Blog Journal 8

Diigo provides a place where students and classes can collaboratively share data with each other in one specific and easy to find location. It allows users to highlight and comment on sections of text that they deem important and want others to see. This is useful for when students are all learning about a specific topic and find information that they would like to share with their peers because it makes it easy to find. Diigo would be very useful in group projects that involve collaboratively gathering data for one specific topic that the group shares. Likewise, Diigo could be used for similar situations professionals when teams are working on assignments or projects together.

Power Point can be used to create a number of games such as jeopardy and I would use that in the classroom to encourage my students to remember information to answer the questions and win points. To dig deeper, I would talk about each fact after the question was answered to give my students a deeper understanding of what the facts mean. I could also give my students the assignment of creating a power point to explain how they plan on applying the information in their lives. Additionally, Power Point offers the use of many tables and charts that can be used to compile data which can then be analyzed. At the end of all Power Points that my students create I will ask them to conclude with a self evaluation where they can judge the value of the information and ideas they are sharing. Finally, I think it would be beneficial to my students if I made them get together on projects and share their finding with each other via Power Point to create an even better final draft.

Professional development is of extreme importance in every field of work and teaching is no exception. Technology is a huge driving factor in this development for teachers as it provides individuals with so much information and so many skills that they are constantly able to make improvements in their teaching with the new knowledge they are gaining. Similarly, teachers are the driving force in implementing new technologies into the classroom. When teachers have an understanding on how a certain type of technology will benefit them in the classroom they will push for it. For this reason, it is very important that teachers remain informed about new technological advances because they could potentially benefit them greatly. 

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This is the perfect site to keep you up to date on technology trends. Why you ask? Because that is it's sole purpose! I cannot think of a better website to keep you informed on this topic than one that is meant specifically for that.