One Last Thought

I guess this is the beginning of the end. It's bittersweet to be finishing this project. I have learned so much throughout these past few weeks. I feel a sense of accomplishment and I'm a little sad to say that it's over. There's something that's just so empowering about learning a new skill. One thing is certain...I will be a better teacher because of the work I did on The 23 Things. I'm am looking forward so much to using my new found skills and sharing them with others along the way. I think by taking the tools that I have discovered, I can utilize them by keeping up with new developments in Web 2.0. With my Google Reader, I have already subscribed to quite a few feeds that are based on Web 2.0 practices. I also think by using Del.icio.us I can search for tags on Web 2.0 and keep track of all of the ones that are relevant using the bookmarking tool. These are just a few ideas, but I know that my learning won't end here. The more I know, the better person and educator I become. That's what I'm out to accomplish.
I think my favorite discovery of all was how easy it is to create a blog. I love everything about it and I have had so much working on it. As I said in my very first post about blogging, "I think this is something I will grow to love." There is so much truth in that statement, because I love doing this. I'm learning valuable skills and hopefully inspiring some other people along the way.
Some other favorites of mine were the Google Reader, iGoogle, Animoto, and wikis. Because I have a better understanding of technology and all of the great benefits it offers students and teachers, I feel like my goals are more in focus. I will continue to be a life-long learner, and this project has shown me just how to do it. There is so much more out there waiting to be explored by me, or even by you. The difference now is that I'm ready for the challenge. This is just the boost I needed. I don't think that there's much I would change about this project. The only suggestion I have would be to have each of the students find their own "Thing" dealing with an new Web 2.0 topic or activity. They could write a blog post with a discovery exercise and explanation of their great find. It would give them a chance to explore Web 2.0 a little more and give their classmates another opportunity to add to their knowledge bank.
I hope those of you that were reading enjoyed some of my ideas and opinions. I know I have grown throughout this project, I can feel it as write this last thought. I promise to update this with any new ideas or discoveries I make. It's a great to learn something new and exciting, but what's even better is sharing that knowledge with someone else.