Wow I learned a lot from this weeks reading! I kind of feel like I'm coming out of a technology ‘fog.’ I feel like these 'new tools' came in overnight and just became the 'norm' while I was sleeping or something. How did they become so prevalent so fast?
I knew about G-Mail and had set up an account back when you had to be invited. I never used it and couldn't remember my password, so I had to start a new one last month.
I knew about YouTube and used it's resources often for class, but it never dawned on me that I, too, could upload movies and put them out there for all the world to see. I personally did not like the quality of productions I saw on YouTube. I like working with high definitions (HD) quality video.
I knew about eBay, but was afraid to use it, because of all the ‘horror stories’ of people with credit card numbers stolen. I have purchase and used Amazon and participated in their review system.
I had downloaded Skype onto my daughters PSP, but I have never used it.
I have never used Flickr, because I was afraid someone would 'steal' my photos. I'm even careful about the photos I put up on Facebook. Have you every really read their licensing agreement? Your photos become their property.
I haven't used and didn't completely understand del.icio.us until the book explained it better.
I personally have never blogged before this program. I had created blogs for other and helped them get started. I never really liked blogs, because I felt they were taking validity away from authoritative web sites and placing more 'stock' in someone’s 'opinion.' Yet it seems ‘opinion’ is exactly what Web 2.0 is all about. But what if I don't want an 'opinion' and I want 'facts?' You must 'wade' through several sites from your search query to get to 'real' content.
I have never created or contributed to a wiki and I have discourage my students from using them as a ‘trusted’ source. Wikis are a 'good' place to start with research, but must be validated by at least two other sites stating the same information, at least in my class.
Open source...it never was compatible with application/software, so how did it all the sudden work with Microsoft Office Suite? How did the 'clunky' applications become an overnight sensation that operates on the web with Google? I had tried Google docs, but discourage my students from using it, because, from everything I was read and heard, it was indicated not 'safe.' Your documents could be 'stolen' and were available to anyone in the world.
I had never subscribed to RSS feeds until this week. I, again, didn't really understand them or their purpose. The book and the video we watched helped explain them to the point that it makes sense to use them now and I feel we need to set one up for my school, so parents can get updates about changes in schedules due to weather or other important items.
Prior to reading Chapter 4, I thought New Tech High schools had the whole technology integration worked out, but now I see they are very closely linked to a specific program Lotus (Solomon & Schrum, 2007, pg.78) and that they can not be cost-effectively replicated elsewhere. This was sad news to me, but I feel the work that they are doing can still replicated with some ‘creativity.’
I feel that teachers are frequently given ‘technology’ and are asked to use it without training. However, I also feel that there are a lot of teachers who just don’t want to use or learn to use technology. The best way that I’ve found, to influence other teachers, it to work one on one with them in their classrooms with the technology. After they see what they can do, they then become excited and want to learn more.
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