Chapter 6 - The Social Web

After reading this chapter I really think the Furl is a great idea. Its a wonderful way to keep your favorite sites compiled so that you do not have to search over and over again. I really like that you can also make comments about the site. This way you can remember why you liked the site or what the site was about. You can also rate the site on a scale so you can see quickly which ones you liked the best.
I think this would be a great way to have your sites organized. It reminds me of my favorites on computers, but a more modern way to find sites quickly.

Chapter 8: Podcasting

I think podcasting would be a great asset to the classroom today. I think it would be a fun way to teach content to students in an interesting way. It would keep their attention in a technology centered world. We must reach our kids on their level and this is something they do on a daily basis now with ipods.
I love the idea of learning about podcasting and how to do it for my students. I think with the right technology it could be a great teaching tool!!

Wikis

When doing research Wikipedia is a great website to use. It is a great source that I can find many details about certain topics on. I also feel that it is a dependable site to use. My main issues with using wikis or technology in general is that many children don't have access to technology. At my current placement we have 2 computers in our classroom and one doesn't even work well. This is frustrating when you want to incorporate technology with your class. Also many of my children are below poverty level and do not have computers. When we do have computers in the classroom a lot of times they don't work correctly. I think as time passes maybe technology will become more available to the students which would improve teaching.

Rockin with Rocks

Rockin with Rocks
Originally uploaded by kellbell1982

This is an assessment for a unit on weathering and erosion from 4th grade CCA. The students are required to identify how weathering and erosion have effected the rocks in the photograph. Students will answer on flickr.com and comment on each others answers.

By: Katie Wells, Lauren Scott, Kelly Russell

Weblogs, RSS, & Flickr

I am fairly familiar with weblogs. Two summers ago, my friend and I headed to Italy for two weeks of travel. Since phone conversations were so expensive we decided to create a blog to stay in contact with our friends and family. It was a great way for them to experience the trip with us. We updated daily (as long as we could find Internet) telling what we did that day and where we were currently. It was great because people could comment back to us and we knew what was going on at home too. http://italianchicks.blogspot.com/

When it come to RSS, I had actually never heard of this before. After reading Chapter 5 about RSS (Real Simple Syndication) I am still a little confused about it. As the chapter says, it may take a while to understand it all. I think it is a great idea and concept. I know there are many feeds and blogs I like to check but it takes so long. This way it is all just a quick click away. I love how fast and easy it is to use.

When it comes to Flickr.com I have never used it before. I was excited to set up an account and begin to become familiar with it. I love photography and I think this website will be great for me. I also love all the ways you can incorporate this website into the classroom. My only issue with using some much technology in the classroom is many of my students currently do not have access to the Internet, so it would be difficult for them to participate. I think as time changes and technology becomes more readily available to all students it can be a wonderful tool to use in the classroom.