Final Post....Or is it?

Throughout this semester as a part of the 'Using Computers in the Classroom Ed 458' unit I have been introduced to, and I was a part of introducing, several 'new' web 2.0 technologies, their uses in general and in the classroom, their pros and cons and of course how to use each 'new' technology.

When I say web 2.0 technology I am referring to recent technology that is far more involved than its predecessors. Web 2.0 technology, in basic terms, is interactive, it involves users to share,communicate and add information. The web 2.0 technologies also talk amongst themselves and are seemingly all connected, for example when I use Jing I am able to add my capture to my blog or email it to a friend. The technologies we looked at in detail over the course of the semester are; Blogs, Wiki, Scratch, Bitstrips, Twitter, Glogster, Jing, Google Documents, Hot Potatoes, Voicethread, Edmodo and of course Game Maker.

My class and I needed to learn about twelve technologies in one semester we achieved this by having the class pair off and each pair become the 'expert' on a specific technology; then bringing the information and skills they have learned back and sharing with the class has been an excellent way of learning. As a class we have covered a vast amount of technology, to a fairly high level, in a reasonably short amount of time. This strategy of teaching and learning has not only been efficient but also highly effective. We students have learned each new web 2.0 technology almost to the same standard as the investigators or the 'experts'. And in saying that I do have the tools (the class wiki) and the skills (lessons from class) to become as educated as the 'expert' with minimal further effort on my behalf.

I am very pleased with the results of the semester's learning and the skills I have developed. I have seen and played with some really amazing technologies, including this blog, that I might not have come into contact with otherwise. Some will definitely improve my work at university and I can also see myself using in my own classroom to improve children's learning experience.