Thing #3 iGoogle suite

Last summer, I learned about iGoogle and since then I have been using it frequently to organize and access the websites and information that I need for both professional and personal use. I have added numerous gadgets such as a To-Do List, Days Since list, Bookmarks list, and organized them into tabbed categories such as Local, Teaching, Math, News, Sports, etc. I have also created a few gadgets of my own to link to websites I frequently visit. It is a convenient way to organize and access all the websites and online information I use on a regular basis; I also like it because it can be accessed and modified from any computer connected to the Internet.

I think the Google suite of tools can be very beneficial to students. Every student could create and personalize an iGoogle page to organize their frequently used websites. From there, they could link to each of their teacher's blogs and/or website. Students could also use Google Docs to create written assignments and presentations and then be able to easily collaborate with other students when working on group projects. They could use Google Calendar to organize their often busy schedules and Google Reader to keep updated on topics they are studying and/or have a particular interest in. The iGoogle page gives students a dynamic way to organize and keep track of their academic, extracurricular, and social activities. The more teachers that utilize these Google suite of tools in the classroom, the more likely students will become familiar with them and use them effectively.

The article "Flip this library" http://www.diigo.com/04qah talks about how the current static model of the library is becoming more and more obsolete to students and their learning. The "paradigm flip" promoted by the author deals with switching from the current one-way flow of information from teacher to student to a collaborative environment in which information and ideas can flow multiple directions from student to student, student to teacher, teacher to teacher,etc. Part of this "paradigm flip" is a complete overhaul of the library in both the physical space and virtual space. The physical space should be much more flexible to accomodate professional development and an experimental learning lab to discover and display best-practices. It should also have the ability to connect to a wide variety of personal devices and be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The virtual space should contain an extensive collection of copyrighted information that students can access and download to their personal devices. The goal of this "paradigm flip" is to make the libary a more modern and effective environment that will enable students and teachers to go beyond minimum levels of achievement and be challenged to reach their full potential.