As I created this I found myself really enjoying everything Google Docs has to offer on an educational standpoint. I felt that the more I have been using it, the more things I continue to learn. However, for this particular assignment I had no issues trying to see all the positive ways that Google Docs can be used in the classroom. Then as I evaluated Diigo, which is web tool that allows students to create a document with links, bookmarks, articles, etc which can then be shared with other students on the web. I found myself really appreciating the great loading quality, content and interest. I enjoyed the introduction to the website, which was very user friendly and quick to set up. I felt this assignment really helped to understand the importance of evaluating all tools I use in the classroom before using them. Using a common rubric to evaluate these tools can ensure that I am being consistant.
I really enjoyed taking this particular course during the summer because all of the modules were set up so that it didn't matter that I was finished with classes. I also enjoyed the topics of this class: copyright laws, TED talks and all of the collaborative web tools. I felt that this class really helped me to brush up on the newest Google lessons or tricks when introduced each module.
The Connecting Globally was an interesting discussion topic, one that I haven't thought of since I attended grade school. However, I really appreciated the feedback my other classmates had who actually used this before in their classrooms. I forgot about how technology is global, and honestly how much it could impact my student's understandings of different cultures. I plan on taking a small break from these online courses during the fall semester since I took so many hours so quickly. I feel slightly burned out and need to concentrate now on incorporating the things I learned into my current schedule. |