Final Reflection on Edm310

Final Project

Final Report on PLN

While my PLN has expanded to include other websites and various tools, Reddit still dominates my PLN and internet time. It is the king of my PLN and I don't think it will be dethroned anytime soon. Quite simply put it is an all encompassing website for my personal preferences. If I want to explore TED talks, there is a reddit for that. If I want to review the latest technology, there is a reddit for that. If I want to follow the latest trends in education, there is a reddit for that as well! It has been my personal experience that everything I've looked for and wanted to learn more about I can find on that website. In my opinion it also offers the best and easiest way to blog and communicate with peers seeking and sharing the same information. While it's great to use apps such as symbaloo to wrangle in all of the sites one prefers in an easily accessible grid and I can see how that would appeal to people, I personally prefer my subreddits and reddit bookmarks because it seems to me like a PLN within a PLN, within a PLN, within a PLN within...(this goes on for a while as it's pretty much a super mega inception PLN.) Having said all of that however, my PLN is ever expanding and I look forward to finding new websites and apps to add as I keep exploring all of the wonderful things that technology has to offer.

C4T #4

My first comment was on Mrs. Burt's post about the apple sMACdown conference. It was a meeting for Mac enthusiasts to gather and share techniques and apps unique to apple products. I commented that I myself was a Mac user and that I thought it would be fun to attend one of those conferences one day. My second comment was on her post about The Manaiakalani Film Festival. It's purpose wasn't to award, but to showcase what schools in her district learned, created, and shared. I commented that it seemed like a cool idea and that I wish I'd had the opportunity to attend festivals like that when I was in grade school.

Blog Assignment #14

Jose Picardo is a languages teacher and blogger. Part of this assignment was to watch one of his youtube videos where he offers 10 tips for integrating technology into the classroom. These tips are: (1) Stream Videos. (2) Incorporate Music. (3) Use Teleconferencing tools. (4) Use Interactive Exercises. (5) Do more with your Smartboard. (6) Create Podcasts. (7) Create a Blog or Wiki. (8) Utilize Social Networks. (9) Take Advantage of free Internet Tools. (10) Allow Students to use Gadgets to Enhance Learning. I believe that he is spot on with this list and that if all teachers were able to add at least one of these suggestions to their lesson plans it would vastly improve the learning environment for their students. I plan to incorporate all of them in my personal curriculum, however the tips I will place the most emphasis on are streaming videos, incorporating music, creating podcasts, maintaining a class blog, utilizing social networks and encouraging students to use their own gadgets for enhanced learning. The reason I'm more prone to focus on these areas is because they interest me the most as a student, although I realize not everyone learns the same way so I will also implement numerous other strategies to help each individual optimize their learning and educational experience in my classroom.

Mr. Picardo also has a list on his blog of A-Z Resources for Education. This page has an extensively substantial (but not all inclusive) number of resources to assist educators with enhancing their lesson plans with various internet tools and it is an excellent way to help achieve the goal of optimizing the educational experience for students. I have tinkered with or already familiar with a number of the resources on the list, but there are many more that seem exciting and that I have bookmarked to learn more about for my personal learning network. Mr. Picardo also request that if there is a link not posted that anyone thinks would be helpful to contact him so he can add it. I believe all teachers can benefit from taking a look at this post.