Web 2.0 Tools
Being an Educational Technology Specialist, I use Web 2.0 tools frequently in my professional work. I train teachers on how to create blogs and ideas of use, ranging from basic daily information to true integration with the curriculum. I have also used Wikispaces to facilitate a collaborative video conference. The wiki site housed monster descriptions uploaded by each class that the partner school accessed. Many of the teachers I have worked with use Wordle for a variety of integration activities. Some teachers had students select a variety of adjectives describing themselves and posted them for Open House so the parents could identify which one belongs to their child. Others used Wordle to show students what dull words they are using too frequently in their writing. I have also used Prezi to create an interesting "Department Highlights" presentation. I hope to be able to keep up with all the Web 2.0 tools to come in our ever-changing digital world.
Web Conferences
I only attended one web conference - the very first one - but it was all I needed. I was extremely worried about the fact that I had not completed the documentation of my campus-supervised activities, in addition to the large amount of work I was going to face in this culminating course. After working with Dr. Abernathy on my Internship in Ed Tech Leadership, I should not have been worried. She has such a positive attitude, as does the entire Education department at Lamar, and I knew that they look for what you have done rather than focusing on what you are missing. This web conference eased all of my fears and clarified the direction that the course was taking. The communication through the EPIC system clearly communicated the changes after that first meeting, that the assignments had been reordered. I never once felt like I needed to attend another web conference, and my weekly grades reflected that I was on the right track.
Discussion Board
I am a woman of few words when it comes to writing. The discussion board is never the first activity that I gravitate toward; however, once I get into the discussion board prompt, I become quite passionate. The contributions of the other participants get my mind working, and I definitely appreciate any responses to my own posts. I like validation of my thoughts as well as constructive comments on ways I can improve. Even though the discussion board is not my favorite weekly assignment, I do think that it adds value to the course. At the very least, this practice models a form of technology integration that teachers and administrators can employ.
