Conclusion and Self Assessment

1.  Has your assessment changed?  If so, how?

            My assessment has certainly changed.  In the beginning, I was very unsure about many of the tools that are available online and also how to use them.  I feel very strong about how to find new tools to meet my needs as well as the student’s needs.  Many of the technology labs that I have created for this class have forced me to really pay attention to the details of my creations and how to manipulate them accordingly. 

 2.  How do you plan to keep up with new innovations in technology once you have completed your classes at UNT?

            Throughout this course, I have had to figure out how to use these tools the way they were intended.  I have looked up directions on e-How and viewed many YouTube videos to help me learn.  I have a social bookmarking website now so I can keep up with all of the tools that I have discovered.  I think it is also good to continue the search for new tools available because they are created every day. 

    

 3.  What specific plans do you have for implementing technology in an educational setting as a result of what you have learned in 5720?

            I created a personal space with various tools and gadgets.  I made sure that it could be pulled up through the network in my district.  I really think that this is a great place to start implementing these great tools for the students.  I am already having my students creating their personal space.  Once they have added their personal gadgets, I will have them all set up class gadgets like Google docs and slide share.  Then we will learn how to use those together and add more as we go! 

     

The Job of Organizing Information

1.  What are the implications for librarians, if everyone is able to organize information?

 

                I think that if everyone were able to organize information then it makes all other jobs possible.  The idea of organization is to create an environment where things can be found quickly and are available for easy access.  If the librarian is organized and others are also organized then there can be an effective flow of information between everyone.  There would not be endless searches for information, confusion about content, and there would be less time spent performing tasks.  This helps utilize the available resources in a more efficient manner and makes things go much more quickly.

2.  Would your tags in Diigo be helpful to others?

My tags in Diigo were created to make an easy link or search term for others searching for information.  I am not sure if I created the best tag term.  However, I believe that if the tag terms relate to the content appropriately then they should be effective for others.  I also feel that by having the tags available, I was able to find other posts that were under the same topic as mine.  I was also able to find groups of people that were creating the same assignment as I was by using these tags.  Tagging helps pool all of the available information over a particular subject in one place for a very easy search.  Tagging is certainly a time saver.  If I am searching for videos, I can plug this search term in at one location.  If anyone has a tag where there is a video, all of these resources show up at once.  This was my first tag experience and it was great! 

Web 2.0. . . The Machine Is Us/Using Us

1.  Why do you think that Professor Wesch gave this title to the video?

This video is about Web 2.0 and how it is changing the way people communicate.  The web as we know it today was not always like this.  The web, in its original design, was devoted to a read only audience.  Web pages were set up by format and structured to be displayed only.  The old Web 1.0 was the machine we used to find information on the internet.  It was a one way street.

  

Today we use digital text on the web.  There is still structure, but there is also content that can be added in or taken out.  The title, Web 2.0. . . The Machine is Us/Using Us, means that people who use the web are not just taking information.   They are able to add to it as well.  Web 2.0 is a place to search, read, post, construct, and share information.  People are sharing work, ideas, feelings, discoveries, and their knowledge about everything.  They are giving responses, providing collaborative feedback, and adding to an ever growing network.  We are the resource.  We are the builders and the creators of information that others can search for.  Together, we are the machine.

Uses for Quick Response Codes

1.  Now that you have made a Quick Response code, how would you use them in your library?

            I really had fun with making a Quick Response code.  I see now how easy they are to use and how many ways they can be used in a library setting.  These Quick Response tags could first be used to scan and save as students walk into the library for quick contact information and general information about the library.  This could apply to visitors as well.  These tags could also be made easily for books that you would want to highlight.  This could include new books available, books that will be a topic of discussion in an upcoming book talk, and any books that might apply to a particular research project.  The type of information put into the tag could be anything that you would want students to find or focus on.  This information could include bibliographies, websites dedicated to the book, and/or author information.  There might also be a podcast available for certain books, articles, and/or magazines.

            Quick Response tags can be added to certain resources to link them to videos as well.  These different types of links to added resources can be a great addition to further research in the library and add useful components to any type of lesson plan.  There might also be many different pieces of artwork and artifacts located in a library.  I know our library has many items from different historical time periods.  There could be a Quick Response tag attached to them for further information or some type of audio commentary explaining what they are.  This could be a great way to get students interested and to learn even more.

Individual Technology Assessment

1.  As an educator, what are your present strengths and weaknesses in technology?

           I believe that my strengths with technology are pretty basic.  I can navigate a computer and the components.  I can cruise the Internet with ease.  My software strengths are word and power point.  I can also use many tools available online such as social networks, blogs, and search engines.

          My weaknesses include excel spreadsheet.  I have trouble navigating a database.  When I am given a topic, I have such a hard time sorting through which one to use, what to put in for my search, and how to find what I need.  Other than that, there aren't many things I don't play with or try to use for myself or in the classroom.

2.  How do you plan to use your strengths?

          I am using my strengths now for this degree.  I use much of this technology to keep organized, disaggregate data, and for a lot of my communication purposes.  I use a website to communicate with parents and students outside of the classroom.  I use the various pieces of equipment in my classroom for almost every lesson.  I have the kids use it to research a variety of topics all of the time.  I also set up tutorials for my students to get a lesson on better search techniques in the library. 

3.  How do you plan to address the weaknesses?

           I think addressing my weaknesses boil down to taking time out and allowing myself to become more familiar with them.  I have even used online tutorials to help me with things like access and excel.  I also ask questions!  I read a lot and I am constantly taking more and more continuing education to keep up with what is going on around me.