Wikis

I love Wikis! I think they are great tools for online collaboration. The fact that wikis allow for shared content and multiple collaborators is great for group projects and class participation.  I can easily see how helpful this would be in a classroom setting.  Prior to this class I had zero experience using a wiki, but I am now in love with this technology.  Using a wiki while working on the web 2.0 project showed me how truly amazing these sites are.  It was so easy for my partner and I to divide the work and collaborate online as we worked on this project. What I liked most about using this tool was being able to post my own information without having to someone else do it for me. Allowing multiple collaborators to contribute to the site helps get things done quickly and effectively. 

Web 2.0 and Tools

I thought the Web 2.0 project was a great way to introduce us (the class) to collaborative web tools that can be used in the classroom. My partner and I were assigned to Wordle, which is a web-based tool used for creating unique word clouds. As we explored the tool and familiarized ourselves with how it is used, we were suprised to find that it was not nearly as complex and confusing as we had expected it to be. Instead, we found it to be quiet simple and easy to use.  We also learned that this tool could be used for a variety of purposes in the classroom, which we discuss on the wiki page. 

Another aspect of this project that was beneficial to my learning was seeing the other groups give their presentations. Each group was very thorough and gave an excellent step by step tutorial for their tool.  It was interesting to see how each tool is used and to think of all the ways I could use them in the classroom. The possibilities seemed limitless!

Overall, I enjoyed the Web 2.0 project, and found it to be very helpful. My favorite tool is Wordle.  I like this tool because it is simple, quick, and easy to use. I also really love word clouds, so this tool is a perfect fit for me.

Website Evaluation

http://www.vts.intute.ac.uk/detective/

I believe this website is a really great tool for students and educators alike.  The site is set up as a free tutorial that teaches users how to discern the good, the bad, and the ugly in relation to the internet. Having a simple design and being easy to navigate are just two reasons why this I would recommend this site.

Reflection on Website Evaluation

After performing the website evaluation I realized how difficult it can be to determine the reliability of a website.  In the beginning, I chose what I thought to be a good site but after further examination I decided differently.  What I found was that there were both pros and cons to the site I chose.  While the overall design looked good and the information seemed fairly reliable, it was severly lacking in some areas.  In particular, the site lacked publication dates and author contact information.  The site also did not provide the reader with adequate information to determine whether or not the authors were actually qualified as an authority on the subject. In the end, I decided that I would recommend the site as it contains some great resources for language arts. However, I would only recommend the site after pointing out the inconsistencies previously stated.

My experience with technology

Like many college students, I consider technology to be a huge aspect of my daily life. I use it for just about everything from school to work to my personal life.  Some of the technologies I use most frequently include skype, twitter, facebook, youtube, and blogs. While I feel fairly confident in my ability to use technology, I still feel there is room for improvement. This is one reason I am excited about taking this course.  I believe that learning new and innovative ways to use technology will assist me in greatly in my teaching career and will also help me feel more comfortable trying new things.