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.
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That's a great approach to have to learning about some of the new technologies out there for our kiddos! Just by exposing yourself to what's available, you're becoming more aware of the way in which our students will be expected to learn and interact in their future.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad that you pointed out that strengthening higher order thinking skills is one of the most imporant reasons for using Web 2.0 tools. When we lose sight of that, technology as an educational tool becomes arbitrary and unimportant; it's only when we're able to challenge students through technology that it's an integral part of our curriculum!
Great job! Thing 2 complete!