11/7: Organizing the Internet

In class a couple weeks ago we learned about ways to organize on the Internet. The coolest application we learned about was social bookmarking, specifically the del.icio.us accounts. The del.icio.us accounts have a user set up an account with them and then you can add your favorite websites to your own personal list. This way if you didn't have your own personal computer you can still access your favorite websites through your del.icio.us account. This can be used in elementary classrooms if the class is doing a research project and you as the teacher have specific websites you want your students to visit. This could save time and alleviate students from visiting inappropriate sites. Another great organization tool is Google calendars. Google calendars also require a Google account, but provide online calendars that can be viewed by the public or by specific users you choose. The calendars can be color coordinated and can be organized daily, weekly, or monthly. In a school setting the calendar could be used as a way to post when assignments are due or upcoming special events. Students could also create their own calendar to keep track of their homework and projects, sports schedules, and any other appointments, etc. needed to be logged.