Thing 24: THE END!!

I am not going to pretend that these 23 things have been all fun and games.  However, I did gain some very valuable knowledge about resources that I would have never even known existed.  Some of my favorites were:  Flickr, GoogleCalendar, Remember the Milk to-do lists, Animoto, GoogleDocs, and LiveBinder.  These sites are ones that I can definitely see myself continuing to use throughout my college and teaching career.

I don't know that this exercise has changed my life-long goals, but maybe it has made me more organized (if that is possible) and shown me resources to keep me entertained and to use in the classroom.  I really wasn't expecting to find anything that I would take with me from this activity.  However, I really like Flickr and will definitely use it for future presentations.  I also really like Animoto and might also use it for an assignment.  LiveBinder was my absolute favorite site because it has so many resources all in one place!  I will definitely be creating binders for every class and compiling lessons and activities for my students.

I think the 23 things are a good way to learn about Web 2.0 tools because it is so interactive.  It is better than simply reading articles and responding to them.  Most people learn better with hands-on activities, and I think this exercise is the best way to address these topics.  I can't think of anyway to improve it, except maybe to reduce it? Ha, that's probably just because I'm super busy and finding time to blog was hard.

I will use many of these resources in my future classroom, and I feel that simply completing this exercise has made me more technology savvy and more willing to explore new things.  Before, I would have never even tried many of these websites, and now I love going to Google and finding new things to discover that could be beneficial in the classroom.  And I think that was the object of this assignment.

I will probably subscribe to an RSS feed of a Web 2.0 blog or website or something so when I am in the classroom I can keep up with ever-changing technology.  Lord knows that by the time I become a teacher, some of these things may be obsolete!

With love,
KBearden:]