Blog #5
When we initially were introduced to Diigo in class I was honestly fascinated!!! I love the ability to bookmark pages on any web browser because it is a great way to save research and come back to a project if you need to. Bookmarking is also a great way to stay organized, even aside from doing project/paper research (ex. sites that you visit frequently for school and personal uses). In terms of Diigo, I really like that it is a way to share research with your peers and friends. If you are working on a group project it would be a great way to keep things compact and keep your ideas all in one space. Using it as a teacher is also a great idea because it is a reference point for all the students in your class where they can turn to if they may be feeling stuck in a certain assignment/project they are working on. I also like the fact that Diigo lets you customize the bookmark when you are saving it through your browser (ex. hashtags, headline, etc.).
Prior to this class I had to keep a blog for a devised theatre class I took when I was studying abroad in London. I felt really personally connected to that blog because each post was about my feelings and reactions towards each day of class and how I felt about the work that was being done. With that blog, I felt like I was free to say whatever and there were no judgments to be made. I have also read blogs in the past and I really love how much passion and work people put into blogging. They take the time to make it appeal to their target audience and make it worthwhile. During this specific blogging process I've really learned that honesty is key. If I'm not honest in my answers, then what is it all for? Saying what you feel and what is true to you is the only way to get your readers connected to you as an individual.
When it comes to education I'm all about sparking creativity. I believe young students can truly and honestly learn when they are exercising the creative part of their brain. The Web 2.0 tool that I've decided to take a closer look at is "Storybird". This tool is very interactive and allows students to creatively design short stories using their own designs, pictures, and text. Their story designs can be published to the Web and shared with others (with the ability to rework privacy settings.). The "Storybird" site is incredibly easy to navigate with drop down menus on the home page that are clearly labeled. There is also a "How-To Guide" where students can refer if they have questions about where to start in their story making and beyond that. There is also a specific place where students can go to read already published student creations, which can spark ideas. One of my favorite features is on the home page and the site depicts their "Top Stories" of the day. Each one that is picked is from a different category that students are able to create with on the site (comic strips, short stories, long form stories, and flash fiction).
https://storybird.com/
Prior to this class I had to keep a blog for a devised theatre class I took when I was studying abroad in London. I felt really personally connected to that blog because each post was about my feelings and reactions towards each day of class and how I felt about the work that was being done. With that blog, I felt like I was free to say whatever and there were no judgments to be made. I have also read blogs in the past and I really love how much passion and work people put into blogging. They take the time to make it appeal to their target audience and make it worthwhile. During this specific blogging process I've really learned that honesty is key. If I'm not honest in my answers, then what is it all for? Saying what you feel and what is true to you is the only way to get your readers connected to you as an individual.
When it comes to education I'm all about sparking creativity. I believe young students can truly and honestly learn when they are exercising the creative part of their brain. The Web 2.0 tool that I've decided to take a closer look at is "Storybird". This tool is very interactive and allows students to creatively design short stories using their own designs, pictures, and text. Their story designs can be published to the Web and shared with others (with the ability to rework privacy settings.). The "Storybird" site is incredibly easy to navigate with drop down menus on the home page that are clearly labeled. There is also a "How-To Guide" where students can refer if they have questions about where to start in their story making and beyond that. There is also a specific place where students can go to read already published student creations, which can spark ideas. One of my favorite features is on the home page and the site depicts their "Top Stories" of the day. Each one that is picked is from a different category that students are able to create with on the site (comic strips, short stories, long form stories, and flash fiction).
https://storybird.com/
This seems like such a good resource, especially for visual learners and creative people. In school I loved the assignments where you could choose the format or genre of your project and you would choose between a drawing, or a Powerpoint, or a poster, or a video. They allow for such creative freedom based on how you learn and what you are best at creating. This resource is definitely going in to my master list for potential future educator resources.
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