Diigo and Pinterest

    The only bookmark I used to use is the favorite icon on the browser. I just click on the button and save all the websites I need. Next time when I want to use them, I spend several seconds finding them from the long list of my favorite websites. I have ever tried to use the Evernote, but it’s too complicated. So I gave up, I still keep using the easy but disorganized favorite websites button.

    This time I get to know these two great tools to mark those I like and I need! Its diigo and Pinterest! I can use either tags or boards to categorize those bookmarks. Another significant advantage of these two social bookmarking tools is that it provides social network where you can share your resources with others. I can follow others and they can follow me too. Sharing makes the difference! I can also message them on these two websites.

    For diigo, it’s my first time to use this tool. I can write brief descriptions for those I want to mark and I can comment on others’ marks and save them. I can also have multiple tags to categorize the marks, which can help me find the websites easily. These features allow me to dig out a lot of useful information I need.

    For Pinterest, I have used it but I am not familiar with it. Pinterest is like a visual feast. When you are attracted by some beautiful pictures, you can open the link followed by the picture. Browsing the Pinterst is totally fun. You don’t need to read lots of words, but just seeing the pictures to find what you want. You can see what others have shared and save them.

    Personally I prefer to use Pinterest for those fashionable bookmarks like celebrities and clothes, because pictures will make them more attractive. I would use diigo for academic bookmarks because the multiple tags are really useful for me to find the information I need. Fortunately I can get suggestions for related articles from both of these two tools. My online life would be greatly enriched by them!

Technology and Teaching

    I was impressed a lot by two videos about technology and education from YouTube. Both of them are presented with statistics and pictures, without any commentary, but they are persuasive.

    In the Social Media Revolution 2011 video, I was amazed by the statistics that social media has such huge impact on people’s life. I cannot imagine that people rely so much on YouTube, Face book, and Wikipedia according to the statistics in the video. It seems like that almost all the people are involved in the revolution of social media and technology. As a future teacher, it’s time for us to keep pace with the ever-changing information age. Education is no longer traditionally teaching and learning in class. It should combine education with technology. I feel stressful because I, myself have to know the social media well to be a teacher in the future. I know my future class should be, and will be an interesting and creative one. I am confident that my future students are young and energetic enough to make a class closely associated with technology and information. As a teacher, I am not only learning to be a traditionally qualified teacher, but also a teacher who is not behindhand.

    I also like the video A Vision of 21^st Century Teachers. I like the idea “who dares to teach must never cease to learn” by John Cotton Dana. A teacher uses online research sources, sets up class websites, and various online tools to help students in the 21^st century. Just as mentioned in the video, it’s not just about technology itself; it’s about connecting the students, teachers and the world community together. I feel that being a teacher is not an easy job. A teacher is playing the dual role all the time, both the teacher and the student. No wonder John has it that “who dares to teach”. A teacher is indeed a challenging job.

    I sank in thought about how to be a future teacher after watching these two videos…