Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Blog 8: REFLECTION

Investigating and experimenting with the variety of Web 2.0 applications has been eye opening for me. To discover applications permitting peers, students, friends, etc. to have simultaneous access to pieces of work is something that lends itself to implementation within my classroom. While working in Zoho on both a word document and a worksheet format, is something I can use encourage students to use when working on financial and informational type assignments… and the learners will not be limited to the restrictions of school, but have access from home for any desired additions or changes. My concern for these types of Web 2.0 applications revolves around a student deleting or changing something that another student has contributed without his/her input/permission. In some ways this can be a positive factor, as the students would need to deal with trust issues, forming a sense of ethics and respect.

Ning is another site useful for group collaboration. The students can create websites, comment on one another’s blogs, and add an assortment of other media with ease. As my confidence grows in the use of all the Web 2.0 technology, instructing my peers and students will naturally flow.

Wandering in Second Life, while not my favorite activity, has a multitude of benefits for the right audience. Teaching in a middle school setting, it is one site I am hesitant to explore at this point in my career with my students. Finding a link to my subject area is also a major roadblock, plus all the parental permission I feel would be needed, reinforces my lack of enthusiasm.

I am astounded at how quickly I have become competent (definitely not an expert, but comfortable) in using iWeb, Ning, Screenflow, Blogspot, and Twitter. Learning Xtranormal, iMovie and how to make a Podcast and import music into videos has been much more than I thought I would learn in a year than just a mere four months. Full Sail University rocks!!!

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