Week 2 Assignments!

Wow! What a week!

(1) I created a wiki. http://icecreampiestriplechocolatebrownies.pbworks.com/ I have never done that before, and it was definitely an experience. Very cool, though.

(2) What I learned about:

• Web 2.0... I had never heard of Web 2.0 so everything about it was new to me. The tutorial mentioned that Web 2.0 allows teachers to connect their classroom with a classroom from another country. I thought that was amazing, and it was definitely something I would like to do when I start teaching. I remember when I was in elementary school that we had pen pals from different countries, but their letters would take weeks to arrive. Through Web 2.0 we can connect with another country instantly. You learn something new everyday!
• Creating a wiki... again, I had never heard of a wiki either. I thought it had to do with Wikipedia! Nope. A wiki is a website that allows you to add all sorts of content (i.e. videos, pictures, posters!). It also allows you to create discussion pages for comments. A wiki is an awesome idea for the classroom. It will be a great tool to share what we are learning!
  
• Goodreads... wow I must be living under a rock, because I had no idea what this website was either. When it came time to create an account, part of the process had me sign into Gmail and see what contacts were already on Goodreads. There were very few contacts that weren't already on it! I learned that I can post the books that I've read, rate them, and give them reviews. I can also learn about what books my friends are reading-- which is AWESOME, because I love to read and am always looking for a good book. This will be a snap to find one now!

• Diigo... honestly I don't see myself using Diigo very often, but it was still interesting to find out about its services. I learned that I can bookmark pages or websites that I visit, highlight what I want to remember, and keep that handy through Diigo
• .

• Google Reader... I'm not a blogger (this blog is my first), but if I was this would be a helpful resource. I learned that through Google Reader I can subscribe to different blogs, and instead of having to visit each site, I can have them all show up through Google Reader. All I have to do is a click a button on my screen to switch from blog to blog.

• What was the most difficult?Well, I had a really hard time finding the right video on teachertube for the objective that I selected. It took me a while to go through them. I had to watch each one, and at first none of them were right for what I was wanting. I had to refine my search and change words around until I got a few videos that would work.

• What was the most useful? Even though creating a wiki was really time consuming and I had no idea what to do at first, I think this will really be a useful tool in the classroom. I will be able to keep parents informed of what we do each week as well as what is coming up. I liked learning about how to embed videos, pictures, and posters. I can really see myself using this tool and I am looking forward to making a real wiki for my class when I start teaching.