Final thoughts

I guess I should have read the last link before I posted my Thing #23! I already answered some of the questions so I'll be brief in repeating them.
I. Feedback
1. Favorite exercise: playing with Flickr, setting up a blog, setting up iGoogle and all the goodies that come with it
2. Lifelong learning goals: this program has made me even more eager to continue learning how I can use the Internet to my advantage
3. Unexpected outcomes: discovering RSS feeds and that I can follow specific topics by subscribing to a feed
4. Improve program: the only thing I can think of is to check the links; some are not working
5. Participate in future: absolutely! This was so much fun and I love that I could do it at home where I have plenty of time to play and digest the information.
6. Influence my teaching: I definitely plan to use technology more with my students this year than in the past. I want to have a class blog, use Animoto with my classes, and let them use a mapping program to help write their papers.
7. I hope to keep up with web 2.0 by using RSS feeds from sites that pertain to the new technology

II. Where do I go from here?
I do plan to start a blog for my class and keep up with the latest tools for productivity and creativity. I also plan to teach my students as much as I can about the tools I use with them. Since I spend a lot of time on the computer at home, it will be easy for me to spend a few minutes each night checking out the latest.

I had not thought about adding my blog URL to my signature line, but I like that idea. If every teacher who receives an email from me sees the blog URL maybe they will check it out and get excited about trying it with their class. I also plan to share our blog with my administrator. I want her to see what my kids are doing.

I just subscribed to the Learning 2.1 blog.

I am relieved to complete this class, but so excited aobut all I've learned. I have plenty of time to decide how I plan to integrate the new things into my lessons. By the time school starts I will have the blog set up, widgets added, an introductory letter posted, and invitations to my principal, fellow teachers, and students.