Delicious is an incredibly valuable tool . I know I have used it to create a research site for my students as we read The Adoration of Jenna Fox and debated ethical questions about science. What I love the most is that it organizes gazoodles of information into a very friendly form. My strength is not organization, so it is a tool that makes me a better teacher. I began creating my Rambucks delicious account to help teachers with lesson plan ideas. I did not solicit it enough this year, so I am not sure how helpful it was to them. As for Google Reader, I need to play around with it some more. Google Docs became a new love of mine this year, so I am sure that Google Reader will be one too.
As for my Wiki site (http://mrsrbookclub.pbworks.com),I created an online book club with fourth and fifth graders. I awarded students this year with the "Mrs. Ramsay's Book Club Award" to recognize students that exemplified the love of reading, not the accumulation of AR points. This summer we will be reading The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan. I am just formulating ideas as I am only half way into the book, but it has wonderful opportunities to do additional research and fun online projects along with the discussion that can all be linked to in a Wiki. I have the introduction completed and Quest 1 completed. I am looking forward to how this unfolds.
Wikis are very similar (in a limited way) to MySpace or Facebook. Students have the ability to interact socially online in an educational setting that is monitored and safe which is very positive. The negatives that I've experienced is the Wiki page is not as dynamic as Facebook or MySpace in its aesthetic appearance, and I think that is a drawback. But, I know it engages students in a unique way that cannot be replicated. I did an Wiki with my Senior English students two years ago as a Senior Writing Portfolio, and I witnessed non-writers become writers because they had an audience. It gives an authentic purpose for writing.
For some reason, the link to the Web 2.0 Wiki will not open. But, I know that you can link You Tube videos, websites, images, and fun plug-ins into the Wiki. The disadvantage to the plug-ins is that most schools block them, so it is frustrating not to be able to use them at school. Students can access them from home, but I want to be able to enjoy it with my darlings in the classroom.
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