Blog Post #5

       The Web 2.0 tools in the podcast I find to be the most useful are blogs and wikis. With a blog teachers can communicate with  students and parents in and out of the class room. A blog allows teachers to post assignments that their students can reference once they get home from school. This allows students to not worry about forgetting what assignments are due and which ones are coming up. A blog can aid in a teachers professional development by allowing them to obtain a better understanding of their students as well as getting much needed practice in new forms of technology. A wiki is somewhat similar, teachers can communicate with students and parents out side of the class room, but, it also give students a chance to create and publish their own wiki articles as well as gain information from other classmates. Both a wiki and blog are great uses of educational technology but, most of all they are safe for student use.


       When I was in the 6th grade my English teacher told us that we would be doing a web based assignment. I shuddered at the thought of having to explore the foreign lands of the internet, especially when it was for grading purposes. She described the project as an online "cork board" where we would design a page all about yourself and present the finished product to the class. Now I was really scared, not only did we have to go on the internet and register to some weird website, but we had to present an "all about me" project in front of the ENTIRE class. I looked at the board where she wrote down the website and the the text read Glogster.
       Days had passed and all I could do was log onto my Glogster page and create. It had been one of the most fun projects I had ever done, I couldn't believe that I had been terrified to use such a magnificent website.I found myself making ways for me to have to use the website, In fact I created an entire page about Frederick Douglass just because we were learning about him and I wanted to make another Glogster, Glogster is like a type of  electronic poster that allows you to add text blocks, images graphics, and videos. You are able to look at other peoples Glogster and comment, much like how you would on a regular blog. I will be excited to use this tool as a teacher and I hope my students will feel the same way about Glogster as I once did in the 6th grade.

      I believe people learn best when they can experience it first- hand for themselves, that why I think that virtual reality and augmented reality software will become an important aspect to education. There used to be a time where people had to learn everything for themselves if they were to survive, obviously I am not saying we will die if we do not act on our own, but I am implying that there will be a stronger urge to learn if the learner can envision the purpose of what he or she is learning. This technology can place students in situations where they will have to use prior knowledge that they have learned in class. Doing so will show the learner the benefits of their education and they will remain motivated to continue to put effort into their studies.