Thing 3: RSS

I have known for about a year what RSS feeds are, but I haven't thought of utilizing them in my personal or professional life. Blogger has a feature where you can add RSS feeds to my blog. Initially, I did a blog search on Google using the key words boys and reading or boys and books. I had to visit maybe twenty different sites to see what would help me with my students in grades 3-5. I came across three sites that I added to my side bar menu. I just started a journey where I know I will be able to add more to my cumulative list.

Thing 2: Web 2.0

My interest in Web 2.0 has been spiked for a couple of different reasons.

We have had five different au pairs live with over the past three years and these young German girls utilize social networking sites in a way I never was able to experience when I live overseas in London. These girls live away from home (Germany) but are connected daily to all of their friends and family though sites similar to our FaceBook or MySpace web sites. In 1994, I used to wait for letters to come through the mail and I rarely got many (except from my mom). I felt alone and independent in this experience, and I wonder how it will be different from my au pairs in that they have daily contact with friends and family, and in some ways have not really “left”.

Also, some of my students at Highlands have experienced some tools available through Web 2.0 and are very excited to interact and utilize the tools.

Knowing the high interest as well as the fact that young children’s lives are different because of the access to technology, I feel obligated to find ways to integrate reading and social aspects of exchanging thoughts with the help of Web 2.0

Thing 1: Welcome

Hi! My name is Erica Wattson and I am the Gifted Resource Teacher at Highlands Elementary School. One aspect of my services that I would like to change is the way I utlize technology and creativity is my Language Arts Curriculum. Currently, I have an extreme interest researching more about is increasing achievement of reading in boys grades 3-5. My inspirations come from my two children as well as my students I have contact with each week. I am hoping to create a future where they are inspired to read and socialize about their books with the assistance of technology. This blog is going to help me with two endeavors for me to learn the technology, but also to do some personal research on the resources on the Internet that are available to my students and parents.