Reflections On Blogging

I have used many Web 2.0 tools during this EMDT course. Many of these tools are not available to me for use at my school either to collaborate with my peers, or to use with students. I am excited about using Screenflow to create videos and tutorials for my students to use. I am now
working on a way to play them in class since I have limited video equipment access. It would be great to have a one-to-one computer program in my county so that students and staff could have access. Many of the staff members that I work, and parents of my students, do not have computers at home, or cannot afford reliable high speed internet access which is required to use many of these tools, and view video. Screenflow and YouTube would be great tools to use in my special education classroom because it would make creating individualized lessons and activities easier. Students would be able to review the videos and complete the activities at their own pace. I would also like to create a web based after school remediation program. Having a free web based program would solve the issues of transportation, staff, and extended building hours. However, the lack of computer and Internet access is proving to be an impediment once again.

I plan to use these Web 2.0 tools such as Screenflow, YouTube and whiteboard programs for my Discovery Student Adventure classes and meetings prior to our trip to Costa Rica next summer. These tools are appealing because they eliminate the need to coordinate multiple schedules, and make meeting and teaching easier.

Finally, I would like to use blogging in my classroom. This tool does not appear to be blocked, and I would like to use it for vocabulary development and collaboration. I will post a word of the day, and students will add synomyms, antonyms, examples, and sentences to the blog to create a class vocabulary resource.