My Last Reflection is #23

The picture says it all, there is a world of possibilities. I have discovered what 23 of those possibilities are. I can see how these 23Things can be valuable and powerful tools in education. I can see them being more applicable in some subjects and more difficult to implement in others. I have learned that I am not as technologically savvy as I thought I was, but I can not see myself pushing myself to become so, but I will be come more adept at some of the tools discovered here. I have really enjoyed learning about the 23Things and the world of possibilities they provide.

Like every technology there is the good and the bad. The good is a allows a positive experience for all parties involved. Students and teachers could meet, in cyberspace, peers and share their feelings, discoveries, misconceptions, and other opinions on a myriad of subjects. This interaction would give us all a better understanding of the people who share our planet. The people sharing their knowledge could be as close as the next high school or as far away as the exact opposite side of the world. We would become cyber-classmates and learn much from each other and about each other. The limitations are the bad; accessibility being the foremost limitation. How do we include teachers and students without access to the Internet? There are countries that do not have the resources to expand their on-line infrastructure, should they are excluded? Access to the Internet is not available to everyone even in technologically advanced countries. There are students in my classroom who do not have Internet access at home, do we exclude them as well? I also question to what extent are these tools used in, or eventually as, a classroom? If we make it too much of the classroom do we create a generation of "connected isolationists"? I see many students now who are connected to many different things in cyberspace, but are physically alone. That worries me; I believe students are not learning socially correct etiquette because they are being involved in fewer and fewer social situations. In moderation and proper situations I can see all of the 23Things being combined to be used as a powerful educational tool. I will use some of these new tools in my classroom in the future.

Looking back on the 23Things and their possible future in my classroom.

Blogs: I can not see the day when I subscribe and follow blogs on a daily basis, but I can see it as a way to keep students up-to-date on things going on in the classroom.
RSS feeds: I can see these being used everyday in Government, Social Studies, and several other courses on a daily basis. As a math teacher, I can not see it as a practical way to use in my classroom. I can see me using it as a way to monitor changes in education. I have found myself checking my RSS button to see if some one has posted anything new at the feeds I have marked.
Photo and Video Sharing: I can see me using these as a part of a geometry project in the future. I can also see me using it as a way to make math fun. Showing math related images and videos that educate and amuse would help hold the students interest.
Widgets: would fit into the same idea as photo and video sharing. Make it fun, keep them interested.
Social Bookmarking and Delicious: Just different flavors of search engines. I am confident in my searching skills and I do not see me using these in the future.
Google Docs and other Productivity Software: I can see these coming in handy in many different ways in a classroom for both me and my students.
Podcasting: Interesting from the fact of some of my subliminal misconceptions, but I do not see my self using podcasts in my classroom. I can see it being used as a way to improve my teaching skills.
Wikis: I would like to see how it could be used as a collaboration center for a group of math teachers.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my journey. I will watch as my fellow 23Thingers work their way through the 23things. The insights and questions asked so far have made me rethink some of my ideas and concepts about the 23Things and their use in the classroom. I am looking forward to learning how they feel about their journey through the 23Things. I wonder if they will feel like it has opened up a world of possibilities to them.