Action Plan

I really enjoyed the Web 2.0 class. It has introduced me to new tools that I can now further explore into my professional and personal life. The 5 tools that I will begin to integrate are: RSS, Google Reader, Diigo, Blogging, and Wiki.

With my Arts Team, I would like for all of us to build a stronger professional learning community. Not only would we discuss student centered learning, but I would like to discuss articles, research, and other topics related to the Arts. Through RSS, I will receive in my Google Reader information related to the Arts. I will highlight information or share the entire article/segment using Diigo. The teachers will read the information and blog about it using blogger. If it is necessary to discuss further, we will allocate time during team meeting. I did not list Google Docs as a tool, because this is something that we were introduced to last year and it is an ongoing process.

In my personal life, I will be working towards my Masters Certificate in Arts Integration beginning this September. I plan to utilize the Wiki page that I started from this class and Google Reader. As I get to know more about the classes I will be taking, I will probably use more of the tools.

Diigo - I want to love you

I am still trying to figure out how to use Diigo in the classroom. For whatever reason, I am not grasping the concept. That fact however, just makes me more determined to figure it out and to use it and once I do.
I look forward to becoming proficient in it’s use and sharing this information with my colleagues. I am especially looking forward to forming groups for special educator’s and sharing information relevant to us and our student’s.

Diigo

Username: BStone10


For someone who uses the internet for primary functions such as checking personal and business email, online shopping, and the occasional social networking, it was hard for me to figure out how to use Diigo for my professional and instructional use. I am thankful to enroll in this course, because it has opened my eyes to new ways to use the internet into my professional and instructional practice. Diigo and RSS has caused me to explore the internet for resources that I would not normally use, but found beneficial. I was able to bookmark and send emails to colleagues regarding information that I found. For instance, there is an organization that provide grants to schools with theater programs. It is too late for this coming school year, but it something that our drama teacher could look into for the following school year. The State Department offers grants that would pay for teachers to go overseas to discuss curriculum with educators. I plan to share this information with my staff. I am still learning. Hopefully, I will be able to think of ways to implement this in the classroom.

RSS Feed

After hours of searching and trying to find websites related to dance with RSS feeds, I found out that there were none. At least, none that I could find. I was forced to change my approach. Instead of looking as a dance educator, I chose to search as a general educator. More specifically, I looked into the education associations. Our local/county PGCEA did not have a RSS feed, but the Maryland State Education Association (MSEA) and National Educators Association (NEA) provided a RSS feed. What I like about NEA was that I was able to choose which subject/or category to follow. There was a link for grants and awards. Just by subscribing to the feed, I was able to locate a drama grant ranging from $100 to $500. It is not much, but every little bit helps. Unfortunately, the deadline has passed. Now that I have subscribed to the site, I will be able to see the grant opportunities as they are posted and share them with my colleagues. I hope that the dance world will soon provide RSS feed.