Learning about Web 2.0

 

From the dark to the bright side
When I first started the online course, I wondered if I would have time to dedicate to it and dreaded the idea of failing. As time went, things started to get worse because I couldn´t keep the pace and did not have the time to catch up. I freaked when I saw the task list for the fourth week and I hadn´t even started week 3. Then time passed by a little more and I finally managed to catch up. I even created a blog, which is something I never thought I would be able to do. I got excited about Posterous. After that, I learned about Blogger, which freaked me out again because I had just learned about Posterous and now I had to deal with Blogger. But...OK, I did it. It turned out that I enjoyed it even more than I enjoyed Posterous. Now, I just can´t unplug. My mind is always working, mulling over ideas to use in class. Besides, something that has amazed me is the fact that I have been exchanging ideas with people from different countries, who regularly read my blog and respond to it. Is that fantastic or what? Call me a fool, but that is jawdropping. I never thought I would go that far! Long story short, so far, participating in this course has been blissful.  

 

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The Blackboard
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Amazing how attractive technology is to students, isn´t it? It is such a powerful tool that it makes students want to learn a lot more than when they had only their textbooks and pencils. After realizing that, all is left for us teachers is joining them.  

 

Is this a blog?

I´m still getting the hang of it, I mean, posting stuff and sharing thoughts. Dealing with posting is totally new to me. Furthermore, there is also the "I don´t have time" component, which makes more difficult for me to keep the pace. Still, I´m trying to think positive and keep my blog (is that the way we call it? I mean, is this a blog? If it´s not, how do I call it? I like to call it My Posterous,anyway) up-to-date. I´m confused about the many terms and all.... Feel free to comment on that, ok? See you around.

  

 

The WWW in my teaching practice
Unfortunately, I have to admit that my students have learned the old way. Although the place I work at provides us with technological equipment such as computers and modern projectors (I don´t recall the name of that little piece of equipment used to project the image on a screen... it´s not the overhead projector, it´s something more modern than that) just now, I find myself stung by the bug of curiosity and necessity of being an equal, I mean, many people at my working place are familiar with it, so I realized I should also be part of it. As I said, just now I´m daring to use technological tools in class, but still, I´m the one in charge. I haven´t figured out a way yet to make my students use these tools bythemselves, the "you guys go ahead and do it" way. However, after watching the videos provided by Carla in the Webtools4educators, I can see myself doing that kind of thing and it will be soon, of course with the help of my colleagues. For now, my students use the WWW to send me compositions. How do we turn our 21st century classrooms into learning engines? I guess it´s by rolling up our sleeves and asking for help whenever we see an obstacle. We should go ahead and try stuff. It´s a process that involves attempting, making mistakes and learning from them. I´m not engaging my students yet but I will. I think that the main barriers to incorporating technology into my classroom is not knowing how, but I´m working on that.

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To Posterous, Love Metalab