Diigo and Trends in Education

Diigo is one of my favorite technology tools to use in my classroom!  I’ve been using this site for over 3 years, and have yet to find a way that I can’t make it work with my students!  By signing up to have a classroom version of Diigo (for free), I was able to create student accounts.  Part of having student accounts is the ability to share URL’s with students.  As an elementary teacher, this resource saves me countless hours in the classroom.  Rather than having the class hand-enter every URL we wish to visit, and having them miss a letter or go to the wrong site, Diigo allows me to ensure that my classroom is accessing the correct site and information by the click of a button.  For example, we do research projects every year in which we use MEL and the databases linked through MEL as our primary sources.  Part of my students Diigo accounts is the links to the 4 databases the class can use to access their information.  It’s a great way to ensure that they are finding and using accurate information, and not a random website they Google Search. 

Another great aspect of Diigo is the ability to share links with other staff.  I have a group established that I share with my peers.  They then, in return, use the links to integrate technology into their rooms.   Diigo also allows you to share links and join groups with other educators – even those you might not know.  I have joined countless Diigo groups that allow me to extend my technology skills.  One of my favorite groups is the “Web 2.0 Tools For Teachers” group.  This group constantly updates new and creative sites that I can incorporate into my classroom experience.  I’d love to see my district use Diigo as a way to share links and resources that fit the curriculum.  We constantly find that when sitting in district wide grade level meetings, that another teacher has encountered something that fits perfectly into the curriculum.  Diigo would be a great way to share those resources, and always have them handy for easy access.

Our classroom text, Trends and Issues, really led to a great reading on the definition change for the field of “educational technology” usage – and I find myself relating more towards the current AECT definition than the books.  While I agree completely with the books definition, especially the key component of the field of instructional design and technology being “intended to improve learning and performance in a variety of settings”, I feel that it misses the ever important component the AECT definition hits: “Education technology is the study and ethical practice of facilitating learning and improving performance.”  I feel that my job as a teacher is to facilitate the students learning, not just to improve their learning.  As a teacher I have the availability to use technology resources to take a student’s thinking and deepen their understanding, not just improve how they are learning the materials.  I find it surprising that they focus on the need to “improve human performance in the workplace” instead of the need to help deepen the level of student thinking and learning.  I’m curious to read further into the book and see how my opinion changes!

(Feel free to check out my Diigo library!  Click here or visit the post below)