Implementation 3

Time to be brutally honest. I see the value of social bookmarks, podcasts, and the plethora of Google services. I think I will be using something other than social bookmarks and podcasts for teaching. I use Google for education and I use it a lot because it's convenient and fits my schedule for what I need to do. However, I have tried to use social bookmarks in the past but found that it was one more thing I had to do. And as I've said before about Mr. Winkle, "Ain't no one got time for that!"

I have used Feedly in the past. I liked it a lot. It was good. It put all my interests and things that I subscribed to in one place. I even used it with my students. But, it got to be more work than I was prepared to put into it. I also tried using Diigo. It was more beneficial to me and had features like creating outlines and even embedding "sticky notes". Features, that were more like what a teacher would use. However, Feedly is more pleasant to look at, it has that eye-candy flair that Diigo did not. It's like saying, Feedly is pretty, Diigo has a great personality. Both of these services are fantastic if you're willing to use them for what they are actually intended to do. Speaking for myself only, it did not simplify my life or my teaching like I was hoping it would. I am happy that it works for others but it did not for me. It was taking too much of my time.

I thought I could keep up to date professionally with the stuff I care about and want to know about but I'm finding that I will just google what I need and look up and read from many different sources. Bookmarking these sites and reading material in Google alone is serving me better than using social bookmarking services. I really hope I'm not becoming like the adage, "you can't teach an old dog new tricks". I don't think I am but I'm recognizing what is and what is not working for me.

In regards to teaching, Google services like Drive, Classroom, and the G-Suite for Education has been much better to use. I can create documents, slides, and folders that can be shared among my students. I can also determine the level of access from viewer to editor to grant the students among the shared items. In Google Classroom I can create classes for each class I teach and I can place all the materials that my students will need in their specific classroom space. Using shared Google docs, students can submit files where I can comment, correct, or edit their work. Students can share documents among themselves and work collaboratively too. To see students share files among themselves and edit, correct, and even share ideas while working is really an incredible site to see. Something like this is moving students to the "Modification" level according to the SAMR model and teetering on the edge of "Redefinition".

Podcasting, I have tried getting students to see the value of creating a podcast as a way of sharing what they know and what they could develop. I like listening to podcasts and I use Apple Podcasts to keep track of the podcasts that I like. However, I'm finding in regards to podcasts I'm going the route of social bookmarking. I typically just use YouTube for podcasts and bookmark or "favorite" or subscribe directly in YouTube. But with students, it has been a different story. They are not into it. If the podcasts were a Reel or a TikTok then they are all in. I have had students create Reels and TikToks to showcase learning and have found that to work very well. In a school setting using social media brings up a bunch of other tech hassles (ie. network filters, student safety, use of bandwidth, etc) that teachers do not have the time to deal with in class. If we can find a way to get around that or make it work in a school setting, then we're looking at another great resource for students to use.

The very definition of technology is to make work easier. If using technology is not making work easier, then something is wrong or perhaps we're not using the technology properly. There are so many tech tools available for teachers and students to use.  Each teacher needs to determine how they will use these tools to further the education of the students and to ensure that learning takes place.