Reflection+Journal

= Reflection Journal    =

I had not thought about using a wiki in class, but after the first day of this class and playing around with the site, creating a wiki did not seem as technical as I first thought it would be. After creating the wiki that I plan to use for my anatomy class (I am still working on this wiki) the possible uses became numerous. I am hoping to really implement this wiki and use it all year long. I liked this tech piece overall the most.
 * Day One Wikis**

I wasn’t too sure what web tools 2.0 was and I think it was more so the name given to online tool/resources that aid in gaining a better understanding and use of the internet. It is overwhelming with the amount of tools out there on the internet many of them are free. Several sites that I visited compiled a list of web tools for educators. The lists included sites free online grade books, online calendars, quiz and test generators, as well as other educational resources.
 * Day Two Web 2.0 Tools**

Kathy Schrock’s link was one of the educational web 2.0 sites available [|__http://school.discoveryeducation.com/schrockguide/edtools.html__]

After days one and two, I thought wow this class was not going to require too much thought on my part. Then Day 3 happened and when I went to work/setup sites in Diigo, the entire process became so complicated or rather too technical for me. My thoughts were before I log off for the day, I am definitely going to conquer this and finish this tonight. I had to walk away from the site for the night and returned the next day and it clicked for me when I went back to add links and tags to my library and to join the educators group.

I did not expect it to become any easier the next day, but it did, the day before I had read the help and frequently asked question pages, I just was getting it. It was neat, frustrating at the same time, but sometimes that is what learning is, and it made me remember that some kids experience that at least once a week.

When using Diigo, it clicked the day after I downloaded the tool bar. Using Diigo, I learned that you could create your own tags for sites/links that are saved in your library. This is a great tool when looking for material and resources to use in the classroom. It allows the educator to share specific information with a group.
 * Day Three Diigo**

I have used YouTube videos in previous classes and found them useful to help further explain a topic. The videos provide additional examples in addition to a different point of view of certain topics. YouTube has its down side, in the past I had to wait for the video to load or watch ads when using YouTube. I find Safe Share a good resource for using YouTube and look forward to implementing this tool in the classroom. Similar to others in the group I had difficulty loading my video and tried several until one finally was able to load. It was an okay video, just not the one I preferred.
 * Day Four YouTube**

In the end, things came together and the frustrations waned. The ideas and concepts introduced in this class were helpful. I will try many of these techniques and tips this upcoming year. Only a few at a time, to make sure that I get the hang of them. I enjoyed the class and the help available from both the instructor and classmates.