Final reflection on Web 2.0 tools

Web 2.0 technologies have completely revolutionized every aspect of our lives. Web 2.0 tools are great ways to increase learning in the classroom. I have discovered many new tools during this course. This tools are truly the best way for us to communicate with our students since they are not fans of the traditional lecture styled learning.

There are many advantages and disadvantages, including the following:

Advantages:
• Create a large and strong network
• Increase in number of friends
• More interaction among peers
• Build strong relationship; especially at work

Disadvantages:
• People are highly dependent on the internet to network
• Large use of time
• Possibility of fraud and hackers

I plan to continue to use my newfound tools in order to increase my student's learning experiences and encourage them to experience themselves through technology. I also plan to branch out and explore some of the tools that I banned due to frustrations in the past. #sideye

Updated vanity search

I am continuously intrigued about the results that I find when I search myself on the internet. My new findings on the new search include my social bookmarking site and updated blog posts. The search was a little more specific for me before I got married and ended up with a more "normal" last name. (I am searching for Sophilia Thompson as opposed to McTyre) #boring #jk

One negative side is find are the images that pull up. Some of the have nothing to do with me and then the others are me!

I am excited to continue to add things to my search of "ego-surfing" and being able to add this to my list of things that I share with my students each year.

Social bookmarking

Social bookmarking
This concept is completely new to me. I was an avid "bookmarker" on my computer but this social bookmarking is totally new. I find the concept interesting and I will have to continue to explore the site and become familiarized with it. I think it would be a great opportunity to share various articles with people. I love the idea of creating a group and sending items using Diigo.

Web 2.0 tools
The use of web 2.0 tools in education is a must. They provide educators with tools to better reach our students who attached to the use of technology. This is only one of many advantages- they provide various communication forums for students and they allow other to enter the classroom safely. The only disadvantage is trying to keep up with the ever changing advances in Web 2.0 and technology itself. After taking this class, I have discovered that I have been living under a rock and there a hundreds of tools that I need to explore. <sighs>

Widgets for the win

Widgets has to be one of the funniest words that I have ever heard.I had no idea that they were used online in an aggregated page or even exactly what an aggregated page was.

My experience:

The die-hard Apple user actually enjoyed creating her pages using Widgets. (Shhh...I was really forced. Shame on you Dr. B for putting me through such torture) ;-)  I have had experience with working with widgets when I experienced my short love for an Android phone back in 2009 when I decided to purchase a beta Droid phone. It was the latest technology and being able to customize a device for my liking was the the best thing, so I thought. I enjoyed it for a little while and then I just found the features to be overkill. My love for Apple products stem from enjoying the simple things in life. Why does my phone need to be constantly running 500 different widget and pushing data all the time. 

Final thought: 

I am unsure that I will find myself visiting my personal page regularly but I do see tons of benefits a classroom page could have. I do find it a little tricky when I attempt to add pages that are already listed on the page and you just end up repeating information. I wish there was a way for the site to inform us that the page has been added. In the end, great tool and great one to add to the arsenal. 

Click here to view my page. 

Web 2.0 Tool Adventure

At the end of the week, write a blog post about your experience this week exploring Youtube Twitter, and learning Web 2.0 tools in general.

YouTube is probably one of my favorite Web 2.0 tools due to it being so user friendly and it having so much information. I visit the site at least once a day to explore a variety of videos, for personal or work use. The site provides tons of information for a learner. Whether an individual wants to learn how to change a tire or apply a full-coverage foundation; YouTube offers instructional videos from users like them at the click of a button. I have used the site many times in the past when advising my students on schools that are not familiar with or even to help them understand an assignment in a subject that I am not my strongest in #KahnAcademyRocks (special shoutout to math and science teachers) 

Since it is my favorite tool, I selected it for my group assignment. Please view my demonstration video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moxHTzG3dqU

In the end, I think it is a tool that will be around for many years and keep its popularity with the kiddos, unlike sites like Facebook and Myspace, due to its uniqueness it what it has to over. #TeamYouTube  

Then there's Twitter...(insert tiny violin) Twitter has to be one of my least favorite tools simply because it is so easy to get lost in it. Don't get me wrong, the simplicity of the site is genius and it reaches our kiddos brilliantly BUT I am a fan of 140+ characters and actually knowing who I am talking to. There's the Twitter handle but then a user can have a completely different name. Sighs...I do feel socially obligated to continue to give it a try but I must admit it is not one of my most often used social media tools such as Facebook but then there's Periscope.. #TechnologyRulesTheWorld 

Twitter Adventure

I have had a Twitter account since June of 2012 and I have only made 1,227 tweets. I tend to forget to post to my account but I do enjoy logging in every now and then in order to see what's trending. I am more of a Facebook fan when it comes to social media since that does not limit one on character counts and doesn't involve subtweets and such. Sometimes I don't even know how to see who said what and who they said it to. I suppose that could change if I actually used the app more. We shall see. Maybe this course will help. #etec527

I do find that I use it most when I am out of town at conferences or workshops in order to promote my organization. (#TRIOworks) I also use it to keep "connected" with my favorite celebrities and my latest obsession in the world of makeup. I do find it is the best way to connect to our students when it comes to social media. Snapchat is slowly but surely taking over and who know what will be next to hit the airwaves?!?

Follow me @sophietoo

Vanity Search

What does your digital footprint look like? This is an opportunity to explore your digital presence. The more you are involved in online communications, the greater your digital footprint can become. It is important that you do this before you start to set up additional accounts for this class and interact in these spaces. You will have a chance to explore how your digital footprint changes over time as you interact in new spaces. This is important for you to understand as you will need to be able to help students understand the importance of being aware of their own digital footprints. This is a simple thing to do. Simply go to Google and enter your name in quotes. Then explore the results. Make sure you look at the returns for web pages, photos and videos. Take notes on what you find and reflect on what it means for the way you use the web and how you are represented. You will then write a post in your blog (Instructions for Blog are below) that addresses what you learned in your first vanity search.
Interesting! I have often Googled myself for other reasons such as boredom or maybe vanity (that one time when I watched the show Catfish) AND when I was proving a point to my students to show them how easily things get "stuck" on the internet. Anyhow, I am fine with my results and was not surprised by anything listed.  I found past and current blogs, my FB information and pictures from that site, local news article, a couple of Prezis that I made AND information about me.  I even found information on certain charities that I have participated in. The most shocking thing I found was my current position at UNT and MY SALARY along with start date and my position title. (I know that is public information, but GEEZ) In the end, I think that I use the web cautiously and that I am represented very well.