To stretch myself on this assignment I ventured out into a more unfamiliar topic to me. At first I considered doing a workshop on digital storytelling but then realized that was already comfortable to me. In this project I explored new tools and created products with Web 2.0 tools such as Vocarro, Diigo, Scribd, and Jog the Web. I also got more in-depth practice with creating a wiki by adding widgets and a table of contents.
My intent when I began this project was to create a set of clear step- by-step directions with screen shots to help the learner understand the subject matter. I also wanted to provide some background knowledge for those who didn’t really know a lot about 2.0. I also wanted the content to be relevant to K-12 educators so I demonstrated and showcased Web 2.0 tools that could be used at all levels in an educational context. I feel my original intent measured up to my final product in a sequential and logical way.
In the future I would like to try to make very simple videos something along the lines of the Common Craft Show videos (www.commoncraft.com). I’d like to add the video to my training course. I might try creating the course in another way instead of through a wiki.
I was satisfied with my Scribd documents. I felt they were very clear and detailed and that anyone who was not in attendance during the course could easily read and follow the directions. I was satisfied with the flow of training events and how there was a range of instruction, practice, and creation time.
I was dissatisfied with the large amount of subject matter that I crammed into one four-hour training class. I would have preferred to do this over several courses with different learning modules. Each module would have extensions for the learners to pursue and gain further practice either independently or by connection with a PLN. Lastly, I would have liked to work with a colleague and plan a course together.
At first I brainstormed a topic. Like I mentioned, I decided to pick Web 2.0 because it was a little bit more out of my comfort zone and I thought I would learn something along the topic while creating the training session. Then I started to think about Web 2.0 in terms of education and for Personal Learning Network (PLN) purposes. I mapped out some ideas of tools I thought could help educators connect with others, as well as expand their knowledge in an organized and coherent manner. I thought about my audience. The course was intended to be an introduction to the concept of 2.0 and I wanted to establish rudimentary knowledge in 2.0. I decided that iGoogle, Delicious, and Jog the Web would be the foundations on which I would have them build.
I thought iGoogle would be able to help them connect and share ideas easily with others as well as allow them to use features such as RSS to stay up to date with the latest information from blogs they are following.
I then chose Diigo as a tool to organize and sort great web-based resources with tags. Then those resources can be shared with others who are delicious “friends.”
Next, I wanted to showcase Jog the Web as a way to share websites and resources in a guided way. I liked the idea that my learners could explore the sites and read the annotations along the way. Sometimes learners are overwhelmed or get side-tracked, so this was a great tool to teach concepts in an organized sequential order. I wanted the learners to use Jog the Web to create a learning exercise for their own students. I wanted to offer a variety of Web 2.0 sites to choose from and some sites that led to other resources for those who were ready to explore on their own. After I knew what topics and skills I wanted to cover I decided how much time I wanted to allow for each topic. After allotting the times, I considered the type of learning experience I wanted to create for my learners. Variety in instruction is important so I chose a combination of direct instruction, short videos, as well as time to explore in a guided as well as more independent way.
At the end of the course, the learners created a product by utilizing Jog the Web. They also used their newly established delicious account to “bookmark” and tag new sites they discovered during the training. There was also a brief reflection/evaluation that the learners completed via Survey Monkey. This allowed learners to evaluate their own learning and think about ways in which they can implement their new skills.
One major issue I encountered during this project was having to change from Delicious to Diigo as there is talk that Delicious won't be around much longer. Just a reminder that technology is always changing! Another issue during the project was learning how to format the wiki properly to include widgets and a table of contents. Never having done this, the process was a bit cumbersome at first.
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