Final Reflection

This course has offered me an invaluable introspection at ways to integrate web 2.0 resources into my school media center.  I am an advocate for progression of education into the 21st Century.  Watching my own children go to school and receive both traditional lessons and lessons utilizing technological resources I wholeheartedly believe that technology is the best way for us to prepare students for the future global economy.  I think blogging is an excellent alternative to journaling and while I think students need to learn penmanship I believe that this in itself is a dying art as our culture moves us towards complete reliance on electronic forms of communication.  I also think that students are a captive audience readily embracing technology and any way to integrate this into the classroom is a success. 

A class blog, a school media website, using online media programs for students to present research information, and the use of internet as primary reference source will be commonplace are just a few ways I plan to reach out to my students, colleagues, administrators and parents.  The more hands on the children can be with technology the greater the value of the lessons. 

I felt very exited to take the course.  I was looking forward to everything that I would learn and the outcome surpassed my expectations.  I was pleasantly surprised at how user friendly the educational resources are for the user.  While I have always valued the internet for personal use, and for use in my schooling I now have a better understanding of how I can use the internet as a resource in my future career.   

In regards to social networking sight I am eagerly following Joyce Valenza and other media specialists. I love that I have interesting and relevant information available to me on my smart phone at all times.  I was already adept in the use of social networking sight in my personal life but this class has broadened my perspective as to the value of these tools.  Bag the web is a great addition to any school media center website by giving students access to important links that you can bring them from the web to support their curriculum.  On a whole A ++ for this class for relevance and what I am taking away from it.