Well, I'm not gonna lie...this exercise wasn't my favorite. Some of the 'things' were a bit dated and some lacked educational value in my opinion. Also, I don't think that teachers have the time to mess around with image generators and mashups...their plates are quite full as it is.
HOWEVER...
If I should need these things, they are at my fingertips! I can go back to APSU's 23 Things anytime I want to refresh my memory. I really enjoyed learning about RSS feeds; I had seen the symbol before many times and didn't know what it was for...now I do! I also liked creating a montage of pictures with Animoto and was pleased at the quality of it. The flow chart and mindmapping sites were very cool, too and I can me using them for presentations, posters and instruction. And I'm thankful to know about Teacher Pop!
There were things I was already very familiar with (like blogging in general, Google apps, Facebook and Flickr), but many things I was not. The possibilities seem endless...
There were some broken links and websites that just weren't user-friendly or intuitive (like Delicious)...my thoughts on improving the 23 Things is to check the links frequently and consider the relevance to the classroom...compare these sites with what is actually going on in today's public schools. I have worked in the school system since 2005 and rarely do I see technology being used to this extent... I don't think it's out of ignorance, but instead a lack of time.
Well, it's over! I am breathing a sigh of relief as I procrastinated a little the second half of the semester. I do much better with periodic deadlines and descriptive feedback (formative assessment!!!) as I go... that's something I will strive to do with my future students. Overall, I learned something - and that's never a bad thing.
Adios!!!
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