Reflections+on+assignments+in+EDLD+5306+-+Concepts+of+Educational+Technology

This course not only introduced me to the world of Web 2.0, wikis, and PLCs, it gave me the courage to dive head first into these collaborative resources. I have utilized wikis countless times since this first foray, and although the overall appearance and functionality have evolved, the invaluable "meeting point" on the web still rocks. Obviously, I am still working within my very first wiki here to share reflections on learning and build a virtual file cabinet drawer for an ever-increasing number of resources. Furthermore, I was able to take the wiki experience to a group of first year teachers who did not know how to focus their energy and direct their searches for online tools. We became a Professional Learning Community (far more authentic than the one assigned) and used our "seminar wiki" to share course PowerPoint presentations, links to pages of organizations and individual teachers, book recommendations, photos of anchor charts, comments on successes and failures, and far more. After viewing "Wikis in Plain English", I called on CommonCraft YouTube videos frequently. They are packed full of useful information for users while still being friendly and enjoyable.

Prior to my first experience with a wiki, I had only a few effective options for compiling resources in one place. We had shared drive space (while logged on to the network) through the school district, but this was not available at home. Most often, and probably least effective and efficient, we conducted informal discussions by email and shared by attachment. Sharing and saving online, and now in the cloud, has revolutionized my resource organization and saves me time, precious time that is now dedicated to researching teaching strategies, differentiation, and authentic assessment.

Sources: //Wikis in plain english//. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dnL00TdmLY //Ttf dallas generalists//. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://ttfdallas-generalist-elementary.wikispaces.com/ //E-communications 101//. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.techlearning.com/features/0039/e-communications-101/45186