Thing 23: Final Thoughts and Reflections

It's been quite a journey with many great discoveries! While at times the many technology tools and options can be overwhelming, we are lucky to have so many helpful websites just a click away. There seems to be a tool for EVERYTHING!
Web 2.0 is successful because it is collaboration, and I think this quote illustrates it best:

"If you have an apple and I have an apple and we exchange these apples, then you and I will still each have one apple. But if you have an idea and I have an idea and we exchange these ideas, then each of us will have two ideas." - George Bernard Shaw

I've learned about so many tools in my quest that I am anxious to try for both personal use and in the classroom. I have really enjoyed creating this project through a blog. I'm amazed, looking back, at how much I've experienced and how much I've written. This could definitely be a great tool for reluctant writers, or even just to give more interest to writing. The writing aspect is still there, and in addition, there's consideration of format, and inserting in pictures and videos and links to more resources. Each post I felt like I was really reflecting on the assignment, and I think I took this more personally than a paper because it becomes by journal--even though the content is still academic. I can't wait to try blogs in my classroom! Some of my other favorites are Facebook (personal), Google Docs (personal and classroom), Glogster (I can't wait for the kids to try it with a research/presentation assignment), and podcasts (now that I know what they are, I definitely see educational benefits in both watching and creating).