Last week reflections

This is the last week for our Web 2.0 course. I have enjoyed learning about how these tools can be applied in the K-12 classroom, and hearing the "tales from the field" that everyone in the class has shared.

The focus this week is on safety and security for our students as they use these remarkable tools. In this week's discussion forum I shared an incident I had while teaching a group of 5th and 6th graders that I won't repeat here except to say that teachers must be on constant alert for threats to students, and do everything possible to keep them safe. I could never forgive myself if a child were ever endangered because I failed in my responsibility to do all I could to protect them.

Approaching the end....much to think about

I've experimented with podcasting a bit for a course I took last year on advanced technologies. We used a site called Podbeam. I created and edited the recording using Audacity, which although free, isn't the easiest program to use, especially when it comes to editing. Here is a link to the podcasts for anyone who may be interested. http://lbgdetroit.podbean.com/

As far as integrating these into the elementary classroom, I've been reading the "Educator's Podcast Guide" by Brad Williams which is a great resource for learning to create podcasts, and lists numerous podcast sites for educators in every subject area. The book also contains lists of sites for educators on issues related to K-12 education and podcasts offering professional development advice.