Conclusion

I feel much more qualified and experienced with technology at the end of this course. I have learned so much about what is available that I will definitely be using in my classroom now. I am still learning about a lot of them due to time constraints, and will spend more time this summer when I have much more time. There are several that I would like to learn more about and insert into my planning for next year.

There are several blogs, wikis, and websites I have run across that I will continue to visit, and there are a few classmates that I will keep in contact with who are also learning about the technologies that are out there. By sharing what we learn and being part of a network of learners will be a valuable experience.

I know I would like to use some of the fun tools like Wordle, Wikis, Flickr, GoogleDocs, and others. I’m also going to use a lot more Prezis, and learn about other presentation tools that will inspire students to create more interesting presentations themselves. I also plan to create a blog for each of the preps I teach that will have attachments and lesson plans on them for parents and students to access. I have really enjoyed creating this blog. There are so many ways to make it interesting and useful.

The Job of Organizing

The idea of people being able to organize what is on the internet is an interesting concept. In some ways it is a little unnerving to think that regular people could do something like this. It could ruin everything and create chaos. Yet, when it’s understood that there are organizational tools that help make this organization run smoothly, then it makes much more sense. After all, the internet is for the public to use, so the public should have some say in how certain things are organized.

Using sites like Diigo is very helpful for non-professionals to use. It allows them to bookmark sites that are organized by them in ways that make sense for their needs. This could be very helpful for students working on research papers, or for anyone who wants to keep specific information organized for later use. It allows everyone the opportunity to make the internet work in the best way possible for them. Another benefit is that once the information is organized, others can search Diigo to find information that other people have organized.

Understanding this concept should help librarians feel more confident in the organizational methods that people might use. No one is talking about people going into library buildings and re-arranging books. Librarians will still be in charge of that. Librarians will also be a significant aid in helping people to use these valuable tools.

The Machine is Us/ing Us

I always refer to my students' brains as their personal computer that can do just about anything a real computer can do. I believe that’s true even more now, after viewing the video “The Machine is Us/ing Us”. The title of this video explains how when we are using the internet, the internet is really using us, and that together man and machine are able to create this vast wealth of information by their interactions with one another.  

In this video it shows clearly how every time a person uses the internet, something about the internet changes. It improves, it grows, new ideas are exchanged and developed, and as it changes, so do humans change. As both computers and humans grow and develop, the internet is going to increase in its capabilities. Most of the changes are helpful for businesses and education to improve, but I do wonder how this will all turn out. It seems a lot like science fiction at times, and I wonder if there will ever be a time when there are too many things going on on the internet. Just watching the video was almost too much to handle for these old eyes and brain!

Quick Response Codes

Quick Responses Codes are something I just learned about in SLIS 5270. I had the opportunity to learn how to make one, which was kind of fun, and really helped me to understand more how they would work.

In my library I would use them in several ways. One is that I would create literary scavenger hunts that would lead to a book or book series. Students could look for clues and follow them to specially designated places in the library. I could also use it for the students to gain access to specific websites to study an author or genre. It could even link to website articles on authors and/or related topics.

Librarians can teach others how to make and use QR Codes for their own uses, so added benefit would be to teach teachers how to utilize this in their own classrooms.  Teachers may want to use QR Codes for projects students are working on, or to plan other learning activities. This would be a wonderful service for the entire district, so in-services could be provided on this or any other new technology.

Individual Technology Assessment

My strengths in technology are few. I can make a power point for my students, I can find relevant youtube clips and other websites that correspond to what we are studying, and I have found and given information on audio versions of books for those who have trouble with reading. My biggest weakness is that I feel very incompetent at technology. I don’t use much of it in my class because I feel the students probably know more than I do. I don’t really know much about what is available to aid me in being a better teacher.

I will continue to use what I know to assist the students the best I can. As I learn new concepts I will implement them in my teaching. I look forward to learning more in this class that will assist me in becoming a better teacher.

I am confident that my weaknesses will become fewer and my strengths will increase because of this class. I have already learned a lot just by setting up this blog, and may create one for one of my classes. The chapter readings I have done so far, although introductory in nature, have helped me to think of technology in a new way. In the past, because of my feelings of inadequacy, I have tried to avoid using technology but am excited to learn new ways of using it more often.