Thing #23 Final Reflection on the 23 Things

I am very glad to have participated in and completed the Clovis 23 things . I learned about the vast array of Web 2.0 tools and resources that are available. While it is not practical to attempt to incorporate all of these into my personal life and classroom, I have found several of these tools to be quite beneficial personally and professionally. Personally, here are the tools I am now using or planning on using in the near future:

1) Diigo is my favorite tool that I learned about thanks to the 23 things. The first aspect of Diigo that I like is being able to store and access my bookmarks from any computer using any browser. I can also choose which of these bookmarks to share with others and organize them using tags and lists. What sets Diigo apart from other social bookmarking sites is the ability to highlight text on any website and add sticky notes to any website that can be seen when revisiting these websites. I am almost done transferring all my bookmarks to Diigo. The only problems I have encountered using Diigo so far is that their server is occassionally down for brief periods and their Facebook app doesn't work yet. I also upgraded to an educator account for free, which allows me to create student Diigo accounts for my classes so that useful and relevant bookmarks can be shared among students in the same class.

2) Google Docs provides the free online equivalents of Word, Excel, and Powerpoint. While it also allows for the sharing and collaboration of these types of files, I plan to use it primarily in order to access files that I frequently access and edit. For example, I currently have a Word file where I keep my favorite quotes and an Excel file where I keep a list of books that I would like to read. Previously, I just kept these files on my home computer and only accessed and edited them from there. With Google Docs, I can access and edit them from any computer.

3) Google Reader allows me to efficiently read online articles on topics that interest me by organizing all my favorite RSS feeds in one place. I like how it allows me to place a star on articles that I particularly like and want to easily find again. I also like how it keeps track of which articles I have read and which I have yet to read. While I consider this primarily a personal tool, it also allows me to keep up-to-date on the latest developments in education and technology which help me develop professionally.

Professionally, here are the tools I am now using or planning on using in the near future:

1) Weebly offers the best way to create a free website that I have seen thus far. I am in the process of changing my classroom website to Weebly from Google Page Creator. The layouts of Weebly look more professional and like Page Creator, it also allows for the use of html code. Weebly also offers a great deal of free storage for files and allows for the creation of blogs as well.

2) The blog for the 23 things is the first one I have ever written. It opened my eyes to possibility of using a blog to assist in my teaching. I used Blogger to create my blog for the 23 things and I found it very easy to use and customize. I also like that you can use Blogger with your Gmail account without having to create another username and password. This upcoming school year I am planning on creating two blogs, one for each of the classes I teach. Each school day I plan on posting on my blog the topic(s) we covered in class along with providing links to the following: my graphic organizer notes, the video of the notes created with my new Livescribe pen, other classroom handouts, real world applications, and supplemental resources. I hope that in conjunction with my website, these blogs will help my students more easily catch up when they are absent, gain a better appreciation for how the mathematical content they are learning is useful in the world, and further assist students who are struggling with understanding the material. I am still undecided on whether to use Blogger or Weebly to create these blogs.

3) I found some good online resources with relevant mathematical content using Curriki and Thinkfinity and I plan to continue monitoring these sites to for more content and ideas that can benefit my students. I really like the format and idea of Curriki and how it allows teachers to pool their resources and ideas.

It has been exciting to see how these Web 2.0 tools and resources can positively impact student learning. I plan to continue to stay informed of the latest developments primarily through the Classroom 2.0 Ning and the Free Technology for Teachers blog . Hopefully, by incorporating these technologies and the ones to come in a well-thought-out manner, I can continue to improve as a teacher and help my students to reach their potential.