Diigo, the social bookmarking tool, was introduced to us these past few weeks and so far, it is pretty awesome. I really like that we can be in groups and share websites and article we find related to a similar topic or even just for friends. Being able to share things and go back to them later on in one place is so convenient versus my 500+ notes on my phone with random links to things I saw online at some point and forgot about by the next hour. The annotating and highlighting feature is probably my favorite feature since the Diigo website shows you all of the parts you highlighted so you can remember exactly what you wanted to and not have to sit through entire articles again. I really wish that more people and groups in my life used this tool. I might have my mom download it after I show her how to download Google Chrome to her computer.
Since I already have some experience blogging from previous attempts at self-care and to just try to document some of my experiences, I thought that this blogging experience would be just as the ones before. I was wrong, however. I did not realize how much having some kind of schedule for posting a blog would help me actually organize my life a bit. Not only did this blog help with that, but it also has helped me think critically about the things I have been learning in class. Before, when I would blog, personally, I would think critically about the story I was trying to tell, but I was almost too concerned with the aesthetic and identity of my blogger personality. With this blog, I find that I am more focused on the content I write and why I'm writing it versus how I'm writing it and whether or not I am going to try to have a cute signature ending.
This week, we also discussed Web 2.0, or the wave of websites that focus on user-created content and connections. So far in my Intro to Educational Technology class, we have used quite a few of these sites. This blog, for example, was on of the first Web 2.0 sites we used along with Twitter. I think a perfect example of a web 2.0 website that I would want to utilize in class is YouTube.com. While a common website that a large amount of internet users visit either on a regular basis to watch content from popular creator or every so often to watch a tutorial or cute cat video someone sent, I find that some may not be as versed in the YouTube rules and etiquette as they should be. I would use YouTube to teach my students not only how to think critically about sources of information that comes in the form of videos, but also about what is or is not appropriate to post online. YouTube also has its own set of community guidelines and copyright rules that would help my students understand the importance of still being a good and productive citizen from behind a screen. YouTube is one of the few websites that moved from a Web 1.0 website to a Web 2.0 website and already has some features of a Web 3.0 website with its ability to recommend similar videos to ones you have been watching as well as playing ads that should be relevant to you as a viewer.
Since I already have some experience blogging from previous attempts at self-care and to just try to document some of my experiences, I thought that this blogging experience would be just as the ones before. I was wrong, however. I did not realize how much having some kind of schedule for posting a blog would help me actually organize my life a bit. Not only did this blog help with that, but it also has helped me think critically about the things I have been learning in class. Before, when I would blog, personally, I would think critically about the story I was trying to tell, but I was almost too concerned with the aesthetic and identity of my blogger personality. With this blog, I find that I am more focused on the content I write and why I'm writing it versus how I'm writing it and whether or not I am going to try to have a cute signature ending.
This week, we also discussed Web 2.0, or the wave of websites that focus on user-created content and connections. So far in my Intro to Educational Technology class, we have used quite a few of these sites. This blog, for example, was on of the first Web 2.0 sites we used along with Twitter. I think a perfect example of a web 2.0 website that I would want to utilize in class is YouTube.com. While a common website that a large amount of internet users visit either on a regular basis to watch content from popular creator or every so often to watch a tutorial or cute cat video someone sent, I find that some may not be as versed in the YouTube rules and etiquette as they should be. I would use YouTube to teach my students not only how to think critically about sources of information that comes in the form of videos, but also about what is or is not appropriate to post online. YouTube also has its own set of community guidelines and copyright rules that would help my students understand the importance of still being a good and productive citizen from behind a screen. YouTube is one of the few websites that moved from a Web 1.0 website to a Web 2.0 website and already has some features of a Web 3.0 website with its ability to recommend similar videos to ones you have been watching as well as playing ads that should be relevant to you as a viewer.
Hey, Kadi, I know what you mean about the scheduling becoming more stable when I know I have a blog due. I guess the urgency comes from the fact that it is so easy to forget, yet it is so important. I also like that you mentioned YouTube, cuz that's where I do most of my learning haha. Anytime you need it know how to do something, theres probably an 80% that youll find a goldmine video on it.
ReplyDeleteMy roommate and I actually had to turn to YouTube this weekend because we couldn't figure out how to check her car's oil so I can definitely agree that YouTube is a great resource for any information.
DeleteI really like how in-depth you go into Youtube as a Web 2.0 website! I agree that most people are not well versed in the ins and outs of Youtube but would greatly benefit from it if they were to be! I can definitely see myself using Youtube in my classroom.
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