if I was going to use a social networking site. It has more useful features and is easier to navigate. I don't think social networks have a place in the classroom at the elementary level. This is the grade I will be teaching, and I think you would run into privacy and protection issues by pulling a classroom into one of these sites. I am not a fan of either one of these sites. This is the link to my profile http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=423677809