So I made it through all 23 things, and there's a part of me that wishes there were 23 more.... I know there's a lot more out there that would greatly enhance our use of the web in school, and I bet that most of it is free.
As with most people I'll take parts of this as helpful (wikis, blogs, Zoho), and discard others (RSS feeds), but I realize the whole purpose of this is a chance to sample parts of Web 2.0, that I really hadn't bothered looking a lot into.
When I signed up for the class, I didn't know what to expect, and when we met with Kathy at Covert, I looked at the list and saw that I had heard of about 18 of the 23 things, and used/done 8 of the 23 (none of the blogging, but my wife had done all the blogging stuff to document everything we ahd been through with my son's therapies). I figured I'd see what was new, and what I could expand on, and maybe along the way, I could even teach a little too. I hope I did that.
As with everyone, there is a share of frustration. I understand Waterford's problems with streaming videos. The pipes are only so big, and only so much information can flow through them. There is lots of free web out there, and so much we wish we could do with our students. We need someone out there who is willing to take the chances with classes to see how things work, and someone who will teach the other teachers about their trials & tribulations.
I actually (surprisingly) enjoy doing this blog. Yeah, I know it shocks me too. I wish that there had been more interactions between the blogs, so that we could cross pollinate (*oh my!*) between each and build more off of each other's blogs. There was one thing about commenting on someone else' blog, but it should have been a continuing experience. Like comment on one different person's blog with each THING you did. This way we would be more encouraged to view each other's blog. But the problem with blogs is that you don't feel like continuing if there is no audience. Kind of like preforming to an empty house. I will probably continue this blog to document things I try, as well as any new ed tech I might discover along the way. If it seems like no one is watching, I'll probably let it die a natural death, because, you know, what's the point. But if there are a couple of people out there who might be interested (and leave comments... comments let you know you care), then I'll keep it going. We'll see how it goes.
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I care!! I am interested! I would follow! :) You already helped me work through my wiki (and made sure to let everone know it was you--- that was a funny comment you posted on my blog) and I would definately be interested in more. I have found that this process is a lot easier when done with more people. Thanks in advance!!
ReplyDeleteGlad you liked blogging Scott. I'm sure more people gained from reading your posts than you realize. People have good intentions but don't always put forth the effort to comment. Sometimes it's because of time, sometimes it's because they don't think they have something valuable to contribute. At any rate, I think many are reading. We've generated over 400 posts in this class!
ReplyDeleteI have a new Thing for you. Thing 24 - Prezi.
This is a new kind of presentation tool that I just heard about recently. If you haven't heard of it, check it out when you have time. There is a lesson on how to get started on the site.
http://prezi.com/
I guess it's just a matter of ego. :-) I feel like I'm putting something out there that others might find helpful, but if there are no followers, and no one is commenting, it gives the appearance that it isn't helping, so why bother? Maybe part of it is finding a way to publicize a blog like this, to help others, rather than just Waterford.
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