Blog #5

The web is an important teaching tool. Web 2.0 is useful in the classroom. I can't imagine web 2.0 not being used anymore in schools.Teachers can use you tube, wiki, blogs, Diigo, and twitter. You tube is used to stream educational videos. Blogs can be used to open up the creative writing skills. Wikis can be used to engage students in collaborative writing and collaborative knowledge basics. Twitter is great for students to follow scientist, authors, and other public figures. Diigo is social bookmark for sources found online. Students can post notes and questions about the article. The smart board is an example of a effective tool a teacher can use in the class room. 

I would like to use Diigo in the classroom. I didn't know what diigo was until taking this class and I think Diigo could have helped me with a number of class assignments. It's a great tool for students to have access to. Diigo allows student to read reliable article and then use them safely. Diigo also allows students to share any thoughts, questions, and opinions they may have on the topic with other students. A student can use Diigo when writing research papers.

 Concept mapping is a wonderful tool! Concept maps allows teachers to organize, itemize, and visualize information from chapters in a book. It's also a nice tool a teacher can use to make a study guide for students. However, I did not like the program web inspiration. Unfortunately, I found myself working on the concept map for way too many hours. What should of only taken me an hour tops. The problem wasn't making the concept map but finding a way to save the concept map or picture. Next time I'd rather use the one in Microsoft word. I ended up resulting to taking a screen shot of the concept map but it was still difficult to screenshot, the map was so big. I think concept map could be printed for the class, but it would be tough to email to the class or post on a website. There is probably a way to do it but I wasn't sure how to. Maybe if I get more practice I can grow to like it more. I  do like that concept maps can be used as a study tool for visual learners like me.