EDCI 5825 Wiki Project

Do you plan on using your classroom blog/wiki in your future classroom? If so, what types of modifications do you envision? Please explain.
Making the wiki was exciting and I was able to incorporate many different aspects of what I envision might work out for my students if this wiki were to be used. Depending on where I get a job, if the students all have full access to a computer at home or close to home then using a wiki is definitely something that I would want to do. I would modify it according to the types of classes that I am teaching, honors, academic, or AP. I would also want to incorporate maybe a page for each of my students so they have their own page to use and add assignments to. This would be helpful because it would keep them well organized.

Do you plan on having your students create their own blogs/wikis in your future classroom? If so, please explain.
I would have my students create their own wiki or blog if we did a certain activity or project that could be expanded and added to over the course of the year. Students that are really interested in certain topics, such as genetics or rainforest deforestation might be interested in creating their own wiki or blog so that they can have another means of connecting and collaborating with people around the world on the same topic. This way they would not just be posting to the classroom wiki but sharing their ideas with the world outside of the school and community. If they created their own blog or wiki they could keep up with working on it in years to come.

Discussion of how your view of instructional technology has or has not changed over the semester
By taking this course I understand how important it is to incorporate technology into the classroom instruction. It gives the students a different style of learning and knowledge instead of just the textbook and direct instruction. Instructional technology can give students the opportunity to work with something that they already use and is a big part of their own culture. My view has definitely changed in the sense that I value the use of technology much more, and really feel like it can give students such a great opportunity to learn and flourish.

Discuss the quality and appropriateness of what you have learned and created this semester.
Learning about wiki's and blogs were very important because the use of either a wiki or blog can really transform a classroom's learning environment. Therefore using them in the curriculum is very appropriate for any subject. Podcasts, screencasts, and videos were interesting to learn about because they allow a students mastery to be displayed in other forms besides test taking. By showing mastery in these other ways, the student's work ethic and productivity may actually be displayed at a higher level then just test taking and handout uses.

Evaluation of your comfort moving forward with technology
Working with technology this semester proved to me that I am able to successful use different programs and the use of the programs are helpful in my own learning. Technology always made me hesitant to use it because I was unaware of my own capabilities, but I am no longer as "afraid" to test different technologies out and see how they can be useful to me.