Journal Entry

Ok, so far I've joined and have customized a page for each of the following sites:

Classroom 2.0 I created a page, added a song, created a profile, added friends, and explored the site a little. This site will be cool for networking with other teachers with similiar interests.

del.icio.us I create a page added 10-15 links, linked this page to my blog page, and explored the site a little. This site will allow me to locate, organize, and navigate my internet links with ease from any computer. I love the tags feature to give searchability to my links and other links which are connected to my tags on the internet.

Blogger I created a blog page, added a widget to Wired Magazine Online, added weather in Kenai, posted many times, added links to friends' blogs, added resources with RSS feeds, added a pictures, created a profile, added a link back to my Classroom 2.0 page, added my Google Reader (syndication aggregator), added a video bar, added an EdTech News sidebar, added a survey, added a blog archive, made a comment to a post, and just done some general housecleaning of the page.

wetpaint.com I have joined this wiki database add added a wiki called 21st century learning to my wiki profile. I will continue to search for more wikis as time goes on. I have created a class wiki. I have some ideas of how to use this wiki...perhaps as a way to show off research papers, get feedback on stories, or just for kids to share ideas and get ideas for projects in class. This could also be a penpal 2.0 tool as well. I'm not sure of the legal remifications however. Children under 13 fall under the COPPA act. Read here to find out more about privacy issues with younger internet users http://wikisineducation.wetpaint.com/page/Wetpaint+%26+Students+Under+13

It took quite sometime to get it all up and running. It took even more time to wrap my mind around all of it and its relevance to my teaching.

Things to consider when using Web 2.0 utilities:

1. *you need to update regularly
2. *you need to read a lot of material online
3. *you need to be able to filter what you read quickly to save time
4. *have a specific need in mind when online to save time. If you have something specific you are looking for, you won't be going in circles by getting distracted at all of the links and tags you come across.
5. *Set up some RSS feeds so the information you what comes to YOU instead of trying search for IT.

I see benefits of using Web 2.0 utilities in connecting with other teachers and cutting down of search times. The key here is YOU HAVE TO USE IT REGULARLY.