Wow, this summer has flown by and so has this class. So much learned in so short a time!
I have always viewed my computers and cars the same way. I like to use them, but I don't understand how they work. If something is broken or doesn't work right when I go to use it, I'm frustrated and discouraged and I ask my husband's help in fixing the problem. Being the great guy that he is, he always helps me! I'm nervous talking to mechanics or technicians because I don't understand the terminology or problems, I just want them fixed.
Before this class, I had never put software on a computer or set up my own email account. I had never bought a computer or done anything except use the software that my husband has loaded with a shortcut icon on my desktop (I didn't even know how to create these shortcuts). I had never bookmarked or tagged anything. I'm working to rely less on my husband, who's schedule is already busy with computer related work.
I started this class by purchasing a laptop. Although I was scared, I wanted to start at the very beginning and learn as much as I could about loading software and managing the computer myself. I came into this class knowing that I didn't know a lot about Web 2.0 tools and I wanted to learn what tools were available and how I could use these tools in the Library Classes I teach to K-8 students at the Marlborough School.
Little did I know how much I had to learn and how capable I would become in just a few short weeks. Here is what I have now learned to use in this class: Wikis, Blogs, Social Bookmarking, RSS, Skype, embedding videos, YouTube Tutorials, Voki, Audacity, podcasts, tags and Wordle. I also set up my own email account with Google and learned about Google Documents. I know how to download free software and love that YouTube offers videos to help if I am confused.
The most significant advancement for me this summer has been a new-found comfort in playing around downloading new software and knowing that help is available online in the form of video tutorials. I'm no longer afraid and now I'm willing to take chances and try new things on my computer. Some of what I learned has already made my life significantly easier. For example, I love Diigo! I can now easily find sites I'm looking for from any computer and I don't get overwhelmed trying to remember all of the addresses.
I can't wait to bring to school all that I have learned. The first thing I plan to do next week in our teacher workshop days is to sit down with our technology teacher and discuss access to Web 2.0 tools in our school. I know that we have increased bandwidth coming this year and I want to know what tools are accessible, what are blocked and how do we unblock it all! if our technology teacher can't help me, I want to know who to talk to that can and I don't plan to stop until I find access to the tools we need. I am already creating lesson plans using Wordle, blogs, YouTube videos and podcasting and I want to be certain that I can carry these plans out this year!
The purpose of this course for me is to bring this information back to teachers, administration and most of all my students! I plan to start doing so next week as we head back to school on August 19th.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I just love those video tutorials, you can find them for just about everything!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your podcast and wordle! I am going to add this to our class project idea list. What a fun way to integrate technolgoy into the curriculum. I am so excited to go back to school and share the numerous tools that I am taking from this class. Best of luck to you. When you go back to school, you are going to be one tech savvy chicko!
ReplyDeleteI hope you keep your blog published, I would love to share it with my students.
You had me fooled! Your posts were so well done with links, pictures, and video. You must be a closet techie or a techie-in-bloom.
ReplyDeleteWow! You would never know that you didn't know! :) Thank you for taking the chance and seeing the course through. I could see how it might have been intimidating at first glance. You must feel very proud of yourself and you are now ready to shout all of this technology up to the roof tops! Nice work!
ReplyDeleteWow!!! I've never been called a techie of any sort. :) When you live with a super-techie, it's hard to compete and easy to rely on them as a crutch. It has taken me a lot of summer hours to learn what I have learned, but I was determined to put this class to good use and I feel that I have done it and will continue to do so.
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing how there is no such thing as a "computer nerd" anymore, it is "techie!" Isn't it nice to take a course and really learn something!! My goal with all courses/workshops is to be able to bring at least one thing to my classroom. We will all be bringing lots back this year, look out kids!
ReplyDelete