Now that I have completed the Mapping activity, I am
surprised by my findings. I enjoyed the
mapping activity and really loved Wordle.
Using the Wordle showed me that I need to reconfigure my thinking to get
the desired results when using technology.
It can be incredibly difficult to search for information online when the
focus is not there or if one does not know the right words to search. The mapping exercise is one way to focus
thoughts in order to get the proper results from an internet search. I also felt that the different mapping sites
offered made concept mapping very simple.
I have often used Kidspiration or Inspiration for creating concept maps
with my students, but using this software is expensive and takes time for the
kids to learn. The Wordle and the “bubbl”
site were both very easy to use and took almost no time to learn. These sites are more user friendly for the
students.
I realize that in the past, I was lazy and stubborn when searching
for information. I had an idea in mind
and stuck with that idea. I may have
looked at many different sources, but in the end, I never really refocused or
reworded what I was searching for. Now
I realize that searching for information requires more flexibility and
open-mindedness. I feel now that I have
missed valuable information that could have made a huge impact in my studies
and for my students. I need to be more
vigilant when searching for information in order to ensure that I am finding
the most useful, effective information for my classes and my students.
If we fail to teach our digital native students to be 21st
century learners, students will not be prepared for their future educational
and career pursuits. As the world moves more toward technology, education is
increasingly turning toward technology as it should. If students are not technologically prepared
for the future, they will have trouble meeting their educational and career
requirements. Students need to explore,
study and master the many facets of technology and available programs in order
to be prepared for the future. Many valuable sites are blocked from school
computers, but teachers can circumvent this problem in a few ways in order to
prepare students. Teachers can request
valuable sites to be unblocked by district technology personnel. Technology services employees will usually
research a site to determine its usefulness and propriety. They can then uphold the block on the site or
remove it. Teachers can prepare students
to use a blocked site by creating a presentation and directions that model how
to use the site. Students can take this
information home, use the site and send the finished product to the
teacher.
Social bookmarking is the process of organizing all valuable
websites in one convenient site. It
differs from clicking the bookmark button to save sites. Social bookmarking allows the user to access
the saved sites from any computer and any location. The bookmark button only allows the user to
access the bookmarked sites from the computer they originally bookmarked
on. Social bookmarking makes the
bookmarked sites easily accessed from any location.
I have maintained a Delicious account for a few years
now. I learned Delicious through one of
my Library Sciences courses. It was so
user friendly and has kept valuable information for me, so I have not thought
to use a different social bookmarking site.
My Delicious account is very valuable to me because it does house all of
the websites that I find essential. I
think I can use social bookmarking sites with the teachers and students at my
campus. The teachers on my campus are
overworked and would greatly benefit from having all of their important
websites in one place. It would help the
teachers be more effective in less time.
Students would also benefit from starting social bookmarking accounts. Students
would be able to begin building internet resource portfolios that would allow
them easy access to important sites.
Social bookmarking sites would offer kids quick access to important information
and technologies when they need them.
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