Finally, I see the light at the end of the tunnel; IT 780 (Seminar in Instructional Technology) is almost over. I have to admit that taking a class again has helped me understand my students better. Also, I anticipate that I will continue to learn how to be a better teacher through the use of technologies in the future. In this class, I have learned a lot about instructional technology, especially about Web 2.0 applications. Below are my thoughts on my Favorite Web 2.0 Applications:
Of all the Web 2.0 tools I have learned about, Diigo is my favorite. I believe Diigo is a great research, teaching, learning, and community building tool. I have learned so much about Web technology through Diigo communities. I believe Diigo has brought social bookmarking to a higher level and I can’t wait to learn about new features as Diigo introduces them.
Dabbleboard is one of my favorite Web 2.0 tools. Essentially, Dabbleboard is a simple vector-graphics editor that let you draw and write on a digital white-board. In my opinion, Dabbleboard is the best mind-mapping tool currently available because its interface is least restrictive. In addition to mind-maps, Dabbleboard lets you draw anything. Dabbleboard rocks!!!
Twitter is a powerful social media tool. I think Twitter is a very useful tool for businesses working to establish or maintain a brand image. I have learned a lot about technology through my Twitter community. I am proud to be part of a flock of little blue nerd bird going tweet tweet tweet. I also want my students to learn to fly in twitter flock.
Winksite taught me that creating a mobile Website is easier than I thought. So far, I have used Winksite to create a mobile website for the USM fashion merchandising program. I’m just beginning, but Winksite makes me feel really smart and confident. I still need to experiment with creating less text-based content.
So far I’ve used PB Wiki to create a wiki for the fashion merchandising program at USM. I like PB Wiki because it’s extremely user friendly and easy to use. I hope that the FM program wiki will help create a multi-generation learning community of FM program students, alumni, faculty, and working professionals.
Mixxt is a wonderful free social networking platform. It allows you to utilize a number of tools such as blogging, chatting, RSS feeds, and built-in tools to handle embedded images and videos.
WordPress is a powerful blogging platform. I have not decided that I like blogging yet. However, WordPress has a lot of useful features and is compatible with other Web 2.0 applications such as Twitter, Diigo, and Delicious.
Like blogging, SlideShare is a tool that I have not become fully comfortable with. I think, this is partially because you have to pay before you can have private slideshares.
Web 2.0 technologies have the potential tools tremendously benefit education. This is true, I think, regardless of the discipline. Web 2.0 applications allow the delivery of content in numerous formats, allowing instructors to create rich multimedia online learning environments, which can appeal to and reach many types of learners. Furthermore, Web 2.0 tools can be very useful for entrepreneurs and businesses.
During this class, I have integrated many Web 2.0 tools into my own classes and my program. I will definitely continue to incorporate these technologies in the USM fashion merchandising program. However, one difficulty I foresee is the time consumed by trying to keep up and maintain online content. I sometimes wonder how Dr. Yuen keeps up with these technologies. My favorite theory is that Dr. Yuen is really a robot. Yes, he is a robot!
Fashion Merchandising Classroom 2.0 