Summary

Oh, where to start? I love it all. I feel a little guilty for taking this class where I have a legitimate excuse to play around and do all the things that I love to do and get paid for it. I am so excited to have learned some new things and to have been reminded of others that I have forgotten about. There were numerous things that I will definitely incorporate into my library program for next year. One of the things that I have used before but sort of forgot about was the Google Reader. I am definitely going to keep up with it now, because I have realized that it gives me great updates and information that I can share in my monthly newsletter.

This program hasn't changed my life long learning goals, but rather it has just strengthened my resolve to stay abreast of technologies and ways to incorporate it into education. I strongly believe that doing so is one way to "meet the kids where they are".

I think the structure and format of this program is excellent. It allows for discovery and exploration which I feel is a key component in learning new technology. One thing that I would like to see is the incorporation of a "thing" that focuses on real-time video conferencing or screen sharing. There are some programs such as SightSpeed, Skype or iChat that can have some fantastic uses in education. I have used them for connecting a student with a Holocaust survivor for a video interview, hosting joint book club meetings, and just connecting with others about curriculum.

If another program like this is offered with different "things" I would definitely want to participate! This course and others like it, give me more "tools" in my box in order to implement programs and enhance the learning environment on our campus. As I mentioned, I will continue to use the Google Reader to stay abreast of technology. Several of the feeds I incorporated give continuous updates on new and innovative programs and features available. One such blog that I found through Classroom 2.0 is Technology Tidbits: Thoughts of a Cyber Hero.

One resolution that I have is to continue my blog and use it to review books that I am reading. I would like to make a posting upon completion of each book to give a brief overview of my thoughts and opinions. I will also try to incorporate new technology tips that I come across. I think putting my blog address on my signature line is a good way to motivate me to keep it updated.

Overall, this has been a great experience and I look forward to using all these cool tools that I now officially have been exposed to. Bring on Things 24-50 :)