The Halfway Point

I didn’t see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life. -Steve Jobs

With this experiment to 'be a beginner' with Web 2.0 at the half way point, I think now is a good time to pause and reflect on my learning so far. I have reviewed the essential questions I asked myself in my inquiry proposal, and I am pleased to see that I am slowly uncovering the answers about how and why Web 2.0 can enhance learning, teaching and living.

Pam Berger and Sally Trexler (2010) outline the Stripling Inquiry Model by listing the following phases: Connect, Wonder, Investigate, Construct, Express and Reflect. Although I am still at the height of the investigative phase, I concur that it is "not a linear process" (p. 12). I have jumped forward to express/share my learning, while, at the same time, backing up to wonder about the key applications for each tool I experiment with.

While not wanting the steal the thunder from my final reflection, I think it's useful to summarize my current thoughts on each tool I've used so far:

• Blogging: It's taken a few weeks to feel proficient with basic blogging tools such as navigating the dashboard, editing, labelling, posting and fine-tuning the design features of my blog. I feel the focus in the second half will be to find my "blogging voice" and strike the right balance between being engaging and being academic. I am still wondering how to attract readers outside our class to my blog.
• Google Reader: This tool has become a regular part of my school day, as I check in almost daily to stay current. While most blogs I subscribe to continue to keep me interested, I wonder if I can diversify somewhat. How do I find some blogs for my subject areas?
  
• Twitter: This tool is still very much a work in progress for me. I am comfortable with TweetDeck, hashtags, and posting tweets, but I have yet to really dialogue with someone outside my class circle. I wonder how interacting more on Twitter would help develop my my learning base.
  
• GoodReads: On a personal level, I am curious to see if Goodreads is a tool I will be motivated to keep up-to-date. With many demands on limited recreational time, I'm not sure I would prioritize updating my reading lists, etc. However, from an English teacher's perspective, it's a tool I'm excited to share with my colleagues.
• Jing: What's not to love!? I know I will be using this tool regularly at school to show kids how to use tools and to occasionally provide feedback. Now I wonder how I can get our tech department to install it on my computer at work.
  

I have covered a lot of ground so far, and more is to come. This week I am launching into a comparison of Diigo and Evernote. Stay tuned.

References

Berger, P., & Trexler, S. (2010). Choosing web 2.0 tools for learning and teaching in a digital world. Santa Barbara, CA: Libraries Unlimited.