My+Thoughts

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 * In the first week, the tasks I completed included getting familiar with the websites that will be utilized in this class. I explored the different groups that members of High Tech High are apart of as well as the videos that other members of the High Tech High community posted. What I learned from the time I spent exploring each school was what each one had to offer to individuals who wished to gain education through online education. Every hesitation that anyone would have regarding online education was tackled by each school. For example, Connections Academy had a list of possible questions that concerned parents may ask such as, how many hours does his/her child need to be online and whether there are opportunities to meet with other family members from Connections Academy. The second week, I explored the Ning website and took a closer look at the digital portfolios of students at High Tech High. I watched a lot of them and reflected on what the idea behind the portfolios was and why the student decided to present their portfolio in the manner that he or she did. All of the portfolios had some sort of title which gave me a better idea as to what the digital video was going to be about. In the following weeks, I discovered different Web 2.0 Tools.**======

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 * The Web 2.0 tools included Virtual Whiteboard, VoiceThread, and Dweeber. The Virtual Whiteboard was as literal as the title. I was able to add text and draw whatever I wanted on my space. I also experimented with other students and invited them to join my whiteboard so we could both collaborate and add to the whiteboard. On whiteboard I feel that the idea of it is to create a public space only with those you wish to share it with. It allows for cooperative work and a sense of collaboration with an artistic twist. VoiceThread was another interesting tool that I explored. It is basically a place where someone can post an image and others are able to respond to it via text or even voice recorder or video. I think it’s a great way to give feedback or opinions on a certain idea. It is like a creative forum where ideas are exchanged and shared. I also spent some time looking at Dweeber. Dweeber is basically an educational social website where students can post helpful. What I found really interesting and almost like an incentive for the Dweeber website to grow with more people is the reward point system it offers to members.**======

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 * Over the last few weeks, I joined three groups at High Tech High and acted as a mentor towards students creating projects on the environment. I was very successful in that my mentees have all been in correspondence with me. They were active in their research projects and their questions that they are posing are sometimes broad but that is what I, as a mentor, am there for. I suggested questions they could ask themselves and I provide dresearch websites which helped them further investigate the topics at hand. Sometimes, I felt as though I wanted to help them more specifically with the project but I knew as a mentor and they as a mentee, it is ultimately their work that is being evaluated. And it is my duty as a mentor to help them in the best possible way while still having them retain as much information from the topic as possible. I learned so much from this class and hope my job as a mentor to the students of High Tech High was memorable.**======