Week 4 - Blog Posting #8 -Blogging

I was excited to find Delicious because it enables me to save sites at home and easily access them at school. I also really like NetVibes and what it provides. I have been using it ever since I found it. I like that Web 2.0 tools are interactive and allow for collaboration amongst peers. The ideal that multiple people can work on one document at the same time simplifies life. There are a huge amount of resources that are available for free now that allow for educators to be inventive in their use of them in the classroom. From creating Wikis to journaling online, students have to begin to gain access to these tools in order to get the most out of their education. Blogging is a great way to release the frustration or innermost thoughts. It allows one to reflect on themselves as well as what other people think on the topic. Some problems with trying to incorporate Web 2.0 tools in a classroom setting: lack of support from admin or parents, lack of available technology. As a teaching tool, I haven’t found a negative aspect of using Web 2.0 tools in my classroom, as of yet. But I have only been back to work from my sick leave for three exhausting days. I have, however, used some form of technology with my students everyday. We made Xtranormal videos talking about the idea of respect, Blabberize videos about responsibility, and created a Goals organizer on Dabbleboard. I guess not every student is interested in using these tools at school and that could definitely be a problem. We must continue to strive to meet the needs of students in every learning style. At my school the internet is slow and some of the people at the school don’t really get the importance of using and that could be a problem. However, I will continue to strive to do everything I can to reach all my students and help them be 21^st century learners.