BP2_iGoogle Screenshots

A place for everything and everything in its place...

Check it out! I've got a PLE! The second video by Drexler and Drexler was fascinating. The whole time I was thinking about how I could incorporate some of the skills and techniques presented. I have always been fascinated by how the brain learns, in particular teenage brains. I find that too often, parents, teachers, and employers do not give teenagers the credit they deserve. Sure teens are flighty, moody, irrational, and selfish sometimes, but they are also compassionate, loyal, and creative. I try to encourage the positive traits and remember that I used to be a capricious teenager too...even though it was quite a while ago!

We set up the original iGoogle page in month one and I have to admit that I never used it. I didn't see the value in the page. I hadn't quite figured out how to use my iGoogle page as a way to really organize my tech clutter. It took a bit of time to figure out the lay of the land, but once I started going, it was difficult to stop. I found myself checking out the Gadgets and adding a couple that just make me smile. This will come in handy when I am spending hours on the computer. If I need to smile, I can check out my flying pigs and my little hamster :-)

In designing my own PLE, I quickly began to realize how powerful this kind of tool could be for my students. It would be incredible to design this as a freshman and watch it grow and mature throughout high school. The development of a learning network would provide the opportunity for my students to investigate how they learn and also how to connect with others to deepen their learning.

One challenge, not all of my students have Google accounts. Does anyone know if there is a similar tool for those who are not Googlites?
Well, I am off to check out some Web 2.0 tools. I've got my eye on a couple possibilities...check back to see which lucky ones get picked :-)