Thing 3

My experience with Social Media is limited to Facebook. I was very hesitant about using it at first. In fact, I thought it sounded kind of silly when I heard some of my friends talking about it. Now I have a more positive attitude. It has allowed me to rekindle old friendships and connect with long lost relatives. On the other hand, there are those old friends you connect with, but after the initial greetings and updates on your lives, you find you have nothing else to say to them. Then there is the old boyfriend (the one who dumped you.) You don't dare to request to be his friend. His photographs are private, so you are limited to the small profile picture. You think, "Why can't the jerk be fat and bald?", and you'd like to scratch out the eyes of that cute, slender wife of his. Then you think, "Maybe Facebook is not healthy for me. It seems to bring out the inner psycho-stalker in me!"

These sites are definitly changing the ways we communicate. A hand written letter sent through the US Postal Service is swiftly becoming obsolete. Telephone use is decreasing as well.

The positive side of social media is that it encourages the collaboration of ideas between individuals in an efficient manner. It helps us to reconnect and stay in touch with people, with whom without the convenience of social media, might totally be lost from our lives. The negative aspects of it is that it discourages actual face to face encounters, which can make it seem cold and impersonal.

Do I see myself using any of these tools personally or professionally? Yes, I see myself eventually incorporating these tools. One idea that caught my interest was having students create a facebook page for a character in a book they have read. What a great way for students to really get into a character analysis. They could use facebook and twitter to show their understanding of important people from history as well. Online book clubs is another idea that I like (but then again, I like those face to face book clubs, where snacks are involved!)

Thing 2

My initial reaction to the Discovery Resources was, "I am getting so old." The world has changed (and is rapidly changing) so much since I was the age of the students that I now teach. I am interested in learning more about blogging and wikis and how they will enhance learning for my students. I have actually used Wikipedia as a reference source on many occasions, but it wasn't until I took this course that I learned that it was written by a collaboration of people, and that you can actually edit or add to it.

The article "A Day in the Life of Web 2.0" was interesting, but is it possible in a school environment? Well truthfully, some of the activities seemed a bit sophisticated for the level of students that I teach, but I suppose over time and with practice, they would become more adept. One of the main purposes of using these tools is to strengthen students' higher order thinking skills, along with preparing them for the future.

What do I find discouraging? There is so much to learn that it's overwhelming. Well as the saying goes, "A journey of a thousand miles starts with one small step." I guess my participation in this course is my first step.

Thing 1

This was much easier than I anticipated (Thing 1-setting up a blog). I was quite ignorant about it, as I am about many things concerning technology. Now I have the confidence to face Things 2-8!

How can I use this in my classroom? Some possibilities are: students posting reviews on books they have read, discussions related to a book study, classroom news and activities, special projects, posting a question and have students express their opinion in order to get them engaged in a Social Studies topic or to introduce a novel.

I look forward to learning more about how to incorporate blogs into my classroom.