Final Q and A.

This class to me was not as much about new discoveries, instead it was more about application of things I was aware of but seemed too complicated or inapplicable to teaching. Before the class I knew about blogs. What they were and how they were the new big thing. I let the fact that I don’t use blogging close my mind to the possibility of using them. This class showed me the possibilities that exist for collaboration, assessment, and accessibility using blogs. This class made me rethink my bias when it came to what could be used for what.

What were your favorite discoveries or exercises on this learning journey?

My favorite discovery of the course was probably the social bookmarking tools. I thought that it put you into a community of people with similar interests that let you find great resources faster. Typing in a simple term into delicious like “history” gave me access to a lot of sites I never found using traditional web searches.

Also, I like that I can access my links anywhere using the website. Before the course I was getting annoyed trying to bookmark things in IE. Now I have another option to save good sites I find. Out of all the tools, I think that this will probably use this on a day to day basis the most.

How has this course assisted or affected your lifelong learning goals?
· Were there any take-aways or unexpected outcomes from this course that surprised you?

This course has assisted my lifelong learning goals because it has trained me in the usage of Web 2.0 tools. I thought that I was tech savvy so I knew all I had wanted to know coming into the course. I took this course mostly for a credit. After completing the course I found that I didn’t know as much as I thought I did, and could keep an open mind in the future. Almost everything we did in the course was new and useful. This course taught me some Web 2.0 skills, and re-taught me that the only thing I know is that I don’t know enough.

What could we do differently to improve upon this course’s format or concept?

I thought that the course format was effective for what we wanted to accomplish. We covered a bunch of topics and had good background information leading up to our experimenting with the tools. The only suggestion

I would have had for the class was to make it a requirement to get into groups at the beginning based on your subject area.
In the course it was mostly individual projects. Towards the end a lot of the projects would of benefited from collaboration. This would help to get more people contributing to the project and making it a stronger project. As most popular Web 2.0 sites are the result of a team of people working together to make it work, this would help our projects reflect that attitude more.

If we offered another discovery program like this in the future, would you again chose to participate?

I would participate in a program like this in the future. I learned a lot and felt like it was worth while!
Thanks!

top 10 list.

Here are ten resources that highlight my interest areas of history.

1)Cold War History Project:
http://wilsoncenter.org/index.cfm?topic_id=1409&fuseaction=topics.home

What it is: This site hosts many primary sources relating to Cold War politics and themes. As one of my main interests I like browsing around and looking at the real text of some declassified documents.

Overall: A great site for the serious historian. If you have an interest in a certain cold war event this site will be the place for you. The navigation on the site is a little cramped but i would give this site a 7.5 out of 10.

2) Korean History Project
http://www.koreanhistoryproject.org/index.htm

What it is: This site was a labor of love to inform the public more about the history of the Koreas. As a former English teacher in Korea I can say that Korea has had a fascinating history. Gives a good summary of major events in Korean, and other East Asian countries histories.

Overall: This site would attract the casual viewer and serious historian alike. Easy to navigate with some interesting features will earn this site an 8.5 out of ten.

3)Etymology Dictionary
http://www.etymonline.com

What it is: If you wonder where that word came from you could Google it. It will have you saying Eureka

Overall: For Word nerds this is an invaluable site. For everyone else I think it still might be an interesting way to spend a few hours. 9/10


4) The Breathing Earth
http://www.breathingearth.net/

What it is: The problems we are facing in the 21st century (overpopulation, global warming) are hard to wrap our minds around. This website will help to visualize what is going on around the world in different countries.

Overall: A beautifully made page that really captivated me. A good ice breaker for any ages.
10/10

5)History Teacher.net
http://www.historyteacher.net/

What it is: If you are looking for resources for the social studies classroom than this site has a plethora of links ranging from "this day in history" to Congress(wo)men's webpages.

Overall: A great collection of things that are useful to Social Studies teachers of many levels. Could use a little organization to really maximize the potential. Regardless 7 out of 10.

6)How stuff works: History!
http://history.howstuffworks.com/

What it is: A website that takes a look at popular concepts and finds ways to explain them. I became a fan of this website through their podcasts. A great place to find good detailed explanations of many different topics.

Overall: Easy to explore, pictures, videos. This is a great site to get a basic understanding of topics. Overall 9.5 out of 10

7)Marketing History
http://library.duke.edu/digitalcollections/eaa/


What it is: One of the most fascinating classes I took was on consumer history. A collection of ads from the beginning of mass marketing in American history the 1850s- 1920s.

Overall: A useful site to show students a glimpse into the past. We are so used to advertising in the modern world that it is interesting to see the beginnings. Requires some searching to find the perfect picture to use, but a great resource. Overall 7 out of 10.

8)Guerilla Marketing History
http://weburbanist.com/2008/06/03/the-history-of-guerrilla-marketing/

What it is: The other end of the spectrum what marketing has become. To help students connect the idea of what marketing has evolved into I would use this eight part series about Guerilla Marketing history.

Overall: An interesting look into a modern phenomenon. overall 7.5 out of 10.

9)Digital history (American History)
http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/asian_voices/voices_display.cfm?id=30

What it is: This site divides up history into sections like colonialism, modern, etc... However, it also has a section on Asian, Italian, and Irish Americans experience. A great resource for teachers.

Overall: It is a well crafted page that is easy to navigate. It also gives summary on many of the primary sources. 10 out of 10.

10)Internet Sourcebook
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/modsbook.html

What it is: This is one of the most comprehensive history sourcebooks I have encountered. It deals with many different topics from all around the world. It is sorted by time period and by regional catergories.

Overall: A huge compilation of sources. At first it can be difficult to maneuver about but you can't argue with the huge number of sources that they have gathered. 9.5 out of 10