After 11 Tools: Reflections

I have thoroughly enjoyed learning about all of the tools. The most useful thing I have learned from this process is how to create a blog. I plan on having an ongoing blog in my classroom every year from now on. Some of my favorite tools were PhotoStory, Animoto, GoogleDocs, Wordle, and Skype. I have already been using PhotoStory in the classroom with my students and will continue to use it in the future. I purchased a web cam and plan on using Skype. I will try it out at home first, then use it in the classroom. I would love for my students to use GoogleDocs for any research project they work on. I would like to use GoogleDocs with my teammates as well. I will use Wordle to capture the students' attention at the beginning of a reading lesson.

I feel that I have really transformed my thinking about technology in the classroom. In the past I thought some of these things would be too difficult to incorporate. Boy was I wrong! I am glad that I have had the opportunity to learn more about things that I had heard about, but was too afraid to try. Now that I feel more confident using these tools myself, it will be easier to implement in my classroom.

Honestly, when I first learned that I would have to create a blog and post my thoughts for everyone to read, I kind of freaked out. But, after the first couple of posts, I realized how much fun blogging is and how beneficial these tools will be for my students. I've really enjoyed reading every one's blogs, reading people's comments, and taking a big leap into the 21st Century. Now I can't believe I was even a bit hesitant in the first place. After all, we are all on this journey together!