1. Social Media for Educators Final Presentation Kimberly Lacey July 2010
2. Though I have been introduced to a variety of different tools, the most useful has been my Delicious account as I feel it can lend itself to the primary classroom well. Computer usage in the lower grades is a bit more limited when it comes to social media, though I have seen my kids move forward with the changes in education in the last few years that I have been a part of this profession. My Delicious account will allow me to direct my children right to a website when in our school computer lab without having to worry about navigating the internet. Delicious has allowed me to find a number of different websites that I will use in the coming year and put all in a convenient place where I can access from any computer, anywhere. Such sites as spellingcity.com, discoveryeducation.com, a number of websites on literature circles, and much more! Which tool have you found most useful?
3. I feel that I have had true success with three out of the four assignments presented in this course: Twitter, Delicious, and Animoto The three above were all user friendly, easy to understand, and lent themselves to quick and easy access once created. Twitter has been the most entertaining thus far, especially coming from the perspective that I would never become involved in such a mass media outlet that I once thought it originally was. My negative attitude towards Twitter quickly changed after creating my own and connecting with other educators all over the country. The benefits are truly endless as I have now come to realize it is simply not another pop culture phenomenon. Successes in Social Media
4. Delicious has been a success as it, again, is user friendly, even to the beginner to social media like myself. I find myself using it over and over as I find more and more websites through my own research as well as through the connections I’ve made with other educators on Delicious. Animoto was a success in itself purely because I now know how to make videos for my class. My own personal video was created about my horse Baltisar but I look forward to creating videos to use with my students to enhance their education throughout this coming year. Successes (cont’d)
5. My main challenge throughout this course was with Ning. Though it presents itself as easy to create and to connect with others, I have struggled with the assignment throughout the course. Initially, I gave up on this particular assignment and moved on to the other three. As time passed and I became more comfortable with the other assignments I kept going back to my personal Ning and chipping away at it a little at a time. At the present moment, my Ning is still a work in progress but I am proud to say that with a little guidance here and there what I have at present is my own and for the challenge it first presented I am proud of what I have accomplished with Ning thus far while looking forward to its continued development. As of now I have registered for other Ning networks such as Liveshare, Classroom 2.0, and Global Education Alliance and continue to expanding my connection into the education social network that is Ning. Challenges in Social Media
6. Though I am not a stranger to the world of professional development opportunities, this has been my first experience in online learning. The list of positives for the world of online learning in my opinion is great. Rich Kiker has been a great resource to have and continue to use with regard to all things social media. The ability to work at my own pace, especially due to other summer commitments has made this experience a positive one as I have not been locked into a specific time table to attend class. Although I originally took this class to fulfill Act 48 hours, the knowledge that I have gained about the world of social media by experiencing it and working with it purely on my own as been something well worth the dollars paid and time spent. I look forward to taking another online course in the near future and hope to also take another offered by Rich Kiker as his availability and insight as a teacher has been purely positive and much appreciated as well. Thank you Rich! My Personal Take on Moodle and Online Learning…
7. Ning: http://firstgradeeducator.ning.com Twitter: http://twitter.com/kimberlyL7 Delicious: http://delicious.com/kimberly.lacey7 Animoto: http://animoto.com/play/ib3U61dizyYhSIfXMzlWRw Kim Lacey’s Social Media Assignments
