Reflection

When I walked into the computer lab at Del Pueblo on the evening of November 3, 2009, little did I know that I was embarking on a Web 2.0 adventure that would definitely catapult me into a frenzied attempt to become more “Information Literate”. Over the past few months I have become acquainted with wikis, blogs, podcasts, RSS, URL, avatars, downloading, uploading, embedding, linking, authenticating, and how copyright issues impact our use of technology. I have learned more than I anticipated, and I have come to realize there is so much more to discover.

Module 1 started with an introduction to Web 2.0 and an assignment to start accounts with WikiSpaces, EduBlogs, and Google. Starting the accounts was easy, but my list of logins and passwords started to grow. One of the frustrating things about technology is the necessity of keeping track of a multitude of logins and passwords. Since this was my first experience in creating a wiki and a blog, I spent a great deal of time exploring the features available for designing my wiki and my blog. It was a pleasant surprise to find that Wikispaces and EduBlogs both offered services free to educators. My greatest challenge with Module 1 was creating an avatar. First, I had to Google “avatar” to find out where and how to create an avatar for myself. I felt a great sense of accomplishment when I got my avatar made and put into the blog. When I finished Module 1 successfully, I was feeling confident that I would be able to finish the online course.

Throughout the modules the instructors included links to tutorials and videos that I watched many times. The Common Craft videos were particularly helpful and entertaining. I used the WikiSpaces tutorial on how to make a wiki. The assignments for Module 2 included embedding html code and uploading a file. By watching the tutorial over and over again, I was able to find a widget, embed the code, upload pictures in my wiki, and create links. At the successful completion of Module 2, I was confident in my online learning skills, however, I was concerned that I was spending far more than the 2-3 hours per week I had expected to complete each module.

With Module 3 I hit a wall. Writing about myself is not something I enjoy doing. I am actually a very private person, so the whole blogging thing is not something I am comfortable with. But I do agree with Matthew’s ideas for effective uses of blogs, especially to provide support for parents and encourage classroom discussions. My blogging experiences with this course have helped me feel more comfortable with blogging. I also had difficulty figuring out how to subscribe to other blogs after I signed up for my iGoogle RSS reader account. This was where online learning failed me. I was fortunate that my son was home on leave from the Army. He was able to show me how to copy the URL and click on “add stuff” in iGoogle. Then all I had to do was paste the URL of the blog I wanted to join, type feed at the end of the URL, and click add. So simple when you know what you are doing.

Module 3 left me wondering if I should rethink this online learning course and withdraw. I decided to try one more module before giving up. I quickly regretted my decision to keep going. Module 4 required making two podcasts and embedding them into my wiki. Again the Common Craft video Podcasting in Plain English gave a clear explanation of podcasts. I learned how to use vocaroo.com to record and send a message. What was my next stumbling block had to do with my reluctance to record my voice. I kept putting it off until finally I decided to just do the recording. I was not crazy about recording my voice, but I think it sounded okay. I would much rather script a lesson and have someone else record what I have written. I do think making a podcast is a great learning experience, and I will have my students take advantage of making podcasts. I did have to relearn how to embed html code into my wiki before I was able to get my vocaroo podcast into my wiki. It was a process of clicking on all of the editing choices in my wiki until I found the one that worked. This was not a very efficient process, but it eventually worked. Module 5 explored online tools. It is amazing to realize how many different tools are available. It was very useful to make a table of online tools I might want to use. It made sense to me to categorize the tools into creativity tools, utility tools, organizational tools, reference tools, and collaboration tools. With this table in my wiki, I can refer back to it as needed. I can also add to the table. I think it would be a great idea to make a page for parents on my wiki that includes a table of online tools their children might find useful.

The internet offers a vast amount of information almost instantly. With the availability of so much information comes a responsibility to view the information we find critically. In Module 6 I learned how to evaluate the validity of a website. I used the Wayback Machine on archive.org and other web detective tools to find the history of a website. I also learned how to determine if a website was a personal website. The module also had several websites that could be used to help students learn how to evaluate the validity of a website.

When I finished Module 6 I felt that I was actually going to make it through all of the modules. Then I saw the assignments for Module 7 Online Media. At this point I had committed too much time and effort to give up, but I had serious doubts about my ability to make a video presentation. When I watched the example video on the metamorphoses of a butterfly, I was overwhelmed. This assignment went far beyond embedding a video. I carefully checked out vimeo and voicethread and decided to give it a try. Making the video was fun. I enlisted the help of my husband for the staging and recording on our digital camera. My first choice would have been to use voicethread because of the features that allow for a variety of ways to communicate and collaborate, but I did not want to purchase a subscription at the time. I went with vimeo and signed up for a free account. It was very easy to use vimeo and this time I remembered how to embed the html code into my wiki. I am pleased with the results, and I can see myself guiding my students as they create video presentations themselves.

When I walk into the computer lab tomorrow night for our final review, I will be a more “Information Literate” educator. I have come a long way on this Web 2.0 adventure. I am excited about the things I have learned, and I am committed to continue expanding my information literacy. This course has had a significant impact on my achievement, and now I have something to offer my students so their achievement will also be impacted in a positive way.