Summary

What were your favorite discoveries or exercises on this learning journey? My favorite exercises through this time of learning would have to be the video and picture creation activities. I am a big photo/video person and love creating different things to go with my pictures. I really enjoyed the other activities as well (there wasn't one I didn't enjoy), but those two were my favorite.

How has this program affected your lifelong learning goals?
I have always thought of myself as a lifelong learner, but these activities have challenged me to step it up a notch and step out into trying more new things. There were so many things I had never heard of, and that means there are still a ton of new adventures waiting to be explored! I hope to continue learning for as long as I can!

Were there any take-a-ways or unexpected outcomes from this program that surprised you?
I really found that I became more interested in some of the applications than I thought I would. When I first read the topics, I was sort of dreading some of the Things, but I really enjoyed each of them. I really didn't expect to see so much that I would really want to incorporate into my every day classroom life. There are so many applications that can be used in the classroom, and I want to begin using those as soon as I can.

What could we do differently to improve upon this program’s format or concept?
I really enjoyed the concept. I'm not sure of what could be done to improve the format. One of the only things I can think of is pacing - give a little more time to explore the Things. It seems like we did them at such a fast pace that we couldn't really get into them. The other thing is to maybe go a little more in depth with a few of the more complex topics. I would really like to have seem more that I could do with some of the different things, but I didn't know where to go beyond the basics. Maybe if there is something that is beyond the basics that would beneficial, we could go a little deeper into the tool and discover more. Although, I guess that's what lifelong learning is about...how can I learn it if I don't go back and try it again? :)

How will what you have learned influence your practice as a teacher?
I hope to incorporate many of these things into my classroom and instruction. I believe this experience has made me more open to trying things I have been more reluctant to step out and try. It will also make me more willing to try new strategies in the classroom and activities with my students.

How do you plan to keep up with new developments in web 2.0? Recommend a way that you have found to be useful.
I plan to keep up with new developments in web 2.0 by using my RSS feed to check in on blogs that update about what's going on.