The world of SecondLife...

So, I tried SecondLife for the first time a few days ago. I thought "Hey, this could be fun, navigating around in a new little virtual world." Wow, was I surprised to find that it was more difficult that I had thought it would be. I could still get around and figure it out, but it was not very user friendly. I found it hard to navigate around using the map, to change your appearance, and to do some of the other things you can do (i.e., sitting down). Maybe I should take Nancy's advice and try SmallWorlds first...

This week was so much fun!

This week I had a great time playing with the different technologies that have been suggested by others in the class. So far, I have already ...

• Signed up for FriendFeed and joined the group Gina made for the class;
• Signed up for Twitter, Facebook and MySpace;
• Downloaded SecondLife;
• Participated on the discussion boards (although hopefully next week I will have the chance to read all the posts);
• Created my first blog and followed all of my classmates' blogs (and read most of their postings as well).

I can't wait until next week to learn about more technologies. :o)

FIZZ -- YouTube and other Web 2.0 tools just for the classroom!!!

There are some great tools out there for teachers to use Web 2.0 in the classroom! So, there's a site, FIZZ, that allows schools to post videos of their classrooms. Each school has its own site where the teachers in the school can post videos of their classrooms, post blogs, and other tools.

FIZZ is a package that must be purchased by the school. Then, the school is sent 2 video cameras. The school can record the classroom, or the teacher can record other videos and then post them to the individual school's site. The students can then access their school's site, post their own blogs, watch the teacher's videos, and can then share their work with parents and friends.

I think this is a great tool for teachers to use since students are so much more interested in using the social networking sites and other Web 2.0 tools.

Check out the introductory videos here.

Hello Everyone!

Hi Everyone,

My name is Crystal Bancroft. This is my fourth semester in the IS program.

I enjoy many outdoor activities and crafty things (whether making something on the computer or regular crafts).

I am looking forward to this course. The topics look so interesting!

~Crystal

Web 2.0, Huh?

Week 1, Journal # 1

Well, here I find myself using a blog for the very first time. How exciting! I had never realized how Web 2.0 actually worked and how many technologies that are in everyday life are involved. It's still amazing to me that there are so many things that make up the term "Web 2.0!"

I saw a quote from Alvin Toffler, a famous writer and "futurist." He said,

The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.

As far as my experience goes, I have had a limited experience in using some social networks, such as Facebook and MySpace. I have used YouTube quite a bit, but only to view videos; never to upload videos. At some point in the semester, I think it would be fun to do a couple of video journals, I'm just not sure how ready I am for that at the moment.

In that respect, I would definitely classify myself as a follower of Web 2.0 technologies. Once introduced, I try to get familiar with them, and sometimes I will then introduce them to others, but I tend to just follow in the footsteps of others. I have found that there are many things in the Web 2.0 world that I am clueless about, and I look forward to learning about them.

I can't wait to see what this class has in store for the rest of the semester. A large part of me wishes that this course was longer, while still having the same intensity. Does that make me crazy?

I am so interested in learning new technologies as it is, whether they are included in Web 2.0 or not, and Web 2.0 has so many things involved that it almost seems impossible to learn everything. This is especially true, in my mind, since technology is changing so rapidly.

When I first heard that certain Web 2.0 technologies, like SecondLife and Facebook, were beginning to be used in a formal, educational setting, it just about blew my mind. As more and more people are using such technologies, it only makes sense to implement them into education. It makes education more interesting, at least for some.

This semester is definitely going to be a fun one, and I think that over the next six weeks, I will have a much better understanding of Web 2.0. Who knows, maybe I'll even become a leader one day. :o)

I found this video quite interesting. It's pretty fast paced, but I thought it was interesting to see how Web 2.0 works.