Blog Journal 6

     I had never heard of Diigo before this class. When I started using it, I was surprised how the user interface seems a little more outdated. However, I did think that it was an interesting way to bookmark sources as you go along doing research. The collaboration aspect, too, is very effective, as the links take you straight to the annotated pages with the extension. This is something that I will keep in mind as I think of resources to incorporate into future classes and maybe even use for my own classes while I am still a student.

    When I was little, my mom followed a lot of blogs, and I wanted to be a blogger so badly. One day, I was finally allowed to make a blog... on Blogger. So when we first created our accounts for this class, I had a little trip down memory lane as I read my old (very cringey) blogs. My experience with it over the years, though, has changed. I used to use it more as a life-update forum essentially, but now I see how it can be a space for communication and collaboration. I have communicated with instructors and peers very effectively. I have also been able to store all of my responses in a well-organized blog home page, which is a useful tool as well. 

    An interesting Web 2.0 tool that I might use when teaching is Pinterest. Pinterest is something I have used in my personal life, but I am sure it could prove to be useful in educational settings as well. Students can "pin" posts to "boards" (the idea is to be like a cork board with random things and sticky notes that you pin to return to later). This could help them brainstorm ideas, perhaps for project designs or research topics. It could also be useful for activities related to personal expression; I can learn who the students are by having them pin some of their interests on a board that they share with the class as a fun alternative get-to-know-you activity. There is a link to Pinterest here.