Assignment

Explore the uses of technological tools for use in the classroom and experience creating and editing a wiki by participating in a course wiki hosted by Blackboard. You will make two entries and at least two responses by midnight Monday November 14, 2011 (the first week's posting is due by midnight Tuesday Nov. 8).Your entries will be on two of the topics listed below.

Assignment Directions

Log-on to the course Blackboard, go to the "Class wiki." You will be contributing to a course wiki during weeks 2 & 3.

Click on one of the topics from the list on the wiki assignment page (see list below) to go to a wiki about that topic.  Then add your wiki information by clicking the link provided there.  Follow the on-line instructions there; don't forget to save when your entry in complete.  You will add one entry and respond to at least one other student's wiki during each of weeks 2 & 3 (one each week--the topics/wikis must be different each week). You may respond to as many wiki entries as you like, but you must respond to at least one each week. For example, the first week you could create an entry for "Technology tools for communication" and respond to an entry in "Technology tools for multimedia." The second week you could create an entry for "Technology tools for special education" and respond to an entry in "Technology tools for curriculum and instruction." In order to spread-out and diversify the topics covered, no more than two entries to the same topic can be made each week. If two people have already created entries (nor responses) to a topic the first week, you must create and entry to a different topic the first week and try creating an entry to the first topic the second week. Thus, at the end of two weeks, no topic should have more than four entries made to it. There is no limit to the number of persons that respond to any entry or any topic. The six topic wikis are listed below:

• Technology tools for communication
• Technology tools for curriculum and instruction
• Technology tools for teacher productivity
• Technology tools for multimedia
• Technology tools for assessment 
• Technology tools for special education

Instructions for finding information to post

• Locate an innovative technology tool on the Web that you feel might be useful for instruction in your teaching setting.   
• Try to focus on new technologies.  However, if you have a particular technology you have already been using in your teaching, you may want to review that in the wiki.
• Take a look at the wiki and make sure your tool of choice has not already been featured by another student in the class.
• You will want to review one tool you feel will be useful for teaching with technology.
• In addition, review your colleague's technology tools and select one to which you can add comments, additional information, graphics, embedded YouTube video, etc. 

Each wiki review should include the following:

• Your name and the name of the technology tool
• Description of the technology tool
• Web reference including "hot" link to website. 
• 3-4 key bullet points discussing potential for teaching and learning
• Evaluation of usefulness for educational purposes
• Optional: Insert image or embed video.

Show evidence of collaboration:

• Add comments, additional resources, images, videos, etc. and ideas to one of your colleague's wiki entries
• Help structure the wiki topics
• Share ideas and information with colleagues